Denise Deisler

CEO/President, Jacksonville Humane Society

Denise joined JHS in September 2011. She immediately built bridges, developed productive partnerships, increased revenue while reducing expenses, recruited a talented board, and implemented new initiatives that contributed significantly to the community’s lifesaving goals. Programs like a kitten nursery, community resource center for retention and intervention and a renewed focus on transfers from the city’s shelter resulted in an additional 1,000 lives saved in her first year alone. Jacksonville has achieved a community-wide live release rate of 90+% for five of the last six years.

Denise led the $15 million campaign to replace their shelter that burned to the ground in 2007. She oversaw the design and construction of the new 44,000 square foot facility. JHS moved into the new center in Nov. 2017 – ten years after the devastating fire.

Denise was recognized as a 2018 Maddie’s Fund Hero and a 2019 Best Friends Animal Society National Advancement Award winner. She founded Florida Leaders in Lifesaving, an inclusive group of leaders focused on increased lifesaving in Florida. She’s honored to serve on leadership committees for Petco Foundation, Purina, Best Friends, American Pets Alive and Best Friends.