Frank is a North Carolina native, an N.C. State chemical engineering graduate, a Wake Forest-trained attorney, and a Raleigh lawyer of 38 years. He has served on the boards of numerous nonprofits, played in rock bands for over four decades, personally renovated houses, read thousands of books, and survived cancer three times. Far and away the most important things in his life, he’ll tell you, are his wife Virginia, their pack of dogs, and the success of AnimalKind. He and Virginia have rescued dozens of dogs and cats and currently share their home with three big mutts. You can find all five of them dancing to “Boogie Shoes” every morning in the kitchen. Seriously.

Dave has been showing up for animals in Raleigh for over 20 years. As a longtime Board President of Second Chance Pet Adoptions (the oldest no-kill rescue in the area) he knows what it takes to build and sustain an organization. His 25-year career at GlaxoSmithKline in finance, licensing, and marketing gives AnimalKind the kind of operational backbone that turns vision into reality. He and his wife Carol are lifelong animal lovers and rescue supporters — and proud foster failures to many dogs over the years.

If you’ve been involved in Wake County animal welfare for the past two decades, you’ve probably crossed paths with Kristine. She helped build the Wake County Animal Center’s very first volunteer program in 2002, spent eight years coordinating spay/neuter work for the Coalition to Unchain Dogs, and led community outreach as a board member of the Friends of the Wake County Animal Center. But her real focus is keeping pets with their families in the first place. At IBM, she’s spent 25 years in project management, training, and operations, and applies all of that experience to AnimalKind (usually before most people have had their first cup of coffee).

Virginia has been an AnimalKind board member since 2015, when she decided to bring her 30-year commercial real estate career to bear on something that matters to her deeply. She and Frank have cared for 14 dogs, two cats, and assorted birds over the years, while helping find permanent homes for many more. In her view, real estate and animal welfare have more in common than people think: both are about finding the right fit between a space and the lives that inhabit it. She’s worked for decades with leases AND leashes. Coincidence? We don’t think so.

In 2020, Sheila learned about cat overpopulation in North Carolina. By 2021, she was catching cats before dawn, driving to spay appointments, and getting certified in community cat program management, all while working full-time in application development at SECU. She now serves on the boards of both Operation Catnip and Independent Animal Rescue, volunteers with DEGA, and fosters for the SPCA. She is also a swing dancer, a native plant enthusiast, and a bourbon tasting regular. Her tuxedo cats, Sammy and Lollipop, are unmoved by all of it.

Ele is a human resources executive with a specialty in helping organizations run well from the inside out. Her career spans hospitality, advertising, food, and finance. Her commitment to animal welfare has taken her from volunteering with Beauties and Beasts in Kansas to Freedom Ride Rescue here in Raleigh. In retirement, she’s discovered that the pace of life is better with a pit bull named Tobie Sue setting the schedule.

Erin has spent 15+ years in development work, building the kinds of partnerships and community relationships that sustain nonprofits long-term. She’s also been doing the hands-on work of cat rescue for over 30 years. She volunteers with Operation Catnip–Raleigh at monthly spay/neuter clinics and coordinates TNVR efforts for outdoor cat colonies of 100 or more. She also runs a small flower farm that provides habitat for pollinators, wildlife, and (of course) cats. Her niece calls it a “cat farm.” Erin doesn’t correct her.

Leigh-Anne built her career in customer experience — understanding what people need and making sure they get it. In retirement, that lens has turned toward animals. She’s a regular volunteer at the Wake County Animal Center, where she takes long-stay residents on outings, helps manage a pet pantry, and transports dogs from high-intake shelters to rescue groups. When she’s not covered in dog fur, she and her husband are traveling or spending time at home with their aging rescue pup (which is the best customer experience there is).

Dr. Sheppard has built her veterinary career at the intersection of primary care and shelter medicine, finding her deepest calling in the latter. She leads, mentors, and teaches veterinary teams with a focus on practical, high-quality care, and brings a strong interest in advancing animal welfare both domestically and internationally. She hikes and bikes with her dog, Ziggy, who has no complaints on record.