by Jenay Pressly | Jul 24, 2019 | Blog, Leadership Spotlight, PAWesome People |
“Andra is one of the most dedicated and professional volunteers I have had the pleasure to work with at DPA. Because of her dedication she took the PASS team to new heights last year and this year she is already making the Animal Operations Team a more engaged and well oiled machine. I am so proud to have her serving as our new Animal Operations VP and I cannot wait to see what she will do with this very critical part of DPA. Her positive and professional attitude make her a joy to work with! Thank you Andra for going above and beyond for DPA and the animals we serve.” -Leslie Sans, DPA!’s Executive Director What does your role within DPA involve? What do you oversee within the organization? I have been managing the Positive Alternatives to Shelter Surrender (PASS) team and process for the past, almost, year and a half, working on shelter intake diversion which has been tremendously rewarding. My role recently expanded to also be the Vice President of Animal Operations. I am honored to have a larger role within this amazing organization, and look forward to helping bring the DPA family to be the best we can be! What is your professional background? I spent many years in corporate America in the mortgage banking industry, wanting to climb the corporate ladder. As I climbed towards the top of the ladder, I realized I was not fulfilled no matter how many promotions or titles I got. I have always had a deep love for animals starting from a very young age (as evidenced by these embarrassing...
by Jenay Pressly | Jun 24, 2019 | Blog, Leadership Spotlight, PAWesome People |
“Alyssa is one of the most impressive and dedicated volunteers I have had the pleasure to work with over the years. She has lead several critical projects for DPA such as our move to using ShelterLuv. She uses her professional skills and talents to better DPA and I could not be more appreciative of her dedication. Alyssa’s love for animals and our mission are second to none, I am so glad to have her on our team!” -Leslie Sans, DPA!’s Executive Director That’s some of the many reasons why Alyssa Gross is a DPA Pawsome Person! Learn more about her below: What does your role within DPA involve? What do you oversee within the organization? As VP of Admin, I oversee the Marketing, Technology, and Volunteer teams, all of which focus on making sure the back-end of our organization is running smoothly so that everyone else can focus on the animals! Some of the main initiatives I’ve been working on are the implementation of new software to help DPA run more efficiently and creating processes that streamline volunteer responsibilities. What is your professional background? My “day job” is as a management consultant for a company here in Dallas called Credera, where I work with large organizations in the areas of project management, business process design, organization change management, and solution design and implementation. It’s all very similar to what I do at DPA! How long have you been involved with the organization? I’ll have been with DPA for 2 years in August! What drives you to dedicate your time to DPA? I am incredibly sensitive when it comes to animals...
by Jenay Pressly | May 28, 2019 | Blog, Leadership Spotlight, PAWesome People |
“Amanda has done a great job securing fun and enjoyable event locations across DFW so our adoptables can get exposure to our community. She has done a wonderful job ensuring that our calendar is always full of events for our fosters. Thank you Amanda for being organized and connecting us with companies that support adoption!” -Leslie Sans, DPA’s Executive Director What does your role within DPA involve? What do you oversee within the organization? I plan and set up the events for our adoptable dogs to attend in hopes they find their furever family! What is your professional background? I am a real estate/architectural photographer for a architectural photography company. How long have you been involved with the organization? Wow, I’ve never thought about the actual number of years I’ve been involved with DPA! I’d say going on 5 years now. I started out as a foster and I still foster. What drives you to dedicate your time to DPA? I love dogs and cats. I want people to understand that they are missing out on some amazing animals that have unfortunately found themselves in the shelter system. All they need is time to decompress and they are a totally lovable amazing dog! On average, how many hours per week do you volunteer? A lot! The amount is not something I really focus on. If I had to guess I’d say it’s a 30 hour a week full time job, on top of my full time job. Always answering emails. Tell us a fun fact about yourself. When I do have spare time I enjoy rock climbing and I...
by Jenay Pressly | Apr 22, 2019 | Blog, Leadership Spotlight, PAWesome People |
“Kevin has dedicated his Sunday’s to DPA for years! As our Rescue Assistant Director Kevin helps lead the Rescue Team by example and goes to Dallas Animal Services almost every single Sunday to evaluate new dogs for our program, perform dog tests, train new Rescue Team volunteers, and basically terrify shy dogs with his giant height. We always joke we can tell which photos Kevin took during evals based on how high up from the dogs they’re taken. Kevin provides ample information, adorable photos and videos, and recommendations around dogs he meets to ensure DPA sticks to our mission of focusing on pulling the animals most in need into our foster program. We couldn’t be more thankful for his dedication week after week as he keeps going back for more puppy kisses so we can save more lives!” -Jessica W. DPA’s Vice President of Animal Operations What does your role within DPA involve? What do you oversee within the organization? I am the Rescue Assistant Director and an evaluator for Dallas Animal Services. As an evaluator I go to the shelter to identify animals in need and do initial evaluations of the dogs temperament and behavior so that we can then market to potential fosters. I also help train new rescue volunteers, place “tags” on animals, and help with communication between the shelter and DPA. What is your professional background? I am a Directional Drilling Well Planner for a local Oil & Gas company How long have you been involved with the organization? I have been with DPA for about 4.5 years now–which is crazy! What drives you to...
by Jenay Pressly | Mar 20, 2019 | Blog, Leadership Spotlight, PAWesome People |
This month’s Leadership Spotlight is the one and only Jessica Weinstein. Jessica is DPA’s Vice President of Animal Operations AKA the “do-er” of all, the backbone of DPA!’s Animal Operations, and an inspiration to all of us who work with her. Jessica’s spotlight this month is best highlighted from those who directly work with her. We can all learn something from Jessica–whether it is how to be the light in rescue work, how to go all in and not look back, and ultimately how to never give up. Thank you Jessica for all you do!! “Jessica is the foundation of Animal Operations. She is the mastermind behind many of the innovative programs we have, and is the ultimate “do-er”; she takes a dream or a small idea and has the motivation and organization to turn it into reality. She has worked her tail off for years, dedicating thousands upon thousands of hours to the animals, the fosters, and volunteers of Dallas Pets Alive. She pours her heart and soul into this organization and truly is the glue that holds us all together. Navigating this crazy world of rescue can be so emotionally challenging, and I know I’m not alone when I say I would be lost without her support, guidance, and friendship!” -Allison B., DPA’s Medical Director “Jessica has a heart big enough to save animals and a mouth smart enough to deal with all the BS that comes with it. She is the glue that holds DPA together. We are so thankful for her and her hard work.” -Camden R., DPA’s Transport AD “Jessica is the heart and...
by Jenay Pressly | Feb 19, 2019 | Blog, Leadership Spotlight, PAWesome People |
“Stacey has been volunteering with DPA for almost 5 years now and I cannot stress enough the impact she has been able to make for our animals and our adopters. She has dedicated her spare time to ensuring our adoption policies and processes are in line with industry standards while providing excellent customer service to our adopters and placing animals in their best fitting FURever homes. She’s helped us grow as an organization from adopting out under 100 dogs a year to now adopting out hundreds of animals, including cats, pigs, chickens, and even a couple horses. We’re so lucky to have such a compassionate and driven leader!” -Jessica Weinstein, DPA!’s Vice President of Animal Operations What does your role within DPA involve? What do you oversee within the organization? I am the DPA! Adoptions Director. I oversee the entire Adoption Team, I supervise 16 volunteers that help save animals’ and peoples’ lives everyday. What is your professional background? I am a hairstylist. How long have you been involved with the organization? I have been volunteering with DPA! for 5 years. What drives you to dedicate your time to DPA? I absolutely love saving animals lives. The adoption team volunteers’ passion and dedication keep me proud and dedicated myself. I have met some amazing people through DPA. I also have adopted both my sweet boys, Murphy and Brody, from Dallas Pets Alive! On average, how many hours per week do you volunteer? On average I volunteer several hour, I would say anywhere from 20 to 25 hours a week. Tell us a fun fact about yourself. My husband and...
