All current members of the Texas Animal Control Association are entitled to vote for the Board of Directors that leads the Association. Ballots must be submitted by 11:59 PM on Friday, November 9th to be counted. Validity of any questionable ballot will be determined by the Nomination Committee of the Texas Animal Control Association Board of Directors and their decision is final.
If you are unable to register to vote, your membership is likely listed as lapsed in the system. Only current certified members have voting rights. Please click here to obtain or renew your membership. If you feel there is a mistake in the system, please email Jay Sabatucci so that corrections can be made.
Board of Director Candidates & Biographies
President-Elect Candidate
Robert Lee
Hi, my name is Robert E. Lee and I have been in Animal Control for 32 years. I am currently working for the City of Friendswood as the Animal Control Supervisor. I am also currently serving on T.A.C.A board as a board member and I have loved working behind the sense at the conference with all the other board member to ensure the conference was enjoyed by all. I am running for President Elect, it would be an honor for me to continue to serve this great association and its members, if you know me then you know that I have never met a stranger and that I am very outgoing and always willing to help. Just a little background on my career, if anyone has been in animal control for a while then you know that it is the same stuff day in and day out, some good and some bad but I love this job and plan to serve my City for at least 20 more years. I also love hearing from other Animal Control Officers from across the state that call me for help or advice, please continue to do so and if anyone else that needs anything don’t hesitate to call me. We are all on the same team and we all need to take care of one another.
Vice President Candidate
Paul O'Neill
My name is Paul O'Neill and I have been in this profession since 2002. I am currently the Animal Services Supervisor for the City of Denton, have worked in Midland as the Animal Services Director and started at the Brazos Animal Shelter in Bryan/College Station. I have enjoyed serving on the TACA Board and would like to continue working to improve our profession. I feel that professional development should be a priority and would enjoy the opportunity to serve with, and for, my fellow officers.
Secretary Candidate
No nominations received.
Board of Director Candidates (Three Positions Available)
Edward Cruz
My name is Edward Cruz, I work for the City of San Marcos Regional Animal Shelter as an Animal Protection Officer. I have been in the animal control field for almost 7 years now. I was formally the Field Supervisor at the City of Corpus Christi where I worked for 6 years. I would like to be on the TACA Board so that I can take the knowledge that I have absorbed over my career and try to help my fellow colleagues in an ever changing and growing field move into the future.
Lauren Hartis
Hello I’m Lauren Hartis I’ve been an Aco and working the animal field for over 13 years. I run the City of Humble animal control and adoption center. I come with many years of experience and enjoy meeting new ACOs from all around. I have education in animal science and behavior, I am a vet tech and also have many many education classes. I love to teach classes to other officers and believe eduction is the key to our jobs. I am very dedicated and if elected plan on staying for many years.
Alexandra Johnston
I have been in law enforcement for the last eleven years. For six of those years, I have been a licensed peace officer, and for the last five years, I have been part of the animal crimes unit. I am accomplished animal cruelty investigator and have a high conviction rate. As a member of the Texas Humane Legislation Network, I have joined the last two legislative sessions to advocate for passing important bills through the Texas House of Representatives. I have spoken to many Texas State Senators and House of Representatives regarding important animal protection legislations. This is a cause that is very important to me and very close to my heart, mainly due to what is seen while I am working as a Peace Officer. In my work, I have seen all types of different cruelty cases and work the entirety of the case, from the outcry to the conviction. I have supervised many seizures of all sizes and degrees of severity. I have worked one on one with many rescue agencies and law enforcement agencies, from federal to local, in helping ensure their cases are handled the most effective way. In 2017, I received my peace officer instructor license and have already started to teach other peace officers essential information regarding animal cruelty cases. I am also a certified instructor for Texas Animal Control Association. For my agency, I teach all the animal outreach programs and events. In addition, I also personally volunteer with Animal Investigation and Response as an instructor, investigator, and animal handler. During Hurricane Harvey, I was deployed by Animal Investigation and Response to assist with emergency response. I assisted with the relief efforts at Houston Humane Society as a volunteer with Animal Investigation and Responses and HSUS. I am also part of the ASPCA Field and Investigation Team and have been deployed with them on cruelty cases.
My passion is fighting for humane treatment of animals through education outreach to my coworkers, peers, and community. I believe that in teaching law enforcement officers and animal control officers best practices and new techniques, we can be more successful in addressing animal cruelty in all forms. I want to be part of the training and education board because my practical experience in the field would be a valuable addition to the board. I want to bridge the gap between law enforcement and animal control agencies to promote partnerships in our shared missions. This will allow these agencies to take on more cases and achieve more desired outcomes.
April Moore
April Moore served as Animal Protection Supervisor with the Field Services Unit based at the Austin Animal Center for over 10 years. She played an integral role in developing community policies and programs that promote lifesaving, without compromising public safety, and connect community members with the resources needed to keep their pets and neighborhoods safe and healthy. The Field Services Unit serves over 1 million residents in the Austin and Travis County area through response to almost 31,000 calls for service, emergency response, neighborhood canvassing and outreach events. April is now Austin Animal Center’s Engagement Manager and is working to create neighborhood-level programs to address unique animal services needs in high intake, low return-to-owner areas in the community and to reposition the center’s intake facility as a pet resource center.
