African American woman in tan sweater

Meshia Burrell

Vice President of People and Culture

Meshia Burrell is the Vice President of People and Culture leading in the development of a culture of humane leadership, continuous improvement, and high performance, advancing Anti-Cruelty's goal to be the BEST PLACE to work in Chicago. She assists organizational leaders in developing best policies and practices for hiring, supervision, continuous improvement, employee development, and compensation.

A woman with brown hair and glasses

Darlene Duggan

President

With over two decades of experience in animal welfare, Darlene Duggan now leads Anti-Cruelty as President. Throughout her tenure with the organization, Darlene has held various key roles, most recently as the Vice President of Operations, where she oversaw the animal care, clinic, and field service divisions. Her career began as a shelter manager, where she gained extensive experience working with volunteers, managing and analyzing data, and guiding operations.

Woman with black hair holding a small dog.

Lydia Krupinski

Vice President of Mission Impact

Lydia Krupinski joined the Anti-Cruelty team in 2009 and has been instrumental in advancing the organization’s community programs through a dynamic and thoughtful approach. With 20 years of experience in community engagement, business management, and media development, Lydia’s contributions have driven significant growth in the organization’s programs. As Vice President of Mission Impact, she leads Anti-Cruelty's public-facing initiatives while also serving as Co-Chair of the Chicagoland Humane Coalition, making a substantial impact on the lives of pets and people across the region. Lydia mobilizes animal lovers to put their compassion into action, emphasizing a community- and people-centered approach. Her passion for pets and people has inspired the evolution of Anti-Cruelty's public programs, resulting in enhanced experiences, expanded support services, and the growth of adoption, volunteer, youth, and community engagement initiatives. Lydia is honored to contribute to Anti-Cruelty's legacy of helping pets and people thrive together, all while advancing the organization’s vision of building a humane Chicago.

A man holds a guinea pig

Rhett Lindsay

Vice President, Mission Advancement | Chief Advancement Officer | Chief Marketing Officer

Rhett Lindsay is the Vice President of Mission Advancement and serves as the Chief Advancement Officer and Chief Marketing Officer, overseeing fundraising, marketing and public relations.  Rhett joined Anti-Cruelty with more than 15 years’ experience in fundraising and communications in the nonprofit sector, primarily in human and social services.

Laura Nedli, Vice President of Accountability and Transparency and Chief Financial Officer

Laura Nedli

Vice President of Accountability and Transparency and Chief Financial Officer

Laura Nedli is the Vice President of Accountability and Transparency and Chief Financial Officer at Anti-Cruelty where she is responsible for the organization’s accountability and transparency to its constituencies and the community and ensures the optimal effective and efficient use of the organization’s financial and capital assets.