BOARD MEMBERS

SUE SPENCER, PRESIDENT

Sue has been a dedicated volunteer with the Animal Welfare League of Qld for over 17 years. During this time, Sue has served as a Management Committee Member for the past 10 years, including 8 years as President of Animal Welfare League of Qld.  

In addition to her tenure on the AWLQ Management Committee, Sue has contributed to many hands-on roles with AWLQ including overseeing the coordination of AWLQs dog enrichment, beach walking program – a lifeline for long term dogs awaiting to be adopted.  

A passionate animal welfare advocate, Sue has served as a Director for Companion Animal Network Australia and is a proud champion for Greyhounds, actively campaigning against the Greyhound racing industry in our community. Sue continues to oversee the AWLQ’s successful Going Grey greyhound adoption program. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her children and grandchildren, and going on adventures with her husband, and her four-legged friends, Bean the Greyhound and Leo the Whippet.  

JANE DONNELLY, VICE PRESIDENT

Jane is an experienced and energetic professional with a demonstrated history in leadership within the financial services and telecommunications sectors. The ability to navigate strategic shifts has been a core thread throughout a diverse career in Management with both National and International organisations. She is passionate about customer experience, strategy and elevating organisational performance and culture to thrive in times of competition and reform. 

Jane brings extensive experience in retail management, project leadership and change acceleration programs. Jane has been involved with the Telstra Womens Awards and Telstra Business Awards as a judge 2016-2018 and an active board member on several Not-for-Profit Boards. Passionate about community and social causes, she has been a long-standing supporter of the Animal Welfare League Qld. Jane is married with 1 daughter, 4 grandchildren and lives on the Gold Coast.  

FELICITY GAY, TREASURER 

A professional background in accounting in a range of sectors over the past 25 + years, including health, education, property, and tourism. But it is her volunteer work that has been the most meaningful and interesting, within the areas of disability, the aged, disadvantaged youth, and now animal welfare. Felicity’s contribution to animal welfare prior to joining the Management Committee of the AWLQ was small but has made a wonderful difference to the life of two adult dogs – Jake the labrador who were adopted from the RSPCA in England, and Monty the greyhound who was adopted from Friends of the Hound, a volunteer organisation that rescued him from his life in racing.

Felicity now finds it extremely rewarding to use her professional expertise and experience to contribute to the fantastic work of the AWLQ.  

Qualifications  

• Chartered Accountant 
• Graduate Diploma in Financial Management
• Bachelor of Business (Tourism)  

DENISE BRADLEY, COMMITTEE MEMBER

Denise Bradley has worked and volunteered with the Animal Welfare League Qld for more than 30 years, bringing a wealth of industry knowledge. Denise held the position of CEO of Animal Welfare League of Qld Inc (AWLQ) for 14 years, and prior to that President since 1996. Following her retirement in 2023, Denise joined the AWLQ Management Committee. 

 Her commitment to enhancing the life of animals has been unwavering, her passionate work developing successful partnerships with a number of Councils, enabled AWLQ to achieve one of the highest rehoming and lowest euthanasia rates of dogs and cats in Australia. 

Denise has been a member of the Department of Primary Industries Animal Ethics Committee (Animal Welfare representative).  Her commitment to the community sees her actively involved in a range of other not-for-profit organisations including Rotary, Quota, Qld Cancer Fund and Wild Mountains Environmental Trust. 

JENNA SCHROEDER, COMMITTEE MEMBER

Jenna Schroeder is a passionate advocate for animal welfare and has been a board member at Animal Welfare League QLD since 2023. She is the co-founder of Paws at the Park, Australia’s largest dog market event, which has raised over $75,000 in support of AWLQ. Through her work with Paws at the Park, Jenna has helped build community awareness around animal welfare, rescue, and responsible pet ownership, while providing a platform for local dog businesses. She brings her experience in event management, community engagement and communications to the board. 

ZOE HERMANS, COMMITTEE MEMBER

Dedicated to social justice and animal welfare, Zoe Hermans has more than 20 years’ experience working in the not-for-profit sector in the fields of education, communications, fundraising and marketing. Zoe currently works for child protection charity Bravehearts as head of marketing and is a volunteer wildlife rescuer with Wildcare Australia. She has two teenage children, one dog (a bearded collie), one cat (long-hair ginger tabby) and several rescue parrots. Whilst she respects and loves all animals, she holds a soft spot for cats. 

SYLVANA WENDERHOLD, COMMITTEE MEMBER

Sylvana is a dedicated advocate for animal welfare with a distinguished career marked by her innovative contributions to the field. She established the National Desexing Network in 2004 and National Desexing Month in 2005, pivotal initiatives aimed at reducing unwanted animal populations. Her commitment extended further with the co-founding of the Getting to Zero Summits, held bi-annually, which have played a critical role in transforming outdated perceptions about animal sheltering and overpopulation into more modern, solution-oriented approaches.  

Her background in Public Relations, with a focus on non-profit organisations from Florida International University, included hands-on work in a mobile desexing clinic, which provided valuable practical experience that has informed her career. Since moving to Australia in 2001, she has been actively involved with the Animal Welfare League of Queensland, serving on its Board of Directors, and holding the position of president for many years.  

Recently, Sylvana has concentrated her efforts on setting up and coordinating a veterinary program in the Torres Straits, a remote region that lacks access to regular veterinary care.   

Sylvana currently works as Volunteer Coordinator for Vets Beyond Borders.  

BROOKE SMITH, COMMITTEE MEMBER

Brooke is a dynamic and dedicated advocate for animal welfare, wielding nearly two decades of expertise in communications, public relations, and fundraising to drive transformative change. Previously Brooke held a role in the Business Development team at AWLQ, her strategic and creative thinking led to groundbreaking campaigns that both elevated the brand and secured millions in media coverage, significantly enhanced community engagement and improved the lives of thousands of animals.

When she went on to own one of the Gold Coast’s most innovative communications agencies, Pineapple PR, Brooke honed her skills in amplifying nonprofit voices, ensuring impactful connections with key audiences which led to an increase in donor engagement. Brooke’s current role as a philanthropic fundraiser at Griffith University exemplifies her exceptional ability to secure vital funding for crucial programs, highlighting her talent for forging enduring relationships. Brooke’s career is a testament to her relentless commitment to impactful causes, positioning her as a powerful force in advancing animal welfare.