HSWA Board

Our Community is Our Strength

Meet Our Team

With the help of our valued volunteers and volunteer board members, we are able to successfully work together to rescue, rehabilitate, and place dogs and cats within loving homes.

Our board currently has 19 members and every member is actively involved in some aspect of the organization whether it be animal care, fundraising, financial management, or social media. No one gets to just show up for board meetings (although that is essential too!) Our positions include President, Vice-President, Treasurer, and Secretary. These positions are elected annually. HSWA currently has one board opening. Board member terms are two years and can be renewed.

Join the Team

Tina Miller

President

There has never been a time in Tina’s life when she didn’t have at least one dog in her life! Early on in her childhood, Tina was always attracted to “the underdog”: the forgotten, abused, neglected, the homeless. Tina began her volunteer work with The Humane Society of West Alabama in 2008 when she retired from her teaching career in the Tuscaloosa City Schools. When asked to serve on the HSWA Board of Directors, Tina quickly said yes and began serving as a board member in 2012. She has served as President of the board since October 2022. Tina and her husband, David, rescued two adorable HSWA dogs, Janie and Tyson, and together they own Recess4Rover, a dog walking business here in Tuscaloosa.

Kam Boyle

Vice President

Kam’s love for all animals started when she was born. Today, Kam has two dogs, Norman and Molly, several cats, and a Redfoot tortoise named Alma Dean. When not at work, Kam, her husband, and their pet crew can be found visiting where she grew up on the coastal beaches of Alabama, or on the Loveliest Village on the Plains (Auburn, AL) during the fall football season. On weekends when she is home and not tending to her own menagerie of animals, Kam likes to visit the cats as a volunteer at the HSWA Cat Adoption House.

Samantha Edmonds

Secretary

Samantha began volunteering with HSWA in 2019 and joined the board of directors in 2023. She and her husband happily share their home and lives with their three cats, Albus, Lucky, and Lalo. When she’s not home being bossed around by her own cats, she can be found at the HSWA cat shelter.

Patrice Donahue, MD

Co-Treasurer

Patrice is a retired psychiatrist, part-time runner and beach bum, full-time mom to HSWA dog house alums Ellie (January 2023) and Duke (August 2023) and lifetime proponent of the mental health benefits of owning companion animals and always adopting from a shelter.

Brenda Thomas

Co-Treasurer

Brenda has been actively involved with the Humane Society of West Alabama for over 23 years. She has fostered many animals, worked on fundraisers, and has cared for many pets of her own. Brenda has tirelessly served as treasurer of the HSWA for many years.
“It has been a pleasure to see this organization grow as it has and the services that it offers to animals.”

Joyce Donley

Finance Committee

Joyce has been a Humane Society volunteer for more than 25 years, and a Board member since 2007. She has done everything from dog and cat foster care to website management and financial oversight. She has adopted several pets from the Humane Society. Her current companion is LizzyB, a cat who came to the Humane Society as a kitten through the TSNIP program in Tuscaloosa.

Lillian Anderton

Lillian is a passionate animal advocate, real estate agent, and proud mom to two college-aged kids, a pack of beloved cats, and one very good dog. When she’s not helping people find their perfect home, you’ll find her volunteering at the HSWA cat adoption center or championing the lifesaving importance of spaying and neutering. Whether it’s pets or people, Lillian believes everyone deserves a safe place to call home.

Laurie Bonneville

Laurie is a CSR at Animal Medical Center. Born and raised in Michigan, she met her husband Jason in Kansas, and after moving around for a few years, settled in Alabama in 2007. Laurie has 3 kids Jacek, Averie, and Macie. She has always loved animals and currently has 3 dogs (Dobie, Nova and Bruno) and 4 cats, (Doug, Cheez–it, Big Tuna and Tabby Gable).

Kathy Box

Kathy has been a board member since 2023 and a HSWA volunteer since 2015. She is our Cat Adoption Center Coordinator. Kathy is a Neonatal ICU RN and is a regular foster for neonatal kittens. She and her husband, Greg, are lovers of all animals and live with their cats and dog in Tuscaloosa.

Laura Durham

A lifelong cat person, Laura has volunteered with HSWA’s Cat Adoption Center since 2022. She holds a B.S. in psychology and a Ph.D. in communication and has a professional background in editing and higher education instruction. She and her family (both human and feline) have called West Alabama “home” for more than 20 years.

Tina Evans

Tina began volunteering with the HSWA in 2019 and has served as a board member and on the Dog Adoption Team since 2020. Currently she is the coordinator for the dog facility.

Jessica Fortin

Jessica Fortin is a student at UA majoring in microbiology and public health on a pre-vet track. She hopes to become a veterinarian and own a mixed animal practice. She currently works as a veterinary assistant in Alabama as well as back home in Virginia Beach! On the board she assists with volunteer coordinating and our social media presence! This is a picture of her and her dog Winnie Mae!

Betty Freeman

Betty has served as a board member since 2003. She established and coordinated the Dog Adoption Program and facility until 2022 along with several HSWA fund raising events.

Anne Hornsby

Anne grew up with all sorts of pet animals – including a rooster. Now she and husband Joe have two HSWA alumni cats: Seymour and Margo. She joined the board in 2025 after retirement from teaching at Alabama Law. She’s a graduate of UA, and has lived in Tuscaloosa since 1984.

Gabriella Estrada

Gabriella has loved helping animals for as long as she can remember, from raising chickens, fish, cats, and dogs through her pet care business. She is a Blount Scholars student at the University of Alabama, majoring in Biology on the Pre-Vet track, with a minor in Spanish. She hopes to become a veterinarian and work with all kinds of animals. On the board, she helps run the social media pages and volunteers at the dog facility.

Patrick Lynch

HSWA’s newest board member, and a recent transplant from Chicago, Patrick is eager to bring his extensive background in business development, real estate management and nonprofit board experience to helping HSWA further its mission.

Cindy Smith

Cindy Smith has proudly served on the Board of Directors for the Humane Society of West Alabama since 2013. A dedicated advocate for animal welfare, Cindy is committed to advancing the organization’s mission through community engagement, fundraising support, and long-term strategic planning. She is a graduate of the University of Alabama, where she earned a degree in Business Administration, and has more than 20 years of experience as a REALTOR® with RE/MAX Premiere Group in Tuscaloosa. Cindy also brings extensive nonprofit governance experience, having previously served 16 years on the Board of Directors for Five Horizons Health Services.

Kelsey Summerford

Kelsey is a Tuscaloosa native who began volunteering with the Humane Society dog house in 2014 and became a board member that same year. She took a break from the board for 4 years to attend veterinary school at Auburn University. She returned to the board in 2020 after graduating and returning to Tuscaloosa. She is now a veterinarian in town and loves getting to serve her community. She and her husband, J.T., share two human children and a few senior cats. In her time away from animals, she enjoys spending time with her family and cheering on the Crimson Tide.

Deborah Weiss

Deborah Weiss joined the Board in October 2024 after having volunteered at the “Dog House” for four years. She is pictured here with Vera, formerly her fourth foster dog from HSWA, but adopted when her husband fell in love before the first week was out. Deborah is a Professor of English at the University of Alabama and grew up with three dogs, one horse, several cats, and untold numbers of rescued wild birds.