Board of Directors
We are a group of dedicated community members who have willingly committed
our time, resources, and life experiences to the
Carroll County Animal Protection League.
Meet Our Team
Marci McLaughlin
President and Treasurer
Marci with her newest rescue, Pixie.
Marci, a Carroll County native, graduated from New Philadelphia High School. After graduation, she served six years active duty in the United States Air Force. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration majoring in professional accounting and a Master of Business Administration from Eastern Washington University. She became a licensed CPA in Washington State in 2004. She worked for a large financial institution in Spokane, Washington, for seventeen years. As the Director of Corporate Administration, she gained considerable organizational leadership and project management experience. She returned to Carroll County in 2019 to retire and spend more time with family. She became the Treasurer for the Carroll County Animal Protection League in 2024 and maintains an active CPA license in Ohio.
Marci volunteered as an adoption counselor and foster for the Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Service (SCRAPS) for many years. She walked dogs, socialized cats, assisted with adoptions, fostered over 100 cats and kittens, and a few puppies too. She has always had a passion for animals and their well-being.
She enjoys spending time with her husband, mom, daughter, son-in-law, and grandkids as well as her local extended family. She loves snuggling and playing with her two spoiled beagles, Huckleberry (Huck) and Annabel (Annie) as well as her three sweet “foster failure” kitties, Paisley, June Bug, and Pixie.
Marci serves as the Finance Committee Chairperson and as a member of the Marketing and Public Relations Committee and the Volunteer and Personnel Committee.
Kelly Critean
Vice President
Kelly is a Registered Nurse with a specialty in the Operating Room. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Management. She has been a traveling nurse and has worked in 7 states.
Kelly always advocates for the less fortunate and the underserved populations of people and animals. She comes by this naturally as her grandparents pushed for the closure of pet stores at the malls and puppy mills in our area. Currently, she is very involved with the TNR (trap, neuter, release) program in Minerva.
Her son lives in Denver, Colorado. She spends her time gardening, reading, listening to music, and walking her dog Jack.
Kelly serves as a member of the Marketing and Public Relations Committee and the Fundraising Committee.
Janet Ferrell
Secretary
Janet with her rescue Beagle, Penny.
Janet was born and raised in New Philadelphia, Ohio and graduated from New Philadelphia High School.
After working at Ohio Power in Canton, Ohio for a time, she married and was a stay-at-home mom for a few years in Carroll County before beginning her career as a legal assistant for various law firms, including in the states of Ohio, Florida, and Washington.
After retiring in Spokane, Washington, she moved to Carroll County, Ohio, in 2019 to be close to her extended family. Janet is presently the Secretary and a Director of the Carroll County Animal Protection League.
While living in Spokane, Janet logged more than 3500 hours volunteering at Spokane County Regional Animal Shelter (SCRAPS) in various capacities including leading orientation meetings with potential volunteers, training volunteers in the proper and safe way to interact with dogs, walking and socializing dogs, socializing cats, and as an adoption counselor assisting the public with finding the right pet. She also fostered kittens and dogs in her home.
She presently lives with her rescue animals -- Penny, her 4 year old Beagle, and Trixie, her 5 month old kitten, who bring many laughs and great joy to her life. She has always loved interacting with animals and looks forward to bringing her skills and knowledge to the Carroll County Animal Protection League.
Janet serves as the Volunteer and Personnel Committee Chairperson.
Lorna Lowell-Whaley
Director
Lorna with her precious Popcorn and Peanuts.
Lorna lived most of her life as a California girl, but she has had adventures all over the United States and even lived in Mexico for a time! She graduated from Orange High School in Orange, California. Before moving to Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Washington with her husband and two kids she worked as a waitress and learned accounting before moving back to California with her family.
She began a career selling fiberglass bathtubs, hot tubs, mirrors, wardrobe doors, and Corinthian countertops to building contractors. She learned to read and draw building and house plans and even helped draw the plans for her own house built in Ramona, California. They lived on 18 acres with two horses, three dogs, two goats, chickens, and 13 cats over the years. They sold the house to a couple who won a three-million-dollar lottery, after which she moved to Flagstaff, Arizona, with her family, two dogs, and the 13 cats! Sadly, their house in Arizona caught fire and her husband was diagnosed with cancer, so they returned to California. Lorna went back to working in accounting for a few years and then moved to Mexico by the Tijuana border with 4 cats and a dog. She crossed the border to work in San Diego five days a week for 8 years! After reconnecting with an old friend, they moved to his home state of Ohio and settled in Malvern with 4 cats and a dog in 2007. Lorna now shares her home with her husband, her daughter’s family, two grand-dogs and her two cats: One-Eyed Jack and Tinkerbelle.
Lorna always wanted to do something important to help animals. In 2010, she found the CCAPL. She helped build the animal shelter with her friend, Eileen Rohrer, and many other good people for the past 15 years. She is focused now on crossing the finish line to open the shelter for all of the dogs and cats that need a safe place where they can be lovingly cared for until they find a forever home!
Lorna Serves as the Fundraising Committee Chairperson and serves as a member of the Finance Committee.
Rita Travis
Director
Rita with Smokey the rescue donkey.
Rita is a professor emeritus at the University of St. Francis, Joliet, Illinois, where she taught for 21 years. She guided students in a variety of communication skills including writing, graphic arts, public speaking, editing and design. In her second career, she co-owned a Wellness Center and was a bodywork therapist. While her focus was primarily on people, some of her favorite clients were cats, dogs, donkeys, and horses.
Rita is a cat person and is currently owned by a rescued tuxedo cat name Rosie. There is a porch cat named Junior and three barn cats, Blanche, Black Bart and George, who noticed an invisible (to humans) sign that says all are welcome. She is also a chicken person and currently has ten hens, all with names. Quite often the deer are looking in her windows or standing near the front door: is she there? is she coming out with our treats?
Officially retired, she spends time writing and doing genealogical research. She has published one family history book which has been accepted at several libraries for their genealogical collections. The second book is underway. She has also written a (somewhat whimsical) botanical monograph about the Angelica plant, with the plant telling its own life story.
Rita was born and raised in Canton. After graduating from Aquinas in Louisville, she moved to Joliet. Illinois, for school and lived and worked there for 50 years. Now on 27 acres in the countryside of Carrolton, Rita finds there is plenty of space for all the critters.
Rita serves as the Marketing and Public Relations Committee Chairperson and serves as a member of the Finance Committee.
Lori Waibel
Director
Lori joined the CCAPL in 2024. She is a retired registered nurse who spent her career mostly working in outpatient settings or the emergency room. She was born in California but moved to Ohio as a young child. She graduated from Massillon Perry High School and went to nursing school at St. Luke's Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio.
Lori has experience working with fundraising and was on the Women's Board of Aultman Hospital for a number of years. While on the board, she volunteered at the Gift Shop and served on the silent auction committee. They raised over one million dollars a year to help build the emergency room. She also owned a gift basket business and donated many baskets to help raise various funds for other organizations.
She has two grown children, two stepsons, and six grandchildren. She enjoys spending time with family and traveling to visit those who live at a distance. She has a special love for dogs and cats of all shapes and sizes. She wants to help get the shelter open and operating to help the animals of Carroll County. At present, she shares her home with her cat, Mosey.
Lori serves as a member of the Fundraising Committee and the Volunteer and Personnel Commitee.