Animal shelter prepares for new era with new director Ford

Growing up, Liz Ford always had a deep passion for pets and animal welfare.

'I'm one of those people that always grew up around animals and had an interest in their livelihood, making the world a better place for them,” Ford said.

Earlier this month, Ford took another step forward on her career path when she was announced as the new supervisor of the center. She had been interim supervisor since September, after former supervisor Misha Goodman resigned from the position.

Ford's involvement with the Iowa City center began in 2002 as a volunteer. She has since spent time as a board member, program director, and executive director with the Friends of the Animal Center Foundation. She had been animal care technician since early 2011.

Ford said the big turning point in her animal welfare career was in 2007, when officers with the Johnson County Sheriff's Office found dozens of animals barely surviving in unsuitable conditions on a Solon property and the center she volunteered at was overflowing with animals in dire need of care.

It was then that Ford's involvement with the center ramped up significantly.

'Before the shelter knew what was happening there were 59 more dogs in the shelter than there were two days before,” she said. 'That I think was a really big turning point for me because I became much more hands-on then.”

Just weeks into her position as supervisor of the Iowa City Animal Care and Adoption Center, Ford is preparing her staff for a long-awaited move to the center's new facility at 3910 Napoleon Lane.

'I would say the biggest goal that our department has right now is preparing for the big move,” she said. 'That's going to take a lot of effort.”

Kumi Morris, Iowa City architectural services coordinator, said cold weather in November slowed progress slightly on the shelter, but said the 11,370-square-foot center, which will service Iowa City, Johnson County, Coralville, University Heights and the University of Iowa, is on pace for an August 2015 completion.

'So far the foundation and slabs have been poured and the geothermal horizontal wells to the west and south of the facility are in,” she said. 'Right now the masonry is nearing completion.”

Ford said another goal will be getting the center back up to a full staff, by filling her former position as animal care technician.

Even further down the road, Ford said she hopes to continue to build on the center's focus on excellence in animal care and community service.

'I'm really proud of all of the things that our shelter does that are progressive practices,” she said. 'I think in addition to that, increasing humane education and community outreach will be important for us to do.”