Ana Zorrilla

Chief Executive Officer
Louisiana SPCA

Ana Zorrilla has always approached her professional and personal life with a desire to give back to her community. A compassionate animal lover who currently cares for two Jack Russell Terriers, Mila and Pepper, Zorrilla was drawn to the LA/SPCA for the opportunity to make a positive impact in the lives of the stray and homeless animal population of Louisiana, as well as the families and individuals who lives are positively impacted by the mission of the organization.

In February 2006 she joined the Louisiana SPCA as Vice President of Development. Based on Zorrilla’s demonstrated leadership qualities and business acumen she was appointed by her predecessor as Interim CEO in August 2007. In November 2007 she was selected by the Board of Directors to lead the organization as its new Chief Executive Officer.

Zorrilla is both an educator and student at heart, and has always demonstrated a desire and passion to grow professionally in the hopes of making a positive and enriching impact in the community and society.

Prior to joining the LA/SPCA, Zorrilla served as Director of the Summerbridge New Orleans program for seven years. Summerbridge New Orleans provided 5th, 6th and 7th graders from public schools and traditionally disadvantaged and low-income homes the opportunity to receive the best education available. The host schools for Summerbridge were Isidore Newman School and Ben Franklin High School. The Summerbridge concepts mirrored her commitment to the young adults of our community -- educational intervention to bridge opportunity gaps and empower young adults with skills to face and overcome their challenges. During the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Zorrilla and her staff assembled a network of teachers who worked to locate displaced students and their families and located resources for affected families, including clothing, housing and financial assistance.

The program was unfortunately suspended due to Hurricane Katrina but Zorilla has transferred that commitment to making a better life for children and families (both two-legged and four-legged) by playing an instrumental role in developing the future LA/SPCA Campus. In 2006 she helped launch LA/SPCA’s $17 million Capital Campaign. Fundraising on both a local and national level, to date $9.9 million has been successfully raised. Phase I of the three-phased campus, opened in May, 2007.

Zorrilla envisions the LA/SPCA Campus as one that completely embraces the concept of social entrepreneurship. The future vision includes providing the community with a doggie day care center, community gardens and creative housing opportunities that will further enrich the New Orleans community surrounding the LA/SPCA Campus.

Armed with an undergraduate degree in English Literature and Secondary Education from Loyola University and her Masters in Educational Administration from the University of New Orleans, Zorrilla has been an active community leader. She currently serves on the Board of the Directors of New Orleans Outreach and The Hispanic Heritage Foundation. She’s previously served on the board of directors of the Greater New Orleans Camp Fire USA and Summerbridge/Breakthrough National Program.

In September 2007, Zorrilla was accepted into and attended the Executive Certification Program in Nonprofit Leadership at the Center for Nonprofit Leadership of George Washington University in Washington D.C. The training focused on key leadership competencies and included participants from across the country as well as from Africa, India, Mexico, Bahamas, Paraguay, Nicaragua and Uruguay.

A New Orleans native who is very involved in her Mid-City neighborhood, Zorrilla and her husband José have made a home for their daughter Isabela, along with their two Jack Russells. Since Hurricane Katrina, Ana’s commitment to making New Orleans a home for her and her family has only strengthened.