The St. Tammany Humane Society has revamped its front office, hiring a new director, board member and ad agency as it looks toward acquiring a new facility and branding its name.

Vaughn Maurice, a former chief operating officer with the American Red Cross, accepted the Humane Society’s executive director position May 29.

Maurice, himself the owner of two rescue dogs and a cat, said the transition from the Red Cross to Humane Society is easy because both are “very similar in terms of pure business models.” Still, challenges await, he said.

“We had 500 to 600 adoptions last year,” Maurice said. “But that isn’t enough. We need to do more.”

“More” he hopes includes hiring ad agency Ad2 Inc., which operates office in LaPlace and GulfPort, Miss., and appointing former Louisiana SPCS President Allen Marks to the Humane Society’s board of directors.

The sea change of sorts comes at a time when officials are pondering a move to out of its 52-year-old office, a cramped complex prone to flooding on Harrison Avenue off Louisiana Highway 59.

“It tough,” Maurice said. “We have flooding issues and space issues and we don’t want to have (euthanize animals) because of space.”

That’s where the new team comes in, he added.

“The St. Tammany Humane Society is fortunate to have these people on their team and know that they will help realize the ultimate goal-to give all homeless pets a second chance at life,” he said. “We’ve all received a second chance or two. Don’t those surrendered to our care deserve one, too?”

St. Tammany Humane Society is a non-profit organization helping to shelter, care for and find permanent homes for stray animals. Its funding is derived solely through tax-deductible donations and community support.