DAY IN THE LIFE: Job shadow series, Heather Schmid

La Crosse Tribune, May 29, 2006 by Dolan, Jenny

Heather Schmid usually wears jeans or khaki pants to work. Not typical for an executive. But not much about Schmid's job is typical.

"You never know what you might be doing," Schmid said about her job, as she scooped up dog poop.

Later, Schmid typed at her computer, as 30 dogs barked. "It's like background music," she said.

As executive director of the Coulee Region Humane Society, Schmid has 15 bosses: the board of directors.

But Schmid encounters office politics of a different breed. Helen, a cat that lives at the shelter, often steals Schmid's chair.

Working for animals isn't just a pet project for Schmid.

"Children and animals are huge to me because they don't have a voice," she said. "They can't stick up for themselves."

Some people claim to be allergic to their workplaces, but for Schmid, it's true. She's allergic to cats and some dogs.

But allergies can't slow her down. She works 60 ours a week for the Humane Society. She helps raise money for big projects, such as improving housing for cats and building outdoor areas for dogs to play.

Other duties include marketing, media relations, finances and the day-to-day operations of the shelter. Schmid provides the vision to move forward, she said.

Sometimes, she helps with laundry, too. "I'm not above laundry," she said. "I wear a lot of hats. It's true for most nonprofits."

Schmid used to work at a bank. She took a pay cut when she accepted the job at the humane society. Schmid estimates she would be paid up to three times as much at a for-profit company. But it's worth it, she said.

"The nonprofit world does so many things to advance social causes," she said. "I'm (directly affecting) how animals are treated and cared for. It's so much more passionate (working for a nonprofit). The bank wasn't bad, but I didn't go home feeling warm and fuzzy."

Working around animals has its perks. When Schmid gets stressed, she grabs a dog and takes a walk. She hugs Helen, the shelter cat, several times a day.

Animals can bring about heating, Schmid said. "They're not, talking back to you. They're not giving you more work to do. They're not judging you," she said.

But working with animals can be stressful, too. Schmid's work truly is a matter of life and death. Not every animal who arrives at the Humane Society will leave. Some will be adopted, and some will die.

The shelter euthanized 400 cats last year due to illness.

"There are times I go home and cry," Schmid said. "The first two months of my job were extremely difficult. I didn't know if I was going to stay or go. I still think about it, but I refocus that worrying on promoting the shelter and educating people about what we do here."

"I'm still only one person, and there's only so much I can do," Schmid tells herself. But she does a lot, at the Humane Society and in the community.

Last week, Schmid sat down with Jake Miller of La Crosse, a second-grader at Emerson Elementary School in La Crosse.

She brought her dog, Teki, along. Miller, who struggles with reading, read stories to the dog as part of the Humane Society's pet therapy program.

To celebrate Miller's success in the program, Schmid gave him a hermit crab, something he wanted.

"This is one of the happiest days of my life," Miller said. He received a hermit crab and the chance to read to Teki, he said.

"It's really hard to put it into words, the meaning of the pet therapy program," Schmid said. "People forget that we get so much out of it as well."

Schmid learns a lot from the animals and the children she works with, she said. "There are people and animals who have it so much worse than I do. It puts your life in perspective."

HEATHER SCHMID AT A GLANCE

Title: Executive director of the Coulee Region Humane Society

Family: husband, Chris; dogs, Teki and Glacier

Education: Bachelor's degree in finance and a minor in real estate from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Experience: Worked in the grant accounting department at Marquette University; managed grants at the YWCA of Greater Milwaukee; worked at a bank as an assistant controller.

Volunteered: At a humane society in Brookfield, Wis., for four years; served on its board of directors for more than a year.

Advice for people interested in nonprofit careers: Try it out first. Volunteer at a nonprofit to see whether you can handle it mentally, emotionally and physically.

Favorite part of the job: Working for the animals, even if it's indirectly.

Biggest challenge: Time management. "It's hard to break away from what you're doing and have a personal life," Schmid said.

Qualities need for working in nonprofit: Ability to multitask, patience, being able to roll up your sleeves and do what's needed, passion for what you're doing, good communication skills.