Geoff Hall grew up loving animals of every description from a very early age in his hometown of Rochester, Minnesota. His parents were exceptionally tolerant of Geoff's interest in keeping pets including snakes, rats, salamanders, frogs and anything else that could be quietly kept in his bedroom. This fascination of animals led him through a biology degree at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota and then to his first job as a penguin keeper at the Baltimore Zoo. Geoff would go on to the National Aquarium in Baltimore before becoming the first executive director of the Red River Zoo in Fargo, North Dakota where he led the design and construction of the new zoo. His zoo career took him to The Phoenix Zoo, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and on to the Kansas City Zoo. Now Geoff leads Wayside Waifs, where he continues to connect people with animals to celebrate the joy animals bring into our lives. He and his wife, Michele, live in Missouri and share their home with many furry, feathery and scaly creatures.
Robin Rowland’s love of animals can be traced back to her childhood days growing up on her family’s small horse ranch in Lee’s Summit, MO. Although she left the ranch for suburbia many years ago, she believes her work at Wayside Waifs leading the fundraising, marketing, communications, and humane education programs allows her to make a larger impact on the lives of animals throughout the region. Prior to joining the Wayside Waifs’ team, she worked six years at The Humane Society of Greater Kansas City and three years at Avila University, among others. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Public Relations from Northwest Missouri State University, and a Master of Arts in Management, with an Emphasis in Fundraising, from Avila University. Robin is also a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE), a certification held by only two percent of fundraisers worldwide. She has two adopted dogs, Alfie and Bill Bates, that keep her laughing every day.
Alison Reder, a native Bostonian, has always had pets in her life. Her love and admiration for them has grown over the years. She holds a BA from Wellesley College, a Masters of Nonprofit Management from Regis University in Denver and a Certificate in Shelter Management from the University of the Pacific in Stockton, CA. She is an advocate for all animals but specifically for bully breeds. She writes the dog blog Sarcastic Dog, which was a 2017 BlogPaws award nominee in the Best Cause Blog category. She previously served as the adoptions, foster and event coordinator for ColoRADogs, a foster-based rescue out of Ft. Collins, Colorado. Besides animals, she enjoys baking, has served on the board of several organizations and has been a CASA volunteer for abused and neglected children. She currently resides with her daughter and two dogs, Simon (a Yellow Lab) and Piper (a Pit Bull mix).
Kathryn Mahoney is a native Texan born and raised in Houston. She’s always loved animals and has had a menagerie of pets throughout her life. She remembers Teddy and Winnie, both Dachshunds, and Cotton Candy, a Palomino, very fondly. Kathryn attended Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, TX and received a degree in Accounting and Finance. Prior to joining the Wayside Village, she had ten years of non-profit accounting experience, seven of which were earned as the Vice President of Finance and Administration at the Houston SPCA, the oldest and largest animal shelter in the Gulf Coast. She holds a AAWA certification and currently serves as Treasurer on the SAWA board. Kathryn now resides in Missouri with her husband, two human children and two four-legged children, Bailey and Louie.
