Karen Menczer, Founder & Executive Director
In 2007, after living overseas for ten years, Karen started Animal-Kind International to raise funds and supplies for, and visibility of animal welfare organizations she has worked with in Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Eastern Europe.  Karen has worked in international biodiversity conservation since 1991, and for over 30 years, she has been active in animal welfare in the US and overseas. 

Since 1997, Karen lived in Uganda, Botswana, Jamaica, Ghana, and Cayman Islands, and over the life of her career, she has worked in over 30 countries.  Along with Animal Kind International, Karen still works in the biodiversity conservation field, and where ever she goes she tries to meet local animal welfare advocates.  She now lives in Jemez Springs, New Mexico with her husband (Ron Stryker), 4 dogs (2 from Uganda, 1 from Botswana, 1 from Jemez) and 2 cats (1 from Uganda and 1 from Jamaica), and 2 donkeys (from the BLM). 

Read about Karen's Humane Education experiences in Uganda.

Emily Miller, Board Member & Secretary
Emily Miller, who resides in Moab, Utah, joined the AKI Board in 2008.  She also works in international development and specializes in enterprise and organizational development strategies.

Emily is particularly interested in helping AKI grow and sustain its efforts in sub-Saharan Africa, where she lived and travelled with her dog Zeke.  She still travels frequently to countries in Africa and Eastern Europe to provide business development and institutional strengthening services. 

Jean Merriman, Board Member & Treasurer
Jean Merriman resides in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she has been active in animal welfare for 30 years. Her area of interest is community animal welfare—working with low income and disadvantaged people to help them take better care of their pets, and to help them access low cost spay/neuter surgeries.

Jean is adept at bringing people together to solve problems: she is quick to boil problems down to their roots, and identify practical solutions—even before a problem actually materializes. Thanks to Jean, AKI is a problem solver. Jean lives with several dogs, many of whom were fosters who never left.

Elizabeth Haskett, Board Member
Elizabeth Haskett has a degree in Library Science and has worked in library systems in the US states of Maryland, Georgia, New Mexico, and Alaska, including as an Assistant Director for the Albuquerque/Bernalillo Library System in New Mexico. She was the Chair for the Intellectual Freedom and Legislation Committee for the New Mexico Library Association and an Ex-Officio Member of the Board of Directors for the Municipal League of New Mexico as President of the Librarians sub-section.

Elizabeth is an animal welfare advocate, and also a literacy advocate. She brings to AKI her expertise in business development and information management. She now lives in Alaska with her husband Geoff and her little dog Krypto.. 

Ron Stryker, Board Member
Ron is a retired Foreign Service Officer, and has lived and worked overseas for 28 years. His areas of expertise are agriculture and conservation. He has lived in India, Indonesia, Morocco, Barbados, Honduras, Austria, Uganda, Jamaica, Botswana, and Ghana, and has worked in about 50 countries. 

He continues to work as an agricultural consultant, travelling mainly to Africa, several times a year.