Public Invited To Meet San Marcos Animal Services Manager Finalists

The City of San Marcos invites the public to meet the candidates for the Animal Services Manager search on Thursday, Dec. 5, 5-6:30 p.m. at Fire Station #5, 100 Carlson Circle.

Finalists will give brief introductions at 5 p.m. then public will be able to meet and greet with the candidates.

Lauralei Combs has 18 years of local government experience in animal welfare and care. She is currently the Executive Director of the Broward County Animal Care and Adoption Department in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Broward County has a population of 2 million, and its animal shelter team manages over 12,000 animals each year.

Ms. Combs served the animals and citizens of Austin in various progressively responsible positions for 16 years, assisting the Austin Animal Center in becoming the largest governmental “No Kill” shelter in the United States. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from California State University.

Jeanne Saadi has 20 years of experience in animal welfare and care, both in the non-profit sector and in local government. Ms. Saadi is currently the Animal Services Manager for the City of Mesquite, Texas, where she manages a shelter with over 5,000 animals per year in a city with 150,000 citizens.

Jeanne and her team have increased Mesquite’s Live Release Rate from the high 50’s to over 90 percent within 18 months of her arrival. She previously held progressively responsible positions in San Antonio Animal Care Services and in Santa Barbara County Animal Services (Goleta, CA).

Ms. Saadi holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communications from Augustana College and a Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership from Colorado State University.

TaBorah Goffney has 16 years of experience in animal welfare and care, in the private sector and in local government.

Ms. Goffney is currently the Animal Services Manager for the City of Missouri City, Texas. The City of Missouri City has a population of 75,000, and its animal shelter staff members manage approximately 1,200 dogs, cats, and other animals each year.

In the 1½ years that Ms. Goffney and her team have led the Missouri City Animal Services Division, they have increased their Live Release Rate from 67% to 81%. Her goal is to attain and maintain a greater than 90% LRR.

Ms. Goffney holds a Bachelor’s degree in Animal Science from Tuskegee University.

This reception is part of a two-day assessment of the Animal Services Manager finalists. Teel Consulting Services (TCS) is assisting the City of San Marcos with the search process.

About Teel Consulting Services:
Teel Consulting Services is a local government consulting firm based out of Rowlett, Texas, specializing in assisting cities and counties in the areas of animal services, code compliance, environmental health, and strategic planning.