Katelyn Durkin, manager, network partner relationships and experience

Katelyn Durkin is the Manager, Network Partner Relationships and Experience. Her professional experience is varied, spanning animal welfare, software, and higher education, but the throughline is providing people with the resources and experiences they need to succeed. 

She is passionate about community-engaged animal welfare, especially with creating welcoming experiences for fosters and adopters. She looks forward to helping sheltering professionals streamline their operations, connect to peer organizations, and achieve their lifesaving goals.  

Katelyn grew up in New Jersey and spent most of her adult life in Virginia, but now lives in Chicago with her husband Austin and their pets. They have a 40% foster fail rate, so they’re currently at their apartment’s capacity with three permanent residents: a perfect cat Siobhan, an effusive hound Ru, and a special-little-weirdo beagle Moira. They also have many shrines to their last dog, a Boston Terrier named Sam.