Ana Zorrilla, CAWA
Chief Executive Officer
Ana Zorrilla, a Certified Animal Welfare Administrator, has served as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Louisiana SPCA since November 2007. Prior to becoming CEO, Zorrilla joined the Louisiana SPCA in 2006 as Director of Development. Notably in 2008, Zorrilla led the organization through Hurricane Gustav and the first successful evacuation of companion animals with their pet owners from an American city. She is a member of the Board of Directors of The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement (formerly SAWA), and serves on both the Best Practices & Emerging Trends committee, and the Scholarship Action Team committee.
In 2012, Zorrilla became the first person in Louisiana (and one of less than 100 professionals in the country) to successfully complete the Certification of Animal Welfare Administrators (CAWA). Zorrilla has served as a panelist at several conferences, including HSUS Animal Care Expo, PetHealth’s CEO Roundtable, SAWA’s Management Conference, and keynote speaker at the 2014 PetPoint Summit. In 2015, she served as a panelist on the 10K Panel: Creating a Culture of Preparedness, commemorating the 10 year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.
Zorrilla has attended the Executive Certification Program in Nonprofit Leadership at the Center for Nonprofit Leadership of George Washington University. She is a Graduate of the 2013-2014 Class of the New Orleans Regional Leadership Institute. She is also a member of the 2014 Class of Young Leadership Council Role Models. Previously, she has been the recipient of New Orleans Magazine’s People to Watch 2008 and as one of 50 honorees for New Orleans’ City Business’ Women of the Year 2009.
A New Orleans native, Zorrilla graduated from Loyola University in New Orleans with an undergraduate degree in English Literature and Secondary Education and went on to receive her Masters in Educational Administration from the University of New Orleans.
Our staff truly make a difference in the lives of thousands of animals each year. If you think you have what it takes to be their hero then consider joining team Louisiana SPCA.
Did you know that we’re not affiliated with the ASPCA and rely on local donations?
Jessie Aris
Chief Operations Officer
Jessie has worked for several non-profit organizations in New Orleans over the last decade providing financial management and strategic planning. Originally from France, Jessie grew up spending summers at her father’s Veterinary clinics gaining a true passion for the care of animals. Jessie looks forward to combining her passions for strategic finance and animal welfare to push the mission and vision of the Louisiana SPCA forward. Jessie has one dog and a bearded dragon, who are the best of friends.
Shana Hayward, RVT
Director of Community Initiatives
Shana returned to New Orleans in 2005 upon completing her BA in Anthropology from Syracuse University. A lifelong animal lover of all creatures from horses to salamanders, Shana joined the Louisiana SPCA team in 2012 as a veterinary technician. In 2013 she received an AAS from Delgado Community College in Veterinary Technology and successfully completed the Veterinary Technician National Examination to become a Registered Veterinary Technician. She has worked with animals in multiple capacities as a naturalist guide in the Costa Rican Rain Forests to assisting in the expansion of our the Louisiana SPCA’s spay/neuter programing at our Community Clinic. In her years at the Louisiana SPCA, Shana’s career has grown across programs from a Veterinary Technician to Spay/Neuter Supervisor to Medical Manager and has now been named the Director of the Louisiana SPCA Plaquemines Campus. Her passion is drawn from the human-animal bond through education and establishing pathways towards access to care for pet owners in our communities. She enjoys traveling and has been known to take her enthusiasm for animal welfare overseas and assist in spay/neuter campaigns throughout Latin America. She enjoys riding horses, flying kites and anything that can be achieved while swinging in a hammock. She has 3 rescue pups, Po’Boy (Louisiana SPCA Alumni Pictured), Lula Pants from the streets of St Bernard and Big Freedia from Jefferson SPCA.
Amelie LeBreton
Development Director
Amelie joined the Louisiana SPCA team in 2019 as the Development Director. Amelie brings over 10 years of experience raising support from individuals and foundations, engaging fundraising volunteers and developing new donor engagement strategies. As a native New Orleanian, Amelie is passionate about animal welfare and shares in the Louisiana SPCA’s vision for providing care to those most vulnerable in our community.
Rebecca Melanson
Communications Director
Rebecca joined the Louisiana SPCA as part of the communications team in 2018 and became the Communications Director in 2021. The ability to partner a passion for a cause that resonates with her personally and a love for all things marketing and communications is a rare find, but it’s one that Rebecca has found at the Louisiana SPCA. Named after the musical “Thoroughly Modern Millie,” she has a 4-year-old beagle mix named Millie.
Managers and Supervisors
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