Leadership Changing at Animal Shelter Here
Brown Retiring; Reid New Director
Message from the Board of Directors Gardenia E. Janssen Animal Shelter
It is with tremendous gratitude and sadness that the board of directors of the Gardenia E. Janssen Animal Shelter announces the retirement of Executive Director Teresa Brown. Teresa has provided years of extraordinary service, heartfelt advocacy and visionary leadership. Her decision to retire is one of both gratitude and emotion for all who supported the shelter under her leadership. Teresa, and those who served with her, transformed the shelter into an organization that meets the growing challenges of animal welfare in Fayette County.
When Teresa stepped into the role, she brought more than leadership. She brought a compassionate heart for animals, a deep conviction to the power of our mission, and the dedication to transforming those beliefs into action. Under her leadership, the animal shelter has become a beloved, stable, mission-driven force within our community.
During her tenure, she:
• saved the lives of countless animals, turning the shelter into a place of hope and second chances.
• elevated the standard of care where every animal was treated with dignity and care.
• expanded strong partnerships across the community and beyond, uniting volunteers, donors, and advocates behind a shared mission.
• helped grow financial stability through responsible stewardship and meaningful donor partnerships, and
• made “doing the right thing” the standard, not the exception, in every decision.
Shelter volunteer Liz Melton summarized it best. “I volunteered at the shelter for many years under Teresa’s leadership. We witnessed her crying thousands of happy tears celebrating the success of adoptions and fosters who made it out of the shelter to happy and secure homes, and heartbroken tears for the ones who did not. To her, this role was never a job. It was a lifetime passion served with gratitude, and she loved sharing this mission with the Fayette County community.”
Although we will miss her daily leadership, we are grateful that she will continue to support the transition over the next 90 days. We are also thrilled to announce that she will join our Board of Directors, ensuring her legacy and wisdom remain a guiding force in the future.
Teresa shared her thoughts with the Board. “This work has been the most challenging effort of my life and helping those who can neither help, do, nor speak for themselves is the greatest honor I’ve ever known. Every life saved has been worth the sleepless nights, the blood, sweat, and tears. The compassionate hearts and helping hands I’ve met along the way—staff, volunteers, supporters, donors from every walk of life— is the quiet power behind every life saved.”
Welcoming New Leader, New Chapter
As we honor the accomplishments of the past, we now turn toward the opportunities ahead.
The Board is excited to announce Tiffany Reid as our new Executive Director. Widely involved in the community, Tiffany is known for her ability to build bridges, strengthen partnerships and foster a shared sense of purpose.
Her challenge, and her opportunity, will be to lead us into a future where continuity and growth is essential. As the needs of our community grow, as services expand and as the landscape of animal welfare continues to evolve, she will be guiding this organization through strategic growth, modernized operations and long-term stability. She brings a strong mix of business and leadership experience, grounded firmly in nonprofit work.
Tiffany, stepping into the Executive Director role, spoke with genuine passion about what this opportunity means to her: “I have never known a day of life without a dog or cat in it. Ever. Caring for animals have been a huge part of my daily existence – from volunteering at my local shelter as a teen in Amarillo to winning 3rd place in the city wide Be Kind To Pets Week poster contest in 8th grade. And now accepting the position of Executive Director of Gardenia E. Janssen Animal Shelter, to say I’m excited, is an understatement. Teresa leaves a legacy at the shelter that I will do my best to continue. Not just the fiduciary responsibility but to loving and supporting each dog and cat that comes to our door. This job is not possible without our staff, volunteers, fosters and donors and I look forward to working with our community and pushing this mission forward.”
Tiffany brings a genuine heart for the mission, and her compassion for animals is sincere, deeply rooted and shines through in everything she does. With her leadership experience, mission-driven mindset and collaborative spirit, we are confident she is the right leader to carry us into the next chapter.
Susannah Mikulin, CEO of the Greater Fayette Community Foundation, shared her thoughts. “I’ve had the pleasure of working alongside Tiffany for more than five years, both through her board leadership with the Texas Women’s League and her service on Greater Fayette Community Foundation’s Red Door Fund for Mental Health Advisory Council. Her thoughtfulness, integrity, and deep commitment to community well-being make her an exceptional choice to lead Gardenia E. Janssen Animal Shelter.”
We invite our entire community of supporters, partners, volunteers and friends to join us in expressing heartfelt gratitude to Teresa for building the strong, compassionate organization we know today, and to warmly welcome Tiffany as she takes on the important role of leading us into the future. This transition marks the closing of a chapter built with love, and the start of a new chapter filled with possibility.
Through it all, our commitment to animals and our community remains as strong as ever.