Podcasts about program services

When you're in the business of building relationships with teen girls, it's easy to find hope in the youth of today's Milwaukee. Today's guest, Jasmine Deacon, Director of Program Services at Pearls for Teen Girls knows this first hand. Pearls runs programming for girls in 5-12 grade encouraging them to grow AND glow, survive AND thrive. Listen as we talk about how Pearls is continuing to inspire girls to lean into their dreams as they have done since 1993.Locals and Links we love! Website: https://www.pearlsforteengirls.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pearlsforteengirlsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/pearls_mke/Video of PEARLS made by Lionart Media (previous Cream City Dreams Guests from Season 1!): https://youtu.be/nmxmh-gzpN0?si=hDv62No-pOuVfFKlShow your love for Cream City DreamsIf you haven't already, be sure to follow Cream City Dreams on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for the newsletter HERE.  And I'd LOVE it if you rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you're feeling especially generous, you can always Buy me a Coffee to help keep the lights on!Support the Show.

#BRNAM #1622 | A new ‘calming space' for neurodiverse travelers |  Kathleen Marshall, Director of Program Services, Anderson Center for Autism | #Tunein: broadcastretirementnetwork.com #JustTheFacts

Matt is joined by heather Easterling, Senior Director of Program Services at Sunrise Senior Living. Heather has more than 15 years experience of senior living with an extensive background in community engagement and program services. In this episode of All Ears, Matt and Heather discuss the importance of senior engagement, the benefits of senior living technology, and how senior living communities can enhance their resident experience.

November 13, 2023 on ForYourBenefit, host Bob Leins, CPA® and co-host Ray Kirk, Ph.D., Federal Benefits Specialist, NITP, welcome Jay Fritz, Program Manager, Outreach & Program Services, Healthcare and Insurance, U.S. Office of Personnel Management. It is that time of year again for employees and annuitants to review their Open Season options, which include health plans, dental and vision plans, FSAs, etc. Today's discussion will include: Federal Open Season: November 13 – December 11, 2023 What programs participate in Open Season? How can I prioritize my Open Season shopping list? What options do I have? What if I do nothing? Resources for further information: Visit: opm.gov/openseason Follow OPM on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/opm/ For Twitter News and Updates: https://twitter.com/usopm See your Human Resources Office How do I make an Open Season election or change? Flexible Spending Accounts under FSAFEDS (employees only): FSAFEDS.com or call 1-877-FSAFEDS (372-3337) or TTY 1-866-353-8058. Dental or vision under FEDVIP: Everyone – go to BENEFEDS.com or call 1-877-888-3337, TTY 1-877-889-5680. FEHB: Employees – use the Health Benefits Election Form (SF 2809) or use an online self-service system; your agency's human resources office can help you. Retirees – go to Open Season Online at https://retireefehb.opm.gov or call Open Season Express at 1-800-332-9798, TTY 1-855-887-4957. For questions or comments, email us in advance at ForYourBenefit@nitpinc.com Copyright © 2023 Federal News Network. All rights reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

Mentor Moments Season Three Story Moments: Everyone has a story to tell. This episode we feature Kim Pudlowski! Welcome to Mentor Moments, the podcast where distinctive lives shape the individuals we become. Join us for engaging counseling conversations that delve deep into personal journeys while focusing on pressing professional issues. In this season of Mentor Moments, we're honored to feature remarkable individuals who not only introduce you to the world of rehabilitation counseling but also tackle current topics and issues that matter. Each episode invites you into the minds of our guests as they share their unique perspectives. Kim (Gee) Pudlowski, MS, CRC, LPC is Director of the Pre-Employment Transition Services Program at University of Missouri. She earned a Bachelor of Arts with a double major in Psychology and English from Freed Hardeman University. She later received a Master of Science in Guidance and Counseling from Missouri State University. Her experience includes working in community mental health centers as well as both public and private vocational rehabilitation. Prior to her current role with the University of Missouri she worked for the Missouri Vocational Rehabilitation agency until her retirement in 2021. While employed for VR Kim served as a Counselor, as the Assistant Director of Independent Living Services, as the Director of Transition and Section 511, as Assistant Field Operations Manager, and finally as Manager of Youth and Program Services. Kim has a mission to help students and youth achieve their potential through the provision of excellent Pre-ETS. One of the most rewarding aspects of her job is supporting the staff who work to provide opportunities for youth as they identify their personal strengths, aspirations, and prepare for their future. Follow us at: Email: ⁠⁠mentor.momentsMRA@gmail.com⁠⁠  Instagram: @mentor.moments Website: https://www.mraeasternchapter.com/maryvillerc

This episode features a conversation with Barbara Sipe, Jeanine Turner, and Amir Elsayed from the Richmond, Virginia-based nonprofit NextUp RVA. Barbara is President & CEO of NextUp, an organization that partners with schools, the district, the city, and the community to connect middle schoolers with quality out-of-school-time opportunities across the city of Richmond, as well as provide capacity-building and support for providers of expanded learning programs. Jeanine is Vice President of Strategic Partnerships & Programs for NextUp, and Amir is Senior Manager of Program Services. The level of effort in infrastructure and relationship-building required to provide equitable access to quality out-of-school time programs at a large scale is complex and intensive, and also essential to drive learning and development outcomes for young adolescents.In Part two of their conversation, Barbara, Jeanine, Amir and Jason talk about how NextUp tracks data to ensure quality of programming at scale, the impact that the organization is seeing among the students it serves, including early cohorts that are now graduating from high school, how NextUp and its partners have worked to be responsive to student needs in this moment in time, and what the organization is planning next to expand its value to the young and families of the city of Richmond.Additional Readings and ResourcesNextUpRVANetwork of program providersProvider professional development offeringsRichmond middle school partnersYouth Program FinderProgram outcomesRichmond Public SchoolsWallace Foundation Afterschool resourcesCitySpanDavid P. Weikart Center for Youth Program Quality

This episode features a conversation with Barbara Sipe, Jeanine Turner, and Amir Elsayed from the Richmond, Virginia-based nonprofit NextUp RVA. Barbara is President & CEO of NextUp, an organization that partners with schools, the district, the city, and the community to connect middle schoolers with quality out-of-school-time opportunities across the city of Richmond, as well as provide capacity-building and support for providers of expanded learning programs. Jeanine is Vice President of Strategic Partnerships & Programs for NextUp and Amir is Senior Manager of Program Services. The level of effort in infrastructure and relationship-building required to provide equitable access to quality out-of-school time programs at a large scale is complex and intensive, and also essential to drive learning and development outcomes for young adolescents.In part one of their conversation, Barbara, Jeanine, Amir and Jason talk about the origins and evolution of NextUpRVA and why middle school has been their focus from the very start, the array of partners the organization organizes and coordinates to make out-of-school opportunities available to students, the mechanisms to help young people make good choices in engaging in programs that are a good fit for their interests and needs, and the support NextUp offers to program providers to boost their capacity to serve young people.Additional Readings and ResourcesNextUpRVANetwork of program providersProvider professional development offeringsRichmond middle school partnersYouth Program FinderProgram outcomesRichmond Public SchoolsWallace Foundation Afterschool resourcesCitySpanDavid P. Weikart Center for Youth Program Quality

In this episode, we chat with the Assistant Executive Director of Membership for USA Hockey, Kevin Erlenbach. The theme for this episode is around the 100,000th 8U participant, what this means for USA Hockey now, and where membership will go in the future. Tune in for another fantastic episode. For more information or ways to get involved, below are some links discussed throughout the episode. Follow us on Twitter @USAHockeyCoach for more resources. Program Services: https://www.usahockey.com/page/show/4965656-program-services-resources

This weekend's 1 in 44 guest is Kathleen Marshall! Kathleen is the Director of Program Services at Anderson Center for Autism. Recently, our Consultation Department unveiled a new brand for their consulting and training programs - Anderson Center Consulting and Training (ACCT). ACCT is deeply committed to empowering all service and training recipients with tools and strategies that can help carry out Anderson Center for Autism's mission of optimizing the quality of life for people with autism. Trainings & Services include: Educational Consultation Services, Family Services, Autism Supportive Programs which includes: Autism Supportive Environment℠ (Autism Supportive First Responder & Autism Supportive Healthcare), Autism Supportive College, and Autism Supportive Community and MORE! Tune in to learn about Anderson Center Consulting & Training, or visit: https://www.andersoncenterforautism.org/autism-community/consulting-services

This episode of our award-winning podcast finishes the three-part series on the various drug shortages occurring today and what organizations and practices can do about them.   Guest speaker: Mittal Sutaria, PharmD Senior Vice President Contract and Program Services, Pharmacy Vizient   Steven Lucio, PharmD, BCPS Senior Principal Pharmacy Solutions Vizient   Moderator: Tomas Villanueva, DO, MBA, FACPE, SFHM Senior Principal Clinical Operations and Quality Vizient   Show Notes: [00:40] Challenges of dealing with China and the impact of COVID [03:14] Partnerships to help providers deal with shortages [07:12] Months of disruption [07:40] Employing different sourcing strategies and building inventory [08:38] Recommendations for next steps and a new alliance [10:00] Need for enduring management to minimize shortages   Links | Resources: “The one thing you need to know about drug shortage stewardship” (Vizient, Oct 25, 2022): Click Here To contact Modern Practice: modernpracticepodcast@vizientinc.com To contact Dr. Sutaria: mittal.sutaria@vizientinc.com To contact Dr. Lucio: steven.lucio@vizientinc.com   Subscribe Today! Apple Podcasts Amazon Podcasts Android Google Podcasts Spotify Stitcher RSS Feed

On this episode of our award-winning podcast, we continue our series on the various drug shortages occurring today and what organizations and practices can do about them.   Guest speaker: Mittal Sutaria, PharmD Senior Vice President Contract and Program Services, Pharmacy Vizient   Steven Lucio, PharmD, BCPS Senior Principal Pharmacy Solutions Vizient   Moderator: Tomas Villanueva, DO, MBA, FACPE, SFHM Senior Principal Clinical Operations and Quality Vizient   Show Notes: [00:33] Challenges dealing with shortages [01:58] Using shortages as a care opportunity [04:06] “Anticipatory purchasing” [06:16] Problem knowing where drugs originate [08:44] Originating drugs in the US and Europe: pros and cons   Links | Resources: “The one thing you need to know about drug shortage stewardship” (Vizient, Oct 25, 2022): Click Here To contact Modern Practice: modernpracticepodcast@vizientinc.com To contact Dr. Sutaria: mittal.sutaria@vizientinc.com To contact Dr. Lucio: steven.lucio@vizientinc.com   Subscribe Today! Apple Podcasts Amazon Podcasts Android Google Podcasts Spotify Stitcher RSS Feed

For a long time, drug shortages have made a tremendous impact on clinical practice, but now, because of the pandemic and its aftermath, those shortages are acute. This new series will cover the various shortages that are occurring today and what we can do about them. Guest speaker: Mittal Sutaria, PharmD Senior Vice President Contract and Program Services, Pharmacy Vizient Steven Lucio, PharmD, BCPS Senior Principal Pharmacy Solutions Vizient Moderator: Tomas Villanueva, DO, MBA, FACPE, SFHM Senior Principal Clinical Operations and Quality Vizient Show Notes: [01:20] Shortages have expanded beyond drugs [02:20] Shortages occurring today [03:40] The “Swiss Cheese” approach to addressing shortages [06:00] COVID [07:02] Why recovery from shortages takes time [07:56] Causes of shortages                       Resources:   “The one thing you need to know about drug shortage stewardship” (Vizient, Oct 25, 2022): https://newsroom.vizientinc.com/en-US/releases/the-one-thing-you-need-to-know-about-drug-shortage-stewardship   To contact Modern Practice: modernpracticepodcast@vizientinc.com   To contact Dr. Sutaria: mittal.sutaria@vizientinc.com   To contact Dr. Lucio: steven.lucio@vizientinc.com   Subscribe Today! Apple Podcasts Spotify Google Podcasts Android RSS Feed

During this week's episode of NAPS Chat, Jay Fritz, OPM Manager of Outreach and Program Services, joins Bob Levi to discuss the 2022 Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) Open Season, which runs from Monday, Novermber 14, through Monday, December 12. This is the fourth year in a row that Jay Fritz has been on NAPS Chat to educate listeners about the FEHBP Open Season and health plans changes for the 2023 calendar year. Bob kicks off NAPS Chat to briefly discuss the 2022 congressional elections.

Nebraska's Educational Service Unit 3 is the only service agency in the country that owns and operates a fully-functioning farm. In this episode of The Good Life EDU podcast, we chat with Troy Glock, the Executive Director of Program Services for ESU 3's Gifford Farm to learn more about the unique learning opportunities and services this special place is providing students in the Omaha Metro Area and across the state of Nebraska. For more info on Gifford Farm, access http://www.esu3.org/GF/Home

Today we are featuring the CASE for Kids, End of the Year Celebration to highlight After School Professionals Appreciation Week.  Afterschool Professionals Appreciation Week is annually celebrated the last week of April and includes celebrations and public relations efforts to highlight and support all the afterschool professionals who make a significant difference in the lives of young people. This episode I interviewed OST professionals to learn their perceptions of the importance of after school programs. During this podcast you will learn the following: What is great about the OST field? What motivates them to work with youth? Why is it important to have after school programs available in your community? What advice would you give anyone who wants to work with youth? Guest My guest includes Michael Ewing, Director of Program Services with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Houston, AnaKaren Valerio with After School to Achieve, Dr. Courtney Jones with Perfection Connection, and Telicia Fogle- Simon, with Choice Nation Academy, Resources Michael Ewing, Director of Program Services Boys and Girls Clubs of Houston ewing@bgcgh.org AnaKaren Valerio After School to Achieve, AnaKaren@afterschooltoachieve.com Dr. Courtney Jones Perfection Connection, Curtney@theperfctconnection.org Telicia Fogle- Simon, Choice Nation Academy tfoglesimon@choicenationacademy.oeg Mike Wilson mwilson@hcde-texas.org Harris County Department of Education https://hcde-texas.org CASE for Kids https://hcde-texas.org/afterschool-zone    

It's easy to be cynical about how to approach an increasing population of homeless and unhoused citizens when many political figures express concern and care, but approach the problem by ignoring the problem at worst or forcing people into unsafe and overtaxed shelters at best. Chelsea Horvath-Black and the workers at City Relief recognize that this demographic -- the "least of these" as Christ said -- have been perpetually overlooked and ignored by political administrations and seek to meet the homeless and unhoused as humans in recovery who are in need of food, healthcare, jobs, and places to live. In this conversation, Chelsea shares what led her to dedicating her life to caring for the homeless and unhoused, the challenges organizations like hers face when priorities for a revolving door of mayors is constantly shifting, and seeks to reframe the perception of homelessness not as perpetual, but as a stage that many can and have recovered from when needs are being properly addressed and cared for. For more information on City Relief and how to get involved, visit https://cityrelief.org/ ABOUT CHELSEA Chelsea is an LMSW and the current Senior Director of Program Services at City Relief. In addition, she is on staff at the All Angels' Church on the Upper West Side as the Director of Community Ministries. Before working for City Relief and All Angels' she lived and worked in Shanghai, China with a faith-based organization dedicated to the city's arts and culture sector, its impact on local communities, and the discipleship of artists.

It's easy to be cynical about how to approach an increasing population of homeless and unhoused citizens when many political figures express concern and care, but approach the problem by ignoring the problem at worst or forcing people into unsafe and overtaxed shelters at best. Chelsea Horvath-Black and the workers at City Relief recognize that this demographic -- the "least of these" as Christ said -- have been perpetually overlooked and ignored by political administrations and seek to meet the homeless and unhoused as humans in recovery who are in need of food, healthcare, jobs, and places to live. In this conversation, Chelsea shares what led her to dedicating her life to caring for the homeless and unhoused, the challenges organizations like hers face when priorities for a revolving door of mayors is constantly shifting, and seeks to reframe the perception of homelessness not as perpetual, but as a stage that many can and have recovered from when needs are being properly addressed and cared for. For more information on City Relief and how to get involved, visit https://cityrelief.org/ ABOUT CHELSEA Chelsea is an LMSW and the current Senior Director of Program Services at City Relief. In addition, she is on staff at the All Angels' Church on the Upper West Side as the Director of Community Ministries. Before working for City Relief and All Angels' she lived and worked in Shanghai, China with a faith-based organization dedicated to the city's arts and culture sector, its impact on local communities, and the discipleship of artists.

This episode is also available as a blog post: https://thecitylife.org/2022/03/18/expanding-opioid-treatment-program-services/ --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/citylifeorg/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/citylifeorg/support

During this week's episode of NAPS Chat, Jay Fritz, manager of the Office of Personnel Management's Outreach and Program Services joins Bob to discuss the 2021 Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) Open Season, which runs from November 8 through December 13. This is the third year in a row Jay has joined Bob to discuss FEHBP Open Season. Jay and Bob discuss what's new in 2022, what factors to take into account when selecting an FEHBP plan, Medicare-eligibility, FEHBP tax-preferred flexible spending accounts, and dental and vision coverage for program participants.

On today's episode, Zach interviews Heather Gibson, Vice President of Program Services for The Healing Place, a nationally recognized drug & alcohol recovery center in Louisville, Kentucky. Since it was originally founded as a homeless shelter in 1989, The Healing Place has helped more than 6,000 men and women to live sober at no cost to their clients. It also has been recognized as a “Model That Works” by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Zach and Heather talk about social determinants of recovery, The Healing Place's long-term recovery model, and more.

This episode features Kevin Fleming, Chief Operating Officer of Clinical Program Services at Providence. Here, he discusses his advice to be kind and genuine to everyone, to be open to learning, and the importance of serving someone or something other than yourself.

On this episode, Kelly wraps up her conversations with the collegiate and program staff with Kim Richard, EK, Director of Collegiate & Program Services and Lexi Moore, Epsilon Phi, Program Coordinator.

This episode features Kevin Fleming, Chief Operating Officer of Clinical Program Services at Providence. Here, he discusses his advice to be kind and genuine to everyone, to be open to learning, and the importance of serving someone or something other than yourself.

On today's episode, I'm talking with Katie Holmgren, Director of Program Services for USA Hockey.Katie is a former hockey player who's had a career in and out of sports and for the last decade has made her way back to hockey working for USA Hockey. In her currently role, Katie provides local youth hockey associations with growth and governance resources. She was initially hired as the Coordinator of Adult Women's Hockey before being promoted to Manager of Adult Hockey and then promoted again to Director of Program Services. Earlier in her career she worked with the Iowa Stars, Nashville Sounds, and the Colorado Rockies.We talk about:Doing good work, wherever you areThe power of networking and building relationshipsBeing a mentor and representative for other women to look up toFor more information, head on over to the show notes at https://madamathlete.com/Grab your copy of my latest FREE guide on how to prepare yourself for your next negotiation!To get the latest tools to help you build your own career right now, check out these free resources at Madam Athlete:Goal-Setting Mini Course (FREE!):  Get started in the FREE Goal-Setting mini-course today!Managing Perfectionism:  Download my 3 favorite exercises to fight off perfectionismBook Club:  Sign up here to join the book clubAnd if you want to get on the waitlist for the next Women's Career Transformation Academy where we talk about truly knowing your why, your purpose, and your identity, and how to set effective goals... Sign up here so you'll be the first to know when it opens back up!Keep an eye out for new content or let us know what you'd like to see next by following us on social:Instagram:  @theMadamAthleteFacebook:  @MadamAthleteTwitter:  @MadamAthlete

In this episode Scott Becker shares great advice from a recent podcast recording with Kevin Fleming, COO of Clinical Program Services at Providence.

As we globally contend with the Delta variant, it's become clear that COVID-19 is a moving target. This week, Vizient's Associate Vice President, Pharmacy Sourcing and Program Services, Azra Behlim, PharmD, MBA, joins Sg2 Perspectives to help us understand vaccines and virus behavior, sharing her extensive knowledge on COVID-19 variants, the occurrence of breakthrough cases and the development of new vaccines, as well as how organizations need to remain nimble and strategize in creative, innovative ways as they respond to surges in their markets.   We are always excited to get ideas and feedback from our listeners. You can reach us at sg2perspectives@sg2.com, find us on Twitter as @Sg2HealthCare, or visit the Sg2 company page on LinkedIn.

2010 Annual Report   Big Cat Rescue is more than just a place that provides permanent care for big cats.  It is a movement;  a change in the tide of human perceptions and is the combined effort of more than 50,000 supporters.  If you are one of them, you are a Big Cat Rescuer and the following is the great work YOU did!  If you haven't helped yet, you can do so now at the top right of the screen or here:  http://bigcatrescue.org/donate.htm   Big Cat Rescue's Mission Statement: Big Cat Rescue's dual mission is to provide the best home we can for the cats in our care and educate the public about the plight of these majestic animals, both in captivity and in the wild, to end abuse and avoid extinction.  We are Caring for Cats and Ending the Trade   Advances:  With your help we are winning in the battle for compassion! Up until 2003 the number of requests for rescues we had to turn down due to lack of space or funds had roughly doubled each year, to 312 that year. We feared it would double again to over 500 in 2004. Instead, it has steadily declined since then thanks to the passage of a federal bill and several state bills that restrict the ownership of exotic cats. This year we “only” had to turn away 89 big cats who were unwanted by their owners. We offered to take all of the cats who were cougar size or smaller, if their owners would contract to never own another exotic cat, but they all refused.  We just do not have enough Senior Keeper staff to take on more lions or tigers.   By now everyone knows that communication and fundraising will be cell phone centric.  On April 30, 2009 we added mobile phone number collection to our contact forms and promoted this new request with the Animal Lover's Dream Vacation Giveaway. Our winners said, “It was the most fun we've ever had!”   Our new Intranet site established in January 2010 where all of our staff, volunteers, board and vet care professionals can interact and share information. This cloud based system was provided free via a Google grant and enables us to keep all of the sanctuary documents in a password protected cloud where Rescuers can log in and post their observations for the vet and can share photos, videos and stories with each other.  Our cloud can be accessed via a dozen or more computers at the sanctuary, Rescuer's home computers, smart phones and iPads.  Those who subscribe to the site, such as the CEO, President, Operations Manager and the Vets can see, in real time, as observations are posted about the cats.  This insures that there are always many eyes on the look out for ways to enhance the cat care at Big Cat Rescue.   Animal Care:  By the end of this year, 77 of our 115 cats are over the age of 15. This is well beyond how long they are designed to live in the wild and much older than most zoo cats.  This is a testament to the excellent animal care we provide, but we are dealing with many more age related illnesses and are losing more of our big cat friends every year.  Cats who required extensive veterinary care in 2010 were Alachua Bob, Bagheera, Bellona, Catera, Cha Cha, Cloe, Crystal, Freckles, Hercules, India, King, Narla, Nirvana, Pretender, Purrfection, Sarmoti, Servie, Snorkel, Sophie, Takoma, Tonga and Windsong. These cats were moved so they would have new neighbors and surroundings for their own enrichment: Freckles, Indian Summer, Modnic, Narla. Nikita & Simba, Peaches, Precious, Reno, Sundari and Thing. Even though we offered to rescue the 19 lesser cats and 3 lions and tigers who were in need of rescue in 2010, Skip, Angelica and Midnight, Rain and Storm the bobcats, Servie the serval, Narla, Freddy and Sassyfrass the cougars were the only ones who ended up here.  We found a rehabber for a bobcat in TN as well.  The rest did not come here because the owners refused to contract with us to never own exotic cats again.   Despite triple bypass heart surgery in August, Vern stayed busy this year with all of the maintenance issues and with these 32 cage improvements: Armani & Jade, Bailey & Moses, Bengali, Calvin, Cameron & Zabu, China & Khan, Crazy Bobcats, Despurrado, Diablo, Flavio, Freckles, Jefferson, Joseph & Sasha, King, Modnic, Nala, Natasha & Willow, Nikita, Nikita & Simba, Rambo, Rehab Bobcats, Sarmoti, TJ, Trick E and Windstar. On 3/18/10 we had another perfect USDA inspection.   Education:  Our website is primarily an educational tool and according to Alexa we are ranked 266,861 worldwide and 110,338 most visited website in the U.S.  We have 458 other sites linking to us.   We offer about 58 outreach and field trips per year and have committed to offering 12 of them for free each year to lower income schools, but have already given 25 such free tours this year and expect that demand will continue to rise with the cost of transportation.  Even when we offer the tours for free, many schools cannot come because they cannot afford the $200.00 fee for their busses.  Our Education Department began writing grant proposals to raise the money needed for the buses.   Volunteer Committee Member, Sharyn Beach, was published at Encyclopedia Britannica with the best statement ever written about why breeding white tigers is Conserving a Lie.   Our web site addresses local and global concerns about environment and has over 17,000 pages of information, movie clips, sounds, safe interactive online games with a conservation theme and photos. From 1/1/2008 until 9/9/2010 the site was visited 3,642,337 times, resulting in 8,197,155 page views.  In any given week the visitors will be roughly 33% from 218 countries outside of the U.S. as you can see from this breakdown:   United States 2,757,351, Poland 204,209, Canada 198,127, United Kingdom 127,246, Australia 40,618, India 24,496, Germany 17,428, Japan 13,023, France 11,017, Netherlands 9,593, Philippines 8,559, Singapore 8,545, Sweden 8,177, Italy 8,136, Brazil 8,024, Malaysia 7,793, Spain 7,779, New Zealand 7,740, Ireland 6,788, South Africa 6,697, Mexico 6,554, Belgium 5,994, Russia 5,986, Indonesia 5,627, Finland  5,364 and Turkey 5,248 to name a few.   The information provided has helped wildlife rehabilitators identify animals and obtain proper care instruction, helped officials in smuggling cases to identify rare species of exotic cats being illegally traded and those are just a few of the ways that we know the site has had an impact this year.   Big Cat Rescue has been in the press 694 times, in 31+ states including AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, GA, FL, HI, IO, IN, IL, KY, LA, MA, MN, MO, MT, NC, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, VA & WA and dozens of programs of national or international coverage or in countries other than the U.S.   Legislation/Education: The steady increase in legislation banning private ownership represents recognition by our society that private ownership leads to massive abuse.  Social values evolve.  It took decades to ban slavery in England and for women to win the right to vote in America.  Those ideas started out as “radical”, held by a small minority.  Gradually more and more people understood and agreed until they became a part of our value system that we take for granted today.  The same trend is happening with private ownership of exotics.  Gradually more and more people are realizing that this simply leads to widespread abuse of these animals.  The best evidence of this is the accelerating trend in state laws.   Just since 2005 eight more states have passed some level of ban. Sweden, Austria, Costa Rica, India, Finland, Bolivia, Greece and Singapore have all banned or restricted the utilization of big cats in circuses-it's time for the U.S. & South Africa to do the same!   Nationwide & Canada:  Dade City's Wild Things acquired a white tiger cub from G.W. Exotics, a notorious Oklahoma breeder, that they are marketing to the hilt in order to make money off her as quickly as possible.  To accomplish that they dragged her into PetSmart to drum up some business.  Almost 900 advocates responded to our alert and wrote to PetSmart demanding an end to displays of exotics like this, knowing the bad message it sends.  We're very pleased to share that PetSmart listened and  immediately responded positively.  According to corporate spokesperson  Margie Wojciechowski  at the Phoenix, AZ headquarters, she confirmed she had just come from a meeting and the company has “reinforced with our managers that no exotic pets are allowed on store premises.  There will be no live display of exotic animals for events.”     • FL Sept. 1, 2010:  The Florida Wildlife Commission passes final rules on the keeping of wild animals. • FL June 23, 2010: Thanks to thousands of letters from Big Cat AdvoCats the Florida Wildlife Commission agreed to change the wording of their Nuisance Wildlife rules so that bobcats who are trapped as nuisance wildlife may not be killed, but rather must be released.  While our 2,000+ letters asked that bobcats be removed from the list of nuisance wildlife we are still thankful that the FWC has decided to at least spare the life of bobcats who are trapped this way.  We will continue to educate the FWC and the public as to why bobcats are so necessary to our ecosystem so that they may soon be removed from the list of animals that may be trapped. • FL June 23, 2010: Animal AdvoCats vs Animal Terrorists. The FWC agreed to ban the practice of “fox penning” which was a blood sport in 16 locations in FL where foxes, coyotes and bobcats would be trapped or purchased from trappers to be turned loose in fenced areas for the purpose of training hunting dogs.  Packs of dogs would be turned loose in the pens and scored on how persistant they were in chasing the wildlife.  The FWC had rules that required hiding places for the wildlife, but investigators found that the operators would often block the access to the safety areas so that the foxes, coyotes and bobcats could be cornered and ripped apart by the dogs for the amazement and betting opportunities of the dog owners.  For the first time in the history of the FWC meetings that we have attended since 1993 there were more animal advocates than animal terrorists in the room to testify.  52 concerned citizens spoke up in favor of a ban while only 20 animal abusers / hunters spoke up in favor of continuing the blood sport as part of their “cultural heritage and God given right.”  As more of these egregious practices are exposed we expect the number of main stream Americans who show up and speak up to increase. • FL June 3, 2010: Thanks to thousands of letters from Big Cat AdvoCats the legislature amended Florida Statutes 379.374 Bond required, amount. (2) No person, party, firm, association, or corporation shall possess or exhibit to the public either with or without charge or admission fee, any Class I wildlife, as defined in s. 379.303 and commission rule, without having first guaranteed financial responsibility, in the sum of $10,000, for any liability which may be incurred in the possession or exhibition to the public of Class I wildlife. The commission shall adopt, by rule, the methods of payment that satisfy the financial responsibility, which may include cash, the establishment of a trust fund, an irrevocable letter of credit, casualty insurance, a corporate guarantee, or any combination thereof, in the sum of $10,000 which shall be posted with the commission. In lieu of the $10,000 financial responsibility guarantee required in this subsection, the person, party, firm, association, or corporation has the option to maintain comprehensive general liability insurance, with minimum limits of $2 million per occurrence and $2 million annual aggregate, as shall protect the person, party, firm, association, or corporation from claims for damage for personal injury, including accidental death, as well as claims for property damage which may arise. Proof of such insurance shall be submitted to the commission.  Effective July 1, 2010.  In 2009 there were 111 Class I possessors in FL who managed to escape the bond requirement because they claimed they were not “exhibitors.”  This new language was necessary to close the loophole in the 2007 law so that all “possessors” of Class I animals must post this minimal bond. • OH July 1, 2010: A deal struck between The Humane Society of the United States, Ohio agriculture leaders and Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland will lead to major animal welfare improvements in Ohio on a raft of issues to protect exotic, domestic and farmed animals. The agreement includes recommendations from all of the parties for the Ohio Livestock Care Standards Care Board, the Legislature, and the Governor to ban the acquisition of dangerous exotic animals as pets, such as primates, bears, lions, tigers, large constricting and venomous snakes, crocodiles and alligators. • China October 27, 2010: The Ministry of Housing & Urban/Rural Development suggested in an official web posting that zoos should adequately feed and house animals, should stop selling wild animal products and serving wild animal parts in restaurants, and should stop staging circus-like trained animal acts.  The authorities report that zoos could be shut down for non compliance.  This is the first step toward permanent laws to protect the animals. • Germany June 17, 2010: The zoo director and three of the staff at the Magdeburg Zoo were convicted of cruelty to animals for killing three tiger cubs who were the result of a cross breeding tigers at the zoo.  The zoo had bred a Siberian tiger to a Sumatran tiger.  All of the tigers in the U.S. that are referred to as Bengal tigers are actually hybrids of Bengal and Siberian tigers as the result of the white tiger craze when Bengal tigers were inbred to the point of non existence in America.  A fine of 8,000 euros was suspended upon the condition that the zoo not kill cubs as the result of their own improper breeding plans.  The Magdeburg zoo case drew attention to the common practice of zoos breeding and killing animals to keep youngsters on exhibit. • Russia November 29, 2010: Russia is now filing a bill for an exotic pet ban like other countries have passed.  Despite Prime Minister Vladimir Putin having a pet tiger named Mashenka, the country is working on passing a bill that would restrict the ownership of monkeys, tigers, and crocodiles, because of their danger to the public and diseases they can carry, according to the bill that was submitted on Nov. 29, 2010 Thanks to all of you who wrote letters, attended town hall meetings and met with your lawmakers, the world is a little kinder place. Many of the worst breeders, dealers and tiger-tamer-wanabees were finally shut down.  Most of these collectors were fined or shut down by USDA or the state, or both in some cases: You can read the USDA reports and news stories at http://www.911AnimalAbuse.com 134,704 letters were sent via our CatLaws.com site in 2010 which is triple the year before.  We now have 44,606 members registered to help us with email campaigns. Thanks to all of our supporters being more aware of exotic cat issues and doing something about it, the wild cats had a lot of wins in 2010.  Only bans on the possession of private ownership of wild animals are fully enforceable but any step forward in restricting ownership is helpful.  For more details go to BigCatBans.   Animal Abusers Shut Down and / or Fined:  Many of the worst breeders, dealers and tiger-tamer-wanabees were finally shut down.  The following is from 2008- 2010.  Most of these collectors were fined or shut down by USDA or the state, or both in some cases: • CA:  Hesperia Zoo AKA Cinema Safari Zoo owned by Stephanie Taunton was put on probation and fined $30,000 by USDA. • FL: Horseshoe Creek owned by Darryl Atkinson was shut down by USDA and FL. • FL:  Wild Things' land owned by Kathy Stearns went into foreclosure and bankruptcy. • FL:  Amazing Exotics was shut down.  It was notorious for allowing contact between large exotic cats and the public for a fee.  The head of their tiger-tamer-wanabee program was Ron Holiday (real name Ron Guay) who gained fame in the HBO movie Cat Dancers and the book by the same name.  His career in dancing with big cats ended when a white tiger he had raised from a cub killed his wife and his lover within a few days of each other in 1998. • FL:  In 2010 Jeff and Barbara Harrod of Vanishing Species lost both their USDA and FWC licenses. • FL:  In 2010 Thomas R. Cronin of the Shell Factory was sanctioned by USDA for improper handling of animals, poor sanitation and lack of vet care. • IN:  Great Cats of Indiana, formerly known as Cougar Valley Farms, Inc., owned by Robert B. Craig and Laura Proper had their license revoked by USDA. • IN:  Ervin's Jungle Wonders owned by Ervin Hall was shut down by USDA for a three year term. • KS: In 2010 Clint Perkins of Riverside Zoological Park lost his USDA license to exhibit tigers and was fined for violations. • MO:  Wesa-A-Geh-Ya owned by Sandra Smith was shut down after a visitor lost his leg to a tiger. • MS:  Cougar Haven closed its doors for good, sending the last 3 big cats to Big Cat Rescue. • NC:  Metrolino Wildlife Park owned by Steven Macaluso was shut down by USDA. • NE:  Zoo Nebraska was ordered to find appropriate homes for their big cats and bears. • OH:  Pearson's L & L Exotics owned by Lorenzo Pearson was shut down by USDA following six years of violations. • SC:  In 2010 Robert Childress dba Quality Equipment was fined by USDA for lack of care for tigers. • TX:  Zoo Dynamics, owned by Marcus Cook was fined $100,000.00 • TX:  In 2010 Jamie Palazzo of Great Cat Adventures had their USDA license suspended for 3 years. • TX:  Wild Animal Orphanage closed their doors in September 2010 after investigation the Attorney General for fraudulent fundraising practices.  363 animals, mostly big cats and primates, are being disbursed to other sanctuaries.  Three of the tigers are coming to Big Cat Rescue. • Australia:  Craig Bush, the “Lion Man” was ousted from the Zion Wildlife Gardens by his mom.   Fundraising and Marketing:  Two Legacy Society donations over $100,000 each helped make this the best financial year ever for the sanctuary.  The first was a bequest from the estate of Terry Nordblom for $110,000.  The second was a matching grant of $200,000 in memory of William and Lois Modglin of Glendale, California.   Final financial numbers will not be available until after our annual audit in the spring, but estimates will be posted here in late January after we reconcile the December statements. 2010 began using Posterous.com to post to 16 of our major social networking sites at once.  We currently operate 333 social networking sites. 2010 we began using Traffic Geyser which increased our web traffic 24%.   Big Cat Rescue was reported favorably in the news 111 times in 2010 which in a 20% increase over 2009.   Some of the national press included shows on Animal Planet, Discovery and the History Channel in addition to such publications as National Geographic and the New York Post and major media coverage in several other countries as well.   The Fur Ball netted over $80,000.00! Over 650 big cat supporters had a blast at the Fur Ball; dining, dancing, playing the Wheel of Fur-Tune casino table and bidding in the silent auction and live auctions. Spirited bidders in the live auction won exotic trips see lions in South Africa, and many other wild and exotic places. We had 26,154 visitors this year. Our BigCatRescue.org website visitors rose to 1,660,550 but the site was temporarily replaced for two months.  During those two months (Jul-Aug) we did not have any tracking service on the replacement site.  We plan to re launch the replacement site in January 2011.  Google awarded Big Cat Rescue a grant of $40,000 per month in free AdWords. People who love animals love to share their photos and stories.  In 2008 Big Cat Rescue unleashed a Chat Big Cats community.   Members can post their own blogs, or join in our forums and contests. It is a YouTube/ MySpace styled community made up entirely of animal lovers. By year end there were 4,129 members and 107,374,194,388 videos, songs, photos and blogs posted to the site.  (blows my mind too!)  Get in on the action free at http://www.chatbigcats.com   YouTube.  We ended the year as the 6th most viewed Non Profit of all time and the 7th most subscribed Non Profit with 22,393 subscribers and 669,725 channel views and a whopping 20,685,511 upload views.  Up 500% from 2009.  By year end we had 412 videos posted on YouTube and other popular sites like google, Blip, MetaCafe, Revver and others. http://www.youtube.com/bigcatrescue YouTube Mini Clip Site:  DailyBigCat was launched Nov. 20, 2010 to provide a channel for the mini clips we upload directly from our iPhones.  By year end this site had 248 subscribers, 5,046 channel views and 25,812 total upload views.  Our MySpace account now has 7,625 friends. myspace.com/   We surpassed 36,000 fans on Face Book which is a 500% increase over 2009 as well.  We also enhanced our presence on Care2.org and many other such sites.  We now have 359 contacts in our LinkedIn presence here:  linkedin.com/in/BigCatRescue Big Cat Rescue now has an Endowment Fund to provide a secure future for the cats. The Fund resides at the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay.  bigcatrescue.org/communityfoundationoftampabay.htm We initiated a program with Capitol One so that you can choose one of our beautiful cats for your credit card image and 1% of all of your purchases will be donated to Big Cat Rescue at no cost to you.   Saving Wild Places for Wild Cats Leonardo DiCaprio Protects Tigers:  Big Cat Rescue continued working with the International Tiger Coalition, which is a group of 40+ organizations committed to saving the tiger, based upon our unique ability to address the captive issues that imperil tigers in the wild.   The goal is 10,000 tigers in the wild in 10 years.  There are less than 3,000 in the wild currently and we are losing one per day due to poaching.  We persuaded ITC to keep US tiger farming issue as part of their mission to eradicate because legalized trade puts even more pressure on wild populations. What makes this initiative unlike all of the past programs is two fold.  40+ major conservation groups, including Big Cat Rescue, have joined forces with one common goal:  Save the tiger in the wild.  There have been other joint efforts, but none this large and never before has an entity as powerful as the World Bank been a committed partner in saving wild places for wild animals.  Big Cat Rescue sponsored the ITC booth at CITES and sponsored the attendance of the ITC Moderator, Judy Mills at the Tiger Summit in St. Petersburg, Russia.   Leonardo DiCaprio attended as well and met with Prime Minister Putin.  DiCaprio donated 1 million dollars to WWF's fund for saving the tiger.   23 FL Panthers died in 2010 but 90 were born according to FWC.  Big Cat Rescue is stepping up our support of local initiatives to save the Florida Panther.   Helping Others:  America's injured veterans have found Big Cat Rescue a place of tranquility where they can surround themselves with beauty and grace;  a respite from all that they have endured protecting our country.  It started with one group and now they come to visit quite frequently.  It's on the house and we provide lunch when we can as well by asking donors to contribute.  They have done their part in keeping Americans free and we are doing our part to fight for that same freedom for the big cats.   Then and Now:  Our CFO, Howard Baskin, compiled a ten year snapshot of the sanctuary and its growth.  This is just a comparison between 1996 and 2010. Wildlife on Easy Street to Big Cat Rescue  1996                  2010 Visitors                  85                         26,128 Total Expenses  $1,686,386 *    $1,363,443 Total Income    $0                      $2,245,798 Total Net Assets    $148,455           $4,881,165 Spent on Program Services   100%    83% ** *funded by Founder        ** 17% spent on Management and Fundraising combined   Officers and Members of the Board of Directors in 2010 and meetings: • CEO and Founder  Carole Baskin (not compensated by BCR)  • President and Chairman of the Board Jamie Veronica (not compensated by BCR for her role as a Director)  • Secretary & Treasurer Howard Baskin (not compensated by BCR for his role as a Director)  • Director Lisa Shaw (not compensated by BCR) Director  • Mary Lou Geis (not compensated by BCR)  These members met or plan to meet for monthly board meetings at the dates and places below: Monthly board meeting, Tampa, FL;  Feb 7, May 2, Aug 1, Nov 7   Paid Staff:   • Operations Manager & Volunteer Coordinator  • Gale Ingham Staff Manager,  • Editor & Creative Director  Jamie Veronica  • Gift Shop & Guest Services   Honey Wayton  • Intern Recruiter & Data Management  Chelsea Feeny  • Education Director Dr. Beth Kamhi and her assistant Willow Hecht  • Vernon Stairs Cage Builder and Maintenance  • Scott Haller Cage Building Apprentice and Maintenance  • Videographer and Social Networking Chris Poole  • Director of Donor Appreciation  Jeff Kremer  • Assistant to Operations Manager and Staff Relief Person Jennifer Flatt  • CFO Howard Baskin  • LaWanna Mitchell is an independent contractor who works remotely on web issues.  All of our animal care is done by volunteers or by staff who also volunteer time before & after work.   Volunteers:  Big Cat Rescue had 107 volunteers in 2010 who clocked in 56,411 man-power hours in addition to staff, 31 interns and Volunteer Committee member hours.  Our interns came from 10 states and 8 countries.  Volunteers and interns provided roughly the equivalent workforce of 30 more full time staff.   Staff and Volunteer Training:  We want to say a special thank you to all of our staff & volunteers who have just completed their 10th year of service to the cats.      I've been writing my story since I was able to write, but when the media goes to share it, they only choose the parts that fit their idea of what will generate views.  If I'm going to share my story, it should be the whole story.  The titles are the dates things happened. If you have any interest in who I really am please start at the beginning of this playlist: http://savethecats.org/   I know there will be people who take things out of context and try to use them to validate their own misconception, but you have access to the whole story.  My hope is that others will recognize themselves in my words and have the strength to do what is right for themselves and our shared planet.     You can help feed the cats at no cost to you using Amazon Smile! Visit BigCatRescue.org/Amazon-smile   You can see photos, videos and more, updated daily at BigCatRescue.org   Check out our main channel at YouTube.com/BigCatRescue   Music (if any) from Epidemic Sound (http://www.epidemicsound.com) This video is for entertainment purposes only and is my opinion.

Lisa Holloway, State Director of Program Services and Advocacy for the March of Dimes here in Ohio joins Sam for a discussion on infant mortality, racial disparities, and social determinants of health. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thechristyanjaydenproject/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thechristyanjaydenproject/support

This episode features Matt Ducsik, Associate Vice President of Cardiovascular & Clinical Program Services at  Providence St. Joseph Health. Here, he joined the podcast to discuss his career journey, value-based care and how COVID-19 is leading to innovation in cardiovascular care delivery.

2008 Annual Report     A Year in Video by Jamie Veronicahttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xo4O2srCwX4 Big Cat Rescue is more than just a place that provides permanent care for big cats.  It is a movement;  a change in the tide of human perceptions and is the combined effort of more than 80,000 supporters.  If you are one of them, you are a Big Cat Rescuer and the following is the great work YOU did!  If you haven't helped yet, you can do so now at the top right of the screen or here:  http://bigcatrescue.org/donate.htm   Big Cat Rescue's Mission Statement:  To provide the best home we can for the animals in our care and to reduce the number of cats that suffer the fate of abuse, abandonment or extinction by teaching people about the plight of the cats, both in the wild and in captivity, and how they can help through their behavior and support of better laws to protect the cats.   Advances:  With your help we are winning in the battle for compassion!  Up until 2003 the number of requests for rescues we had to turn down due to lack of space or funds had roughly doubled each year, to 312 that year. We feared it would double again to over 500 in 2004. Instead, it has steadily declined since then. Read why, and about the offers we made this year and why their owners would not agree to our terms. http://bigcatrescue.org/000news/0articlesbybcr/2008AbandonedBigCats.htm   At least one big cat sanctuary has dropped “Feline” from their name as the new laws have caused such a dramatic decrease in the number of unwanted big cats that they are turning their attention to other animals. We are on the brink of no more abused and unwanted big cats.  This change only happened because of you, and I just can't thank you enough!   CFO, Howard Baskin was a finalist in the Tampa Bay Business Journal's CFO of the Year awards.   We became the first animal charity in the world to be qualified for and utilize Mobile Giving Foundation's Text 2 Give program.  Text tiger to 20222.  We discontinued the service in Dec. 2011 however as the carriers were constantly requiring us to change the text everywhere the call to action was posted and we often did not have access to places that reposted our videos.   Animal Care:  Rescued liger and 2 tigers.  What do we do when a baby Florida bobcat arrives that is still nursing? We find a domestic cat who is nursing kittens and hope she will “adopt” the baby bobcat.  Big Cat Rescue's version of Growing Up Bobcat takes you day by day through the challenges of rescuing a baby bobcat, hand rearing her and teaching her all she needs to know so that she can one day be set free.  Watch for Hope to be released in the spring of 2009.   Big Cat Rescue planned Chance the bobcat's escape for months. Last year a baby bobcat call came in as the third one in three weeks. He only had one eye and a lump on his belly the size of an orange. Big Cat Rescue was there to get him the medical attention he needed. Emergency surgery repaired the hernia in his abdominal wall. The swelling was the contents of his intestines and other internal organs that had spilled out of the muscled area and were rubbing away at the inner lining of his skin. The attending vet, Dr. Liz Wynn, believes that his hernia and missing eye were caused by some sort of trauma. The area where he was found is completely surrounded by development in West Tampa, but bobcats are often reported there and last year one was found as road kill. After months of recuperation and rehabilitation, Chance the yearling bobcat was released. Watch the movie and see his wild dash for freedom: http://bigcatrescue.org/video/00190.htm   As our population of exotic cats continue to age, we are dealing with more and more medical issues.  You may have seen some of these procedures on our You Tube site where we have dealt with abscesses, tumors and rotting teeth.  Our cats live about twice as long as cats would in the wild, so their parts begin to wear out, long before the cats are through with them.  Some of our 2008 surgeries have included draining a hemtoma on Windstar the Bobcat's ear, removing a cancerous growth from Trucha the tiger and treating a bite wound after her sister bit her.   Removing a non cancerous growth from her sister, Modnic the tiger, pulling what was left of Indian Summer's rotten teeth to stop the infection, treating a fracture to Cachanga Caracal's front paw and removing rotting teeth from King the tiger.  Shiloh went in to the vet for an evaluation of his rotten teeth and was found to be suffering from bone cancer.  He is the 19 year old cage mate of Indian Summer and was put to sleep to end his misery.   Most captive cats do not get the early nutrition they need for healthy bones and teeth because their owners pull them from their mothers to bottle raise them.  There is no substitute for their own mother's milk and their natural diet in the wild.  While we try to supplement their diets and feed them whole prey, it is always too little, too late.  These great cats were not designed for lives of captivity.  Our hope and your help will ensure a future where wild cats live in the wild and not in cages. Read tributes to our cats who have passed on at: https://sites.google.com/site/bigcattributes/home   Only 4% of our budget is spent on fundraising, so that is why it is so easy to see where your donations go.  The cats got lots of cage enlargements and improvements in 2008.   Our snow leopard cat-a-tat was built in 1997 and featured a freezer box that is air conditioned 24/7 where the snow leopards could choose to go when it got too hot.  11 years ago these enclosures were our most noteworthy and still offer more comfort than most, but due to their shape and location, there was no way to expand them as we have done with most of our other cats' cages. We have two snow leopards and three cage sections, but had no good way to shift the cats from one side to another.  After Shaq the black leopard passed away, It only took volunteers a couple of days to join Shaq's two sections to one section of the old snow leopard enclosure.  Volunteers then spent days painting the cages, landscaping and hauling in logs and lots of stuff for Chloe the snow leopard to enjoy.  Finally the big day came for her to gain access to her new area.  See her enjoying her new, enlarged space here:  http://bigcatrescue.org/video/00205.htm   It's like musical chairs but with big cats!  Windstar moved into the waterfall cage next to Aquarius the Fishing Cat.  Of all of our bobcats, Windstar loves pools the most, so while his cat-a-tat was getting some upgrades, he vacationed with a lake side view and a fish filled private pond.  Now that his enclousure has been remodeled he has returned to his home with its window view into the President's office.   Nyla leopard has been on the list to get an 8 x 12 concrete den, cleverly disguised as a fern covered hill, with a huge room addition since August of last year.  Her project kept getting pushed back due to the rescue of four tigers from a facility that was shut down by USDA in FL and 2 lions and 2 tigers who were rescued from Ohio.  Now Nyla has a hurricane shelter like all of the other cats and she is really loving it.   Snorkel was relocated up next to Auroara's old one acre enclosure next to Shere Khan and China Doll. He will be on the tour path now and rescuers are sure that he will enjoy his new digs. Snorkel is very social and loves to snort and chuff at keepers when they clean his Cat-a-tat or when they are feeding him.   When rescuers released Snorkel into his new pad, he excitedly toured the perimeter, checked out his swimming pond, jumped on top of his den to get a better view of his territory and then chowed down on some fresh grass growing in the enclosure. All the while Shere Khan followed Snorkel, watching his every move. Keepers dug out several large weeds that were growing in Snorkel's previous home and then loaded up Flavio into the tiger transport. What was old to Snorkel was brand new and fun for Flavio. He hopped right into transport and moved just one Cat-a-tat over. All the new smells will keep him busy for quite a while.   Moving all these tigers around does have a purpose. Now two empty tiger enclosures could be joined together to make a double tiger enclosure for Trucha and Modnic. The new enclosure gave them almost twice the room. At Big Cat Rescue there are a few empty enclosures that are set aside for projects such as these. This way as an enclosure needs to be maintained, repaired, replanted or whatever else, Keepers can relocate the resident feline to one of the empty Cat-a-tats. Because we rescued three more big cats this year, we only have one empty enclosure suitable for tigers and could really use a couple more spares for these moveabouts.   The operant conditioning program has become a crucial element in making these relocations go smoothly. Through the use of operant conditioning Keepers are able to get nearly any cat into transport or their feeding lockouts by simply rewarding the cats with their favorite treats. CleoCatra Bobcat has a new, duplex with elevated dens, lots of logs and thick green ferns and bushes.  When she moved out of her old, single sided enclosure, Vern was able to connect it to Cherokee Bobcat's single sided cage.  Now Cherokee has a big duplex, giving her twice as much space as she had before.  She already had lots of ferns and foliage, but now she has a lot more room to run.   We took down a lot of dead pine trees and have planted lush landscaping in cat-a-tats that were renovated to be a new home for Mac the Cougar, Bobcats Bobby Blue Rose and Indian Summer.  When Indian Summer moved, her enclosure was connected to Bobcats, Running Bear and Little White Dove's single cage.  That gave them a duplex and the best climbing tree in the sanctuary.  (Indian Summer is 19 and her climbing days have long since passed)  These younger cats (11 yrs) love to climb and now we frequently see them lounging high in their new tree house.   It took four years of raising funds and a year of permitting hassles but only 2 weeks to build the first phase of the 10 foot high concrete wall that will one day surround Big Cat Rescue.  See photos of this imposing barrier and find out who helped:  http://bigcatrescue.org/000news/0articlesbybcr/zoning.htm   The faithful followers of our site have probably noticed the new addition of pet related articles we have posted to benefit the lives of pets.  http://bigcatrescue.org/pets/000pets.htm   We launched a huge campaign to upgrade two of the largest and most expensive enclosures that housed Auroara, Shere Khan and China Doll the tigers.  See a slide show of the cage enhancements and the biggest of our cats having the biggest of times. http://bigcatrescue.org/000news/0articlesbybcr/TigerCages.htm   As Big Cat Rescue has become more successful in ending the trafficking of exotic and endangered wild cats we have drawn the wrath of the breeders and dealers. Our lives have been threatened and our vehicles vandalized. Twelve tires on our van, trucks and trailers were rigged to explode at high speeds over a 3 month period.  We mounted surveillance cameras around the property and on the rehab cages so we can monitor the bobcats without exposing them to humans. http://bigcatrescue.org/000news/0articlesbybcr/2008cameras.htm   Education:  On March 27th, 2008 Big Cat Rescue was honored to host almost 100 visitors from a very special audience. The American Animal Hospital Association was visiting Tampa for AAHA's 75th Anniversary Yearly Conference held this year in sunny Tampa, Florida.  This specialized group of attendees included veterinarians; practice managers; vet technicians, assistants and support staff; vet students, and family guests. Read more:  http://bigcatrescue.org/000news/0articlesbybcr/2008AAHA.htm   In April Big Cat Rescue was the featured story at Encyclopedia Britannica. Anita Wolff had contacted Jamie Veronica to ask for permission to use some of her photos and she suggested they contact Carole Baskin about some of the legislative work we are doing. Encyclopedia Britannica devotes an impressive section of their site as a source of information, a call for action, and a stimulus to thought regarding humanity's relationship with the animals with whom we share our planet. They support worldwide efforts to ensure humane treatment of animals, develop the understanding of their nature, promote their survival, and protect and restore the environment. We are honored to be a part of the great work they are doing to educate, inform and enlighten.  Read it here and see some of Jamie's photos they have put to use: http://advocacy.britannica.com/blog/advocacy/2008/04/big-cat-rescue/   Our Education Department had to raise their prices to cope with growing demand, but our financial return continues to escalate.  We offer about 220 outreach and field trips per year and have committed to offering 12 of them for free each year to lower income schools, but have already given 30 such free tours this year and expect that demand will continue to rise with the cost of transportation.  Even when we offer the tours for free, many schools cannot come because they cannot afford the $200.00 fee for their busses.  Our Education Department began writing grant proposals to raise the money needed for the buses.   Huge gaps in U.S. regulations for tigers held in captivity could make the big cats a target for illegal trade, wildlife trade monitoring group TRAFFIC and World Wildlife Fund found in the first-ever comprehensive report on captive tiger regulations across the United States. The report, “Paper Tigers?: The Role of the U.S. Captive Tiger Population in the Trade in Tiger Parts,” found there are no reliable regulatory mechanisms to keep track of captive tigers in the United States. Big Cat Rescue provided investigators with crucial data and enabled them to see how the lack of protective laws and enforcement are exploited by animal abusers in the real world. http://bigcatrescue.org/000news/0articlesbybcr/   Big Cat Rescue wants to end the need for big cat sanctuaries, but until that day comes we are involved daily in assisting other sanctuaries.  We help improve their ability to convey their message and assist with manpower, resources and guidance on issues such as fundraising, animal care, volunteer training and more.   On November 21st we began assisting the Parco Zoo Punta Verde in Lignano Sabbiadoro, Italy in a three-year study on Caracal caracal for the purpose of providing information on the species to expand the knowledge of the behavioral, social and pathological state of Caracal caracal in captivity and to create husbandry guidelines on species.  GoNomad.com posted letters from Big Cat Rescuers about animal interaction opportunities that exploit big cats as a way of educating tourists of the real issues involved in keeping big cats captive.   Modified our Children's DNA ID disks so that they can be used in MO as well as FL and distributed 140 via the Assemblies of God in Springfield.  Once a month all of our Big Cat Rescue Volunteers meet to share lunch, stories about the cats and to get the essential training they need to make Big Cat Rescue the haven it is for the cats. In April we had a guest speaker, Laurie Macdonald, Florida Program Director of Defenders of Wildlife, come and educate us about the issues facing the Florida Panther, bobcats, black bears and other native wildlife.  Our boots were lined up at the door as 70 or so of us sat on the floor, mesmerized by her slide show presentation that included some of our own cats as stand-ins for their wild cousins.   Love is the universal language and the one we speak best at Big Cat Rescue, but now our website, which is well over 5,500 pages of information, is available in Chinese, Dutch, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish.  Check out the google Translate box in the lower left hand side of every page of our site to translate the page into one of the supported languages.  The translations are far from perfect as this technology is still being developed, but we are happy to be able to reach so many more people around the globe.   Legislation/Education:  Thanks to all of you who wrote letters, attended town hall meetings and met with your lawmakers, the world is a little kinder place. Many of the worst breeders, dealers and tiger-tamer-wanabees were finally shut down.  Most of these collectors were fined or shut down by USDA or the state, or both in some cases:   • CA:  Hesperia Zoo AKA Cinema Safari Zoo owned by Stephanie Taunton was put on probation and fined $30,000 by USDA. • FL: Horseshoe Creek owned by Darryl Atkinson was shut down by USDA and FL. • FL:  Wild Things' land owned by Kathy Stearns went into foreclosure and bankruptcy. • FL:  Amazing Exotics appears to have been shut down.  It was notorious for allowing contact between large exotic cats and the public for a fee.  The head of their tiger-tamer-wanabee program was Ron Holiday (real name Ron Guay) who gained fame in the HBO movie Cat Dancers and the book by the same name.  His career in dancing with big cats ended when a white tiger he had raised from a cub killed his wife and his lover within a few days of each other in 1998. • IN:  Great Cats of Indiana, formerly known as Cougar Valley Farms, Inc., owned by Robert B. Craig and Laura Proper came under investigation by USDA. • IN:  Ervin's Jungle Wonders owned by Ervin Hall was shut down by USDA for a three year term. • MO:  Wesa-A-Geh-Ya owned by Sandra Smith was shut down after a visitor lost his leg to a tiger. • MS:  Cougar Haven closed its doors for good, sending the last 3 big cats to Big Cat Rescue. • NC:  Metrolino Wildlife Park owned by Steven Macaluso was shut down by USDA. • NE:  Zoo Nebraska was ordered to find appropriate homes for their big cats and bears. • OH:  Pearson's L & L Exotics owned by Lorenzo Pearson was shut down by USDA following six years of violations including the mauling death of his own two year old child. • TX:  Zoo Dynamics, owned by Marcus Cook was fined $100,000.00 You can read the USDA reports and news stories at http://www.911AnimalAbuse.com   Better laws were passed:   • CITES Decision 14.69: Parties with intensive operations breeding tigers on a commercial scale shall implement measures to restrict the captive population to a level supportive only to conserving wild tigers; tigers should not be bred for trade in their parts and derivatives. (Most of the tiger breeding in the U.S. is for photo booths and petting sessions. None of the breeding of generic tigers does anything to conserve wild tigers. Ask your lawmakers to uphold this CITES decision and end the breeding of tigers outside of the Species Survival Plans in AZA accredited zoos.)  • MO: Effective March 2008 MO Wildlife Code changed as follows:  Safety:  Because of the inherent danger and potential liability associated with the possession of bears, mountain lions, wolves and their hybrids, the Conservation Commission now requires owners of these animals to identify each individual with a microchip embedded under the animal's skin. The owners must also submit a blood or tissue sample for DNA analysis. All animals must be registered with the Department when acquired, born, at death, or when sold. This will aid enforcement of illegal sales of these animals and will help Department biologists distinguish escaped and released captives from wild animals.  MO Conservationist magazine Feb issue at magazine@mdc.mo.gov where Wildlife Code book for 2008 has been released. • Sheriff Kevin T. Harrison asks county to ban private possession of dangerous exotics. • December 11, 2008 Park Hills, MO bans most exotic animals, except small monkeys, within the city limits. • OK:  5/7/08 Gov. Henry signed Senate Bill 1463 into law last week. Sen. James A. Williamson (R-Tulsa) introduced the legislation which prohibits the use of computer-assisted remote control hunting of wildlife. The bill also makes it illegal to engage in, sell, offer for sale, assist in or provide facilities for computer-assisted remote control hunting. Thirty-eight states prohibit Internet hunting, and a federal bill introduced in the U.S. Congress – S. 2422 and H.R. 2711, the Computer- Assisted Remote Hunting Act – would end Internet hunting nationwide. • UT:  Internet Hunting Banned.  Gov. Huntsman signed Senate Bill 164 into law. Sen. Michael Waddoups (R-6th) introduced the legislation which prohibits the use of a computer or other device to remotely hunt an animal.37 states now prohibit Internet hunting, and a federal bill introduced in the U.S. Congress – S. 2422 and H.R. 2711, the Computer- Assisted Remote Hunting Act – would end Internet hunting nationwide. • USDA roared out in support of Haley's Act HR 1947 but Congress never took the time to hear the bill in 2008.  http://bigcatrescue.org/laws/zPDFlaws/USDAcommentHR1947.pdf • Iberville, LA:  Referring back to a law that has been on Iberville Parish's books since 1993, the LA Wildlife and Fisheries Dept. finally banned the notorious Tiger Truck Stop from using live tigers as a public display. Thanks to Sky Williamson and more than 11,000 letters from Big Cat Rescuers, the Tiger Truck Stop was finally ordered to remove the last remaining tiger from this truck stop cage in Grosse Tete, LA. This should have ended a sad history of 21 years of tigers in small concrete cages in the middle of this busy truck stop, but the owner filed a lawsuit to keep Louisiana's Wildlife and Fisheries from doing their job.  At year end we are still fighting to Free Tony the tiger at FreeTony.com   Directing the traffic to the legislative sections had to be more creative however, because by and large, people don't want to think about politics.  The cat's stories and their photographs had to be compelling enough to overcome this typical aversion to political matters and we feel that we have had considerable success in doing that since we have been able to track 728,656 visitors to our legislative pages in 2008.  1,653,788 legislative pages were viewed in 2008. 1,743,210 visits to our main web site bigcatrescue.org resulted in 5,794,358 pages being viewed.  Combined visitors were 2,471,866 who viewed 7,448,146 pages or 6,772 visitors per day who viewed 20,406 pages per day.  Our peak day in 2008 was May 13 with 9,340 page views on bigcatrescue.org alone.    The most popular campaign was to free Tony the Tiger from the Truck Stop and accounted for one quarter of all letters sent.   Carole filled in for Allen Green at the Public Interest Land Air Water conference that attracted 3,500 people from all over the U.S. who care about issues such as wildlife trafficking, climate change and other important issues concerning our planet's health.   At the Sept. 17-19 Florida Wildlife Commission hearing in Jacksonville discussed public comments on the Captive Wildlife Rules.  Of the 1,700 comments our supporters were 1,430 of them.  44,460 letters were sent via our CatLaws.com site in 2008 which is up 25% from last year.  We now have 42,826 members registered to help us with email campaigns.  That is up 9,542 in 2008.   Big Cat Wins Abroad:     • Brazil:  12/11/08 After ongoing efforts by many animal organizations an animal group in Brazil has successfully lobbied and a law has been passed banning all animals in circuses there. • Johor, Malaysia Bans ALL Commercial Hunting:  The Johor government banned all forms of commercial hunting.  Johor is home to the Endau-Rompin National Park, the second largest national park in Peninsular Malaysia. The state will lose some money in licensing fees — in 2006, it issued more than 2,000 hunting licenses — but that pales into insignificance when compared with the benefits of such a move. Johor wants to save the tiger. The ban would also help the Department of Wildlife and National Parks to collect data, train staff and curb wildlife crime. Classified as an endangered species, the tiger is fully protected. But its food is not. The ban should ensure that the population of animals that the tiger preys on — such as wild boar and deer — will increase. If the tigers have sufficient food, they are also unlikely to wander into areas with human habitation. • Australia:  August 3, 2008 Environment Minister Peter Garrett immediately banned the import of Savannah cats into Australia upon learning they were a cross between a Serval and domestic cat.  He said the Savannah cat posed “an extreme threat to Australia's native wildlife.” • Australia:  Craig Bush, the “Lion Man” was ousted from the Zion Wildlife Gardens by his mom.   Fundraising and Marketing:  Big Cat Rescue was reported favorably in the news 70 times in 2008.   Some of the national press included shows on Animal Planet, Discovery and the History Channel in addition to such publications and Encyclopedia Britannica and Women's World Magazine and major media coverage in several other countries as well.   The Fur Ball netted over $110,000.00!  Over 550 big cat supporters had a blast at the Fur Ball; dining, dancing, shopping in the Bargain Sale, tasting and voting in the cake contest, playing the Wheel of Fur-Tune casino table and bidding in the silent auction and live auctions. Spirited bidders in the live auction won exotic trips see lions in South Africa, tigers in Thailand, visits Paris, Brussels and London and golf at St. Andrews.  Roger and Wilhelmina Hopper  won the mountain condo vacation in the costume contest.  The men's and lady's Rolex watches donated by AvantGold were won by Trey Ashmore and Linda Colon.  The Wheel of Fur-tune raffle prize of $1000 Gift Certificate to AvantGold went to Richard Bosley and the King of Feasts cake contest prize went to Cakes Plus.  Watch the video of the night's fun and see if we caught you on film in the photos posted under the video. http://bigcatrescue.org/000archives/2008furball.htm   We had 24,734 visitors this year, compared to a comparably sized zoo that hosts 700,000 visitors annually.  With our annual budget approaching a million dollars a year, we have to be creative in our fund raising, so we turned to the 1,743, 210 web site visitors to bigcatrescue.org and on Valentine's Day asked them to shop in our new online store at http://www.bigcatrescue.biz/  On July 30th we began cross promoting the online store throughout our main web site.   Watch this new episode of Magnificent Obsessions starring our very own Scott Lope.  Lion Feeding Frenzy premiered with lots of interest sparked with each airing.  Scott has also been featured as the big cat expert in Untamed and Uncut and Monster Quest in the U.S. and U.K.   On 2/9/08 we added this Social Bookmarking option to every page of our site to encourage visitors to add us to their social networks.   People who love animals love to share their photos and stories.  On March 1st Big Cat Rescue unleashed a Chat Big Cats community.  It offers unlimited storage space for members' photos, videos and music.   Members can post their own blogs, or join in our forums and contests. It is a YouTube/ MySpace styled community made up entirely of animal lovers. By year end there were 785 members and nearly 2,500 videos, songs, photos and blogs posted to the site.  Get in on the action free at http://www.chatbigcats.com   In late December, 2008, we qualified for google Adsense ads to run on YouTube.  We ended the year as the 6th most viewed Non Profit of all time and the 8th most subscribed Non Profit with 4,265 subscribers and 111,015 channel views.  By year end we had 139 videos posted on YouTube and we began using TubeMogul to post to other popular sites like google, Blip, MetaCafe, Revver and others.  http://www.youtube.com/bigcatrescue   Our MySpace account now has 6,291 friends, 254,024,879 people in our network and our site has had 34,443 profile views. http://www.myspace.com/1BigCatRescue   We took our cats' faces to Face Book: http://apps.new.facebook.com/causes/68903 and enhanced our presence on Care2.org and many other such sites.  We added 134 contacts to our LinkedIn presence here:  http://www.linkedin.com/in/BigCatRescue If you live in the Tampa bay area, look for Big Cat Rescue videos on Brighthouse Channel 340 in the Pet Performances section.  Some of your favorite videos, like Hope the baby bobcat are playing there right now.   Big Cat Rescue now has an Endowment Fund to provide a secure future for the cats. The Fund resides at the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay. Thanks to the generosity of our donors we were able to qualify for a 33% matching fund by raising $150,000.00.  The Community Foundation granted us a $50,000.00 match and this brought our total to $200,000.00 that can generate income to provide for the cats in years to come. http://bigcatrescue.org/communityfoundationoftampabay.htm   We initiated the Legacy Society. This recognizes supporters who have included the cats at Big Cat Rescue in their estate planning. For more info visit:  http://bigcatrescue.org/legacy.htm   We began offering Instant Bingo in our gift shop and created free bingo to play online as well as a site for non US members to play charity bingo where the big cats win every time the player loses.   http://www.bigcatbingo.com   On 7/31/08 our Google grant went up from $10,000 a month in free ads to $40,000.00 a month at a cost of only $1,500.00 to us.   Our Ink Recycling new supporter count was up 324% increase over September 2007 thanks to 235 new ink recycling supporters!!!  This came following a 1/2 page ad about it in the fall issue of The Big Cat Times.  On Sept. 15th we began distribution of newsletters from Dunedin to Sarasota in 20 CVS, Bally's, Sears, Blockbuster and Albertson's stores at a cost of $150.00 a month.  Read all of the back issues here: http://bigcatrescue.org/cat_tales.htm   Placed first paid ads in Cat Fancy, CATS, Dog Fancy and DOGS to appear in Dec. issue.   In November we began accepting American Express and Discover credit cards.   Thanks to your votes Big Cat Rescue was awarded the People's Choice Award by WEDU, our local PBS affiliate. More than 80 charities competed in a 16 county radius for this award, but Big Cat Rescue took 31% of the vote.  This is the second year in a row that Big Cat Rescue has taken home this coveted prize. We have been advised that we are finalists again for the award in 2009.   In the lead for America's Best Animal Shelter.  Winners to be announced in 2009.   Saving Wild Places for Wild Cats:  Big Cat Rescue was welcomed into the International Tiger Coalition, which is a group of 39 organizations committed to saving the tiger, based upon our unique ability to address the captive issues that imperil tigers in the wild.   The goal is 10,000 tigers in the wild in 10 years.  There are less than 3,000 in the wild currently and we are losing one per day due to poaching.  We persuaded ITC to keep US tiger farming issue as part of their mission to eradicate because legalized trade puts even more pressure on wild populations.   What makes this initiative unlike all of the past programs is two fold.  39 major conservation groups, including Big Cat Rescue, have joined forces with one common goal:  Save the tiger in the wild.  There have been other joint efforts, but none this large and never before has an entity as powerful as the World Bank been a committed partner in saving wild places for wild animals.   Harrison Ford, one of Hollywood's hottest actors, thanks to his latest Indiana Jones movie breaking records in theaters, is on the board of Conservation International and spoke at the June 9th launch.  Also in attendance were our friend, the beautiful Bo Derek, who won the Wildlife Guardian Award at the Fur Ball last year, and Robert Duvall.  HSUS brought Tiger Kids to the launch and this photo is from their participation as a ITC members.  See these celebrities up close and purrsonal in the most important roles of their lives in this video we shot and find out more about how the World Bank and the International Tiger Coalition plan to save the tiger. http://bigcatrescue.org/video/00206.htm   Other:  On 4/4/08 we had another perfect USDA inspection.  We were “green” before it was cool with our recycling, water restrictions and other steps we have taken to walk softly and leave only footprints, but things are going to get a lot greener, and yellower and purpler. Our friends at Biological Research Associates lovingly relocated 2000 pickerelweed, golden canna and gulf coast spikerush.  They spent an afternoon transforming the lake bank and by summer you should see a green three foot swath of native plants that flower in yellow and purple like irises and canas. Kevin Atkins, PWS Senior Project Scientist and Vice President of Biological Research Associates, who once worked with Belinda Wright in the wilds of India to save the tiger, has a deep affection for the big cats.  In reference to wild excursions and his upcoming trip to Africa he commented, “It's a beautiful planet.” http://bigcatrescue.org/000news/0articlesbybcr/2008Greener.htm   With more than 100 big cats on 45 acres, we are always in the process of refurbishing and replacing old cages.  Landscaping is another ongoing project whether it be hauling off tree limbs lost in a storm, to mowing acres of grass, to installing beautiful plants to give the cats shade, privacy and the excitement of the butterflies. Most of the trees and flowers at Big Cat Rescue were donated and this video thanks John Deere, Tampa Bay Nursery, Babs of Garden Magic, our volunteers and those of you who make it possible. http://bigcatrescue.org/video/00192.htm   Helping Others:  Big Cat Rescue offered a $5,000 reward for information resulting in the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for shooting a young, female tiger to death. Her body was found next to an apartment complex and I-35E in Dallas, TX on Christmas Day. This was our first offer of a reward to solve a crime and it generated leads but no convictions.  We donated thousands of dollars worth of our tours to other worthy animal non profits including Animal Coalition of Tampa, Boxer Rescue, the Humane Society, the Lakeland SPCA, the Largo SPCA, National Humane, and many, many others.   America's injured veterans have found Big Cat Rescue a place of tranquility where they can surround themselves with beauty and grace;  a respite from all that they have endured protecting our country.  It started with one group and now they come to visit quite frequently.  It's on the house and we provide lunch when we can as well by asking donors to contribute.  They have done their part in keeping Americans free and we are doing our part to fight for that same freedom for the big cats.  Offered to provide mounted cougar and a native bobcat who was road kill to the Florida Conservation Commission to use in their exhibit at the fairgrounds, if they would stop using live cats.   Then and Now:     Our CFO, Howard Baskin, compiled a ten year snapshot of the sanctuary and its growth.  This is just a comparison between 1996 and 2007. Wildlife on Easy Street to Big Cat Rescue   1996    2007 Visitors    85  24,574 Total Expenses  $1,686,386 *    $926,619 Total Income    $0  $1,509,284 Total Net Assets    $148,455    $2,760,047 Spent on Program Services   100%    86% ** *funded by Founder        ** 14% spent on Management and Fundraising combined   Officers and Members of the Board of Directors in 2008 and meetings: • CEO and Founder  Carole Baskin (not compensated by BCR) • President and Chairman of the Board Jamie Veronica • Vice President & BOD Cathy Neumann (not compensated by BCR) • Secretary Jen Ruszczyk (not compensated by BCR) • Treasurer Howard Baskin (not compensated by BCR) • Director Dr. Liz Wynn, DVM  (not compensated by BCR for her role as a Director)   Paid Staff:  Figures from 2007 as the final reports for 2008 are not in. Check back after April 15, 2009:  We went from 3 paid staff to 7 and now provide worker's comp insurance.  We are working to offer health insurance if enough of our staff opt for it.   • Operations Manager & Volunteer Coordinator Scott Lope $35,000.00 incl. bonuses • Staff Manager, Editor & Creative Director Jamie Veronica $24,700.00 (compensated but not for her work as a member of the board)  Gift Shop & Guest Services  Honey Wayton $22,800.00 • Intern Director & Lead AdvoCat Tiffany Deavor $25,000.00 Replaced by Kathryn Quaas in 2008. Education Directors Dr. Beth Kamhi & Coleen Kremer $14,000.00 combined • Vernon Stairs Cage Builder and Maintenance $35,600.00 • Jessica Allen took Bridget's place in Feb.  Chris took Brian's place May 1. • LaWanna Jones hired as an independent contractor 3/1/08 to work on web issues.  Debra Scott was hired as an independent contractor to do CapWiz alerts in July.   All of our animal care is done by volunteers or by staff who also volunteer time before & after work.   Volunteers:  Big Cat Rescue had 110 volunteers in 2008 who clocked in 39,902.57 man-power hours in addition to staff, intern and Volunteer Committee member hours.  Roughly the equivalent workforce of 23 more full time staff.   2008 The S.A.V.E. award for Scratch's Award 4 Volunteer Excellence.  The recipients were January – Becky Gagliardo, February – Rich Bluder, March – Mary Lou Geis, April – Sherry Levesque, May – Erin Newman, June – Scott Milshaw, July – Shiloh Grant, August – who?  , September – Rachel Pipitone, October – who? , November – who?  and December –  who?  Winners of the S.A.V.E. award are allowed to direct $500.00 to the cat project of their choice.   The Volunteer of the Year Award is Big Cat Rescue's most prestigious award.  It is also the hardest award to bestow as we have the best volunteers in the world and so many of them deserve our highest honors and praise.  This year's recipient was announced at the 2008 Fur Ball by Cathy Neumann, our Vice President.  Because of her outstanding service Cathy won the award herself so frequently that the only way to get her out of the running was to name the award after her and let her present it each year.  This year's winner was Becky Gagliardo.  Check out Becky's hero page to find out more about her. http://bigcatrescue.org/hero/beckygagliardo.htm   Staff and Volunteer Training:  On Jan. 25 Coleen Kremer, Dr. Beth Kamhi, Scott Lope, Jamie Veronica, Honey Wayton, Tiffany Deavor, Jen Ruszczyk, Jessica Allen, Barbara Frank, Dr. Liz Wynn, DVM, Howard Baskin and Carole Baskin met for a four hour crash course in People Mapping by Dr. Mike Lillibridge.http://bigcatrescue.org/000news/0articlesbybcr/PeopleMap.htm  Jamie Veronica and Dr. Liz Wynn completed the Safe Capture Course on Sept. 15, 2008.  We want to say a special thank you to four of our staff & volunteers who have just completed their 10th year of service to the cats:  Bill Lewis, Mary Lou Geis, Cathy Neumann and Scott Lope.  

2007 Annual Report   Big Cat Rescue is more than just a place that provides permanent care for big cats.  It is a movement;  a change in the tide of human perceptions and is the combined effort of more than 74,000 supporters.  If you are one of them, you are a Big Cat Rescuer and the following is the great work YOU did!  If you haven't helped yet, you can do so now at the top right of the screen or here:  http://bigcatrescue.org/donate.htm   Big Cat Rescue's Mission Statement:  To provide the best home we can for the animals in our care and to reduce the number of cats that suffer the fate of abuse, abandonment or extinction by teaching people about the plight of the cats, both in the wild and in captivity, and how they can help through their behavior and support of better laws to protect the cats.   Advances:  Combined Federal Campaign Best of the CFCIn late November we conquered the web site issues that have made our site inaccessible to all browsers other than Internet Explorer resulting in a 33% increase in the number of pages viewed by the 2,510,255 visitors to our bigcatrescue.org site in 2007 and 1,147,174 visitors to our www.CatLaws.com site for a total of 3,657,429 online visitors in 2007.  Big Cat Rescue is increasingly listed in world wide publications as a “must see” in Tampa.  Began the permitting process for the wall we have been raising money to build for the past 4 years.   Big Cat Rescue has been accepted into the federal version of the Combined Federal Campaign. Where we could only be in the local books in years past, we will be in every book that goes out to government employees as a choice for their auto deduction giving. Not only were we accepted, but we were also awarded with the Best of the CFC seal. In the local market we receive upwards of $7,500.00 in donations, so we are hopeful that we will do even better by going national. We are extremely grateful for this opportunity and thank those of you who are participating   For the first time in our history, Big Cat Rescue offered a reward for information. When a tiger was found shot to death along side an apartment complex and busy highway in Dallas, TX on Christmas day, we announced a $5,000.00 reward for information resulting in the arrest and conviction of the people involved. The police and animal control authorities told us that they cannot offer such bounties and that our doing so greatly enhanced their ability to pursue the case. See the video plea http://bigcatrescue.org/video/b42008/5000reward.htm   Animal Care:  Rescued four tigers left to die at the now defunct Savage Kingdom.  (TJ, Bella, Modnic & Trucha) Watch this dramatic rescue here:  http://bigcatrescue.org/video/b42008/savagekingdom.htm  Built & remodeled cat-a-tats for them.   Rescued two lions (Joseph & Sasha) and two tigers (Nikita & Simba) from the now defunct Siberian Tiger Foundation which was nothing more than a thin guise for Pay to Play with tigers.  Read about that rescue and see the video here:  http://bigcatrescue.org/rescuelionsandtigers.htm  Built & remodeled cat-a-tats for them.   Rescued four native bobcats in four weeks.  (Ace, Chance, Kennedy & Will)  Read about their rescue and what is being done to send them back to the wild here:  http://bigcatrescue.org/rehabbobcats2007.htm  Built & remodeled cat-a-tats for them.   Rescued a Savannah cat (Diablo) who was abandoned and living in an animal shelter that was not designed for long term care of exotic cats.  Assisted in the rescue of another Serval and Bobcat and another two Tigers, finding them permanent homes in facilities that meet the guidelines set out at  http://www.sanctuarystandards.com/   Vernon Stairs finished all of the new safety entrances to cages.  He built tunnels on the lions cages, Precious Bobcat and The Great Pretender Bobcat, and others to enable easy shifting and introductions.  Vern doubled the size of Jumanji the leopard's cage and added a cave and mountain.  He joined a number of cages to each other to provide more room for the cats to roam.  Catera Bobcat got to move in next to his mom and dad in a huge double sided enclosure.   Began renovations to Auroara the tiger's 1 acre, lakefront home to provide better drainage and a hurricane room.  Began work on a hurricane shelter for Nyla leopard after moving her next to her brother, Simba after years of them being separated.   Moved Bailey Bobcat in with Anasazi and Moses the Bobcats.   Moved Rose Caracal to a double cage and introduced her to Cachanga Caracal.  Moved the African Civets to Bailey's old cage after it was civet-ized.  Reintroduced Dances with Wolves and Shatia the Canada Lynxes.  Our cats are altered so that no accidental births will occur from these groupings.  Spayed Zabu the white tigress and Bella the tigress.  http://bigcatrescue.org/video/00143.htm   Raked the entire park before freezing weather to try and kill fleas and eggs and may switch products again as efficacy is fading.  Refurbished all 18 pools and one of them twice thanks to TJ the tiger being an absolute maniac when it comes to chasing fish.   Every year the cats get pumpkins to smash after Halloween  http://bigcatrescue.org/video/00062.htm, but this year they also got Christmas trees  http://bigcatrescue.org/video/00162.htm.   Staff and Volunteer Training:  In addition to our monthly, on site volunteer training courses, Tiffany Deavor took several online training courses, Scott Lope and Dr. Liz Wynn are scheduled for Safe Capture course, Sharyn Beach, Howard & Carole Baskin and Susan Mitchell attended D.C. conference on effective grass roots efforts.  Carole continues to take online courses and audio seminars to enhance her efficacy in legislation and leadership.  Fine tuned some of our training methods and tracking.   Education:  Joined the International Tiger Coalition with the mission of preserving 10,000 tigers in the wild in the next ten years.  More about that here:  http://bigcatrescue.org/internationaltigercoalition.htm   Assisted WNET and SeaStudios.org in ascertaining the number of big cats in the U.S. for their film about a world without humans.  As there is no government agency responsible for tracking these animals, it falls to anecdotal evidence that we have been compiling for many years.   The illegal portion of the 15 billion dollar trade in exotic pets is second only to the market for illegal drugs. In 2005, some 210 million wild animals were brought legally into the U.S. and many more were smuggled, because there are just 120 USFWS inspectors to cover 39 International airports and all of the border crossings. In just the legal importations, that means each inspector must view and approve the health of almost 15,000 animals per day, every day of the year.  Big Cat Rescue provided the photos and resources for an eBay guide to let buyers and sellers know that it is illegal to trade in many exotic cat furs.     We also provided this information to the World Wildlife Fund in Poland to enable them to train their border guards to recognize endangered cat species that are frequently smuggled through customs. Provided bobcat and Canada lynx photos and info for a scientific training / educational presentation on wildlife awareness for Environment Canada.   Cambridge University Press selected Carole Baskin's article on Cause Related Marketing for their Professional English in Use Series textbooks called Professional English in Use – Marketing.  It is a new addition to the Profession English in Use Series that is a self study reference book that will be used for classroom work and tutoring. Cambridge included Baskin in their 2008 Who's Who Among Executive and Professional Women “Honors Edition.” as well.   We implemented our first Artificial Intelligence V-host on a page called Ask the Cat where you can type in any question and the virtual cat will answer you in an intelligent way:  http://bigcatrescue.org/askthecat.htm  All of our species information pages were recorded and now each page offers the visitor the opportunity to read and/or listen to the information.  This can be downloaded onto mP3 players as well.   Jamie Veronica's photos of cougars were requested by wildlife biologist Anna Huckabee Smith, AWB for use in her 5 year status report for USFWS and Wildlife Trends which will be covering the topic of captive cougars being turned loose when they are no longer wanted as pets.   We harnessed the powerful mapping technology available with google maps and posted online, interactive maps that show the accredited and non accredited facilities (mostly back yard pet owners) who keep dangerous big cats.  It took four maps to hold all of the information, but they can all be accessed online here:  http://bigcatrescue.org/map.htm  This was offered to the FWC as they had stated they would be releasing this data online soon, several months ago, and this saved them the time and effort.  It will be helpful to the media when tracking maulings, killings and escapes and to emergency response personnel in the event of natural disasters.  Until now, this information has not been immediately accessible to fire fighters, the police or animal services.   Visitors:  In 2007 Big Cat Rescue had 26,497 visitors for guided tours.  16,424 were adult tours that generated $409,587.03 which is up 2.62% from last year.  Our biggest leap was in our kids tours for families with children under the age of 10 and with 3,271 participants that was up 44.31% and generated $54,668.60.  All of our tours are guided and are educational.  Our Education Program also convenes camps, special field trips and such and those were attended by 4,969 and generated $66,309.71 which is an increase of 15.37%.  In keeping with our desire to give back to the community we provided 27 free field trips for Title One schools and others on a needs-based application.   Prices:  Because we were nearing  capacity at the end of 2006 we raised our prices considerably in 2007.  This slowed our growth sufficiently to keep the sanctuary a serene home for the cats but increased our bottom line.  Prices were raised from $20 to $25 for adults and from $12 to $15 for children under ten.  All of our specialty tours were raised to $50 from $25.  Our supporters understand that as word spreads about Big Cat Rescue being such a magical experience people have been flocking here, and that we had to raise the prices in order to keep the number of guests down to a reasonable roar.  The added benefit is that people who visit really are committed to the animals and we are not just another tourist attraction.   Legislation/Education:  Presented testimony, statistics and charts to the Florida Wildlife Conservation Commissioners in Destin, Key Largo and St. Petersburg, asking to ban contact with big cats and their babies and to allow counties to enact more restrictive rules to protect the animals and the public.  Presented testimony, statistics and charts many times to their staff at planning sessions before and after the Commission meetings.  Provided the same to the Coalition Against Wildlife Trafficking.   Testified at a Congressional briefing about the need for Haley's Act, a bill to ban contact with big cats.  The International Fund for Animal Welfare liked the presentation materials so much that they asked permission to reproduce them for their own legislative use, which was, of course, granted.  Presented a slide show on using the secret, the law of attraction, to assist in lobbying efforts in the exhibit hall at the Taking Action for Animals conference in Washington, DC.  There were 950 registrants and many more visitors throughout the two day exhibit.   Through our online video marketing we are educating more people in a week than we have visit the sanctuary in a year!  We are changing the way people think about animals and as a result they are acting more compassionately.  The recent outcry at Michael Vick's involvement in dog fighting shows that people care about animals more than ever before.  As wonderful as that is, however, it isn't enough.   Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Legislation can't change the heart, but it can restrain the heartless.”  Knowing this to be the case, we are using our online marketing to change legislation too.   In December 2003 we had to turn away more than 300 unwanted big cats and every other year that number was doubling.  That same year a new law, that we helped pass, banned the sale of big cats as pets across state lines. The following year, for the first time ever, the number of abandoned big cats dropped to 160.  We decided, then and there, the only way to stop the suffering and abuse was through the creation of better laws that would ban the private ownership of lions, tigers and cougars as pets.  Thanks to the laws enacted below, the number of abandoned big cats in 2007 has dropped to 72.   By December of 2004 we launched a new section of our website www.CatLaws.com that would enable people to learn about pending bills and enable them to connect to their lawmakers to ask for laws that would protect our communities while ending the suffering and abuse of big cats.  We believed that if people knew what was happening and knew how to help that they would.   Directing the traffic to the legislative sections had to be more creative however, because by and large, people don't want to think about politics.  The cat's stories and their photographs had to be compelling enough to overcome this typical aversion to legal matters and we feel that we have had considerable success in doing that since we have been able to track 1,147,174 visitors to our legislative pages in 2007.  The combined number of visitors, between our main web site bigcatrescue.org and our legislative website, is now 10,020 visitors per day with an average of 4 pages viewed by each visitor or roughly 40,000 page views per day.  Our peak day in 2007 was March 15 with 55,184 page views.   The next step was to get a person to take action by composing a letter to their congressman and that is even harder yet, but we believe the numbers speak for themselves:  33,596 letters were successfully sent from the legislative site asking for better laws to protect the community and to end the suffering and abuse of big cats kept in backyards and basements.  The Legislative Action Center report shows a steady, quarterly increase.   The results are measurable in more than just statistics however.  In the past 2 years seven states banned the private possession and barter in big cats and the numbers we have to turn away continue to drop. The USDA has issued policy statements against the private ownership of big cats and against heretofore accepted practices such as walking a 500 pound cat on a leash in public and allowing people to pet big cats at fairs, malls, parking lots and schools.  Details on these here:  http://bigcatrescue.org/lawsbigcatbans.htm   USDI issued their new rules that went into effect in September 2007 that ban the transportation of big cats across state lines by non USDA entities.  They also defined a sanctuary as a place that provides a permanent home and does not breed, sell, trade nor allow public contact with the big cats.  Before now there was no definition of a sanctuary and many places that were adding to the problem were doing so under the guise of being sanctuaries.  The language used by USDI is practically verbatim from our web sites at bigcatrescue.org and SanctuaryStandards.com.  http://bigcatrescue.org/laws/lawscaptivewildanimalsafetyact.htm   In 2007 the Florida legislature unanimously agreed to impose a $10,000 bond on anyone in the state who exhibits big cats.  This bond is used as a surety in the case of injury to the public and can be used by the FWC to care for dangerous wild animals when they have been abandoned.  Big Cat Rescue had been a strong proponent of this bond and our supporters, via our CatLaws.com site had made their wishes known to their legislators.  On July 2 Governor Charlie Crist signed the bond requirement into law and the FWC drafted the rules to enforce the new law in 2007.   The Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission put together a task force to review their policies that still allow the breeding and selling of big cats in the state with only the addition of a $40.00 USDA permit.  Public opinion polls on our web site indicate that  76% of those polled would support a ban on all exotic animals as pets.  That same percentage also agrees that hunting should be outlawed.  Florida's Wildlife Conservation Commission is funded almost entirely by issuing hunting permits and permits to people to own exotic animals so the fact that they are reviewing their own policies in view of changing public opinion is certainly measurable  evidence of Big Cat Rescue's impact on this very serious situation.   The FWC staff announced that they are making recommendations to the Commissioners that include proposed rules:   1. Raise the classification of a cougar from a Class II pet to a Class I animal that may not be kept as a pet. 2. Prohibit contact between big cats and their babies in accordance with the new federal bill that is pending which would ban the practice. 3. Prohibit transport of big cats to flea markets, parking lots, etc. 4. Require that exhibitors have all of their animals on exhibit as there is a current issue of meeting the letter of the law by exhibiting one animal while warehousing dozens more in minimum size cages that would appall the public. 5. Require Class II owners to secure a $10,000.00 bond as is now required for Class I.   As mentioned above, there is a federal bill called Haley's Act HR 1947 that is gaining momentum in the U.S. House and is expected to pass this session.  This bill is being broadly marketed by Big Cat Rescue because it will ban contact between the public and big cats, including their babies.  Baby tigers and baby lions are bred to be used as photo props and for petting sessions and then are discarded when they get too big.  This bill would stop the unscrupulous breeding for this industry and ultimately would end the biggest cause of the over abundance of big cats in captivity.   Using the email targeting feature of the CatLaws.com site we were able to convince the Medieval Fair to not allow a shabby traveling circus to set up shop by having our supporters write Hunsader Farms, the owner of the property, and telling them how they feel about such abuse.  3,236 of our online supporters sent letters to the Chinese government urging them to ban the farming of captive tigers for their fur, bones and organs.  All of these advances have been made possible by getting our message out to the people who can make a difference.  See below how we got the message out.   Fundraising and Marketing:  We were in the press 85 times.  Howard Baskin was featured in the Nov. 5th issue of U.S. News & World Report for his charitable work with Big Cat Rescue. http://bigcatrescue.org/000news/aboutbcr/usnewsandworldreport.htm   Scott Lope was quoted in Newsweek about the escape of Tatiana the tiger from a zoo where she mauled three young men and killed a teenage boy. http://www.newsweek.com/id/82067/page/1   Awards:  In January of 2007 Big Cat Rescue was awarded the People's Choice Award by WEDU, our local PBS affiliate. We won again in Jan. 2008.  More than 80 charities competed in a 16 county radius for this award, but Big Cat Rescue took 31% of the vote.  Next year the contest is going national.  Won Parenting Magazine's Best of Tampa Bay Award.  In August Big Cat Rescue was Change.org's Pick of the Month.   TV:  Animal Planet show called Ms. Adventure aired our episode in March and Real Strange aired in Europe.  The first episode of “Big Cat Rescuers” ever aired on: April 11, 2007 cable channel 19 7:00 PM and April 15, 2007 cable channel 20 6:30 PM.  This one hour episode was created by our own Jamie Veronica, Brian Czarnik and Honey Wayton, and features several of our keepers, partners and of course, Scott Lope our manager. Our big cat expert Scott Lope was interviewed on the History Channel's MonsterQuest‘s search for the elusive big black cats that are frequently reported roaming wild all across the U.S.   Roar and Rolling:  Lindy Melendez with EGS Printing has generously donated a van “wrap” that is valued at $5000.  See the stunning artwork here:  http://bigcatrescue.org/images/EasySt/van/index.htm  The wrap was done with a lot of love from everyone at ESG Printing.   Memory Lane:  Our cemetery was transformed from a pitiful little hodgepodge of cage placards to a wall of memories created in stone and inlaid with marble headstones that feature a laser inscribed image of the cat, his or her date of birth and death and the sponsor of the plaque.  This was done as a fund raiser for the living cats and in its first year generated enough money to support a tiger for a year.  Thanks to Babs Riddle the grounds were luxuriously sculpted to include gardens, a shell path and benches where our volunteers can rest and reflect on the lives they have known who continue to inspire them.  Great marble lions that were donated to us now flank either side of the impressive entrance.  http://bigcatrescue.org/foreverremembered.htm   Google:  In today's fast paced environment we have to stay quick as a cat and be as entertaining as a basket full of kittens.  We have found mini videos, or podcasting, to be our most effective way of marketing our message.  On July 8, 2006 we launched our first video on google.  We now have 195 live videos playing and have had 183,514 viewers.  Our most popular video is an hour long film about all of the plights faced by exotic cats in the wild and in captivity and it has been played 51,357 times.  None of our tracking can tell how many times people play our videos on their iPods after downloading them.   YouTube:   (the fastest growing web site in the world) In August of 2006 we launched our YouTube account and have 72 of our videos playing that have been viewed 1,752,846 times.  We have 881 subscribers to our videos with more joining all the time and are the #2 Most Viewed (All Time) – Non Profit and #9 – Most Subscribed (All Time) – Non Profit.  In late December we launched two additional sites dedicated to our Educational Department and our Animal Communicator.   MySpace: myspace.com/1BigCatRescue In August of 2006 we launched our MySpace account and are one of the top ranked sites as we have 221,617,683 in our network who have visited our profile page 22,928 times and we have 4,276 subscribers to our videos there. MySpace has become such a popular portal that it now ranks in the top 10 list of referring sites that send visitors to our main website at bigcatrescue.org.  That ranks our own MySpace account just behind such powerful referrers as the google, yahoo and aol search engines.   VEOH:  In 2007 we began posting our videos to Veoh.com   We have 143 videos playing and these videos are getting thousands of plays each.  Veoh is the next generation in T. V. viewing.  Videos can be watched in low resolution for free, or for a fee can be downloaded in high resolution and watched on a television set or computer.  We post most of our videos as a free download, but post PSA's in high resolution so that the media can get b-roll from us instantly for less than the cost of mailing a disk.   We now film, edit and post 1-2 videos each week.  Our videos have been so popular that they have been picked up for use on Current TV and many online content providers.  In addition to our online video marketing we have been in the press 427 times and if you haven't heard of the Fur Ball, you don't watch TV, listen to the radio or read the papers.  We have been blessed with complimentary ads from all of the biggest media outlets such as Cox Radio, The Tampa Tribune, The Tampabay Business Journal, the Maddux Report and the St. Pete Times to market our biggest annual fundraiser each year.  We also have Public Service Announcements running on Brighthouse cable TV and nationally on Animal Planet.   Search Engine Ranking:  Our goal was to increase the number of web visitors by increasing our web site's visibility on the Internet.  The most dramatic breakthrough was in revamping the underlying html so that browsers other than IE could view the site.  The second more important feature was implementing navigation that enabled visitors to see every level of our 12,000+ file site.  Even though this was not accomplished until November the pages viewed increased 33% in 2007 when the even though the number of new visitors only increased by 12%.  For the first time in history we have risen to the top page of google's search page for the keyword “tigers” and are number 18 of more than 43,000,000 competing sites.  To see the ranking on our most important key words visit:  http://bigcatrescue.org/get_more_hits.htm   Party of the Year:  That's what a lot of people in the know call it.  The Fur Ball netted more than $120,000.00 with a sell out crowd of 700 people.  That's up $80,000.00 over last year!  See the entire recap including photos of Bo Derek and our colorful, cat themed guests here:  http://bigcatrescue.org/000archives/2007FurBall.htm   Saving Wild Places for Wild Cats:  The Jaguar Trust.  Trapping is the furthest thing from our mission, except when it comes to camera traps for tracking and aiding wildlife. Our own Big Cat Rescue president Jamie Veronica went to Guyana, South America with a fellow volunteer on a mission for the sanctuary. Jamie and Justin Boorstein were in Guyana for ten days setting new digital camera traps with video to track Jaguars, Ocelots and Pumas. Our partner, Foster Parrots, tells us that with the recent import ban of all birds into Europe, Guyana now finds herself in a position to change the long practiced wildlife export industry there. Many trappers are finding that there are no markets for their “products”! Many of these trappers now find themselves unemployed and the government may start to look at the potential revenues of eco-tourism to fill the gap. If we can make a concerted effort with our conservation project we hope to serve as an example and to garner the support of Guyana to create the world's premier rainforest destination. Our plans include the promotion of our project here in the US and a marketing strategy to heighten the visibility of this important move in Guyana.   Visitors to Guyana will have a choice of tour itineraries ranging from an ambitious 3 and 4-day Kanuku Mountains hike that will bring them to the realm of the Harpy Eagle, to more leisurely tours that will encompass sightings of Red Bellied, Scarlet, Red and Green, Blue and Yellow Macaws, Giant Anteaters and a wide variety of primates.   Horseback and canoe excursions will let tour groups experience the wilds of Guyana at an intimate level.  Visitors can also travel to Kaeiteur Falls to witness one of the world's tallest single-drop waterfalls of 741 feet.   Construction on the first of two planned lodge complexes, located in Nappi Village, has been completed by the local tribes with funds from Foster Parrots and Big Cat Rescue. Contact SaveTheCats@bigcatrescue.org to spend your vacation dollars saving the wildcats in the rainforest.   Africa:  President Jamie Veronica and volunteer Barbara Stairs also toured Africa to see the issues first hand that have resulted in game parks being virtually the only lands left that house wild cats.  She will work with relatives there to check out sources for offering handmade products in our gift shop that could help preserve wildlife there as we currently do in the Jaguar Trust.  (Barbara Stairs funded this excursion)   Since 2005 Big Cat Rescue has provided both funds and volunteers to the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in Kenya .  Lewa relocates problematic wildlife to protected areas and provides education to children in the area who would not otherwise be able to read or write.  In addition to the funds that Big Cat Rescue donates, we also provide a U.S. market for Kenya ‘s craftsmen and send clothing with our volunteers to distribute when they visit.  Our volunteers take their skills and attitudes of compassion for all life into these barren regions and share a message of hope.   China, India, Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia and Pakistan:  Every year since 1997 Big Cat Rescue has donated to the countries that are home to the Himalayan mountain range where the elusive snow leopard is found.  One whole corner of the gift shop explains how the sale of items made by the villagers helps save the snow leopard in the wild.  In 2006, Dr. Tom McCarthy, the Conservation Director for the Snow Leopard Trust, came to Big Cat Rescue to explain just how crucial each sale was to protect these exquisite cats.   The snow leopard lives in regions where the average person makes the equivalent of $1.00 per day.  Most of the people who share the same highlands with the snow leopard are herders and to them, the loss of one sheep or goat can mean the difference in their survival.  Most of the snow leopards that are killed are retribution killings; meaning that the cat has been blamed for killing one of the herd and the herdsman has killed the next snow leopard he saw.  The herdsman can eat the cat and sell the hide for 25.00 which for them is a month's wage.  There are many other middle men along the way who are anxious to get their hands on a snow leopard pelt or penis for the Asian medicinal trade or for the black market.   The pelt dramatically becomes more valuable as it goes down the line and can cost $5,000.00 or more to the final buyer.   The Snow Leopard Trust members in China, India, Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia and Pakistan work closely with the local people to find out what they need.  In some cases, they can create handicrafts like those we sell and make five times what they can make from herding.   The programs are structured with reducing reliance on Snow Leopard Trust funds for each consecutive year and to remain in the program the community must ensure that no snow leopards are killed.  If anyone in the community kills a snow leopard, the entire community risks losing their right to participate in the program for a year and that is enough to keep everyone watching out for the snow leopard.  Their claims of protection must verified by the game wardens and governmental agencies who actually have incentives to discover poaching because they are often paid a portion of the confiscation if they can catch a poacher.     Big Cat Rescue is the second largest retailer for Snow Leopard Enterprises.   We collected fecal samples from our captive snow leopards for the Snow Leopard Trust to use in training dogs to be able to tell one wild snow leopard from another just by sniffing the scat left behind.  This will greatly enhance conservation efforts and is a cost effective method as well.  The video we produced is being aired on our sites, and also being used as a marketing tool for the new program and the Snow Leopard Trust.   The U.S. State Department enlisted our help in saving the critically endangered Amur Leopard because of our ability to reach so many people who care about wild cats and their habitat.  You can learn all about what is happening with the Amur Leopard & Tiger here:   http://bigcatrescue.org/cats/wild/leopard_save.htm. For more details on our International work visit:  http://bigcatrescue.org/000archives/2007AttachmentAInternational.htm   Other:  Big cat breeders, dealers, collectors and exploiters hate us because as we educate the public about the truth behind their abusive practices such as breeding white tigers, ligers or babies for photo booths their profiteering opportunities are drying up.  There is no justification for their activities so their only recourse has been to file a plethora of false complaints with authorities who regulate us and to make false accusations to anyone who will listen.  The only gain they could expect was to keep us busy proving ourselves so that we would be diverted from our mission of ending the abuses that result in so many unwanted big cats.  Now the regulators are on to them as we have proven time and again our integrity which is illustrated in our perfect inspection reports and our continued accreditation by The Global Federation of Sanctuaries and the Better Business Bureau.  Only one media outlet in 2007 repeated their slanderous accusations, but the article went on for many pages explaining that the reason such libelous statements are made is likely due to our success in exposing the activities that result in Florida having the highest incidents of maulings, killings and escapes by big cats.   Created pages devoted to the cats who have live and died in cages here with tributes from the keepers who loved them and who work ceaselessly for their freedom:  https://sites.google.com/site/bigcattributes/home  Thanks to the work of our AdvoCat LaWanna Jones we added hundreds of new e-Cards here:  http://www.bigcatfun.com/ecards/  and added hundreds of new online puzzles, new bookmarks and hundreds of new free online games here: http://bigcatrescue.org/game/games.htm.    Then and Now  Our CFO, Howard Baskin, compiled a ten year snapshot of the sanctuary and its growth.  This is just a comparison between 1996 and 2007.   Wildlife on Easy Street to Big Cat Rescue   1996            2006 Visitors                                                                              85                26,497 Total Expenses                                             $1,686,386           *$708,607.00 Total Income                                                                     $0           $1,236,237.00 Total Net Assets                                       $148,455.00           $2,419,227.00 Spent on Program Services                               100%            91% ** *funded by Founder        **4% spent on Management and 5% spent on Fundraising   Officers and Members of the Board of Directors in 2007 and meetings: • CEO and Founder  Carole Baskin (not compensated by BCR) • President and Chairman of the Board Jamie Veronica • Vice President & BOD Cathy Neumann (not compensated by BCR) • Secretary Jen Ruszczyk (not compensated by BCR) • Treasurer Howard Baskin (not compensated by BCR) • Director Dr. Liz Wynn, DVM  (not compensated by BCR for her role as a Director)   Paid Staff:  We went from 3 paid staff to 7 and now provide worker's comp insurance.  We still can offer no other benefits than the peace of mind in knowing their work is changing the world. • Operations Manager & Volunteer Coordinator Scott Lope $35,000.00 incl. bonuses • Staff Manager, Editor & Creative Director Jamie Veronica $24,700.00 (compensated but not for her work as a member of the board) • Social Science Director Brian Czarnik $18,400.00 (leaving for Chicago early 2008) • Gift Shop & Guest Services Bridget Czarnik $18,400.00 (leaving for Chicago early 2008) • Gift Shop & Guest Services  Honey Wayton $22,800.00 • Intern Director & Lead AdvoCat Tiffany Deavor $25,000.00 • Education Directors Dr. Beth Kamhi & Coleen Kremer $14,000.00 combined • Vernon Stairs Cage Builder and Maintenance $35,600.00 All of our animal care is done by volunteers or by staff who also volunteer time before & after work.   Volunteers:  Big Cat Rescue had 107 volunteers in 2007 who clocked in 57,302 man-power hours in addition to staff and Volunteer Committee member hours.  Roughly the equivalent workforce of 27 more full time staff.  Created the S.A.V.E. award for Scratch's Award 4 Volunteer Excellence.  The recipients were January – Julie Hanan, February – Cathy Monroe, March – Tiffany Deavor, April – Glen Yancey, May – Kym Marszal, June – Merrill Kramer, July – Barbara Frank, August – Marie Schoubert, September – Edith Parker, October – Babs Riddle, November – Anne Canterbury and December – Angie Gabor (the first Red Shirt to ever win)  Winners of the S.A.V.E. award are allowed to direct $500.00 to the cat project of their choice.  Created pages devoted to our dedicated volunteers at:  http://bigcatrescue.org/hero/000hero.htm and our 2007 Volunteer of the Year is Barbara Frank.   I've been writing my story since I was able to write, but when the media goes to share it, they only choose the parts that fit their idea of what will generate views.  If I'm going to share my story, it should be the whole story.  The titles are the dates things happened. If you have any interest in who I really am please start at the beginning of this playlist: http://savethecats.org/   I know there will be people who take things out of context and try to use them to validate their own misconception, but you have access to the whole story.  My hope is that others will recognize themselves in my words and have the strength to do what is right for themselves and our shared planet.     You can help feed the cats at no cost to you using Amazon Smile! Visit BigCatRescue.org/Amazon-smile   You can see photos, videos and more, updated daily at BigCatRescue.org   Check out our main channel at YouTube.com/BigCatRescue   Music (if any) from Epidemic Sound (http://www.epidemicsound.com) This video is for entertainment purposes only and is my opinion.

Chekemma J. Fulmore-Townsend, President and CEO of the Philadelphia Youth Network, joins us to discuss the evolution of youth justice work in Philadelphia, and her own personal journey from working directly with youth and families, to running Philadelphia’s major youth-serving nonprofit.Weaving together progress in the community, creating effective programs for youth, and the City of Philadelphia’s youth justice reforms, this episode focuses on the many different sectors and partners (including the community itself) that must work together – through good times and bad times – to create progress. While there’s a lot still to be done to create justice in the city that gave birth to America, Fulmore-Townsend finds hope in new innovations and approaches being tried out.Guest BioChekemma J. Fulmore-Townsend is President and CEO of the Philadelphia Youth Network. Prior to her appointment, Fulmore-Townsend served as PYN’s VP of Program Services, where she led a team accountable for program design, implementation, evaluation, compliance, and continuous improvement.  Prior to her work at PYN, Fulmore-Townsend served at the Philadelphia Workforce Development Corporation as the Senior Director of the Emerging Workforce, fusing data-driven decision-making with project management to implement and improve adult and youth workforce programs. In 2019, she was named as a Promise of America Awardee by America’s Promise Alliance.  In 2017, she was featured in The Chronicle of Philanthropy’s special report titled: “The Influencers: People Quietly Changing the Nonprofit World.”  In 2016, the Obama Administration honored her as a White House Champion of Change. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, The Aspen Institute is nonpartisan and does not endorse, support, or oppose political candidates or parties. Further, the views and opinions of our guests and speakers do not necessarily reflect those of The Aspen Institute.Visit us online at The Aspen Institute Criminal Justice Reform Initiative and follow us on Twitter @AspenCJRI.

Facebook: @HydroAssoc | Twitter: @HydroAssoc Website: https://www.hydroassoc.org/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/hydroassoc/featured Hydrocephalus Association local Community groups: https://www.hydroassoc.org/cause-view/community-network/ WALK to End Hydrocephalus events: hydroassoc.org/walk HydroAssist mobile app: https://www.hydroassoc.org/hydroassist-mobile-application/ Hydrocephalus Patient Powered Registry (HAPPIER): https://www.hydroassoc.org/happier/ If you'd like to watch the video interview to see the slides Amanda was using you can find it here. Amanda Garzon, the Hydrocephalus Association's Director of Program Services and Communication, joins me to talk about what hydrocephalus is and how the Hydrocephalus Association is helping those who are affected. If you are anything like I was, you probably have never heard of hydrocephalus - despite the fact it affects over 1 million people in the US. Additionally, Amanda helped the Hydrocephalus Association create an app - look for HydroAssist wherever you get your apps. This app will allow you to download and store your treatment history, giving you access wherever you may need it - even if you're on vacation in another country. It's secure and robust, with the ability to upload images from MRI and/or CAT scans. This is a longer interview than normal because I felt it was important to share what hydrocephalus is. I will do my best to break it into chapters like I normally do, so you can scroll through to the sections you are most interested in - however, given my lack of knowledge coming into this discussion I can't promise my chapters will do Amanda's presentation justice. The "wet/wacky/wobbly" Amanda mentioned: 1) Difficulty walking, feeling like feet are "stuck to the floor" 2) Urinary urgency - eventually leading to incontinence 3) Dementia like symptoms, often misdiagnosed as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's As an Amazon Associate, I earn commissions from qualifying purchases. For more information about True North Disability Planning you can find us here: Web: https://truenorthdisabilityplanning.com/ Blog - https://ejorgensenwordpresscom.wordpress.com Podcast (ABC's of Disability Planning) - https://anchor.fm/abcs-disability-planning Waypoints - https://waypoints.substack.com/ Facebook: @TrueNorthDisabilityPlanning Twitter: @NeedsNavigator Resource store (free downloads too) - https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/True-North-Disability-Planning --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/abcs-disability-planning/message

Taylor Gross is currently the Manager of Program Services at USA Hockey where she works to help promote the growth of the sport. Previously, Taylor was the head Women’s Hockey Coach at Midland University, and prior to that, the Co-Head Coach of the 19U AAA Colorado Select Girls Hockey Association. Taylor played college hockey at UConn and then transferred to Penn State where she was the inaugural captain of the Penn State Women’s Hockey Team and won the CHA Sportsmanship Award during both of her seasons there.We talk about:Having belief in yourself and the confidence to ask questionsThe importance of great mentorship and sponsorshipGetting rid of perfectionism and not letting the fear of failure hold you backClick here to score the FREE download of my top three exercises to fight off perfectionismExercises to Fight PerfectionismFor more information about Taylor Gross, head on over to the show notes at https://madamathlete.com/To get the latest tools to help you build your own career check out the Madam Athlete newsletter and resources page:Newsletter:  sign up hereResources:  get the tools to help you in your careerKeep an eye out for new content or let us know what you'd like to see next by following us on social:Facebook:  @MadamAthleteTwitter:  @MadamAthleteInstagram:  @theMadamAthlete

What a great way to start the week, by learning. Today we got a chance to speak with Hollis Gorrie, AVP of Program Services for Clearbrook. Hollis and Clearbrook have a great story to tell and if you've been tuning in they've been in our news for 2 weeks. Clearbrook is a home & family for persons impacted by developmental and intellectual disabilities. In our interview we spoke about Hollis's background and the early days of her career. We also got to hear first hand about the Craft Beer & Wine Fundraiser (virtual) coming up soon! Shouts go out to Clearbook for all the work they do and to all nonprofits in Aurora. Cotton Seed Creative Exchange and the Voice newspaper get shouts out as well. We've got a lot more great stuff coming your way soon so don't forget to subscribe to the YouTube channel. Have a safe and powerful day, we'll see you all back here tomorrow morning for more! Peace! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/goodmorningaurora/support

The Coronavirus pandemic reveals how vulnerable the drug supply chain can be. In this episode, we will discuss what frontline pharmacists need to know to ensure essential medications are available and the drug supply remains resilient.   Guest speakers: Doug Kucera Associate Vice President Contract Services, Pharmacy Vizient   Mittal Sutaria, PharmD Vice President Contract and Program Services, Pharmacy Vizient   Moderator: Gretchen Brummel, PharmD, BCPS Pharmacy Executive Director Vizient Center for Pharmacy Practice Excellence   Show Notes: [01:31] Demand for Propofol for COVID ventilated patients skyrocketed to 272% [01:52] Private label programs provides resiliency to the market [02:41] How to strengthen pharmacy supply chain [03:55] Drug shortage task force objectives [06:00] Essential Medication Lists [06:57] Labor cost for managing drug shortages [08:10] Prioritize Essential Medication List and educate others    [08:35] Elevate the transparency, accountability and resiliency of the pharmaceutical supply chain   [10:08] Frontline pharmacist advocacy plays a huge role [10:45] Ask questions to make sure the solution is in the best interest for your pharmacy   Links | Resources: Vizient's Novaplus Enhanced Supply Program Enabled Access to 676,000 Additional Units of propofol as COVID-19 Cases Surged, Click here Essential Medications for Patient Care, Click here Drug shortages and labor costs: Measuring a hidden cost of drug shortages on U.S. hospitals, Click here Essential medications review (November 2020), Click here Vizient Identifies Essential Medications in Hospitals and Highlights Fragility of the Supply Chain, Click here   Subscribe Today! Apple Podcasts Spotify Google Podcasts Stitcher Android RSS Feed  

During this week's episode of NAPS Chat, Jay Fritz, chief of the Office of Personnel Management's Outreach and Program Services joins Bob to discuss the 2020 Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) Open Season. Jay and Bob discuss what's new in 2021 for FEHBP, what factors to take into account when selecting an FEHBP plan, FEHBP tax-preferred flexible spending accounts, and dental and vision coverage for program participants.

Tune in to hear from Kathleen, Anderson's Director of Program Services and Mayor Bassett of the Village of Rhinebeck! This year, ACA collaborated with the Village to support their effort to establish the Village of Rhinebeck as an Autism Supportive Community. They are the first in our region to earn this distinction! Learn more about the ASC committee & initiative and what the future holds for this partnership!

Season 3 – Episode 3 Topic: October 2020 is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. YBMC invites domestic violence counselor, Damitra D. Hilton, MSW, LMSW, LISW-CP, to discuss her experiences in the field and to answer some questions regarding the different types of domestic violence. National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1.800.799.SAFE (7233) About Damitra D. Hilton, MSW, LMSW, LISW-CP: Mrs. Hilton graduated from Charleston Southern University with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. She completed the Victim Assistance Institute training. She also attended a national conference held in Washington, DC, sponsored by the National Center for Victims of Crime on Advancing Practice, Policy, and Research for crime victims. She holds a Master of Social Work from the University of South Carolina. She is licensed in the State of South Carolina. She was employed at My Sister’s House, Inc. for 19 years. She began as the Family Court Advocate/Case Manager. She was promoted to Lead Case Manager in 2005. She is a Certified Victim Service Provider. She was promoted to the position of Director of Program Services in 2012. She was a presenter at the 17th Annual Fall Social Work Conference held in Daniel Island, SC. She has now worked for the South Carolina Department of Mental Health for over a year as a Licensed Therapist. She was a nominee at the First Annual Breaking the Silence Awards sponsored by Zonta. The South Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault presented her with the award for Advocate of the Year for the State of South Carolina in 2013. Music: Myrin Hawkins Coming to you live reppin’ the 843, are 4 friends (Cassondra, Dashia D., Tre’Dub, & LadiiNova). Bringing you laughter, knowledge, and culture from our Young. Black. Millennial. perspective. A fresh new take you didn’t know you needed! Join us every Monday! Like, comment, subscribe, and #gasusup . #ybmchat @ybmchat @x_lovesshayy @_tredub @kidd_a.p @dashiadd95 --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

In today’s podcast, we visit with Thelma Bowers, Outreach Specialist with The Florida Governor’s Council on Indian Affairs, Inc. is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization which operates the Employment & Training Program as a Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Native American grantee through the U.S. Department of Labor/Division of Indian and Native American Programs. The section 166 programs are designed to support employment and training activities in order to develop more fully the academic, occupational and literacy skills; make individuals more competitive in the workforce; and promote economic and social development in accordance with the goals and values of such communities. These programs are administered in a way that not only meet regulatory requirements, but also in ways that are consistent with the traditional cultural values and beliefs of the people they are designed to serve. In addition, they host the Florida Indian Youth Program (FIYP) annually for students between the ages of 14-19. The FIYP is an intensive away from home educational experience provided for Native American youth. During the two-week program, the students participate in educational, cultural and social events along with recreational activities. This program was designed to increase the rate of high school graduation and inspire the students to further academic achievement.

Growing older comes with some challenges. Having seen how dementia impacted my mom's last years of life, I have a deep respect for the research and work related to the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. I am super excited to talk to Keith Gibson, the Regional director of Program Services at the Florida division of the Alzheimer's Association. Estimates vary, but experts suggest that more than 5.5 million Americans, may have dementia caused by Alzheimer's. However, dementia is not a normal part of aging. Now, science is able to provide insights into how to optimize our physical and cognitive health as we age. Join us to learn about research in the areas of diet and nutrition, exercise, cognitive activity and social engagement and how to incorporate these into a plan for healthy aging. It's never too late to make changes to achieve a healthier lifestyle — or too early to start. We urge listeners to call in to ask specific advice, air their concerns or worries

For the month of July, Dr. P and guest Rose Brown (MSW, Senior Director of Program Services, Mental Health Association of Essex and Morris) have partnered with Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. on a 4-part series to discuss mental health and wellness, and how serious mental health conditions, like schizophrenia, can impact African American adults. Episode 4 explores the potential challenges regarding access to mental health care and resources. For more information and helpful mental health education resources from Janssen, specifically for adults living with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder and their loved ones, please visit Choices in Recovery at www.choicesinrecovery.com.

For the month of July, Dr. P and guest Rose Brown (MSW, Senior Director of Program Services, Mental Health Association of Essex and Morris) have partnered with Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. on a 4-part series to discuss mental health and wellness, and how serious mental health conditions, like schizophrenia, can impact African American adults. Episode 3 discusses the impact of serious mental health conditions, such as schizophrenia and major depressive disorder, on African American adults. For more information and helpful mental health education resources from Janssen, specifically for adults living with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder and their loved ones, please visit Choices in Recovery at www.choicesinrecovery.com.

For the month of July, Dr. P and guest Rose Brown (MSW, Senior Director of Program Services, Mental Health Association of Essex and Morris) have partnered with Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. on a 4-part series to discuss mental health and wellness, and how serious mental health conditions, like schizophrenia, can impact African American adults. Episode 2 discusses the connection between spirituality, faith, and mental health. For more information and helpful mental health education resources from Janssen, specifically for adults living with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder and their loved ones, please visit Choices in Recovery at www.choicesinrecovery.com.

For the month of July, Dr. P and guest Rose Brown (MSW, Senior Director of Program Services, Mental Health Association of Essex and Morris) have partnered with Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. on a 4-part series to discuss mental health and wellness, and how serious mental health conditions, like schizophrenia, can impact African American adults. Episode 1 discusses the importance of voicing mental health concerns to your loved ones and your trusted support system. For more information and helpful mental health education resources from Janssen, specifically for adults living with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder and their loved ones, please visit Choices in Recovery at www.choicesinrecovery.com.

The majority of children seen at CACs are of school age, so what can we do to engage schools in the healing process while respecting the privacy of victims and their families? Nicole Ledoux and Meghan Noyes from the Granite State Children's Alliance join us this episode to discuss the New Hampshire state chapter's efforts to connect CACs with schools to support victims with their Helping Ensure Appropriate Response to Trauma (H.E.A.R.T.) Program. - Nicole Ledoux is the Victim Services Quality Assurance Director of the Granite State Children's Alliance. Meghan Noyes is the Director of Program Services of the Granite State Children's Alliance. - Mentioned in this episode: Granite State Children's Alliance - Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube For more information on the H.E.A.R.T. Program, contact Nicole at nledoux@cac-nh.org or Meghan at mnoyes@cac-nh.org - Visit the NRCAC Website for resources, training opportunities, and more! - Have an idea for a future Team Talk guest or topic? We want to hear from you! Email your suggestions to Tony DeVincenzo at tony@nrcac.org. - Disclaimer: This project was sponsored by NRCAC from Grant Award Number 2019-CI-FX-K005 and CFDA #16.758 awarded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Department of Justice.

At the time of the recording, Miranda was an academic counsellor in the School of Kinesiology at Western. She has since moved on to become the Manager of Program Services in the Ivey Business School. She has experience as a dance coach, studio owner and has received her Masters in Education.

Rita Altman - Sunrise Senior Living & Go4Life Fitness Friday Interview with Rita Altman Welcome to The Not Old Better Show, I'm host Paul Vogelzang, and this is episode 258. That's right, Get Ready! Today's show is part of our Fitness Friday Go4Life Month celebration series, and it's another great one in our Fitness Friday programs.  We've got an important story about an important program from the National Institute on Aging, one of the 27 institutes and Centers at the National Institutes of Health. Do you want to learn easy ways to increase your activity level in everyday life? The National Institute on Aging, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is launching its annual Go4Life Month in September 2018. This year's theme is "Get Ready! Get Moving! Go4Life!" The program offers free resources to help older adults work out a bit more, push themselves a little harder and try all types of exercise.  And this week we're focused staying on track to Go4Life! We've asked NIA, Go4Life partner, Rita Altman, from Sunrise Senior Living to join us. This will be another fun, eye opening conversation because Rita Altman is the Sr. VP for Memory Care and Program Services at Sunrise Senior Living. As all of you in The Not Old Better audience know, this is a favorite subject of mine, and memory, or losing it, is one of the top 10 concerns of adults over age 60. We'll also be joined by Go4Life director, Stephanie Dailey. Stephanie Dailey works closely with the NIA partners, like the Sunrise Senior Living Centers to better understand the aging process, as well as diseases and conditions that can occur as we grow older. Go4Life is an evidence based exercise program. An evidence-based program is a program that has been rigorously evaluated in other words, it has been shown that it is supported by data, not just based on theory. Please join me in welcoming via internet phone, Stephanie Dailey and Rita Altman. Learn more about this episode of The Not Old Better Show at https://notold-better.com For more about the NIA Go4Life program, click here: https://go4life.nia.nih.gov Enjoy.

It is my absolute pleasure to bring you this episode of Accidental Apprentice Podcast with the current Director of Program Services at the Yonge Street Mission Paul Lim. Paul's journey started in the United States where he became a Mechanical Engineer in the Petroleum Industry. Listen to how Paul took pause and did something so many talk about but never do, he took the steps and transformed his life and that of his families' to do something of purpose and fulfillment, ultimately putting others before himself. Paul never ceased to impress me with his class and character coupled with his commitment to living up to the challenge set by the YSM to end chronic poverty in a generation. Have a listen to what a journey looks like of selflessness, sacrifice and some solid supports from those who maybe doubt you at first.

James Michaels is the VP of Program Services at Bosma Enterprises. During our podcast, we hope to dispel the myths about people who are blind and inform our audience about the capabilities of people who are blind or visually impaired.

A monologue about a fast food worker starts a conversation about jobs. Featuring a conversation with Chekemma Fulmore-Townsend, President & CEO of the Philadelphia Youth Network, man on the street interviews, and worst job experiences from the production team. Click here to read a transcript of this episode. “Yes, I understand that if you don’t get the USDA recommended dose of greasy burger meat every day you break out in hives, but hives are not really the purview of my department.” — from "Fine Dining" by Owen Fox  * * * Remember your first job? Was it your worst job? “I always say I don’t have a worst job, but I do have jobs that did not give me as much energy,” Chekemma Fulmore-Townsend told us in an interview. Chekemma is the President and CEO of the Philadelphia Youth Network, a nonprofit that connects young people to meaningful employment and educational opportunities. “When I was in college I folded t-shirts at a local place called Steve and Barry’s. And while folding t-shirts did not give me energy... I learned a lot about myself.” For current middle school and high school students, summer vacation is just around the corner. All across the city, region, and country, students and teachers alike are counting down the days until the final bell rings, and school lets out. Once that bell rings, though, many students will walk out of the school and into a job, from one kind of learning to the next. For them, summer vacation means time away from school, but it doesn’t necessarily mean time off. Summer is a time to get your feet wet in the job pool. the conversation Chekemma Fulmore-Townsend is President & CEO of the Philadelphia Youth Network (PYN).  In 2016, Chekemma was recognized by the White House as a Champion of Change. As President and CEO of PYN, she draws on her experience in research, social work, and systems change to lead the creation of coordinated systems that promote academic achievement, economic opportunity and personal success. Before her appointment as President and CEO, Chekemma served in various capacities throughout the organization. Most recently, as PYN's Vice President of Program Services, she led a team accountable for program design, implementation, evaluation, compliance, and continuous improvement. Prior to her work at PYN, Chekemma, served at the Philadelphia Workforce Development Corporation as the Senior Director of the Emerging Workforce, fusing data-driven decision-making with solid project management to implement and improve adult and youth workforce programs. As a leader, Chekemma seeks to inspire passion, commitment and collaboration. She believes that improving lives requires hard work, courageous partners and time for laughter. She lives in the Greater Philadelphia area, and is a proud wife and mother of two daughters. Chekemma holds her B.A. in Psychology and Master of Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania. connections The Philadelphia Youth Network (PYN) is an intermediary organization that works with cross-sector partners to expand access to services for underserved young people ages 12-24. Founded in 1999, PYN has secured more than $500 million from public and private sources to create high-quality opportunities for more than 160,000 young people with more than 200 community-based organizations. Click here to learn more about Philadelphia Young Playwrights. commentary “I am very grateful for this once in a lifetime experience and for all I have learned.” — Trinity Williams Read rising high school senior Trinity Williams' take on Episode Seven here. "Fine Dining" was performed by Tiffany Bacon

“Emerging from the Darkness: The End of the Drug War and the Rise of Recovery” was presented on April 20, 2017, by Dr. Kevin T. McCauley, MD; co-founder of the Institute on Addiction Study; writer of the award-winning DVD “Pleasure Unwoven” and the DVD “Memo To Self.” Not only have the ships for which we have waited for so long appeared on the horizon, some of them have now come into port. Parity. Treatment on demand. Stigma reduction. These once seemingly impossible dreams are today a reality. The White House creates an "Office of Recovery" and speaks openly about a "Third Way" for new policy. States legalize cannabis for - not medical - but recreational use, and create a giant natural experiment that will reveal previous certainties about its dangers as truth or fiction. Films, books, plays, and music put a human face on addiction, changing minds and hearts in the process. But most importantly, people are recovering. As we emerge from the rubble of the Drug War, we can rebuild on the foundation of astonishing brain research that has quietly accumulated through decades of zero-tolerance and mass incarceration. In this lecture, we will stop and realize this moment in history, and compare it to other challenges of health disparity and social inequality. We will review the rising science of recovery and explore concepts of recovery management. We will elucidate this "Third Way," and consider the challenges it entails. We will explore innovative policies, enacted on local and national levels, which hold the promise of preventing addiction before it starts, treating it on a scale never before seen in the US, and re-enfranchising a battered but resilient American demographic.  As groups of men and women, formerly living in the shadows, come together, define themselves, and become a people, we should not forget: History is watching. This program is part of the Dawn Farm Education Series, a FREE, annual workshop series developed to provide accurate, helpful, hopeful, practical, current information about chemical dependency, recovery, family and related issues.  The Education Series is organized by Dawn Farm, a non-profit community of programs providing a continuum of chemical dependency services. For information, please see http://www.dawnfarm.org/programs/education-series. About The Presenter: Dr. Kevin McCauley, MD Kevin McCauley, MD graduated from Drexel University Medical School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1992. He entered the United States Navy and received his Naval Flight Surgeon training at the Naval Aerospace Medical Institute in Pensacola, Florida.  He was the flight surgeon for Heavy Marine Helicopter Squadron 363 at Marine Corps Air Station, Tustin, California and for Marine Fighter/Attack Training Squadron 101 at Marine Corps Air Station, El Toro, California. Dr. McCauley is the co-founder of the Institute for Addiction Study in Salt Lake City, Utah, and the Director of Program Services at the New Roads Treatment Center in Sandy, Utah. He has served as President of the Utah Association of Recovery Residences in Salt Lake City, Utah, working with state and municipal agencies to promulgate best practices for local sober living home providers in order to strengthen the Recovery-Oriented System of Care in Utah. Dr. McCauley served as Director of Le Mont Michel in Sandy, Utah, from 2009 to 2013; helping with the design and implementation of a disease management/ residential recovery support program and also served as director of daily operations of an eight-bed sober living facility including training and supervision of staff, as well as analysis of outcome data.     As co-founder of the Institute for Addiction Study, Dr. McCauley wrote and directed two films: “Pleasure Unwoven” about the neuroscience of addiction, and “Memo to Self” about Recovery Management in commercial airline pilots and professionals with substance use disorders. “Pleasure Unwoven” won the 2010 Michael Q. Ford Award for Journalism from the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers. Dr. McCauley travels between Utah and his home in Honolulu, Hawai`I where he lives with his wife, Kristine. His goals are to help those who wish to better understand addiction topics and to make difficult scientific concepts accessible to all. In his work, he strives to foster the acceptance of people in recovery as full and valued members of society.  

Good nutrition is a key component of a healthy lifestyle, especially as we age. In this episode, we're joined by senior nutrition experts Tim Whelan, VP of Dining, and Caitlin Rogers, national director of Dining and Nutrition services. They explain how nutrition and dietary needs change as we age, why it's necessary to have variety as part of a healthy diet, and the importance of hydration. We're also re-joined by Rita Altman, SVP of Memory Care & Program Services at Sunrise Senior Living, who shares her take on brain-healthy foods. Head over to SunriseBlog.com to see show notes, including direct links to resources you've heard today.

In this inaugural episode of The Senior Caregiver, we are joined by Rita Altman, senior vice president of Memory Care & Program Services at Sunrise Senior Living. As a caregiver to someone with memory loss, you might be curious about the different stages of Alzheimer's and what to expect. We'll cover that, including tips for how you can remain meaningfully engaged with your loved one by using verbal and non-verbal communication techniques, based on the Validation Method. The theme for this episode? Don't give up. Head over to SunriseBlog.com to see show notes, including direct links to resources you've heard today.

In this Institute for Conservation Leadership "Podcast Shorts" host Kurt Thompson is in conversation with Dianne Russell (ICL's President) and Peter Lane (ICL's Director of Program Services) on why the Institute is important to the conservation community.

In this Institute for Conservation Leadership "Podcast Shorts" host Kurt Thompson is in conversation with Dianne Russell (ICL's President) and Peter Lane (ICL's Director of Program Services) on how the Institute with do it's work "into the future."

In the United States, Prematurity Awareness is the cause of the March of Dimes. Our guests are Jeena Siela, Indiana March of Dimes Director of Program Services, and Dave Norris, President and CEO of Hylant in Indiana, and March of Dimes State Board Chair. They will discuss the incredible cost of premature birth both in Indiana and internationally.

In this Institute for Conservation Leadership "Podcast Shorts" host Kurt Thompson is in conversation with Dianne Russell (ICL's President) and Peter Lane (ICL's Director of Program Services) on how the Institute defines leadership.

In this Institute for Conservation Leadership "Podcast Shorts" host Kurt Thompson is in conversation with Dianne Russell (ICL's President) and Peter Lane (ICL's Director of Program Services) on how the Institute "approaches leadership."

In this episode, the Get Ready team interviews Miriam Erdosi, Associate Director of Program Services at the March of Dimes’ California Chapter. She talks about APHA's Get Ready Campaign and and March of Dimes' collaboration on six fact-sheets about general preparedness and specific disasters, and the special considerations pregnant women and families with infants need to make when putting together a disaster kit and emergency plan. Erdosi is interviewed by Get Ready team member Lavanya Gupta..

PRISM Award Podcast with Actor Tony Denison Bio: "Five time SAG Nominee and Prism Award Winner, TONY DENSION is currently the star of the #1 Show on TNT, "THE CLOSER," starring Kyra Sedwick, and he soon will be filming his seventh season as Detective Andy Flynn. Tony is also highly recognized for his leading role as Ray Luca in Michael Mann's "CRIME STORY", named by Time magazine as one of TV's "best villians of the decade". He is a popular guest and interview, and has recently been featured on the KTLA Morning Show, and in USA Today, the Los Angeles Times, TV Guide, LIFE, TNT News, MaximoTV, and many more." We want to thank Tony for being a part of the PRISM Awards and for joining our Executive Vice President, Program Services and Government Relations & Co-Executive Producer, PRISM AwardsMarie Dyak

Michele Larsen (Portland, OR), State Communications Director with March of Dimes, Oregon Chapter, Joanne Rogovoy, State Director of Program Services, and Dr. Richard Lowensolhn, retired Perinatologist and current Program Services Committee Chairman, discuss the leading nonprofit organization's mission to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. For additional information, please visit www.marchofdimes.com. Second guest, Andy Ferguson (Baker, Nevada), Superintendant of Great Basin National Park, discusses the Great Basin which extends from the Sierra Nevada Range in California to the Wasatch Range in Utah, and from southern Oregon to southern Nevada. Far from a wasteland, Great Basin National Park is a diverse region which includes Nevada's second tallest mountain, Wheeler Peak, and the states only glacier, Wheeler Peak Glacier. For additional information, please visit www.nps.gov/grba.