Jessica Gutmann, Senior Strategist
Jessica, a senior regional strategist at Best Friends Animal Society, brings over 25 years of management experience and 17 years in animal welfare to her role. Her passion for animal welfare fuels her mission to create a meaningful impact on the lives of both animals and people. Jessica has honed her leadership, strategic planning, and team-building skills throughout her career through extensive experience in animal welfare and related ventures. She remains at the forefront of the field by staying informed on the latest innovations and practices.
Her purpose is driven by a desire to advocate for those who cannot speak for themselves, which was further sparked by her experience working as an animal control officer. Along this path, she founded Urban Cat Coalition, Milwaukee, Wisconsin's first and only TNR organization, to address the needs of community cats. Jessica has a proven track record of collaborating with shelters, rescues, municipalities, and community organizations to drive positive change and improve the well-being of animals.
In a notable role as the embed operations manager at Santa Rosa County Animal Services, Jessica played a pivotal role in guiding them to achieve and uphold a remarkable 90% save rate in just five months. Her implementation of innovative strategies and cultivation of a collaborative environment were instrumental in this achievement.
Beyond her professional endeavors, Jessica shares her life with her wonderful husband, six cats, and two dogs, calling Utah home. In her leisure time, she finds joy in dog training, participating in scent detection, schutzhund, and various other sports with her beloved Doberman companion, Raven."