When your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader. Anna Stout has been a leader in every sense of the word in her position as Mayor of Grand Junction as well as during her nine years as CEO of Roice-Hurst Humane Society. As Anna closes each of these chapters to embark on a new era full of new adventures and new opportunities to make a difference in Mesa County, let’s take a look back at her accomplishments and celebrate her new beginning.
Anna’s tenure as the mayor of Grand Junction has been marked by dynamic leadership and a commitment to policies that aim to enhance the quality of life for the city’s residents. From the start of her term, Mayor Stout brought a fresh perspective and a wealth of experience in community service and local governance. She made it clear that she would focus on addressing critical issues.
Anna Stout’s term as mayor has been characterized by her dedication to making Grand Junction a better place for all of its residents. Her leadership has brought about significant positive changes in the areas of housing, economic development, environmental sustainability, public health, education and social equality. As her City Council term continues, residents of Grand Junction can look forward to more policies and initiatives that will further enhance the city’s growth and development.
Not only has Anna been a leader in local government she has been an outstanding leader as CEO of Roice-Hurst Humane Society for most of the last decade. She is closing this chapter with a full heart of gratitude and pride in knowing she has devoted her life to this organization and is ready to take on a new adventure.
There are many notable accomplishments over the last nine years. These accomplishments include significantly increasing annual gifts and contributions from $330K to an average of $1.2 million annually over the past five years. RHHS has expanded services to Delta and surrounding communities through a Delta satellite facility and purchased a brand-new, customized mobile veterinary clinic. Anna created innovative initiatives such as hiring a human social worker, co-deploying human and pet health services, a dog hiking program, kitten kindergarten at DYS, and partnering with Homeward Bound to create the first-of-its-kind Homeward Hounds program. Two new pilot programs Anna was instrumental in creating show her expertise in thinking outside of the box and bringing multiple county-wide issues together are the Pet Adoption Prescription Program and a partnership with Mind Springs Health. The Pet Adoption Prescription program is for local mental health providers and primary care physicians to prescribe a waived adoption through RHHS for patients whose holistic health would be improved by pet ownership. The partnership with Mind Springs Health incorporates interaction with shelter pets into therapeutic treatment plans for substance abuse patients at residential inpatient facilities.
Reflecting on her time with Roice-Hurst, Stout expressed gratitude for the opportunity to work with a passionate team and an engaged community. “Leading Roice-Hurst has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career,” Stout said, “I am incredibly proud of what we have accomplished together and confident that the organization will continue to thrive.”
As the Roice-Hurst Humane Society looks toward the future, the legacy of Anna Stout’s leadership will undoubtedly continue to inspire and guide the organization. Her commitment to animal welfare and community engagement has set a strong foundation for Roice-Hurst to build upon in the years to come.
“Leading Roice-Hurst has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career,”