KACA OFFICERS
Meet our board members!
Meet the Team
The Kansas Animal Control Association is served by a board dedicated to the welfare of animals throughout the state of Kansas. We are dedicated to providing training and education to promote professionalism and pride in the animal care and control field.
President
Amber Bowlby
Amber was elected KACA president in 2021 and served as the Vice President before that since 2014. She graduated from Friends University with an Associate's in Biology and a Bachelor's in Zoo Science. She spent the next eight years working as a shelter technician for the Hutchinson Animal Shelter and left in 2014 to work as a supervisor of records for the McPherson Police Department. She is an active member of the Kansas Animal Response Team and also helped develop the curriculum on animal cruelty used by the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center. She has trained several Police Departments on dog behavior and use of force and looks forward to the day when it is required of all law enforcement officers. Besides animal welfare, her passion in life is traveling and challenges herself to go somewhere she's never been every year.
Vice President
Kendra Anthony
Kendra began her career in Animal Control in June of 2018 when she was hired as the sole Animal Control Officer for the Bonner Springs Police Department. Kendra oversees the city’s first municipal animal control facility which opened its doors in 2022. In addition to managing shelter operations, she also answers calls for service and stays active in the community through a variety of community outreach programs and events. Kendra is passionate about TNR and has trapped hundreds of community cats, making a notable difference in the city’s cat/kitten population. Kendra has established a great working relationship with Bonner Animal Rescue which sponsors the TNR program and the vetting of unclaimed animals.
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Prior to her career in animal control, Kendra worked as a dog and cat groomer and kennel technician for 12 years at a local boarding kennel. Kendra still utilizes her grooming skills as a house call groomer, specializing in cat grooming.
Secretary
Courtney Sievers
Courtney began her career in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, in 2011, where she worked as an Animal Control Officer for the Lee’s Summit Police Department for eight years. For the last 3 ½ years she has been working as a Community Service Officer with the Prairie Village Police Department, handling all the animal related issues for Prairie Village and Mission Hills, KS. She has a BA in Criminal Justice and Criminology from the University of Missouri – Kansas City. Courtney is also a certified Animal Cruelty Investigator through the Law Enforcement Training Institute at University of Missouri (National Animal Cruelty Investigations School), and is a trained Field Training Officer in her department.
Courtney is a volunteer member of the KS Animal Response Team, Code 3 Associates Disaster Response Team (Riders on the Storm), and ASAR Training and Response: Disaster Response Team. She is also a Regional Partner of Code 3 Associates Animal Control Officer Coalition. Courtney has training in Incident Command Systems, Disaster Preparedness, and National Incident Management Systems through FEMA, and technical animal rescue skills in Animal Ice Rescues, Large Animal Rescue Operations, and Swiftwater and Slackwater/Floodwater Operations through ASAR Training and Response.
In her “free” time, Courtney is a volunteer foster of cats/kittens with Heart of America Humane Society. She also enjoys gardening (yea spring!) and bird watching.
Treasurer
Nika Orebaugh
Nika Orebaugh is the Supervisor of Sedgwick County Animal Control. She has been with Sedgwick County for over 16 years and is active in multiple rescues in her area. Married with two children, Nika spends her limited free time hiking in the Colorado Springs area with her husband. Nika has a solitary dog and two extremely overweight cats who steal the dog’s food.
Outreach Coordinator
Jessica Bowers
Jessica was born and raised in the City of Topeka. Since she was younger, she had always been drawn to animals. She graduated from Topeka West Highschool and ventured over to being a vet technician at a vet clinic in Topeka. From there, she moved over to being a corrections officer at the Kansas Juvenile Corrections Complex where she stayed for three years before she was accepted by the Topeka Police Department as an Animal Control Officer in 2021. After gaining knowledge and experience, she moved up to the Animal Control Supervisor in September of 2024. Jessica was elected to the Kansas Animal Control Association Board of Directors in 2025.
Board Member
Carla Lewis
Carla Lewis has been an Animal Control officer for 12 years for the City of Leawood Police Department. Carla attended Kansas State University majoring in Wildlife biology and worked at the Kansas City Zoo. Carla has been on the KACA board since 2011 and was acting President for 6 years. Carla is passionate about the role of Animal Control during times of disaster and is an instructor and Technical Animal Rescue responder for ASAR Training and Response and has certifications in: Technical rope rescue, Technical Large Animal Rescue, Ice Rescue, Swiftwater Rescue and Boating. When Carla is not responding to disasters, working or teaching, she is busy at home with her husband, three children, two dogs and two cats.
Scott Hunter
Board Member
Scott has worked in his position of Community Service Officer with the Shawnee Police Department for approximately nine years, and is currently in his second term serving on the KACA Board. Scott says, "It truly is an honor serving on the KACA Board, where I get to meet so many amazing people, who do so many great things in animal welfare throughout the state." He resides in the Kansas City area, where he enjoys spending time participating in outdoor sports with his family.
Board Member
Madison Knight
Madison has been in the animal control field since 2022. Currently, she serves as the Community Service Officer for the Mission Police Department where she provides animal control services for the city as well as five additional jurisdictions. Madison is passionate about cruelty investigations with a focused interest in the link between animal cruelty and domestic violence. She is honored to serve on the board and is committed to strengthening interagency communication while supporting expanded training opportunities for those in the animal control field. Outside of work, Madison is happiest when spending time with her husband, children, and three big lap dogs.
Board Member
Ben Lancaster
Ben began his career in the animal welfare industry as a Lenexa Animal Control Officer in 2011 and served there for 9 years. In 2020, he was hired by the Kansas Department of Agriculture as an Animal Facilities Inspector where he's been fortunate to be able to try and make a difference by helping a variety of different animal facilities and working with various jurisdictions throughout the state on some of their animal issues. He looks forward to continuing to bridge the gap between Law enforcement, Animal Control Officers, and the Kansas Department of Agriculture to better serve the animals throughout Kansas.
How do I become a board member?
Board members serve a two year term, voted on at the annual meeting during the training conference. To be a board member, you must be willing to dedicate to this two year term, attend quarterly in-person board meetings, and attend the annual training conference.