Our Board and General Manager

Stephen Kwaskiewicz
President and Chair, Nominating Committee

 Robert S. Beck
Vice President  and Chairs, Fundraising and Outreach Committees

Robert S. Beck has been a Board member since 2006. He served a two year term as recording secretary before being elected Vice President. Always interested in helping the community, in 2005 Rob served as Treasurer of the Board of Directors of Back on My Feet, a non-profit to benefit homeless people. Rob graduated from Syracuse University with a B.S. in Finance in 1990 and has been an investment advisor since then. He is a vice president of investments at UBS Financial Services Inc., working there since 2001. He earned a designation by the Board of Standards as a Certified Financial Planner in 2002. In 2007 he rescued his dog, a Rhodesian ridgeback- Dooie. In September 2010 Rob became a first time father to Ilya Benyamin Beck.

Joseph F. Forrest
Recording Secretary  and Chairs, Branding and Development Committees

Joe has been a member of the Board since 2007, and in 2010 was elected to the Secretary position.  He has been a volunteer with Morris since 1993.  In 2010, Joe chaired the Fur Ball, the Silent Auction, and the Live Auction - a major undertaking which raised over $19,000 for the Refuge.   Joe's skills and knowledge in organizing and making things happen have benefited Morris.  He is retired from CIGNA Corp. where he held positions in software engineering, project management, quality assurance, and organizational development.  Joe holds a BBA in Human Relations from Temple University and a MBA in Organizational Development from the University of Maryland.  After taking early retirement, Joe attended and graduated from the Art Institute with an Associate’s Degree in Culinary Arts and now works as a personal chef.  Joe shares his home with two Morris cats - a Siamese named Sushi (the Baddy) and a brown tabby named Miso (the Klutz).

 Grace Labouchere
Treasurer and Chair, Finance Committee

The "oldest" member of the Board, Grace was elected in 1960 and was honored at the 2010 Fur Ball for 50 years of dedication (including over 40 years as Treasurer.)  She has participated in the extraordinary growth of the Refuge from a large garage with a small room in back that housed a few kittens to what it has become today. What Grace has brought to the animal population in her 50 years is immeasurable. Even more, her whit, her intelligence, her charm, her dedication to detail and so much more are true examples of what a valued and treasured volunteer should be.  Today Grace's primary function on the Board (besides Treasurer) is managing the low cost spay/neuter program which too has grown dramatically.  A graduate of Bryn Mawr College, cum laude with honors, Grace has also served for over 35 years on the Board of the Rittenhouse Square Flower Market for Children's Charities, a non-profit organization in which the Refuge also participates.  Her two cats, Reuben and Rufus, are both Morris alums.

Rebecca is a Pennsylvania attorney working within Philadelphia and surrounding counties who has a keen interest in animals. For close to a decade, Rebecca has worked for and with animal sanctuaries, shelters and advocacy organizations in both volunteer and professional capacities, working within communities to prevent animal abuse and animal overpopulation, collaborating with law enforcement to enforce the animal cruelty statute, and lobbying elected officials in Harrisburg to strengthen the animal protection laws. She has also fostered and aided in rehabilitating and training dogs with behavioral problems.  She holds a Juris Doctor from Temple University Beasley School of Law. Rebecca has two adopted dogs: a male Jack Russell Terrier who (allegedly) rules the world and a female 45-pound pit mix who is very happy to let him.

Wayne D Humphrey II
Member

Wayne first got involved with the Morris in 2009 as a member of the Fur Ball Committee and joined the Board in 2011. He started his career mowing lawns, working his way up through the landscape/construction trade, earning supervisorial positions through drive and leadership. Leaving his hometown of Toledo, Ohio, in 2005, he accepted a position as Production Manager of a contracting company in the Philadelphia area. In 2007, he created Lucky Dog Renovations with his wife, Donielle; a home renovations company that strives upon delivering a superior customer experience with the highest level of craftsmanship. Finding a desire to expand his creative pursuits, he started Lucky Dog Studio, a sister company focusing on concept design & facilitation.  He is privileged to have his cat, Kit Kat, a former Morris resident, and Jet, a French bulldog rescue.

 Paul Nye
Member, Former President and Chair, Adoption Committee

Paul is a long time resident of the Washington Square West neighborhood and has served the Refuge in various capacities since 2005.  After graduation from the University of Pennsylvania, Paul began his career in design and architecture with positions as Design Director for Aramark, Commerce Bank and TD Bank Financial Group.  Interest in the Refuge began when he and his partner Jerry adopted the first of eight dogs and cats twenty five years ago.  As an officer and board member Paul has emphasized the importance of creating great adoption experiences for our clients.  He and Jerry currently reside with Harlequin, Jasmine, Bella, and Leo, aka the cutest dog in the world.

 Annemarie O'Donnell
Member and Chair, Volunteer Committee

Annemarie has been a member of the Board since 2007, but, she has been volunteering for the Refuge for over 7 years.  If there was ever an award presented for Super Volunteer, Annemarie would surely be at the top of everyone's list to receive it.  Not an event takes place without Annemarie working on it and working is the operative word - the annual Fur Ball's Silent Auction successes is largely due to her get up and go - all the businesses on both sides of Broad Street know her sunny disposition, her big smile, and her persistency.  She is totally motivated by her love of animals and her heart cracks when she sees or hears of any animal in any type of distress.  When Annemarie first came to Morris, she was strictly a dog person, however, she is now the happy slave to two Morris felines - Francis J. and Miguel.

Donielle Powell
Member and Chair, Programs Committee

Donielle joined the Board in 2011 and has been an active member of the Fur Ball committee since 2009. She is native to Toledo, Ohio and had earned her B.A. in visual arts from Wittenberg University. In 2004, she made Philadelphia her new home and attended the Drexel University Arts Administration Graduate program to enhance her knowledge in the nonprofit arts field. After working in promotions and marketing in the Philly restaurant scene, she collaborated with her husband, Wayne, to embark on entrepreneurial pursuits together. The result of the union was Lucky Dog Renovations in 2007, a home renovations company, followed by Lucky Dog Studio, a sister company focusing on concept design and facilitation services.  Each of the company’s was proudly designed after her rescued American Bulldog, Cargo and French bulldog, Jet.  And although her kitty, a former Morris resident, isn’t named after a company, she is most certainly an intricate part in the family too.

 Mary Ann Wirts
Member

Mary Ann (Sally) joined the Board in 2011 having served as a Trustee of the Morris Refuge Endowment since 1994. Sally is a Managing Director of The Glenmede Trust Company, Chief Administrative Office of Glenmede Investment Management and President of The Glenmede Funds. She is the proud owner of two dogs – Hobart and Gatsby and three cats – Tubbers, Charlie Cat and Cleo. Sally attended Vassar College and has served on several other Philadelphia non-profit boards including Woodmere Art Museum and Springside School.

James S. DePaul
General Manager

Jim DePaul has been with the Morris Animal Refuge since 1991.  He started as a volunteer, and then worked his way up from Kennel Attendant to the position of General Manager.  He had originally studied art, and received a BFA from Philadelphia College of Art (now University of the Arts.)  After a "starving artist" period, he wound up in retail management.  Jim managed various retail stores, then went on to own a small cafe in New Jersey.  Restaurant burnout brought him back to Philadelphia, where he wanted to do something with his early passion - animals.  A stray dog brought Jim to the Morris Animal Refuge, and thus began Jim's career in animal sheltering.  Jim has a wide range of talents and a "can do" attitude which he applies to every task and assignment he undertakes - big and small.  He recently returned to school, and received a business certificate with honors from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.  Jim is the loving caretaker to two Morris Alumni -his remaining dog, Lolita, plus his cat - Zsa Zsa.