Agenda

A three-night showing of artist Chad Mount's projection installation at the OSU Discovery Center—featuring buffaloes, whales, and monarchs—begins at sunset. The exhibition is on view Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday nights from sunset to around midnight.

A three-night showing of artist Chad Mount's projection installation at the OSU Discovery Center—featuring buffaloes, whales, and monarchs—begins at sunset. The exhibition is on view Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday nights from sunset to around 11:30 p.m.

Please note the below directions for the event:
10th street is not an entrance, it’s for freight. It also will create congestion for 10th street. Please use the entrance off Stiles Ave. The gates off of Stiles Ave will be open from 7:30pm - 10:30pm for the light show.

Common Bonds All-Network Meeting
This is a pre-conference, all-day event for members of Common Bonds, an Oklahoma leadership network to end needless euthanasia of cats and dogs in municipal shelters. Presenters include Kelly Burley, Matt Biggar, Brent Toellner, and Abby Levine. (At Oklahoma City Community Foundation)

Casual Breakfast
Catered by Café Contemporary (vegan menu)

Registration (All Day)
Free parking on the east side of Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center

Welcome: Animals As a Community Metric
Louisa McCune, Executive Director, Kirkpatrick Foundation

Folding Light: Introducing a New Arts Center
Eddie Walker, Executive Director, Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center

Animals Forward: A One Health/Welfare Perspective On the Intersection of Human and Non-Human Animal Wellbeing
Philip Tedeschi, Director Emeritus of Institute for Human Animal Connections

From Cave Paintings to NFTs: Art & Animals
Jeremiah Davis, Artistic Director, Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center

From Farmhouse to Courthouse: The Oklahoma Guide for Law Enforcement & Prosecutors Responding to Farmed Animal Cruelty Cases
Kathleen Wood, Animal Legal Defense Fund

Virtue Ethics and Animals
Nancy Snow, Philosopher and Director, Institute for the Study of Human Flourishing at the University of Oklahoma

A Chorus of One: Bearing Witness to the Demise of a Divine Composition
Paul Kirbas, President and CEO, Graduate Theological Foundation

What Does Christianity Have To Do With Animals?
David Clough, Professor of Theological Ethics, University of Chester

Swan Lake
Oklahoma City Ballet

Why Understanding How Elephants Think Matters For Their Conservation
Josh Plotnik, Conservation Behavior Researcher, Hunter College at the City University of New York

Lunch
Catered by Café Contemporary (vegan menu)
During lunches and certain other times during the conference, Open Space conversations will be available. Open Space is a process that allows all participants to join in discussion around specific themes, created by attendees for attendees. Open Space topics might include administration, communications, staffing, fundraising, social media, etc.

2021 Kirkpatrick Honor for Animal Wellbeing
Jamee Suarez and Robin Suarez, Founders, Oklahoma Alliance for Animals
Presented by Christian Keesee, Chairman, Kirkpatrick Foundation
Film by Blake Studdard, Atria Creative

Common Bonds and the Partnership to End Needless Euthanasia
Kelly Burley, Director, Common Bonds
Matt Biggar, Founder & Principal, Connected to Place
Brent Toellner, Regional Director of the South Central and Great Plains Regions, Best Friends Animal Society

Fighting the Fight of Blood Sport
Drew Edmondson, Former Oklahoma Attorney General and District Attorney

The First Americans
James Pepper Henry, Executive Director, First Americans Museum

The Truth About Industrial Agriculture: A Fragile System Propped Up By Myths and Hidden Costs
Joe Maxwell, Founder, Family Farm Action Alliance

Citizen Legislative Update: Oklahoma
Alex Berney, Kirkpatrick Policy Group Board Member

Our Country of Animals
Wayne Pacelle, President, The Center for a Humane Economy

Concluding Remarks

A speakers' dinner will be held at the Joan Kirkpatrick Animal Hospital at the Oklahoma City Zoo at 6:30 p.m. Conference participants should plan for dinner on their own. Please contact office@kirkpatrickfoundation.com for recommended restaurants and assistance in coordinating casual group dinners.

A three-night showing of artist Chad Mount's projection installation at the OSU Discovery Center—featuring buffaloes, whales, and monarchs—begins at sunset. The exhibition is on view Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday nights from sunset to around midnight.

Registration (Morning)
Free parking on the east side of Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center

Casual Breakfast
Catered by Café Contemporary (vegan menu)

Blessing of the Animals (Open to the Public)
Campbell Art Park
Canon Susan Joplin, St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral
Reverend Paul Kirbas
Reverend Jennifer Kirbas

Working Title Howl: An Oklahoma Poet Responds to Allen Ginsberg’s Classic on Behalf of Animals
Don Stinson

Morning Welcome and Housekeeping Notes

Tahlequah the Whale: A New Hope For Marine Mammals in the Pacific Northwest
Casey McLean, Executive Director & Veterinary Nurse, Sealife Response + Rehab + Research, SR3
Holly Fearnbach, Marine Mammal Research Director, SR3

Data-Driven Animal Protection
Andrew Rowan, PhD, Animal Grantmakers Founding Member

From the American West
Lori Grange, Strategy Officer, Effective Philanthropy, Hewlett Foundation

How Good Design Saves Lives
Amy Johnson, School Director & Graphic Design Program Division Head, University of Central Oklahoma

The State of Oklahoma Animals
Louisa McCune & Manda Overturf Shank

The Genius of Dogs
Brian Hare, Author of The Genius of Dogs and Co-Founder of Dognition

Carnivore Coexistence and Compassionate Conservation
Michelle Lute, National Carnivore Conservation Manager, Project Coyote

Not So Innocent: How Turtles Suffer at the County Fair
Alex Heeb, Turtle Race Task Force

From Bad to Worse to Rebirth: the Transformation of an Organization
Amy Brooks Young, Pets & People Humane Society

Advocacy Report from Northeast Oklahoma
Pam Kingfisher, Director at Green Country Guardians

Lunch
Catered by Café Contemporary (vegan menu)

The Rise of Plant Based Foods and What It Can Mean for Animals
Rachel Dreskin, CEO, Plant Based Foods Association

Enabling Nonprofits to Shape the Public Debate on Important Social Issues
Abby Levine, Director, Bolder Advocacy

MAPS 4: A New Animal Shelter
Jonathan Gary, Superintendent, City of Oklahoma City Animal Welfare Division
Performance by Hartel & Company Dance Group

Belongingness in Animal Welfare: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
Michael Blackwell, Assistant Surgeon General and Director, Program for Pet Health Equity
Carlos Risco, Dean, Oklahoma State University Center for Veterinary Health Sciences

Pet Homelessness, Abuse, and Neglect in the Tulsa Area
Erin Shackelford, Executive Director, Oklahoma Alliance for Animals

Where’s Emme?
Commander John Herrington, Retired United States Naval Aviator and Former NASA Astronaut

Concluding Remarks

Adjourn Until 2024