The Best Friends Podcast Episode 127
It’s not unusual for an organization to drift away from its mission statement, purpose, and goals. Over time, the landscape in a community can change to the point that the animals your organization was founded to help don’t need that help as they once did.
In Carrolton, Texas, the leadership of Operation Kindness knew their organization was already doing lots of great work. Still, they wondered if they were doing the right work to save the most lives. They knew they wanted to be more direct in supporting Dallas Animal Services and other regional municipal shelters, so they made several tough decisions, including launching a neonatal kitten nursery.
Managing change of any scale can be overwhelming and scary. Especially when those changes depart from what an organization has done successfully for some time. This week, we hear from Kelly Furnas, the COO of Operation Kindness, about their lifesaving transformation.
Click here to check out all the episodes from the podcast.
Resources from this episode- Best Friends Podcast - Episode 62: Ed Jamison Part Two
- Best Friends network program spotlight: Reconsidering your mission part one
- Best Friends network program spotlight: Reconsidering your mission part two
- Operation Kindness: Kitten Nursery is providing lifesaving care for kittens like Salem
This week's guest
Kelly Furnas
chief operating officer, Operation Kindness
Kelly Furnas became Chief Operating Officer of Operation Kindness in July 2021, following her roles as Director of Operations and Volunteer Services in recent years. Her responsibilities include the day-to-day running of the shelter, including medical, operations, and facilities. She has been involved with Operation Kindness since 2015.
As COO, her goals include helping Operation Kindness have the largest impact on lifesaving in North Texas, enhancing her team’s skills, and finding process improvements that allow us to save more lives.
Previously, she worked in various senior leadership and operations roles in the financial services industry before finding her dream job with Operation Kindness. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business management from Texas A&M University.
At home, Kelly loves spending time with her cat, Smokey (an Operation Kindness alumni), and her dog, Quinn. As an A&M grad, you will find her rooting for her Aggies during every game. She also loves to cook and even acted as a judge in a local cooking competition!
Episode Transcript