The Team

Applications will be kept on file for consideration as volunteer board positions become available.

Shawn Camp

Co-Founder

Executive Director

Shawn was born and raised right here in Eastern Iowa. Her love for animals of all shapes and sizes started early in her life. Her dad regularly brought injured wildlife into their home for rehabilitation, and she recalls fond memories of this first-hand experience helping to care for a variety of animals. Shawn attended Kirkwood Community College and the University of Iowa, where she primarily studied human services and communication. It was not until her late 20s that she discovered her true calling in animal rescue. After reading My Gentle Barn by Ellie Laks, Shawn finally realized what it was she needed to do: quit her job and rescue farm animals! On a typical day, Shawn can be found anywhere between the barn and the veterinary hospital. Her life is farm animal rescue, and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

Jered Camp

Co-Founder

President, Board of Directors

Jered was raised in Utah, where he grew up around farm animals. He was a member of 4-H and has always had a love for animals. Jered moved to Atlanta when he was 18 to pursue a career in EMS, where he enrolled in a paramedic program. He worked in Atlanta for 12 years before moving to Iowa in 2011. Within a few years of his move to Iowa, Jered found his next calling in life: to help farm animals by co-founding Iowa’s first farm animal sanctuary. Since Iowa Farm Sanctuary opened, Jered has balanced helping people through emergencies and helping and rescuing animals. He is grateful to be able to provide Iowa Farm Sanctuary’s rescued residents with a safe, loving home while also helping people to reevaluate their beliefs about the sentience of farm animals.

Sarah Hansen

Chair, Board of Directors

Sarah has been involved in IFS since early 2021, first discovering it by attending a Sanctuary Stroll. Immediately interested in volunteering, she has assisted with routine chores, events, and bedtime chores. An animal lover all her life, at age 8, she talked her mother into adopting a goat kid (a male named Buster she kept as a pet). Having been a vegetarian for years, Sarah became vegan after learning more about factory farming through IFS. Sarah works at the University of Iowa and spends her spare time on her family, pets, yoga, hiking, and, of course, IFS. She is honored to be able to support IFS as a volunteer, sponsor, and now, a Board member.

Amy Holcomb

Secretary, Board of Directors

Amy grew up on a cattle and pig farm in northwest Iowa, where her love for all animals began.  She attended the University of Iowa and settled in the area upon graduation.  When she became involved in animal rescue, including volunteering at a shelter for cats in need of specialized care, she began to understand that she could no longer love and cherish some animals while eating other animals, so she became vegan. She started volunteering at Iowa Farm Sanctuary with her daughter in March 2021 after attending a few events and realizing that IFS is a magical place where farmed animals are loved and cherished, and she found this to be her true calling in animal rescue. Amy also loves vegan baking, especially baking for the IFS volunteers and running the IFS Valentine's Day Bake Sale. Outside of the sanctuary, Amy is a supported community living counselor, assisting individuals with disabilities with gaining independent living skills.  She enjoys spending time with her daughter Cynthia and their cats, traveling, reading, and walking.

Katie Valentine

Sanctuary Manager

Katie joined the team at Iowa Farm Sanctuary in May 2019 when she became the Sanctuary’s first intern. 300 hours and a busy summer later, she completed her internship, which was the capstone to earning her AAS in Humane Officer Training from Kirkwood Community College. She then continued as a regular volunteer and loved every second of it. In March 2021, Katie became the sanctuary’s Assistant Director of Operations before later transitioning into the Sanctuary Manager role. Katie finds caring for the residents and working to ensure their health to be very rewarding. She frequently assists with animal rescues in addition to animal care and her many other duties. Some of her interests include staying active, being a dog/horse/bun mom, and eating good vegan food.

Laura Wiederholt

Animal Caretaker

Laura started volunteering at Iowa Farm Sanctuary in the summer of 2023. Starting on garden committee, she quickly joined the animal ambassadors, and later became a regular for routine chores. She joined the team as an employee in April of 2024.  Laura finds caring for the animals and watching them thrive in a sanctuary setting to be deeply fulfilling. Her favorite activity off the clock is spending time with the oldest resident at the sanctuary, Otis. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her dog, gardening, and working on native landscaping.

Karsyn Roling

Animal Caretaker

Karsyn was born and raised in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and graduated from Prairie High School. Following graduation she joined the IFS staff in July 2024. She enjoys working at IFS because it gives her a sense of fulfillment and purpose; creating a comfortable environment for the residents while they get to live a care-free life away from cruelty, where many of their lives began. Outside of work, she enjoys playing guitar and empowering/coaching elementary aged female wrestlers. 

Kevin Recknor

Lead Volunteer and Tour Guide

Kevin is a retired teacher living in North Liberty with his dog, Lola, and cats, Levi and Red. After retiring, Kevin’s passion was to become involved in animal rescue. When Iowa Farm Sanctuary was established, he signed up for the very first volunteer orientation. Through his work at the sanctuary, Kevin quickly learned that farmed animals are sentient, loving, emotional beings who have best friends, love their families, enjoy cuddles and belly rubs, and form strong emotional bonds with humans. After that, he was hooked! Kevin likes to say that sanctuary work is the hardest work he’s ever loved. He feels honored to help provide a safe and happy forever home for the rescued residents at Iowa Farm Sanctuary.
If you want to make Kevin’s day, just ask him about Molly Brown!

John Manak, Ph.D

LEAP (Leaders for Ethics, Animals, and the Planet) Coordinator

John, a professor at the University of Iowa whose laboratory studies human genetic disorders, discovered his passion for farm animal welfare in 2022, and his commitment to the mission at IFS is unwavering. As a scientist, John is obsessed with spreading the word about the sentience and intelligence of farm species (he’s always happy to discuss the latest and greatest discoveries in this realm), as well as the significant and well-documented health benefits of a plant-based diet. John is the coordinator of LEAP (Leaders for Ethics, Animals, and the Planet), a program focused on high school students that seeks to transform today’s youth into the humane leaders of tomorrow who advocate for (and work towards) an equitable future for all living beings and the planet.  When not teaching for LEAP, you will most likely find John at the pig barn where he spends a large portion of his time hanging out with his best buddies Ironman, Hope, Nel, and Jax (yes, John is crazy about the pigs and will talk your ear off about them).

Keith Wangler

Website Assistant

Keith started volunteering at Iowa Farm Sanctuary in 2020. Keith had been vegetarian for several years prior, but was moved to become vegan after learning more about the animal agriculture industry through IFS. While he loves volunteering, Keith also loves technology and helping with the website was a natural fit. Whether it’s mucking the Man Cave for Buddy and Harpo or patching up a web page, he’s happy to help!

You can always email suggestions or bug reports to keethums@outlook.com