WA2S Board of Directors

Board of Directors

Deanna Vollano, 2012 - 2024, serving third 4 year term - President (term 8-1-2016 - 7-31-2024)

Deanna Vollano is an Event Manager working with the IBM Team for George P Johnson Experience Marketing and is based in Austin, TX. With over 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Deanna excels in her field and takes great pride in the success of her events.

Deanna serves as a volunteer filmmaker, event manager, and survey manager with the WA2S. Deanna joined the American Strays Canine Survey Team in 2012 and was elected Secretary of the Board of Directors for the period 2013 - 2016.

Deanna's dog Kylie is on the World Animal Awareness Society Film Services team and helps with filming and testing new gear wherever and whenever she can.

Kevin McPhee, June 2020 - 2024

Kevin McPhee is the son of founder Tom McPhee and has been contributing to Tom's work with animals since he was 8 years old serving as the camera operator for the epilogue of the award-winning documentary, An American Opera The Greatest Pet Rescue Ever!

Kevin has filled many volunteer roles with the WA2S, including fund-raising, video editing, and technology consulting. Kevin's is an Information Technology Auditor in Austin, Texas, with Wisetek, an award-winning technology company based in Ireland.

Tom McPhee, 2010 - 2030, serving 2nd ten year term - Founder

Executive Director & Founder of the World Animal Awareness Society
Producer, Director at Man Smiling Moving Pictures
Bio at Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tommcphee

Member:
American Strays feature documentary advisory board, Good Pet Guardian advisory board, American Strays science team, Sales Agent responsible for licensing WA2S Films film library,

Dr. Ken Shapiro, emeritus, tenure 2010 - 2015 (1.5 terms)

Kenneth Shapiro earned his BA from Harvard University and his PhD in clinical psychology from Duke University. He is cofounder of the Animals and Society Institute and one of its predecessor organizations, Psychologists for the Ethical treatment of Animals. He is founder and editor of Society and Animals: Journal of Human-Animal Studies; cofounder and coeditor of Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science; and editor of the Brill Human-Animal Studies book series. He has published papers in Human-Animal Studies on the following topics, among others: vegetarianism, animal advocates, animal-centered literary criticism, a science-based critique of animal research, inter-species qualitative methods, ontological vulnerability of captive animals, and the state of the field. http://www.animalsandsociety.org

Dr. Natasa Rajicic, emeritus, tenure 2013 through July 31, 2016 - President (2013 - 2016)

Natasa Rajicic earned her ScD, Biostatistics, from Harvard University in 2006. That same year Dr. Rajicic was hired as an Associate Director and subsequently in 2011 Director at Pfizer in NYC. Prior to Pfizer, was a stop at Mass General Hospital and the Center for Biostatistics in AIDS Research. Since 2008, Dr. Rajicic has retained a position as Instructor in Research at the United Nations, School of Diplomacy. In 2013, Dr. Rajicic was elected President of the Board of Directors of the World Animal Awareness Society and currently serves as senior adviser for the American Strays Project

John Robinson, emeritus, tenure 2016 through June 20, 2020

John Robinson is a graduate of USC's school of Economics with a minor in film, he serves as west coast Field Producer for WA2S Films.

John began his tenure with the WA2S in 2012 as a volunteer American Strays canine survey worker. John has detailed experience working on the canine survey having been deployed on 3 full Detroit surveys, 1 incremental Detroit survey, and 1 Houston survey. John is based in Newport Beach, CA.