Interim Executive Director – Michael Hopkins
Executive Administrative Assistant – Janean Knowles
Shelter Manger – Kayla Button
Assistant Shelter Manager – Melinda Green
Operations Director & Staff Veterinarian – Dr. Karen Doucette

About Michael Hopkins

Michael Hopkins comes to the job of Interim Executive Director after serving as Acting Executive Director for three months, and after six years of service on the Board of Directors as Treasurer. He previously served as a volunteer at the Hornell Humane Society and the Verona Street Animal Shelter in Rochester.

Michael grew up in Avoca, New York, where most of his family still resides. He and his husband of 31 years, John Clinton Bradley, live in Hornell with their animal companions Lincoln the beagle and Julius the cat, both adopted from the FLSPCA. Over the years they have lived with five different cats and five different dogs, all adopted from Shelter.

Michael graduated from the State University of New York at Plattsburgh with a BS in Education. He went on from there to attend a seminary of The Episcopal Church and was ordained a priest in 1990. He served parishes in Washington, DC, Glenn Dale, Maryland, and Rochester, New York, before retiring. He currently serves at Church of the Redeemer in Addison.

Michael brings skills in leading non-profits. He believes in a team approach to leadership, and is trained in many areas of leadership and organizational development. He also brings a passion for social justice, which for him includes the care and companionship of the animal world, as well as the whole creation. He is the author of Called to Act: The Origins of Christian Responsibility, due out in the fall of 2023. He also has an abiding passion for mental health, and believes that even though Shelter work comes at times with great personal sacrifice, those of us who do this work must take great care to tend to our own well-being.