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Meet our team

Because of the nature of our organization almost everybody is a campaigner as well as their official title. 

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Gloria Davies
FOUNDER

Gloria Davies

CO-FOUNDER/CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER/CAMPAIGNER

Gloria Davies has worked in animal welfare for nearly 50 years. She is Chief Executive of Network for Animals and Animal Survival International. Gloria was born in Brooklyn, New York, and is of Italian heritage. When she was 22, she was working at the Cousteau Society, a marine conservation society in Manhattan, when Brian Davies visited the office on business. It was love at first sight; they married on January 2, 1981 and worked together helping animals until Brian’s death in December 2022.

Management

David Barritt

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

CAMPAIGNER

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Management

Katherine Maraveyas

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

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Management

Luke Barritt

CAMPAIGN DIRECTOR

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Management

Jelena Miloradic Barritt

HEAD OF OPERATIONS

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Management

Debby Querido

MANAGER

WRITER/CAMPAIGNER

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Management

Taylor Kirkby

HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER

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Brian Davies Founder of Network for Animals
FOUNDER

Brian Davies

4 February 1935 - 27 December 2022

Our founder’s many achievements include bringing to an end the annual killing of baby whitecoat seals in Canada, major contributions to ending hunting with hounds in the United Kingdom, the dog meat trade in the Philippines, elephant culling in South Africa, providing help to street dogs and cats around the world and fighting for an end to the Chinese donkey skin trade. We honour his memory by striving to improve the lives of animals around the world, always asking ourselves as Brian always did: “What would the animals want?”

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Management

David Barritt

David Barritt

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OFFICER/CAMPAIGNER

David Barritt, is our Executive Director, has worked in animal welfare for 30 years. He established the International Fund for Animal Welfare’s (IFAW) South African office before becoming IFAW’s Africa director. After a break running a successful public relations company, he joined NFA in 2014. He was made executive director in 2019, overseeing all our activities. He is based in South Africa and Greece.

Management

Katherine Maraveyas

Katherine Maraveyas

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Based in Greece, Katherine, our chief financial officer, is a chartered accountant and part of the senior management of Network for Animals (NFA). She monitors every cent that goes in and out of the organization and is famous for being extremely strict! However, when it comes to helping animals, suddenly the budget becomes a lot more flexible!

Management

Luke Barritt

Luke Barritt

CAMPAIGN DIRECTOR

Luke is our Campaign Director. He oversees all campaign activities and the development of new projects in 26 countries in Africa, Europe, and North America. He says that treating animals and the environment with kindness and respect was instilled in him from birth. He grew up in South Africa and as a child, his animal activist father took him on trips to Africa’s remotest regions to help animals. These trips laid the basis for Luke’s lifelong mission to improve the welfare of animals.

Management

Jelena Miloradic Barritt

HEAD OF OPERATIONS

Jelena is a sociologist with a background in journalism and public relations, and years of experience in client consulting, customer success and operations management.

As head of operations at Network for Animals, Jelena ensures the organization runs efficiently, enabling it to continue saving animals and improving their lives. She believes in the strength of a well-organized team to create lasting, meaningful change.

Management

Debby Querido

MANAGER / WRITER / CAMPAIGNER

Debby is an experienced writer and campaigner for animals, both in her personal capacity and in her work for Network for Animals. Debby is a firm believer in doing no harm to any creature, no matter how great or small, as every living thing on the planet serves a purpose and deserves compassion and respect. This is a dream job for Debby, and she loves spending her days surrounded by like-minded people and beautiful animals. Outside of the office, her passions are her pets, the outdoors, and fostering animals.

Management

Taylor Kirkby

HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER

Taylor Kirkby serves as the Human Resources Manager at Network for Animals (NFA). Beyond her professional duties, Taylor’s heart belongs to her mysterious black cat, Ash, and she’s an enthusiastic explorer of Cape Town’s captivating landscapes, reflecting her passion for animal welfare and an adventurous spirit that enriches both her personal and professional life. Taylor’s creativity, dedication and love for animals make her an invaluable member of the NFA team.

Production & Media

Kendal Devy

Kendal Devy

PRODUCTION AND PHOTO EDITOR

Hailing from a family of conservationists and with a background in molecular biology, Kendal is our production and photo editor. Kendal spends most (all) of her free time wrangling badly behaved dogs and badly behaved toddlers. Her interests include chai lattes and obsessing over her own pack of four unruly hounds.

Production & Media

Byron Seale

Byron Seale

VIDEO EDITOR / CAMPAIGNER

Byron Seale is our in-house video editor and videographer. He is responsible for the creation of short documentaries and social media videos, which are used to spread awareness about animal welfare issues.

Production & Media

Zara King

PRODUCTION ASSISTANT

Zara is our production assistant for NFA. She feels very lucky to be a part of something so impactful for animals of all species and backgrounds worldwide.

Zara has spent years volunteering for animal rescues, rehabilitating and releasing birds, raising abandoned kittens and, more recently, learning the practice of equine physiotherapy and natural horsemanship training.

Production & Media

Mila Serfontein

Mila Serfontein

SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

Mila, as the Social Media Manager for NFA, combines her love for animals with her digital marketing expertise. Through her creative content and strategic campaigns, she effectively bridges a global audience with the crucial missions of these organizations, igniting inspiration and rallying support for animals in need.

Support

Bethany Olivier

JUNIOR VIDEO EDITOR

Beth is passionate about animal welfare and has worked with rescue organizations from a young age. She is experienced in rehabilitation, raising and releasing birds, and caring for domesticated animals. An enthusiastic Junior Video Editor, she hopes to combine her skills, along with learning videography and photography, to document the rescue process and support animal conservation efforts.

Support

Chris Parsons

SUB-EDITOR

Chris is a writer, editor and marketer with 6+ years’ experience in advertizing and over a decade in media. In his current role, he writes and sub-edits content for NFA, while leading marketing campaigns and assisting with social media strategy and content creation. 

After cutting his teeth in the advertizing industry, Chris is passionate about using the skills he has developed to promote animal welfare through various digital channels. When he’s not crusading for animals, you can find him reading sci-fi on the couch with his wife, cat and two rescue dogs.

Production & Media

Monica Van der Merve

Monica Van der Merwe

WEBMASTER

Monica is the webmaster at Network for Animals (NFA), based in Cape Town, South Africa. She shares her home with her husband, child and fur children. Her days are fueled by coffee. Her passion for technology and love for animals make her a valuable member of our team.

Campaigner

David Barritt

David Barritt

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/CAMPAIGNER

David Barritt, is our Executive Director, has worked in animal welfare for 30 years. He established the International Fund for Animal Welfare’s (IFAW) South African office before becoming IFAW’s Africa director. After a break running a successful public relations company, he joined NFA in 2014. He was made executive director in 2019, overseeing all our activities. He is based in South Africa and Greece.

Campaigner

Katherine Maraveyas

Katherine Maraveyas

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Based in Greece, Katherine, our chief financial officer, is a chartered accountant and part of the senior management of Network for Animals (NFA). She monitors every cent that goes in and out of the organization and is famous for being extremely strict! However, when it comes to helping animals, suddenly the budget becomes a lot more flexible!

Campaigner

Luke Barritt

Luke Barritt

CAMPAIGN DIRECTOR

Luke is our Campaign Director. He oversees all campaign activities and the development of new projects in 26 countries in Africa, Europe, and North America. He says that treating animals and the environment with kindness and respect was instilled in him from birth. He grew up in South Africa and as a child, his animal activist father took him on trips to Africa’s remotest regions to help animals. These trips laid the basis for Luke’s lifelong mission to improve the welfare of animals.

Campaigner

Shannon Edwards

Shannon Edwards

RESEARCH WRITER/CAMPAIGNER

Shannon is a researcher and writer. She holds an Honours degree in Journalism and Media Studies. As both an ambitious storyteller and compassionate animal lover, Shannon feels very fortunate to have secured a job that merges two of her greatest passions into one. Shannon’s role involves researching animal welfare issues and potential campaigns, writing appeals and news items and liaising with partner organizations and shelters. When she’s not at work, Shannon can be found hiking, watching horror movies, reading, drinking red wine or daydreaming about how much she misses her black cat, Salem, back in her hometown.

Campaigner

Taryn Slabbert

Taryn Slabbert

CAMPAIGNER/RESEARCHER

Taryn is passionate about animal welfare. She coordinates meetings, travel arrangements, schedules and logistics, and she also works as a campaigner. Taryn is passionate about animal welfare and the preservation of our world for future generations. She says she feels honored to be a part of our dedicated team and hopes to one day live in a world where the unnecessary suffering of animals and the annihilation of living species is no longer a reality.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead

Campaigner

Fiona Sawney

Fiona Sawney

BALKANS CAMPAIGN COORDINATOR

Fiona Sawney, is NFA’s Balkan campaign coordinator, based in Tivat, Montenegro. She works in Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Fiona has worked in animal welfare for 11 years and is the co-founder of Friends of Dogs of Montenegro. In partnership with Montenegrin group Korina, she has produced two animal welfare reports on local strategic actions and standards for municipal dog shelters. Fiona has two master’s degrees in the fields of Public Health Promotion (Brunel University, graduated 1997) and Global Health Policy (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, graduated 2021). She has many years of experience in nursing and public health, project management, budget management, volunteer community projects and training – both in the non-governmental and public sectors

Support

Romina Ayala

Financial Assistant / Campaigner

Romina brings her expertise to the NFA finance team, while channeling her passion for animal welfare into impactful campaigns. With over a decade of experience rescuing horses in Argentina, she has developed a deep commitment to animal health and well-being. Currently based in Greece, Romina oversees the care and management of over 500 cats across various colonies. Her work also extends to Spanish-speaking countries like Spain and Uruguay, where she collaborates on key campaigns to promote animal rescue and advocacy.

Support

Luke Kruyt

CAMPAIGN ASSISTANT

Luke is a campaign assistant based at our Cape Town branch. With over 18 years of experience in the animal rescue and welfare sector, he is deeply committed to animal advocacy and championing the underdog, bringing enthusiasm and a strong sense of purpose to every project. Luke shares his home with a dozen rescued dogs and cats, and when he’s not at his desk, you can find him pottering around the garden or walking his dogs at the beach.

Finance

Katherine Maraveyas

Katherine Maraveyas

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Based in Greece, Katherine, our chief financial officer, is a chartered accountant and part of the senior management of Network for Animals (NFA). She monitors every cent that goes in and out of the organization and is famous for being extremely strict! However, when it comes to helping animals, suddenly the budget becomes a lot more flexible!

Finance

Agnieszka 'Aga' Hutton

Agnieszka ‘Aga’ Hutton

COMPANY SECRETARY/ACCOUNTS ASSISTANT

Agnieszka is Network for Animals’s company secretary, based in London, United Kingdom.

Finance

Elesha ‘Ellie’ Leslie

Financial Assistant

Detail-oriented and highly organized, Elesha (‘Ellie’ to her friends and co-workers) has a Bachelor of Commerce Degree backed up by over 16 years of experience in supporting accounting and finance operations across a range of industries. 

Her extensive career history includes roles as a Financial Accountant, Senior Treasury Specialist, Bookkeeper and more, giving her exceptional insights into streamlining business operations and processes. At NFA, Elesha runs the South African financial operations.

As a kind and empathetic person, Elesha always strives to work with integrity and excellence. Part of what drives her to succeed is her focus on supporting the luxurious lives of her fur-babies, Jax and Luna.

Social Media

Mila Serfontein

Mila Serfontein

SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

Mila, as the Social Media Manager for NFA, combines her love for animals with her digital marketing expertise. Through her creative content and strategic campaigns, she effectively bridges a global audience with the crucial missions of these organizations, igniting inspiration and rallying support for animals in need.

Fundraising

Lisa Mari Spence

Lisa-Mari Spence

LEADERSHIP GIFTS OFFICER

Lisa-Mari was raised in South Africa and joined the NFA team as the UK fundraiser after relocating to Greece. With a background in public relations and a passion for helping animals her role at NFA is a perfect match.

Fundraising

Alissa Ford

Alissa Ford

DIRECTOR OF LEADERSHIP GIFTS, USA

Alissa is the Director of Leadership Gifts in the United States. She has a background in nonprofit fundraising and marketing, but believes all paths led her to Network for Animals, where she is able to combine her professional experience with her personal passion for animal welfare. Alissa lives in Boston, Massachusetts with her husband and her fur-baby Ollie, who is treated like the prince he thinks he is, since his human brother and sister are grown and now living on their own. Alissa loves speaking to our supporters who she truly considers a community of fellow animal lovers.

Supporter Relations

Silvia Steinbrück

Silvia Steinbrück

SENIOR COMMUNICATIONS EDITOR

Silvia is senior communications editor. She deals with hundreds of supporter emails each week and interacts with our social media community. She is a German-speaking Namibian who lives in Windhoek with her husband, four children, three cats, two dogs and Smokey, a quarter horse.

Support

Bernice Purdham

Bernice Purdham

US OPERATIONS AND FINANCE TEAM MEMBER

Juggler of budgets, personnel, schedules, logistics, creative personalities and client needs. A hater of waste and litterbugs.

Support

Marlene Strauss

Marlene Strauss

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO THE CAMPAIGN DIRECTOR/BOARD DIRECTORS

With a keen eye for detail and exceptional organizational skills, Marlene plays a pivotal role in supporting key leadership figures within the organization. Marlene brings a wealth of administrative experience and a commitment to excellence, making her an indispensable asset to the NFA team.

Supporter Relations

Justine Haralambous

Justine Haralambous

COMMUNICATION EDITOR

Justine is a communications editor. She handles social media responses, interacting with the online community and website changes. A few of her favorite things are dancing, baking and reading. A lifelong ‘crazy cat lady’, Justine lives in Johannesburg, South Africa, with her clowder of six cats and her husband.

Support

Shema Fiacre

SYSTEM ADMINISTRATOR

Shema is our dedicated in-house system administrator, based in our Cape Town office. He serves as the crucial link between our NFA and the developers who design and maintain our systems. Shema plays a key role in managing the data of millions of our supporters in our database, ensuring everything runs smoothly and efficiently.