Lynchburg Humane Society
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Board of Directors

Brenda Gray, president
Shelley Stone, vice president
Ted Hunt, treasurer
Stephanie Cox, secretary
Bobby Babcock
Steve Blickenstaff
Kevin Cash
Jeanna Chapman
Mike Condrey
Rachel Dalton
Rosemary Dawson
Rosie Gantt
Heidi Gondi
Jay Harper
Mike Madden
Daniele Mason
Sandra Mitchell
Joy Lee Price
Makena Yarbrough, executive director



Staff

Makena Yarbrough, executive director, 434-846-1438  ext 13
Kim Haywood, development & outreach manager, 434-846-1438 ext 12
Jill Mollohan, spay/neuter clinic manager, 434-821-4922 ext 11
Wayne Diskill, business & facilities manager, 434-846-1438  ext 12
Lori Cline, animal care manager, 434-846-1438  ext 10
Lea Morin, development & capital campaign assistant,  434-238-3181
Beth Sebby, Intake & foster program, 434-846-1438  ext 11
Julie Barger, admissions & adoption counselor, 434-846-1438 ext 10


About our Executive Director


Makena Yarbrough joined the Lynchburg Humane Society in July of 2009 as the first executive director for the organization.  Since her arrival, the organization has implemented a number of new programs that have reduced euthanasia by 86% and increased the number of lives saved to 90%. 
     She began her animal welfare career in 2000 with the Richmond SPCA, first as the director of education and then as the director of operations. There she developed nationally recognized programs that were instrumental in the organization’s achievement of community-wide no kill status in the City of Richmond. During Makena’s tenure the Richmond SPCA lead a successful capital campaign that grew the organization from a 7,000 ft2 facility to a 64,000 ft2 humane education and adoption center.   Prior to coming to Lynchburg, Makena was the associate director for the Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA, an open admissions no-kill organization.  The Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA, which operates as the city and county pound, takes in over 5,000 animals and is able to save approximately 90% of them.  Makena was responsible for overseeing the organization's adoption centers, animal care, animal training, admissions, volunteer program, humane education, and facility management, as well as being involved in marketing and fundraising for the organization.
     Makena has presented seminars at a number of animal welfare conferences including Best Friends No More Homeless Pets, and consulted with many shelters across the country on topics of customer service, pet retention and adoption programs, and staffing and operational matters.  Before her work in animal welfare, Makena was the marketing and advertising manager for a regional homebuilder and a professional stage manager for performing arts theater companies in DC and Richmond.  Makena is a native of Maryland and a graduate of St. Mary’s College of Maryland. She now lives in Lynchburg with her husband Chuck, 6-year-old son Sam, 2-year-old daughter Lily and two dogs, Annie and Bob.