About Us

Below are the people, purpose, and framework behind Where Animals Matter, including our board and staff leadership and the theory of change guiding our work.

Meet the Board

Aliya Amanzhola

Aliya Amanzholova is the Senior Associate Director of Open Wing Alliance Projects at The Humane League, where she leads a team managing global grants, training programs, international events, and operational support for animal advocacy organizations worldwide. Prior to her advocacy work, Aliya spent 17 years in hospitality leadership, with expertise in hotel sales, marketing, and revenue management, including owning a restaurant for eight years. She also serves as an adjunct hospitality professor at Austin Community College since 2018. 

The Humane League

Chris Cavanaugh

Cavanaugh has become a nationally recognized expert on tourism marketing and planning since entering the sector over 30 years ago.  He has been engaged as consultant by a diverse range of destinations, attractions, and hospitality clients.  Prior to founding Magellan, Cavanaugh worked for The Biltmore Company in Asheville, NC and had a career in consumer packaged goods marketing prior to Biltmore. Cavanaugh has also served as interim CEO of Explore Asheville and Southeast Tourism Society.

Magellan Strategy Group
Animal Law Reform South Africa

Amy Wilson

Amy P. Wilson is an attorney with over 15 years of professional legal experience and is the co-founder and Executive Director of Animal Law Reform South Africa. She is a Research Associate, Lecturer and Doctoral Candidate with the University of Johannesburg, consults for the Aquatic Animal Law Project, Animal Legal Education Initiative at The George Washington University Law School and is a Fellow of the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics. She has leadership positions with various NGOs including in Africa and the USA.

Meet the Team

  • Carol Kline

    DIRECTOR

    Carol Kline is a Professor at Appalachian State University. Her research focuses on animal ethics and animal protection in tourism.  She teaches Animals, Tourism, & Sustainability. In 2018, Carol founded Fanimal, but now serves on the boards of Arthropoda and the Culture & Animals Foundation, and as an advisor to Rissa Citizen Science and to Vegan Hospitality. She recently earned a Master’s degree in Animal Law & Policy from Lewis & Clark University.

  • Simon Jones

    FINANCE MANAGER

    Simon grew up in wildlife parks in England and the U.S. and has 20-years of experience working with businesses, governments, protected areas & NGOs on nature-based tourism across the globe. Simon founded NatureScapes and TourismWORKS, organizations dedicated to leveraging tourism for people, places and the animals that connect them! He has a Masters of Tourism & Sustainable Destination Management from The George Washington University School of Business. 

  • Callie Friedman

    SUMMER 2026 INTERN

    Callie Friedman is a rising third-year student at Virginia Tech majoring in Wildlife Conservation and a member of the honors college. She previously interned at a wildlife rehabilitation center and has assisted in animal research projects. Callie will be Where Animals Matter’s first intern, assisting with legal, communications, and social media.

Theory Of Change

Tourism Can Drive Better Animal Welfare

Tourism has enormous influence over how animals are used, perceived, and treated. When tourism systems change, animals benefit.

We Work Through the Organizations That Shape Tourism

By partnering with DMOs, tour operators, travel advisors, trade associations, destinations, and animal protection organizations, we influence policies, standards, messaging, and business practices.

We Create Upstream Change

Through policy guidance, research, experience and itinerary design, marketing, standards development, and collaboration, we help shift what tourism promotes, normalizes, and rewards.

These Changes Create Ripple Effects for Animals

Changed traveler decisions, improved business practices, better procurement, and new destination narratives lead to meaningful, lasting improvements for wild animals, working animals, and farmed animals across tourism ecosystems.

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