1. Introduce yourself and why you decided to run for the nominated position at this time.

I live in Indy with my husband and our two Love of Labs alums, Riley and Dale. I work as a business analyst in IT. We have two grown children, and two grandchildren. We enjoy traveling and spending time with friends and family.
I was introduced to LOLIN in 2011 when we I adopted our first lab, Bentley. In 2021, after his passing, we looked back to LOLIN for our next pup. Thats when we discovered fostering, and fostered to adopt Riley. Since then we have fostered multiple dogs and have been so lucky to help them find their forever homes! I also help complete home visits for potential adopters and fosters. I’ve done some transport and pickups as well. I would very much enjoy spending more time helping LOLIN continue to grow and help as many dogs as possible!

2. Outline your volunteer work with LOLIN in the last year or more. What do you love most about your volunteer work with LOLIN?

I have been a foster for over 3 years. I also help with completing home visits for interested adopters and fosters. One of my favorite things of the year, is volunteering at Labapalooza, which I have done for the last 4 years or so. I love knowing that what we are doing with LOLIN is helping to save the lives of so many sweet, deserving pups.

3. Are there any process improvements you would like to help implement?

I would like to push a little more on the idea that adopters take their new LOLIN dog to a training class.
I feel like that was a requirement when we adopted Bentley in 2011, but it does not seem to be so much now.

4. Describe what makes you a good team leader and why you should be elected. What motivational techniques will you use to guide LOLIN?

I think my friendly and outgoing personality makes me a good teammate and coworker. I believe I work well with others and have an ability to see the best in everyone. I also am very motivated and goal oriented. I like to make sure I see things thru all the way to the finish. I believe these traits will help me to work well with other members of LOLIN to make it the best possible organization for saving the lives of many dogs.

5. How do you go about resolving conflict? How would you handle making an unpopular decision within the group?

I resolve conflict by trying to work with others to find the best possible solution for everyone. Often times this means compromise, but I think I am very good at trying to appease all parties. I think everyone within LOLIN has the same goal in mind, but as in life, not everyone has the same opinions of how to reach those goals. I think this is a good thing that brings diversity and allows for everyone to see many different possibilities. I think just being kind and listening can go a long way when having to deliver an unpopular decision.

6. What is your understanding of the Bylaws, what the Board of Directors do, and the role your nominated position plays?

I understand as a director at large that I must attend meetings and vote on issues at hand.

1. Introduce yourself and why you decided to run for the nominated position at this time.

I’ve been with LOLIN since we adopted our first LOLIN Lab, Sophie, in 2007. It didn’t take long for us to be recruited as a foster, and a few months after our adoption we started fostering and helping out with whatever needed done and I’ve never looked back! I’ve been a foster, adopter, foster coordinator, and most recently spent many years as an intake coordinator. In the last 15 years there have been 12 LOLIN labs between my husband and I and my immediate family and over 50 foster dogs.

Being involved in animal rescue wasn’t new to me when I started with LOLIN. I’ve been a part of one animal welfare organization or another since I was a kid. The Indy Humane Society actually made an age exception for me to allow me to work hands on with the dogs in the kennels when I was just 11 years old. I used to read the AKC breed description books for pleasure and I could pick out dog breeds and tell potential adopters about health issues and energy levels better than most adult volunteers! When I went to college I volunteered at the Bloomington Animal Shelter and hooked up with an all-breed rescue where I also fostered. So rescue isn’t just something I do, it is who I am. My daughters grew up staging animal shelter adoption events with their stuffed animals, accompanying me on transports, fostering, and generally becoming animal advocates. They have learned growing up that you don’t have to have a lot of time or money or even be a grown up to make a difference.

This would be my 5th term on the LOLIN board. I love this rescue and have put my heart and soul into it, so helping feels natural.

2. Outline your volunteer work with LOLIN in the last year or more. What do you love most about your volunteer work with LOLIN?

In my years with LOLIN I’ve held many roles, mostly focused on the front end of the rescue and how to improve and document processes around fostering and intake. I served on the BOD several terms and I’ve been both a foster coordinator and an intake coordinator. I love doing intake for the rescue and over the years have formed strong relationships and friendships with our shelter partners. I think relationships are what makes rescue successful. The work is hard, emotional, and never ending. Having strong connections with the people inside your organization that open their homes, give of their time, donate money, etc. keeps you going through the tough times. And creating trusting relationships with as many shelters as you can manage ensures that you get the most accurate and timely information on the dogs you are bringing into rescue and are working with partners who value the safety and care of the dogs as strongly as LOLIN does. Intake is my favorite role because although you have to say no to dogs we can’t help and are on the front lines to witness the huge overpopulation crisis first hand, you are also the first line of contact between often desperate shelters and dogs and the rescue who can step in and help! I love the feeling of seeing a needy dog get their freedom ride headed toward their future.

I also have some professional skills that I’ve been able to put to use to help LOLIN as my day job focuses on fundraising and project management for a large non-profit. Our ability to run a rescue that functions with both heart and professionalism is a really important component of why we are such a successful rescue. Several times over the last few years I have advised other shelters or rescues on how we work and why LOLIN has consistently been successful.

3. Are there any process improvements you would like to help implement?

I’m pretty supportive of things as they are at LOLIN and I think some of the things that might look like “quick wins” from the outside looking in are things that folks at LOLIN are already working to improve. An great improvement would be to add more vet clinics so that fosters don’t have to travel as far. This however is extremely hard, as many clinics are not willing to give the discounts we need to keep vet care affordable. Did you know that a spay surgery at many local vet clinics exceeds our entire adoption fee? After you add vaccines, microchips, heartworm testing, fecal and any non-routine care a dog needs, vet care at a vet that doesn’t partner with us on cost can exceed the adoption fee by several hundred dollars. We recently had a vet quote us $1,000 for the routine care we provide every LOLIN dog. At a recent board meeting I offered to schedule meetings with more north side veterinarians hopes we can add one or two more options for north siders to take foster dogs.

4. Describe what makes you a good team leader and why you should be elected. What motivational techniques will you use to guide LOLIN?

I think open and frequent communication with the BOD and coordinators is very important. Volunteers are more engaged and motivated when they know what is going on and they know and feel connected to the other volunteers. Part of what motivates people to stick with volunteer work is the friendships they make and the sense of community. I try to give thanks to volunteers who are working hard and support any of my teammates who are working through challenging situations. This is volunteer work and it is important to remember that people could give of their time elsewhere if they don’t feel welcomed and appreciated here.

5. How do you go about resolving conflict? How would you handle making an unpopular decision within the group?

I think the important thing to reflect on in times of conflict is intention. It’s ok if we disagree on things–part of what makes a strong board is actually different opinions. But if we believe we share the same intention–helping dogs and supporting LOLIN’s mission–then disagreement isn’t personal. We can share our differing opinions and even feel passionately about them and then we move forward with the group’s decision even if it isn’t the way we voted. A board needs to resolve conflict from a place of trust and respect. We often make difficult decisions that impact the health and safety of a dog or our volunteers. These aren’t always easy or popular choices but we do them using the wisdom and experience we each bring to the board and with one goal in mind? What is best for the dog (and for LOLIN as the organization that represents many dogs).

6. What is your understanding of the Bylaws, what the Board of Directors do, and the role your nominated position plays?

I review the bylaws each new board term and feel comfortable operating within them. In my view the board of director’s is ultimately responsible for the operation of the rescue, ensuring smooth daily operations, fiscal responsibility, and safety for all involved. I believe each at large member of the board should have a role in the rescue that owns day to day operations for one of the significant roles in the rescue (e.g. adoption, foster, intake, volunteer coordinator, etc.). This ensures that at any given point a board member can step in and ensure operations continue of volunteers leave.

1. Introduce yourself and why you decided to run for the nominated position at this time.

Hello! I am Hanna, and I have volunteered with LOLIN in a few roles over the last few years. Throughout my involvement with LOLIN, I have witnessed the incredible impact our organization has made in saving and improving the lives of so many wonderful dogs. This experience has inspired me to once again step up and take on additional responsibilities to help steer the organization towards even greater success.

2. Outline your volunteer work with LOLIN in the last year or more. What do you love most about your volunteer work with LOLIN?

Over the last few years, I have had the pleasure of being a foster coordinator and a telephone interview sub. I am currently serving as an adoption coordinator and on the social media team. I have really enjoyed being on the adoption coordinating team. It has been so rewarding to facilitate dogs finding their forever homes. I also love being on the social media team and working with my partner, Mary. We work on all of the posts you see on social media as well as the monthly newsletter. My favorite thing about volunteering with LOLIN has been the dogs i’ve had the pleasure of meeting, the people i’ve met both within LOLIN and in general (talking during telephone interviews, meeting in the wild) but above all, knowing that our team is saving dogs lives every single week.

3. Are there any process improvements you would like to help implement?

The shelterluv transition has been a big focus for a while now. I would love to work on utilizing the database within SL to its full capacity. I believe that there is room for improvement on all fronts and I enjoy tossing ideas around with the team.

4. Describe what makes you a good team leader and why you should be elected. What motivational techniques will you use to guide LOLIN?

I am very organized, detail oriented and direct. In my current role, things move quickly and there are lots of moving parts. I have proven to myself that when there is an information flurry, our teams can keep things under control. One of my favorite things about our group is that ideas can be openly shared. I believe in the value of collaboration and teamwork and hope to continue in an environment where everyone feels comfortable sharing their ideas, concerns, and expertise. By encouraging different perspectives and fostering a sense of ownership, I hope to use the collective knowledge and skills of the team.

As far as motivational techniques, I strongly believe that, like myself, our amazing volunteers are intrinsically motivated to do our best for this organization. We do so well at recognizing and thanking each other for our efforts. Our board has set an incredibly high standard, and it has been a pleasure to watch the interactions and dedication to LOLIN that I hope to also continue to lead & motivate by example.

5. How do you go about resolving conflict? How would you handle making an unpopular decision within the group?

Resolving conflict starts with listening, in my opinion. Listening, reminding ourselves of our objectives and understanding each other’s interests and points of view plays a huge role in getting through the inevitable tough conversations. In order to make an unpopular decision, it’s important to hear everyone out and take their points into consideration. Being transparent on the good and the bad is something I admire about LOLIN and it goes a long way. After a hard decision is made, I also think it’s important to follow up on the impact it made and get additional feedback from the group. By practicing these approaches, I aim to resolve conflicts in a fair and collaborative manner, while also handling unpopular decisions with transparency and a commitment to the organization’s overall mission and goals.

6. What is your understanding of the Bylaws, what the Board of Directors do, and the role your nominated position plays?

I fully understand the Bylaws as they have been guiding us on our mission since I’ve been a volunteer and long before. Being on multiple teams and the Board, I have the pleasure of regularly collaborating with Board members and have gained an understanding of the important role they play, especially in decision making. I recognize that as a board member at large, I will have input on these decisions. I also understand that in an emergency, a board member at large may take over or help with another Board position. I also realize the importance of working within these bylaws and will continue to do my best to serve LOLIN.

7. Share any additional information you feel is important for the voting volunteer membership to know.

I am grateful for the opportunity to be considered for this board member position and to contribute to the meaningful work of LOLIN.

1. Introduce yourself and why you decided to run for the nominated position at this time.

I live in the North side of Indy with my husband Brian and my rescue Golden, Reggie. When I’m not working on something for LOLIN, I am learning new art forms (2025 is glassblowing!) or working hard as part of the leadership team in my paid job in advertising. I think one of the strengths of LOLIN is that (at least within the time I have been a volunteer) the board has been members that are also active in various areas of the rescue. They are not strangers that don’t know what it takes, they are all part of the chain of volunteers that links our shelters in need to fosters, to vets, to loving adopters. I am proud to be a part of that.

2. Outline your volunteer work with LOLIN in the last year or more. What do you love most about your volunteer work with LOLIN?

I’ve been one of the Foster Coordinators since 2021. I also offered to steer our Fundraising in fall 2023 when another volunteer had to step down. I served on the board from Dec 2022-Dec 2024. My own dog has a severe autoimmune disease and is dog reactive so I appreciate the ways LOLIN enables me to help dogs find their forever homes even when I can’t be a foster myself.

3. Are there any process improvements you would like to help implement?

In 2025 I am moving from being one of the main Foster Coordinators to taking a backseat there and instead helping in our veterinary services. My husband and I adopt dogs with medical issues since they need loving homes too. I want to help support our fosters by hopefully expanding the list of Vet partners we have and making the medical aspect of fostering a little easier. Additionally I am excited to expand the events and fundraisers with some new offerings in 2025.

4. Describe what makes you a good team leader and why you should be elected. What motivational techniques will you use to guide LOLIN?

My paid job is leading a team of creative people in advertising, and presenting creative work to clients. I know how to communicate with a variety of personalities and find common ground. I know how it feels to not have your voice heard and I want to be a person that brings diverse points of view from our LOLIN family to the board.

5. How do you go about resolving conflict? How would you handle making an unpopular decision within the group?

Everyone deserves to be heard. But not everyone can “win” every time. It’s a fine balance to outline what factors go into a decision and why. At the end of the day we all should feel respected by our fellow volunteers and know that we are all working in our own way, with our own skills, toward the collective goal of saving dogs and getting them into loving forever homes. Stepping back and making sure my actions are aligned with the goals of always acting in the dogs’ interests keeps me on a clear path.

6. What is your understanding of the Bylaws, what the Board of Directors do, and the role your nominated position plays?

LOLIN is quite large. I hope that I can be a bridge of communication from our fosters and volunteers to the board and vice versa. I have enjoyed my position on the board from Dec 2022-Dec 2024. In that role, when another board member had to step down, I moved over to keep Fundraising efforts rolling.

7. Share any additional information you feel is important for the voting volunteer membership to know.

Each of us is able to make a difference with our voices and our talents.