Taylor

Ellen Taylor is the Chief Operating Officer for the Humane Society of Charlotte, NC. Her extensive animal welfare career has taken her from coast-to-coast, border-to-border, and many points in between for more than 25 years.

Ellen specializes in engaging and empowering teams in problem-solving and capacity building using Dialogue Education techniques. Her no-nonsense, upbeat approach has served her well in her previous jobs including Interim Executive Director & Chief Operating Officer for the Humane Society of Washington County in Maryland, Director of Animal Welfare and Education at American Humane Association headquartered in Washington, D.C., and Director of Community Initiatives for the New York based American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Ms. Taylor's additional roles include helping re-establish animal sheltering programs on the Gulf coast following Hurricane Katrina working as Director of Animal Services at the Humane Society of South Mississippi, Director of Operations at the Cleveland Animal Protective League, and Director of Operations and Interim Executive Director at the Larimer Humane Society in Fort Collins, Colo.

Ms. Taylor is a Certified Animal Welfare Administrator (CAWA). She has worked as a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA) and is a Certified Dialogue Education™ Practitioner (CDEP). She served on the board of directors for the Certification Council of Pet Dog Trainers and is a recipient of the Premier Shelter Staff Award. Currently, Ms. Taylor is volunteering as a Mid-Atlantic Regional Representative for the Association for Animal Welfare Advancement. She serves on the Board of Directors for the North Carolina Animal Federation (NCAF) and participates in NCAF’s Professional Development Committee where she led the creation of an animal welfare educational certificate program for North Carolina shelter employees.

When visiting a shelter years ago to adopt a dog to be a companion for her under socialized heeler, Taylor was met with bias and barriers to bringing the new pup home.  It was then that Ms. Taylor decided to make a career shift to shelter leadership to play an active role in making animal welfare more inclusive and accepting so that more animal lives could be saved.

Ms. Taylor shares her home with Zelda the German Shepherd Dog (GSD), Sheldon the magnificent cat, Cookie the three-legged (but incredibly agile) Pit bull, and Efraim, the large and goofy, adolescent GSD.

SESSIONS:
The State of Animal Welfare in SC and NC
Tuesday, February 28 | 10:15am