President & Treasurer​

Dale has served as the Alliance Board President since 2012, and has been an Alliance Board Member since 2010.  He retired from his position of Wealth Advisor with Buckingham Strategic Wealth in September 2022.  Prior to joining Buckingham, Dale was a tax manager at PriceWaterhouseCoopers and Ernst & Young, a principal with Moneta Group and founded GreenCourse Financial Advisors.

Dale has served as Treasurer in his capacity as a trustee of his subdivision since 2000, was on the Board of Advisors of the Wildwood YMCA from 2006 through 2013 and participated as a board member and served on the Finance Committee of Center for Hearing & Speech from January 2009 through October 2018. Dale's hometown is Belleville, Illinois and he graduated from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. He and his wife TJ are avid animal advocates and live in Wildwood along with numerous adopted animal friends.

​Dale's statement about the Missouri Alliance for Animal Legislation:

​​"No other animal welfare organization works exclusively on legislative matters not only within Missouri, but nationally as well. Although state-based, the Alliance has garnered national attention for its efforts and achievements. Our work is vitally important since passage and retention of animal protection laws is the first line of defense for animals. We also work towards enforcement, as application and adherence to those laws and subsequent prosecution of violators is just as important to ensure compliance.

​One of our ongoing goals is to expand awareness of our legislative efforts throughout Missouri (and the country) via  our website and usage of social media, supporting initiatives within institutions of higher learning, and providing educational opportunities to all residents of Missouri.

​An educated and informed public can and will make a difference in the lives of animals."

Brook has been running Carol House Furniture for over 35 years. In addition to serving as Vice President of the Alliance, Brook also serves as director of Carol House "Quick Fix Pet Clinic" (Carol House Furniture bought & donated the 2 Quick Fix locations). Brook supports many charitable causes but his favorite is Animal Welfare. He has been a valued Alliance Board member for 25+ years. His family keeps him busy as well - son Garett is in college and daughter Eliana is in high school. Brook is very active and likes to stay fit by exercising regularly and being vegan.

As Vice President of Operations at the Humane Society of Missouri, Debbie Hill oversees two Adoption Centers, the Animal Cruelty Task Force, and the Disaster Response team for the largest animal welfare organization in Missouri. Before joining HSMO in 1996, Debbie was active in animal welfare in Texas as an animal control officer and as executive director of a small shelter. Her tenure at HSMO includes the Missouri 500 Dog Fighting Case and the 7 month operation of a temporary shelter for those animals at an undisclosed location. 

Debbie has extensive experience in Disaster Response Management spanning Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, and Mississippi. Her professional memberships include: Society of Animal Welfare Administrators (SAWA), National Animal Control Association (NACA), Missouri SEMA-Animals in Disaster Planning Committee, and Missouri Department of Agriculture Advisory Committee (2003-2008).

 A graduate of Saint Louis University School of Law, Kelsey is an attorney at a national animal-focused non-profit organization. Previously, Kelsey worked as a law clerk with the Animal Legal Defense Fund. While at SLU, Kelsey was active in the Women Law Students' Association, Environmental Law Society, and she served as co-president of the student chapter of the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund. When she isn't litigating, Kelsey enjoys traveling, literature, exploring new culinary scenes - and of course, pampering her cats. 

Stacy is a Wealth Advisor by day and an animal advocate 24/7. At home, Stacy and her husband have 5 fur children - all of whom are rescues.  Pierre (cat), Pippa (cat), Parker (cat), Winston (dog), and Wanda (dog). Stacy and her husband also recently rescued a dog on their honeymoon in Maui, Hawaii. Animal rescue takes no vacation! In the past, Stacy has spent time volunteering with St. Louis Feral Cat Outreach, an organization that helps local residents TNR (Trap, Neuter & Return) feral cats in the area. Besides her unrelenting passion for animals, Stacy has served on several other Board of Directors for local not-for-profits, giving her valuable experience to bring the Alliance board including sitting on our Human Resources committee.

Tara is a veterinarian and owner of the Afton Veterinary Clinic. From the time Tara was four years old, she told her mother that she wanted to become a veterinarian. Prior to starting her veterinary career, Tara worked at the Developmental Services Center (DSC) where she dedicated herself to making the world a friendlier place for those with developmental disabilities. During her time at DSC, Tara adopted a young German Shepard puppy that had been abused. Affectionately named Toast, this pup was never far from Tara and became her touch therapy dog for her clients at DSC.

Unfortunately, Toast began having severe seizures. Despite a multitude of testing and medications, there was no improvement in Toast. Sadly, on one very cold December afternoon, Toast slipped into a seizure that was too much for her body to take. Toast was euthanized but not before Tara promised her dear friend that she would return to school and pursue that long ago childhood dream.

After graduating from the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine, Tara spent four years working as an associate veterinarian in a multi-doctor practice in St. Louis County. It was during this time that she developed her next dream to purchase her own veterinary clinic. On August 1, 2008 that dream became reality when she purchased Afton Veterinary Clinic. With this dream met, Tara continued to set new goals consistent with her passion for all animals and her desire to be a strong advocate for those that would otherwise have none.

It was with this mindset that Tara has taken in dozens of animals over the years and has given out of her own pocket over $100,000 to support owners who do not have the resources to care for animals that require an emergency surgery. To augment this goal Tara founded Hope Mending Hearts, a non-profit charity that provides grants to owners that are struggling financially and whose animals are in urgent need of veterinary care. Tara recently fulfilled another dream as she has expanded her practice in September to a new location where she has built a state of the art hospital to offer even more services to animals in the community.   

Not only did Tara keep her promise to Toast to become a veterinarian she continues to keep Toast in her heart as she helps to mend those animals most in need.  

Beth graduated from Washington University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology.  She originally planned on becoming a psychologist but changed direction after her last year in college when she volunteered with an equine veterinarian as well as working as an assistant in a small animal hospital. Beth immediately fell in love with veterinary medicine and went on to graduate from the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine in 2001.  She practiced small animal medicine for 12 years in Tampa, Florida.  In 2013, Beth returned home to St. Louis and has continued to practice small animal medicine throughout Missouri. 

Beth had an exciting opportunity to work abroad in 2016 providing free veterinary care to the citizens of Grenada. In addition, Beth is a member of the Missouri Volunteer Veterinary Corp which serves as an emergency response team. 

Beth became even more interested in animal welfare upon moving back to Missouri and realizing the vast differences in state laws protecting animals.  Beth believes it is her duty as a veterinarian to stand up for the humane treatment of all animals with whom we share this planet. The Alliance has had the privilege of Beth serving on the Board of the Alliance since 2016.  Beth is a mom to two dogs, Frankie and Pippa.  Her hobbies are yoga, meditation, baking, and historical fiction. 

Wayne is a lifelong St. Louisian and has been involved with the Alliance and 

served as a member of the Alliance's “ Open Your Heart” Fundraiser 

committee for 18 years. 

He worked in the Telecommunications Industry for 40 years and retired from 

his position in September 2022. 

He previously served on the Town & Country Conservation Commission for 

6 years. 

He strongly believes in Animal Welfare and feels the Alliance's mission of 

advocating for stronger laws to protect animals along with stricter 

enforcement of the existing laws is absolutely essential for their survival and 

humanity.

Kayla graduated from the University of Missouri with a Bachelor’s in Business Finance, and has worked in wealth management since 2015. She worked at Buckingham Strategic Wealth for almost 8 years and was a Director of Client Services prior to departing in 2023. She joined Krilogy shortly after and currently works as a Wealth Services Manager.

Kayla grew up loving animals and always wanted to help those in need. She began fostering and volunteering with local animal rescues, primarily Need Paws, in 2020. The more she got involved, the more she realized how big the need was to help animals in Missouri and across the globe. She became an animal welfare advocate and now helps combat the cruelty, abuse & neglect so many of them face every day.

Kayla and her boyfriend, Ben, currently live in Brentwood with their two dogs, Chloe and Rory. Chloe was Kayla’s first foster dog (and a foster fail), and Rory joined the family not long after. Kayla and Ben enjoy going to the lake, being outdoors, cooking and spending time with their pups.  

Kayla’s proud to be a part of the Alliance where she can help fight major animal welfare issues. She’s dedicated to always being the voice for animals across the world.