
Animal Humane Society is excited to announce that its Board of Directors has named Joy King as the organization’s new CEO. King is joining the organization as CEO today, January 27, 2025.
“I’m pleased to welcome Joy as she starts her journey at AHS. She brings a wealth of nonprofit leadership experience and strategic expertise in areas important to our work, from operations to community engagement, finance, and fundraising,” says Lisa Erickson, AHS Board President. “She is joining a strong and committed organization dedicated to engaging the hearts, hands, and minds of the community to help animals, and we can’t wait to see what she and our staff and volunteers can accomplish together.”
"I am eager to engage with the vital work AHS is doing to support both pets and their owners across our communities," says King. "Pets are integral members of the family, and at the core of our mission in animal welfare, we recognize that people are central to our efforts. I am committed to exploring the opportunities we have to enhance the well-being of animals and the families who care for them."
King brings 25 years of nonprofit leadership experience to the role. Before joining AHS, she served as Chief Advancement Officer of NMDP, a national leader in cell therapy, and Executive Director of the NMDP Foundation. During her nine years at NMDP, she shaped the foundation’s strategy and brand, led the government affairs and public policy team, and helped guide the organization’s overall strategic direction. Her successes include launching NMDP in Mexico, funding research programs to reduce post-transplant complications, expanding patient access by addressing financial barriers to care, and launching NMDP’s brand transformation and first-ever comprehensive $100 million campaign. In addition, King sponsored a diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy for NMDP that guided internal and external work and closed the disparity among its patient population.
Prior to NMDP, King spent 16 years in leadership roles at the American Cancer Society, where she ultimately served as Senior Vice President of Operations for the organization’s Midwest division.
King is passionate about mentorship, leadership, and sponsorship and serves as an executive leader, board member, and transformation catalyst. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Tarleton State University and is a member of several Minneapolis-based and nationally recognized women’s leadership organizations. She is president of the Women’s Health Leadership Trust and has served on the boards of Kappa Delta Chi Emerald Foundation and the Jeremiah Program. King has also been recognized by the Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journals as a 2015 Women in Business, Twin Cities Business Magazine’s Best In Class Healthcare Executives, Greenspring’s 500 Most Powerful Business Leaders in Minnesota, and Marquis Who’s Who of Top Executives.
King succeeds former AHS CEO Janelle Dixon, who retired in December 2024.