About Ed Boks

Ed Boks with dog
Ed Boks humane, non-lethal programs can help your community achieve and sustain No-Kill

Ed Boks began his animal welfare career while serving as the Pastor of Grace Chapel of Phoenix and the principal and teacher at The Centers for Learning, a private school associated with Grace Chapel. From 1990 to 1995, Ed Boks worked concurrently with Maricopa County Animal Care & Control.

Retiring from the ministry in ’95, Ed Boks focused on establishing and enforcing unique life-saving animal care, control and anti-animal cruelty policies and programs in 24 cities and towns and the unincorporated portions of Maricopa County (an area larger than 17 states).

Gov Jan Brewer presents Ed Boks and his Maricopa County Management Institute with the National Association of Counties Award for Excellence
Gov Jan Brewer presents Ed Boks and his Maricopa County Management Institute with the National Association of Counties Award for Excellence

Ed Boks left animal welfare briefly to develop and manage the Maricopa County Management Institute (1995/1998), a program recognized by Governing Magazine as one reason why Maricopa County was selected as the “best run municipality in the United States”. The Institute was accredited by Arizona State University and Ed Boks received a National Association of Counties (NACo) Achievement Award for the program.

Ed Boks’ blend of ministerial and management experience caught the attention of Maricopa County Chief Administration Officer, David Smith, who asked Boks to return to an ailing Animal Care & Control as executive director (1998/2003). During Ed’s tenure, the Department became known as the most innovative and progressive animal control program in the nation.

Ed Boks and Maricopa CountyEd Boks transformed the Department into the highest volume pet adoption agency in the United States, while achieving the lowest pet euthanasia rate in that agency’s recorded history.

Ed Boks led the Department through its first Strategic Planning process; built a coalition of nearly 100 Arizona based animal welfare organizations; negotiated cost-recovery contracts with 20 cities (which more than doubled revenue and ended decades of deficit-based budgeting); established the nation’s first municipal no-kill Pet Adoption Center; founded Maricopa County Friends of Animal Care & Control as a fund raising auxiliary; helped obtain $6 million in grants; managed an $8 million operational budget, two 24/7 animal care centers, and 150 employees.

Ed Boks and Maricopa County BOS AwardEd Boks received the first ever Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Award for Outstanding Leadership for his “outstanding leadership as the director of Maricopa County Animal Care & Control”.

He also received his first Life Time Achievement Award – presented by In Defense of Animals for his “extraordinary life of compassion, commitment and achievement dedicated to ending animal homelessness and providing compassionate care for homeless animals.”

Ed Boks’ success in Maricopa County was noticed by the Mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg, who recruited Boks to New York City (2003/2006) where he propelled a second struggling animal care and control agency into the highest volume pet adoption program in the United States, with the lowest pet euthanasia rates in that Department’s recorded history.  Boks was greeted with a profile in the New York Times.Ed Boks and Mayor Bloomberg

In New York City, Ed Boks built a coalition of over 160 northeastern based animal welfare organizations; helped obtain over $15 million in grants; led the Department through its first Strategic Planning process; enrolled unprecedented community support; and managed an $8 million operational budget, three 24/7 animal care centers, and 150 employees.

Ed Boks served as Executive Director of Maricopa County and New York City Animal Care &  Control simultaneously for six months in 2003, managing two of the largest animal control programs in the nation at the same time. Permitting this unprecedented arrangement is evidence of both Maricopa County and New York City’s confidence in Ed Boks.

Ed Boks NYC Lifetime AchievementAt the conclusion of his tenure with New York City, Boks received his second Lifetime Achievement Award presented by the Friends of Animal Care & Control in New York City for a career of extraordinary life saving work”. While in New York, Boks also received Alley Cat Allies National Award for Excellence for “transforming the way communities care for feral cats.”

When leaving New York City, Boks’ boss, Public Health Commissioner, Dr. Thomas Frieden, M.D., M.P.H., (later appointed by President Obama to serve as the director of the Center for Disease Control) had this to say: “At the time Ed Boks was brought on as executive director, Animal Care and Control was in need of major improvement. Faced with significant challenges, Mr. Boks brought a new vision and energy to the organization, especially in the pursuit of making New York a no-kill city. Under his leadership, Animal Care and Control has made progress in improving conditions in animal shelters, increasing adoption rates, improving public perception of the organization, and growing the volunteer program.

Ed Boks was a key player in setting Animal Care and Control in a new direction and served effectively as a turnaround CEO. Mr. Boks is energetic, intelligent, knowledgeable and deeply committed to the field of animal welfare.

Ed Boks came to Los Angeles at the request of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa who asked Boks to serve as general manager of LA Animal Services (2006/2009).

Ed Boks and Mayor VillaraigosaOnce again, Boks transformed another department into the highest volume pet adoption program in the nation, with the lowest pet euthanasia rates in its recorded history.  Boks opened and staffed six LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certified animal care centers (a $160 million project); led the Department’s first Strategic Planning process; updated and standardized all policies and procedures; recruited and managed the most progressive shelter veterinary program in the nation; recruited a record number volunteers; helped establish the Animal Cruelty Task Force; built a coalition of over 140 Los Angeles based animal welfare organizations; played an instrumental role in the development of two animal welfare television programs; helped author the nation’s most ambitious spay/neuter law, managed a $22 million budget, seven 24/7 animal care centers, and 450 employees.

While with LA Animal Services, Boks was honored by Voice For The Animals for “his commitment to protecting the welfare of animals in Los Angeles” and by The Pet Place Television Show for “his coming to the aid of animals and displaying selfless acts of courage, heroism and compassion.”

Concerning Boks’ tenure with LA Animal Services, Los Angeles Mayor Villaraigosa said, “Under Ed Boks’ leadership this City revamped the way we treat and care for our pets and animals. The ‘no kill’ policy became a central component of our animal services strategy.  Pet adoptions are up, shelters expanded at a rapid rate, and ‘spay and neuter’ has become more than just a call to action; it is the law in Los Angeles.  We look forward to building on his legacy and continuing to make [Los Angeles] the gold standard for pet protection.”

After leaving LA Animal Services, Boks worked as a consultant assisting a variety of organizations and municipal governments.  While consulting he was recruited to the executive director position with the Yavapai Humane Society in Prescott, AZ.  During a six year tenure with YHS, Boks achieved the fastest and longest sustained decline in killing of any organization to date.  Within two years a 93% decline in killing was achieved, and a 97% live release rate was sustained for four consecutive years.  Boks’ tenure at YHS proved his no-kill methodologies.

YHS was the only brick and mortar shelter for seventy miles in any direction, making it the perfect test case for Boks’ no-kill ethic; and it worked.  YHS President Jerry Kipp said,  “Ed Boks’ vision brought YHS to a place of leadership in the animal welfare industry, and inspired our organization to create an extremely safe community for animals in need. We remain grateful for the numerous contributions Ed made toward YHS’s lifesaving work and we will continue to build on the solid foundation created during his six-year tenure.  We remain committed to his No Kill Ethic, which is at the heart of all we do at our organization.” – Jerry Kipp, President of the Board of Directors, Yavapai Humane Society

Boks is a former Director of the National Animal Control Association (NACA).  Boks served as the Chief Animal Control and Anti-Cruelty Enforcement Agent in Maricopa County, New York City and Los Angeles.

Boks’ approach incorporates strategic planning with organizational development. His strengths include Visioning; Strategic Planning; Public Relations; Communication (Oral and Written); Team Building;  Recruitment; High Performance and Transparent Management; Contract Negotiation; Public Speaking; Consulting; Teaching and Training; Curriculum Development; Lobbying; Multi-Million Dollar Capital Project Management; and large scale Animal Welfare Program Management.

Boks’ experience and achievements include:

  • Managed capital projects including six LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certified, state-of-the-art animal care centers in Los Angeles, a $160 million project, and also helped design an innovative new multi-million dollar shelter in Phoenix and designed and managed construction of two spay/neuter clinics and veterinary hospitals.
  • Facilitated a Strategic Plan for each of the agencies he managed.
  • Built extensive animal welfare coalitions and partnerships with businesses, corporations, and non-profits, developed fund raising and marketing strategies, and established successful 501c3 fund raising auxiliaries in several communities.
  • Played an instrumental role in securing multi-million dollar grants and raising hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations.
  • Negotiated cost recovery contracts with cities and towns that ended decades of deficit based budgeting thereby more than doubling department revenue.
  • Architect and Instructor of the Arizona State University accredited Maricopa County Management Institute which won the coveted National Association of Counties (NACo) Achievement Award for Excellence in 2004 and was cited by Governing Magazine as a significant factor for Maricopa County being selected as the best run municipality in the United States.
  • Served as Chief Enforcement Officer in Maricopa County, New York City and Los Angeles and played an instrumental role in developing an Anti-animal cruelty Task Force in several communities.

For more information on how Ed Boks can help your organization and/or your community visit: Contact Ed Boks