Katherine McGowan Shenar brings 25 years of experience to her role as executive vice president for The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement. She is frequently invited to speak at national conferences produced by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), Best Friends Animal Society, The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), and [then] the Society for Animal Welfare Administrators (SAWA) on topics including leadership d...

Katherine McGowan Shenar brings 25 years of experience to her role as executive vice president for The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement. She is frequently invited to speak at national conferences produced by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), Best Friends Animal Society, The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), and [then] the Society for Animal Welfare Administrators (SAWA) on topics including leadership development, organization culture, coalition building, marketing communications, fundraising, and emerging trends in animal welfare.

Shenar began her career working in the media and transitioned to an advertising agency before realizing her animal welfare calling. Her advocacy work started in 1996 when she led the public relations and marketing department for the Humane Society of Missouri. She has served as the executive director for the Animal Protective Association of Missouri, the animal welfare issues consultant for The Humane Society of the United States, president and CEO of Asheville Humane Society, and executive vice president for San Diego Humane Society. She is the author of the book Coalition Building for Animal Care Organizations, a how-to guide for animal advocates to work collaboratively in communities and has written numerous articles for Animal Sheltering magazine. Shenar holds a Masters of Arts in media communications and served as an adjunct professor for the School of Communications at Webster University. She resides in Florida with her husband, three dogs, three cats, and an endless stream of foster kittens.