Valerie Dorian

“When we care for animals and protect the natural world, we care for the future we all share.”

That belief has guided Valerie Dorian throughout her career — and it’s what drives her leadership as chief development officer at Best Friends Animal Society. Valerie believes in the power of individuals to make meaningful change, and she has spent more than two decades turning that belief into action.

At Best Friends, Valerie leads a dynamic team dedicated to raising the critical funds that fuel the organization’s lifesaving mission. By connecting with donors at every level and across a range of giving channels, she helps ensure that passionate people can be part of creating a better future for pets nationwide. A signature aspect of her work is the Campaign to Save them All, a comprehensive fundraising effort that has increased revenue by more than 100% since 2016 to help save lives, support shelters, and inspire communities to take action.

Valerie’s career has always centered on purpose-driven work. Before joining Best Friends, she served as senior vice president at the National Park Foundation, where she co-created the landmark Centennial Campaign for America’s National Parks. Under her leadership, the campaign secured major corporate partners including American Express, Anheuser-Busch, Coca-Cola, Disney, REI, Time-Warner, and Subaru, among others.

Previously, Valerie led corporate partnerships at The Nature Conservancy, where she built alliances with Fortune 500 companies and global brands, and managed the organization’s global rebrand. Earlier in her career, Valerie honed her strategic and communications expertise at Ketchum and at the global consulting firm Accenture.

Valerie holds a master’s degree from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism and a bachelor’s from Indiana University. She has a deep commitment to caring for all kinds of animals — from the wild birds in her backyard to her goldfish who was a loyal companion for 15 years. Valerie lives near Boston, where she enjoys life with her two grown children, her husband, and a small, spirited dog who reminds her every day why this work matters.