Staff & Board

Lawrence Nicolas

Chief Executive Officer

Lawrence graduated from the University of Colorado in Denver with a Bachelor’s degree in communications and an emphasis on public relations. After graduating, Lawrence began working at Dumb Friends League in Denver and the direction his life took changed forever. After spending nearly five years with that organization, Lawrence began working for Best Friends Animal Society in Salt Lake City, Utah, where he held many positions overseeing various aspects of sheltering operations as well as coalition building and relationship cultivation. Lawrence then moved to Florida and worked for Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League for nearly two years prior to joining the Jacksonville Humane Society in 2021. Lawrence lives in Jacksonville with his wife, son, and three shelter pets.

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Lauren Ghirardi

President/COO

Lauren Ghirardi started as a part-time adoption counselor at The Jacksonville Humane Society in 2012. After working on the frontlines in Adoptions and the Pet Help Center, she held management roles in various operations departments throughout JHS.

Lauren earned a degree in Sociology with a concentration in Social Work from the University of North Florida. She appreciates working for an organization that emphasizes the importance of compassion towards both animals and humans.

Through her work at JHS, she also discovered her love for data and enthusiastically believes in the importance of tracking, analyzing, and predicting shelter data to improve operations. When Lauren started at JHS, she had one dog. Over her years working at JHS, she has welcomed three more dogs, three cats, and her son, Trip.

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Dr. Stan Hill, DVM

Chief Medical Officer

Dr. Stan Hill, DVM, graduated from Ross University in St. Kitts and then completed his clinical year of veterinary medicine at Auburn University. He has served at both emergency and high-volume veterinary clinics. In addition to his work as the Chief Medical Officer at JHS, Dr. Hill is the current president of the Jacksonville Veterinary Medical Society. Most recently, Dr. Hill led his team through training at the ASCPA Humane Alliance program to help improve practice and efficiency at the JHS hospital. He enjoys spending time with his wife, Kara, their child, and their three rescue pets – Sally, Cracker Jack, and Lexi.

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Denise Deisler

Executive Advisor and CEO Emerita

Denise Deisler joined the Jacksonville Humane Society (JHS) in 2011, where she quickly forged key partnerships, increased revenue, and led initiatives that significantly advanced the community’s no-kill goal. Her efforts resulted in programs like a kitten nursery, a community resource center, and a focus on shelter transfers, saving over 1,000 animals in her first year. Under her leadership, Jacksonville achieved a 90+% live release rate for five of the last six years, making it one of the largest U.S. cities to do so. Denise also spearheaded the $15 million fundraising campaign to rebuild JHS’s shelter after the 2007 fire, overseeing the design and construction of a new 44,000 square-foot facility, which opened in November 2017.

Before joining JHS, Denise served as Executive Director of the Humane Society of Manatee County, where she helped end trap-and-kill for feral cats and led the county’s adoption of a no-kill plan. She also worked as Chief Operating Officer of the Richmond SPCA, contributing to efforts that transformed the city’s approach to animal homelessness. Denise is a sought-after trainer and consultant on no-kill programs, board development, and community engagement. She currently serves on several leadership committees, including Best Friends Animal Society’s No Kill 2025 Steering Committee. Denise was named a Maddie’s Fund Hero in 2018 and a Best Friends Animal Society National Advancement Award winner in 2019. She lives with her husband Bernie, granddaughter Emma, their dogs Yogi and Shelli, and their cat Purrl.

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Board of Directors

Sean Lueck – Chair
Cici Anderson – Vice Chair
Krystina Elliott – Treasurer
Lisé Everly – Secretary
David Altman
Cathy Andorfer
Christine Baker
Allison Fillmore
Jonathan Hanson
Andrea Jones
Marc Munago
John Rockwell
Courtney Rutgens
Dina Vickers