Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 13 hours ago
Our speakers today from San Francisco SPCA:
Facilitator: Kylie Ramos, Senior Central Valley Community Engagement Manager
Melissa Gómez, Community Workforce Manager
Jessica Bogosian, RVT, Director of Community Medicine Programs
As the veterinary field faces ongoing challenges in recruitment, retention, and well-being, community-driven systems are emerging as key strategies to strengthen organizational culture and workforce sustainability. This Community Conversation will examine how prioritizing community engagement expands access to veterinary care for clients and pets while fostering a purpose-driven and resilient workforce.
Through real-world examples, the discussion will highlight how partnerships with community organizations can create new pathways for veterinary talent and inspire future professionals. It will also explore how showcasing community impact can attract candidates who value purpose and connection.
Key Takeaways:
• Community-centered care not only builds trust and stronger client relationships, but it also creates a more supportive, purpose-driven work environment that attracts and retains veterinary professionals.
• Maximizing the potential of each position within the veterinary team, improves efficiency, ensures smoother workflows, and provides stronger support to veterinarians.
• Diverse teams don’t just mirror the community. They understand its rhythms, languages, griefs, joys, and realities. When staff can show up as their full selves, they stay, grow, and pull others in with them. That's how we build a care system powered by lived experience, not assumptions.
• The importance of building diverse teams that reflect the communities we serve is not only important in broadening access to care but in deepening community relationships and strengthening a team's bonds internally.
To access today’s agenda and the recording of this call - or to ask more questions - visit
https://maddies.fund/communityconversations111725
About Community Conversations, hosted by Maddie’s Fund: When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2020, animal sheltering transformed overnight. Foster-based sheltering, home-based employees and volunteers, along with collaboration galvanized our communities. The pandemic, along with social injustice, has motivated our industry to look at how we partner with our communities and confront our own biases. Shelter and rescue staff across the country began talking on a weekly basis, offering support and innovative ideas to do things differently. To learn more about these calls, visit forum.maddiesfund.org/communityconversations
Chapters:
00:00 Welcome, Question of the Day
04:22 Grant winners
11:49 Presentation
Our speakers today from San Francisco SPCA:
Facilitator: Kylie Ramos, Senior Central Valley Community Engagement Manager
Melissa Gómez, Community Workforce Manager
Jessica Bogosian, RVT, Director of Community Medicine Programs
As the veterinary field faces ongoing challenges in recruitment, retention, and well-being, community-driven systems are emerging as key strategies to strengthen organizational culture and workforce sustainability. This Community Conversation will examine how prioritizing community engagement expands access to veterinary care for clients and pets while fostering a purpose-driven and resilient workforce.
Through real-world examples, the discussion will highlight how partnerships with community organizations can create new pathways for veterinary talent and inspire future professionals. It will also explore how showcasing community impact can attract candidates who value purpose and connection.
Key Takeaways:
• Community-centered care not only builds trust and stronger client relationships, but it also creates a more supportive, purpose-driven work environment that attracts and retains veterinary professionals.
• Maximizing the potential of each position within the veterinary team, improves efficiency, ensures smoother workflows, and provides stronger support to veterinarians.
• Diverse teams don’t just mirror the community. They understand its rhythms, languages, griefs, joys, and realities. When staff can show up as their full selves, they stay, grow, and pull others in with them. That's how we build a care system powered by lived experience, not assumptions.
• The importance of building diverse teams that reflect the communities we serve is not only important in broadening access to care but in deepening community relationships and strengthening a team's bonds internally.
To access today’s agenda and the recording of this call - or to ask more questions - visit
https://maddies.fund/communityconversations111725
About Community Conversations, hosted by Maddie’s Fund: When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2020, animal sheltering transformed overnight. Foster-based sheltering, home-based employees and volunteers, along with collaboration galvanized our communities. The pandemic, along with social injustice, has motivated our industry to look at how we partner with our communities and confront our own biases. Shelter and rescue staff across the country began talking on a weekly basis, offering support and innovative ideas to do things differently. To learn more about these calls, visit forum.maddiesfund.org/communityconversations
Chapters:
00:00 Welcome, Question of the Day
04:22 Grant winners
11:49 Presentation
