Seattle Humane Board Member Pamela Keenan Fritz had a passion for philanthropy even as a child, doing what she could to support her local animal shelter.
“When I was a kid, we had a shelter in my town in the north of England. After my first visit, in elementary school, I started fundraising locally. I did jobs for my neighbors after school and on the weekends, always hopeful that I might bring home a kitten or three.”
Pamela found her way to Seattle Humane by way of Expedia, which used to be headquartered up the hill from the shelter in Eastgate.
“Seattle Humane was on the way to work. It was before the fabulous new building, but the mission was the same,” she says. “What reinvigorated my interest was when I heard my son’s school was moving just up the street. I wondered if he could get involved somehow, like I had done as a student.”
Pamela encouraged her son to apply to be a member of our Humane Teen Club, which not only prepares youth to one day become volunteers but also gives them the tools to become advocates for vulnerable animals in their communities and beyond.
“What a great way to get kids involved and build lifelong advocacy and support,” Pamela says. “Then I thought, ‘Maybe I could get involved more too.’”
Pamela was moving off a board at the University of Washington and wanted to apply her free time to volunteering. She had also served on boards at KUOW and the Pike Place Market Foundation.
“It’s wonderful to really get involved with hometown institutions that have a deep impact in our community,” she says.
While Pamela has a lifelong love for animals, her professional expertise revolves around growing businesses and their most important assets, their people, at home and abroad. While she started in general management Pam quickly learned that talent was her passion, serving as Chief People Officer, including recently with Seattle based Rad Power Bikes.
She is now serving on the Governance Committee, and Risk and Audit Committee as a member of the Seattle Humane Board of Directors. It’s not just her fellow board members that encourage her but a depth of talent within the organization.
“I think our greatest strength by far is the team, the people who I’ve met, both our full-time staff and the army of volunteers I see every time I walk through the door,” Pamela says. “I think the challenge ahead is to focus on our mission and how we’re going to deliver it. I am excited to help Seattle Humane continue to thrive and grow our impact in supporting more pets and people.”
