October 8, 2007
By JOHN FLOWERS
MIDDLEBURY — The Addison County Humane Society (ACHS) will soon get a new executive director to replace its former leader, Jill Tucker, who recently left to help authorities take a bite out of crime against pets.
Jackie Rose, a Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based attorney, will officially take the helm of the ACHS on Oct. 22 after a move to Vermont. Rose recently completed a 25-year stint as executive vice president of Spectrum Programs, a nonprofit provider of substance abuse programs and mental health services in Florida.
Rose originally earned a degree in psychology and had seriously considered using that knowledge in a career caring for animals. She ended up going into law and nonprofit administration, but jumped at the opportunity to revisit her original career path when she heard about the ACHS vacancy.
“I’m very excited,” Rose said of her new job during a phone interview on Thursday. “I’m looking forward to using my skills as an administrator with nonprofits and to work with a population that is near and dear to my heart. Hopefully, I can take (the ACHS) to the next level.”
Rose said she realizes she will have some big shoes to fill.
Tucker leaves the ACHS after a very fruitful four years, during which she was credited, among other things, with balancing the organization’s books, intensifying use of the Internet in the adoption of shelter animals, forging close ties between the ACHS and business sponsors, and cultivating relationships with major individual donors.
One of her biggest accomplishments was launching the first animal cruelty coalition in the state. It’s a program through which all of Addison County’s animal advocates — including the ACHS, state’s attorney’s office, Vermont State Police and local animal control officers — work together to field and investigate animal cruelty complaints. Complaints are funneled to the humane society, which then follows up with local authorities for investigations that are referred to the state’s attorney’s office for possible prosecution.
Tucker elected to leave her post with the ACHS this fall to take a 12-month job replicating Addison County’s animal cruelty coalition throughout the state. Twelve of the state’s 14 counties have expressed an interest in following Addison County’s lead, according to Tucker.
“I was feeling there was such a pressing need in the state of Vermont to have animal cruelty cases better investigated,” said Tucker, who is working on behalf of the Vermont Humane Federation and the Humane Society of the United States.
When her 12-month contract expires, there’s a possibility she may be asked to replicate the animal cruelty coalition in the state of Virginia.
Tucker looks back fondly on her time spent with the ACHS.
“I loved the organization, the animals and the staff,” Tucker said. “It was a great place to be, but I had achieved the objectives I had set out (to achieve).”