Whidbey Animals Improvement Foundation will head into the holidays and the new year with a new leader — Coupeville resident Julie Lauderdale.

“I am so excited to have found my ‘dream career’ right here in my own backyard,” said Lauderdale in a news release to announce her appointment as executive director.

“This position will allow me to use all of my organizational skill sets that I have developed through the years to help Whidbey Island’s homeless dogs and cats find loving homes.”

Newly appointed WAIF Board President Pamela Hill-Keeva said she’s confident Lauderdale will help lead the organization during this exciting time of transition and growth.

This year has seen a new cat cottage in Freeland for WAIF, as well as eager anticipation and planning for the future construction of a new Coupeville shelter facility.

The new executive director, who started work last month, said she’s looking forward to working successfully with the board, shelter staff, thrift store staff and volunteers that have already impressed her so much.

“I’m so proud of my staff,” she said. “In the absence of an executive director they just kept on keeping on. They are a testimony to the love and dedication of the staff and volunteers.”

Lauderdale first came to Whidbey in 1958 when her father, a Naval Chief Petty Officer, purchased the Porter farm in Oak Harbor. Lauderdale’s mother, Barbara Folks, still lives on the farm that Lauderdale spent much time away from as her family traveled from duty station to duty station in the ‘60s and ‘70s. After graduating from high school in 1973, she returned to Whidbey to attend community college during which time she met her husband of 31 years, U.S. Navy Cmdr. (Ret.) Robert Lauderdale.

Lauderdale and her husband were stationed at a number of East Coast installations during which time she graduated Cum Laude with a bachelor of business sciences degree in management and business administration from Belmont University, Nashville, Tenn.

She’s held responsibilty positions and developed strong skill sets in both non-profit and for profit corporations — including being assistant executive officer for the Omaha Area Board of Realtors and director of financial programs at the Virginia-based National Training and Simulation Association.

“I’ve been in the workplace long time,” she said.

The new leader said she brings an administration and operations background with strong people skills and presentation ability.

“Everything I need to meet the public and communicate WAIF’s needs,” she said.

Lauderdale will oversee the daily operations of the WAIF shelters and thrift stores and hopes the organization can work to partner with city, county and Navy entities to develop successful ways to deal with animal abandonment and overpopulation on the island.

“There are far more animals than our shelters can accommodate,” she said.

She gives kudos to the City of Oak Harbor and the Navy base for the shelter and animal relationship already established and looks toward continued improvement.

“This time next year I hope to see WAIF with a finely-tuned program of outreach and education,” she said. “I’d like to see the whole island embrace our resources.”

Since 1993, Lauderdale and her husband have owned two Arabian horse farms that consisted not only of show quality Arabian horses, but also dogs, a barn cat, a bird, geese and ducks.

After finding a good home for her horses and saying a tearful goodbye to Monroe, N.C., the couple returned to Whidbey in 2006 along with two dogs — Crates and Zach.

Lauderdale said she has a history of rescuing animals in need.

“I will rescue any animal that needs it; it does not matter if the animal is a dog, cat, horse, chicken, turtle,” she said.

Currently, she’s nurturing a not-so baby chick she’s named Brutus that had its leg bitten by another animal.

“The chick is coming along nicely and I hope to take it back to my friend’s horse farm in the next couple of weeks,” Lauderdale said.

Lauderdale said she looks forward to working closely with the WAIF board, staff, volunteers and the community to locate good homes for our adoptable dogs and cats and raise funds to build a badly needed new WAIF shelter.

“I feel like I’ve found my life’s mission,” she said. “It’s great to be back home.”