Our Staff
Laura Houston
Executive Director
Laura Houston is the Executive Director of the Animal Welfare Association (AWA), where she leads efforts to create a compassionate community dedicated to animal welfare and pet owner support. With over 20 years of experience in nonprofit management, Laura is deeply committed to reducing animal homelessness, promoting the human-animal bond, and enhancing access to affordable pet care. Under her leadership, AWA has expanded its services to provide critical resources, including adoption services, low-cost veterinary care, and educational programs that promote responsible pet ownership, across South Jersey.
Laura’s vision is to achieve a zero-tolerance policy for unnecessary animal suffering, proactively prevent animal homelessness, and improve pet care accessibility, especially in underserved communities like Camden, NJ. She has championed initiatives such as the VOW (Vets on Wheels) Program, which offers free vaccines, preventative care, and essential supplies to pet owners in need. She continues to drive AWA’s educational outreach, inspiring future generations through empathy and STEM-based programs, and solidifying AWA as a vital resource for pet owners and animal lovers alike.
Laura holds both Bachelor of Science and Master’s degrees in English from Rutgers University–Camden. Dedicated to her community, she serves on the board of the Voorhees Business Association, is a member of the Voorhees Cultural Diversity Committee, South Jersey Women in Business and NAWBO (National Association of Women Business Owners), She served as Secretary for the Gloucester Commission for Women. She was named the 2025 Alignable Local Business Person of the Year for Voorhees, NJ. A lifelong resident of West Deptford, NJ, Laura enjoys connecting with nature, cheering on Philadelphia sports teams, and spending time with her partner, Bill, along with their three rescue dogs and two sassy African grey parrots.
Paul
Chief Affection Officer
Paul
Chief Affection Officer
Paul joined AWA in 2024 as the Chief Affection Officer, and is responsible for upholding employee morale. Paul came to AWA from a local partner shelter and possesses a distinctive, wobbly gait, reminiscent of a cowboy’s saunter. Following an assessment from Dr. Emily, it’s been determined that he has spinal nerve damage resulting in weakness and occasional hind limb collapse. His condition is non-progressive and will stay stable over time. Paul can be found spreading joy among the staff in the Development office with his warm hugs and comforting purrs.
Maria Giorla
Director of Finance & Administration
Nanci Urban
Senior Shelter Services Manager
Nanci directly manages the shelter services which includes intake/rehoming programs, animal care, shelter veterinary care, adoptions, animal transport, shelter/public training and behavior programs, foster care program, temporary boarding program and retail shop. She has 25 years of shelter experience under her belt. And can be guilty of taking her work home with her, which is how she has Daisy (transported up from LA), Lolly (transported in from TN), Peanut (rescued from a pet shop Nanci helped to close down over 10 yrs ago), Akira (transported from NC and an official foster fail in 2021) and 2 cats, Maggie and Bugs (AWA alumni). She is extremely excited to be a part of the new shelter construction and the growth of the organization that will soon follow.
Ryan Castoral
Clinic Manager
Ryan started at AWA in 2021 as a vet tech and has been a foster parent for AWA for the past 7 years, as well as an AWA adopter of 3 dogs, 2 rabbits and most recently, a kitten named Marshmellow. Ryan has a wealth of shelter knowledge and experience. She was an ACO and office manager of an animal shelter in Ocean county for many years and prior to that a vet tech in private practice. Her background in the field (and having firsthand knowledge of our foster program as a foster parent herself) made her a natural fit for the program. She is dedicated to the animals in our care and to the organization and is looking forward to growing our program even more.
Dr. Emily Seidl
Senior Veterinarian
Dr. Seidl received a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Prince Edward Island Atlantic Veterinary College. She became interested in veterinary medicine while working and volunteering in a shelter. The important mission, community involvement and unique case load kept helped solidify her career path. She was recently became an editorial advisory board member for DVM360, the No. 1 multimedia platform in the veterinary industry. In her spare time, Emily enjoys reading, hiking and bouldering with some cross stitch thrown in!
Jaime Moore
Marketing & Communications Manager
Jaime is the Marketing & Communications Manager at AWA. She started in November 2024, bringing experience in content production and nonprofit communication. With a strong background in cultural, IT, and non-profit industries, Jaime combines creative storytelling with strategic communication to support AWA’s mission. She is a graduate of Drexel University with a Masters of Science in Public Communication and is passionate about using her skills to advocate for animals and connect them with loving homes.
Katie Nelson
Adoption & Customer Service Supervisor
Having always loved animals, and after thriving as a dog walker and pet sitter, Katie joined the AWA in September 2016 as an Adoption Counselor, eventually growing into the role of Adoption and Customer Service Supervisor. She loves benefitting both people and animals by making quality adoption matches. She is excited to support the continued progressiveness and growth of the adoption program, as well as the AWA’s other programs and services. Katie’s furry family include her dog Kado, who can smell a dropped treat from a mile away, and her cat Kelby, who loves to jump on Katie’s shoulders when she’s least expecting it.
Ashley Prem
Shelter Technician Supervisor
Ashley is our Shelter Technician Supervisor and has been a Veterinary Technician since 2012. Ashley has had experience in multiple areas of the veterinary field including Emergency Care and General Practice as well as a Surgical Technician. Ashley joined our facility in 2021 as a part time surgical technician and has since moved into the Vet. Tech. Supervisor position. In her spare time, Ashley enjoys spending time with her animals: dog (Zuko), guinea pigs (Boo & Biggie) and her turtle (Penelope). She also enjoys hiking and playing video games when she can.
Robert Snyder
Animal Care Supervisor
Robert’s passion for animals started as a kid when he was raised with dogs, cats and fish all his life. He always had a passion for animals growing up and this passion took him on a journey to find different outlets to assist all forms of life from our furry friends to our aquatic ones too! Robert is an avid aquarist who used take in surrendered injured fish to rehabilitate them and get them into new homes. When fish were found in abandoned homes of people who left them behind, which happened often, he’d often take them in when pet stores or other resources weren’t available to do so. He was always successful at finding placement and it became his mission to provide this kind of love to our finned aquatic friends. Robert has over 15 years of experience in retail management and comes as a graduate from Pennco-Tech with a degree in CAD Drafting. He was successful at managing various establishments and created programs to engage employees and always had a listening ear to fix various problems in departments and find solutions to the issues at hand. Robert became an excellent candidate for our organization, and he was hired as our Animal Care Supervisor in March 2022. He will overlook the Animal Care Department in making sure that the upkeep and care for our animals temporarily residing here is number priority along with managing our growing animal care staff. In his spare time, Robert enjoys console gaming, hiking, biking, and reading. He lives with his husband Christian and their three cats: Ava, Arya, and Ada. Along with their dog, Timothy (Pictured with Robert) who is an AWA Alumni and was adopted on June 6, 2021.
Abby Gee
Behavior Assistant
Abby Gee
Behavior Assistant
Hi! My name is Abby and I am the Behavior Assistant here at the Animal Welfare Association.
I’m a lover of all animals! I have been working primarily with dogs in a professional training setting for over 4 years and I am currently studying at CATCH Trainers Academy to further my education.
I am always curious and eager to learn everything I can about animals to help better understand them. Learning about and helping animals is my passion!
Jenna Barrett
Behavior Assistant
Hi! I’m Jenna, I’m one of the behavior assistants here at Animal Welfare Association. Since starting a career in the shelter world in 2022, I’ve been devoted to learning everything I can about animal behavior and training. My goal is to become CPDT-KA certified and to continue learning about and understanding animals. I have three fur babies; two dogs (one of which is an AWA foster fail) and a very needy cat. In my free time I enjoy being at home with my dogs, hiking, and collecting oddities.
Olivia Runyon
Education Coordinator
Olivia is the Educational Coordinator here at AWA, where she is passionate about fostering a deeper connection between the community and animals in need. She started at AWA in April of 2024. Before joining our team, she worked as a preschool teacher for three years. With a background in educational studies, Olivia uses her expertise to design and implement educational programs that raise awareness about rescue, rehabilitation, and responsible pet ownership. In her role, Olivia works closely with schools, local organizations, and volunteers to offer hands-on learning experiences that highlight the importance of compassion, empathy, and conservation.
Gwen Wells
Database & Donor Relations Administrator
Hi! My name is Gwen, and I joined AWA in March of 2025 as the Development and Donor Relations associate.
With past experience working for nonprofit and animal care organizations, I am eager to bring a modern perspective to the way we approach and work with our donors. I am passionate about helping animals and look forward to connecting with others who share the same ideals.
In May, I will be graduating from Rider University with a bachelor’s in business administration and a certificate in management and leadership. I spend my free time at home with my rescue cat Charcoal or rock climbing/playing softball. I also love to read!
Stephanie Griffiths
Events Planner & Business Liaison
Hey there! My name is Stephanie and I am the events planner and business liaison here at the AWA. I have always had a passion for anything artistic, and love getting to combine the two things I love the most: creativity and animals! I have my bachelor’s degree in visual art/photography and criminal justice from Rutgers University- New Brunswick, where I taught art and photography workshops to kids of all ages. I have numerous years of experience not only in event planning and management, but also with photography, design, and social media management. I love being able to create new relationships with sponsors, volunteers, and donors through creating immersive and engaging experiences that help spread our mission and promote compassion for all animals. My love of animals makes this position not only a fun experience, but also very rewarding. In my spare time, I love hanging out with my dogs, Smokey and Stark, and going to the dog beach. I also am a bingo show host and entertainer and really enjoy music and making tie dye.