Annette Laico is Chief Executive Officer of the Progressive Animal Welfare Society, known throughout Washington State simply as PAWS. Headquartered in Lynnwood since its founding in 1967, PAWS is a nationally recognized leader in rehabilitating injured, orphaned, and sick wildlife, sheltering and adopting homeless cats and dogs, and educating people to make a better world for animals. Prior to joining PAWS in 2002, Annette served as the founding Executive Director of Friends of the Cedar River Watershed, a group dedicated to the protection and enhancement of one of Washington’s most important natural resources. Under her leadership, the Friends engaged in a public-private partnership with the City of Seattle to successfully complete construction of the Cedar River Watershed Education Center, which opened in 2001. Annette has been an organizational consultant, the Executive Director of Women Executives in State Government (WESG), a national non-partisan organization, as well as leading Washington Literacy and creating a national education and literacy initiative for United Way of America. Annette’s career began as a classroom teacher, a counselor for at-risk youth, and program director for Girls Clubs. She has served on numerous boards and commissions. A native New Yorker, Annette has lived in Seattle for more than 25 years.
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