Meet your HSUS State Director
Last week we added something to the HumaneWatch Document Library: a U.S. map that appears in this spring’s edition of Shelter Pages, a publication that the Humane Society of the United States describes as a “directory of products and services for sheltering professionals.” (In reality, Shelter Pages reads more like a break-even advertising project for HSUS.)
At press time, this map showed the last names of each of HSUS’s current “State Directors.” It’s helpful to think of these staffers as salaried lobbyists in the state capitals who work exclusively for HSUS. At present, there are 40 of them.
Since HSUS State Directors seldom have the sort of public profile of a Wayne Pacelle, we thought it would be a good idea to list them here, along with the state where each one works—just so concerned citizens can recognize them when they visit their elected representatives.
In this gaggle of HSUS government-affairs workers, you’ll find some honest, well-meaning advocates. You’ll also find:
- a former PETA Legal Fellow;
- a former employee of both PETA and the Farm Animal Rights Movement;
- a “SuperVegan” blogger;
- the founder of a “vegan” Internet mailing list
- a member (by marriage) of an Illinois political dynasty;
- an animal-raid lawsuit defendant;
- a former Miss West Virginia;
- a kinda-sorta actress;
- a former animal-rights fundraiser;
- a finance lawyer with “seven cats, three quarter horses, two dogs and 10 pet chickens”; and
- a “token Republican.”
The full list of HSUS State Directors is after the jump.
Alabama: Mindy Gilbert |
Kentucky: Pamela Rogers |
North Dakota: none |
Alaska: none (but HSUS is hiring) |
Louisiana: Julia Breaux Melancon |
Ohio: Karen Minton |
Arizona: Kari Nienstedt |
Maine: Katie Lisnik |
Oklahoma: Cynthia Armstrong |
Arkansas: Desiree Bender |
Maryland: none* |
Oregon: Scott Beckstead |
California: Jennifer Fearing |
Massachusetts: Alexis Fox |
Pennsylvania: Sarah Speed |
Colorado: Holly Tarry |
Michigan: Jill Fritz |
Rhode Island: none |
Connecticut: none |
Minnesota: Howard Goldman |
South Carolina: none |
Delaware: none |
Mississippi: Lydia Sattler |
South Dakota: Darci Adams |
District of Columbia: none* |
Missouri: Barbara Schmitz |
Tennessee: Leighann McCollum |
Florida: Jennifer Hobgood |
Montana: Wendy Hergenraeder |
Texas: Nicole Paquette |
Georgia: Jessica DuBois |
Nebraska: Jocelyn Nickerson |
Utah: none |
Hawaii: Inga Gibson |
Nevada: Beverlee McGrath (and HSUS is hiring) |
Vermont: Joanne Bourbeau |
Idaho: Lisa Kauffman |
New Hampshire: Joanne Bourbeau |
Virginia: Laura Hall-Donahue |
Illinois: Jordan Matyas |
New Jersey: Kathleen Schatzmann |
Washington: Dan Paul |
Indiana: Anne Sterling |
New Mexico: none |
West Virginia: Summer Wyatt |
Iowa: Carol Griglione |
New York: Patrick Kwan |
Wisconsin: Alyson Bodai |
Kansas: none (but HSUS is hiring) |
North Carolina: Kimberly Alboum |
Wyoming: Heidi Hopkins |
* HSUS's principal offices are in Maryland and the District of Columbia.