Cheryl McCormick, Ph.D., is the CEO of the Athens Area Humane Society, one of Georgia’s first animal welfare organizations and the first in Athens to serve companion animals in need of rescue, shelter, and protection. She also serves as the President of Felidae Conservation Fund, a California-based nonprofit that provides leadership and strategic field support to researchers investigating how people and wild cats can coexist. She is also a board advisor to Wild Paws Midwest Animal Sanctuary.

Cheryl has served as Executive Director of California-based organizations, including AIM Youth Mental Health (Interim, Carmel), Lindsay Wildlife Experience (Walnut Creek), YWCA Monterey County (Salinas), and the American Cetacean Society (San Pedro). She also served as Director of Conservation at the Santa Lucia Conservancy (Carmel).

Dr. McCormick received a BA in Environmental Science from the State University of New York at Plattsburgh, her MA in Geography (GIS & Remote Sensing) from the University of Georgia, and a Ph.D. in Ecology from the University of Georgia, where she also received an appointment as Visiting Researcher/Scholar in 2017 at the Center for Geospatial Research.

Cheryl received a Certificate in Fundraising Executive (CFRE) credential in March 2024. Cheryl was certified in 2012 as an executive coach through the International Coach Federation (IFC) and is pursuing a Certified Animal Welfare Administrator (CAWA) Certification through the Association of Animal Welfare Advancement (AAWA), expected in Q4 2025.

Cheryl is a co-author of Identification and Biology of Nonnative Plants in Florida’s Natural Areas (Second Edition, 2008) and has published numerous literature reviews, statewide invasive species management plans, and research articles. In her personal time, she enjoys long-distance trail running, yoga, and visiting public gardens.