IAABC Staff

The IAABC staff provides the organization and our IAABC members with support and assistance.

• More about Sarah

  Sarah Filipiak CDBC, BSJ

  Executive Director

  Sarah Filipiak is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant (CDBC) through IAABC. FULL BIO

  X

  Sarah Filipiak CDBC, BSJ

  Sarah Filipiak is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant (CDBC) through IAABC. Sarah is a past president of and served a five-year term on the board of the IAABC, where she also serves on the Education Committee and offers a Beginning Behavior Consulting mentorship. She has been a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers since 2001, and teaches the APDT's popular course, "Dog Training 101: What Every Dog Trainer Should Know."

  Sarah raised and trained European-line German Shepherd Dogs for more than 12 years, and has competed in disc, agility, AKC and UKC obedience and rally. In 2010, she obtained her first whippet, Fanfare's Crazy Train RA BN RL1 CGC. She holds a bachelor's degree in magazine journalism from the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University.

• More about Marjie

  Marjie Alonso, CDBC, CPDT-KA, KPA CTP

  Executive Project Director

  She was a professional dog trainer and behavior consultant and owner of City Dog Training in Somerville, MA. FULL BIO

  X

  Marjie Alonso, CDBC, CPDT-KA, KPA CTP

  She was a professional dog trainer and behavior consultant and owner of City Dog Training in Somerville, MA. for decades, during which time she also served as Training Director, and then behavioral consultant for the New England Dog Training Club, the oldest AKC club in the US, and as a member of the America Humane Association's Advisory Board for Companion Animal Behavior and Training.

  Marjie is the co-founder of the Somerville Foundation for Animals, which hosts the Somerville Dog Festival each year.Marjie is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant (CDBC) with the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants; a Certified Training Partner of Karen Pryor Academy; a Certified Pet Dog Trainer, Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA) of the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers; an AKC Canine Good Citizen evaluator, and a Professional Member of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT)

• More about Jesse

  Jesse Miller, Ph.D SBA

  Managing Editor, IAABC Journal,
  Executive Assistant

  Jesse Miller, Ph.D SBA is the managing editor of the IAABC journal, lead author of the monthly newsletter, and Executive Assistant. FULL BIO

  X

  Jesse Miller, Ph.D SBA

  Jesse Miller, Ph.D SBA is the managing editor of the IAABC journal, lead author of the monthly newsletter, and Executive Assistant

  He lives in San Francisco with his partner and a rather demanding chihuahua, where he volunteers at the SFSPCA and writes in his spare time.

  His favorite thing about working for IAABC is the chance to bring together people with unique and interesting perspectives on animal behavior.

• More about Melinda

  Melinda Lee

  Communications Director
  Membership Services

  Melinda has worked with various state and local agencies implementing Information Systems for over 15 years and recently pursued an education in dog training and behavior. FULL BIO

  X

  Melinda Lee

  Melinda has worked with various state and local agencies implementing Information Systems for over 15 years and recently pursued an education in dog training and behavior.

  She is currently studying with Catch Canine Training Academy and is a volunteer with Best Friends Animal Society, the ASPCA and HSUS.

  Melinda runs a small business part-time offering fine stationery for special events in which she offers calligraphy, letterpress and graphic design services.

  She is a Supporting Member of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC) and Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT). She is also a certified Project Management Professional (PMP).

  Melinda currently resides on Long Island with her boyfriend and their beloved dog.

• More about Rochelle

  Rochelle Burtt, CDBC, CBCC-KA

  Education Technology Director

  Rochelle is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant and avid supporter of the IAABC. FULL BIO

  X

  Rochelle Burtt, CBCC-KA

  Rochelle is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant and avid supporter of the IAABC. She first started down this path nearly 30 years ago when she earned a Diploma in Animal Science, but her primary job for many years was as a Software Developer. She is now getting back to her true passion of working with animals and helping people on more of a full-time basis.

  Rochelle is an avid volunteer in Service Dog work and is dedicated to promoting the LIMA protocol. She shares her life with her husband, four sons, a Labrador Retriever, a German Shepherd, and a senior cat.

• More about Dae

  Dae Grodin

  Social Media Director

  Dae is the owner and trainer of Dog-Abilities, a professional dog training business, servicing the Northern KY and Cincinnati areas since 2011. FULL BIO

  X

  Dae Grodin

  Dae is the owner and trainer of Dog-Abilities, a professional dog training business, servicing the Northern KY and Cincinnati areas since 2011. She offers private training, behavior consults, group classes, 4H Dog Club classes, board and trains, and dog walking services. Dae is also a Certified Professional Dog Trainer – Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA) and a Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner (KPA CTP). She also belongs to various dog training organizations, including IAABC, APDT, and PPG.

  Dae’s dog training journey began 17 years ago when she decided to train her first puppy, a Boxer. Together, they learned the power of positive reinforcement training. While in college, Dae became increasingly interested in animal behavior, taking college classes, reading various books and articles on the subject. After graduating from the University of Kentucky with a major in psychology, she decided to pursue both her passions for psychology and animal training. This led her to working in boarding, training, and daycare facilities, where she gained knowledge under other positive, skilled, reward based trainers, as well as honing observational skills and hands-on experience with many different dogs.

  Since 2004, Dae has been involved with APDT conference as Conference Staff and Task Force, and most notably received the Ian Dunbar Member of the Year Award in 2015. Currently, Dae is the Social Media Director for IAABC, running their Instagram accounts @iaabcpets (#petsbehavingwell) and @iaabcbehavior, as well as the Facebook Pets Behaving Well group. Each month, submissions are taken for the Pets Behaving Well Contest, showcasing animals of all species behaving well. Winners receive a $25 Amazon gift card.

  Dae lives with 3 dogs—a Husky/German Shepherd Dog mix, a Parson Russell Terrier, a Border Terrier, a house bunny, and foster Pitbull. Dae’s dogs actively work in search and rescue, therapy dog and crisis response work, nose work, barn hunt, agility, and trick training. When she is not working with dogs, she enjoys hiking and photography.

• More about Adrienne

  Adrienne Hovey

  Editor, IAABC Journal

  Adrienne Hovey is the owner of Fresh Start Writing... FULL BIO

  X

  Adrienne Hovey

  Adrienne Hovey is the owner of Fresh Start Writing, a consulting business dedicated to helping pet professionals put their best foot forward when it comes to the written word. She also serves social media manager for Pets in Motion, Inc., in Wayne, Pa.

  Adrienne has an undergraduate degree in biology from Mount Holyoke College, and spent five years as a veterinary radiology and nuclear medicine technician at Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston. After relocating to Philadelphia, she realized that animal behavior was her passion. She attended a four-month canine training and behavior program in Texas and then returned home to Philadelphia intending to start her own training business. However, she quickly realized that writing and editing for dog trainers was her true calling. She served as managing editor, and then editor-in-chief, of the APDT Chronicle of the Dog from 2010 to 2015, and when she left there, she founded Fresh Start.

  Adrienne shares her home with two cats, Satchmo and Neville, who make her laugh every day. Their sidekick is the world's most concerned Lab, Cruzan, who loves to swim and chase a ball, but wishes thunderstorms, fireworks, and the haunted couch in the living room would just go away. When she isn't working or walking a dog, Adrienne enjoys crossword puzzles, sudoku, and conversations that start with "Let me tell you about this amazing story I heard on a podcast last week..."

• More about Angela

  Angela Wentz

  Bookkeeper, IAABC

  I have been with IAABC since 2008 managing their QuickBooks. FULL BIO

  X

  Angela Wentz

  I have been with IAABC since 2008 managing their QuickBooks. AMW Bookkeepers started in 2008 and this is one of the first accounts that was taken on. Being an independent contractor as a bookkeeper has a lot of advantages but the one that stands out the most are the people you work with.

  The relationship with IAABC has grown over the years from just managing membership payments to watching the association enter the world wide web with their first website and how that changed my roll with them.

  New responsibilities have been added over the years; bill pay for vendors and staff, issue of refunds, annual budget reviews, profit and loss reports. As the association continues to grow nationally and internationally, I look forward to new and exciting changes.

• More about Sylvia

  Sylvia Currie

  Education Coordinator

  Sylvia Currie, BEd, MA (Applied Sciences), is an Associate Certified Dog Behavior Consultant and IAABC Education Coordinator FULL BIO

  X

  Sylvia Currie

  Sylvia Currie, BEd, MA (Applied Sciences), is an Associate Certified Dog Behavior Consultant and IAABC Education Coordinator, working with subject matter experts to develop online courses, webinars, and yet-to-be imagined educational programs for members. Sylvia has been designing and facilitating online learning and supporting others to do the same since the early days of web browsers. She works from her home office on a lake in the mountains near Kamloops, British Columbia. When she’s not tethered to her computer she is out working with dog training clients or romping around trails and dodging wildlife with her own dogs.

• More about Erin

  Erin Jones

  Education Initiative Lead, Science Editor

  Erin Jones CPDT-KA, CDBC, PhD Candidate FULL BIO

  X

  Erin Jones

  Erin Jones CPDT-KA, CDBC, PhD Candidate

  Erin currently lives in Christchurch, New Zealand with her husband and their dog, Juno. Erin is completing her PhD in Human-Animal Studies at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand Centre for Human-Animal Studies. Her research focuses on the dog-human relationship and how this affects the adoption of humane training and consensual human-mediated interactions with our companion dogs. She completed her MSc in Anthrozoology in 2018 at Canisius College.

  Erin is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant with the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC) and a Certified Professional Dog Trainer, Knowledge Assessed with the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT). Erin is also a full and committee member of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers - New Zealand (APDTNZ) and a committee member of the Australasian Animal Studies Association (AASA). Erin formerly worked for Companion Veterinary Clinic in Alberta, Canada as one of their resident dog behavior consultants and trainers before starting her own practice, Merit Dog Project, in 2016. She enjoys writing and providing educational seminars and workshops for both the public and fellow trainers and behavior consultants. Additionally, she works as a freelance writer for several online media sources, including a regular spot on K9 of Mine and Journey Dog Training, writing dog training and behavior articles.

• More about Jodi

  Jodi Thibeault

  Communications Coordinator

  Jodi has been studying animal behavior as a hobby since 2013. FULL BIO

  X

  Jodi Thibeault

  Jodi has been studying animal behavior as a hobby since 2013. She owes this obsession to her husky Freyja who, within the first 5 minutes of their very first meeting at the shelter, promptly sat down and silently refused to go back inside the building. Since that day Jodi has spent the majority of her free time learning about the world of positive reinforcement training and the science of behavior and learning in cats and dogs.

  In 2019 Jodi completed both the “Fundamentals of Animal Behavior and Learning”, and “Animal Behavior Consulting: Principles and Practice” courses through the IAABC. Jodi spent a year volunteering for the Animal Humane Society in Minneapolis where she walked dogs and helped the shy and fearful ones go through the adoption preparation program. She also currently volunteers some time with the Puppy Culture Facebook group as well as doing Trap-Neuter-Return of colony cats in her urban neighborhood. With her innate love of organization and spreadsheets, she was recruited as one of several volunteer organizers for the first annual IAABC/FDSA Lemonade Conference and has since been asked to stick around as one of the team.

   

• More about Shannan

  Shannan Skitch

  Volunteer Coordinator

  Shannan joined the IAABC as a supporting member in 2015 and became a part of the administrative team in 2020. FULL BIO

  X

  Shannan Skitch

  Shannan joined the IAABC as a supporting member in 2015 and became a part of the administrative team in 2020. Shannan has lived with ferrets for over 25 years and worked with them for the last 20 years. Her interest in small mammals began as a child and she has pursued that interest into adulthood working with rescues and shelters to help enrich the lives of these unique species.

  While she has specialized with ferrets, Shannan’s experience extends beyond them, with a lengthy list of educational pursuits in learning and behavior. She has worked in a dog daycare and boarding kennel, was on the dog behaviour team with her local Humane Society and has pursued TagTeach certification through level 1. Shannan has worked with parrots, dogs, cats, and over 60 other species of animals as anything from caretaker, behavior consultant, to trainer.

  Aside from her work with animals Shannan has been on the Business Development and Marketing teams in entrepreneurial and multinational companies. She is putting her business and administrative skills to work for the IAABC and The Lemonade Conference.

• More about Katrin

  Katrin Hawkins

  Application Review Committee Administrator

  Katrin Andberg Hawkins CDBC, CBCC-KA has owned Maplewood Dog in Sharon, MA since 1996. FULL BIO

  X

  Katrin Hawkins

  Katrin Andberg Hawkins CDBC, CBCC-KA has owned Maplewood Dog in Sharon, MA since 1996. After many years of teaching group and private behavior and training sessions, she is currently semi-retired enjoying coaching a small number of behavior and agility students, and volunteering with the Massachusetts 4-H program, the New England Aquarium and IAABC. Her life is currently shared with 2 dogs, a flock of ducks and a very patient husband.

• About the IAABC
• Join the IAABC
• Bylaws
• Board of Directors
• Committees
• Divisions
• FAQs
• Code of Ethics
• Core Competencies
• LIMA
• Position Statements
• Emeritus
• Staff

Here I get support, information and training on current, evidence-based knowledge. IAABC provides free webinars and content to earn member CEUs and also a lot of great stuff for further education like mentorships and online courses that I can highly recommend! A great community of international consultants offers great exchange on each relevant topic to support each others helping animals, their owners or even organisations that take care of animals of different species.

Sylvia Czarnecki Horse Behavior Consultant

This group of amazing Professionals enveloped me in such an accepting atmosphere, which provided and continues to provide, resources and skills, to lift me up to the challenges we all face in this profession. As a new member I feel they have produced a nurturing atmosphere for someone like me to succeed.

Ann Dahlen Laughing Mutts LLC

IAABC has been an invaluable learning tool for both myself and staff. As a shelter professional, the webinars provide relevant and up to date information to be used in multiple formats. The online convenience allows for continuing education, minus the travel.The mentorship programs are nothing short of amazing, including the pricing . This organization is always looking forward and growing.

Amy Schindler IAABC Shelter Affiliate Member

I am proud and honored to be certified by, a member of, and educator for the IAABC. I consider the organization to be the industry standard for well-rounded, quality, ethical animal behavior information that is disseminated in a supportive, effective, collaborative environment. The IAABC works very hard to produce not only quantity of educational resources, but also quality.

Katenna Jones Jones Animal Behavior

As a member, I get to network with experts in my field all over the world. This allows me to expand my knowledge in cat behavior as well as shelter behavior. As the feline behavior manager in an open intake shelter, this opportunity to learn from the best has allowed me to ensure the mental health and behavior needs are met for the cats in our care. The IAABC is the "go to" place for people all over the world to find experts in animal behavior. As a certified member my profile is available for the public to view. Since I earned my certification, I've seen my private business almost triple.

Lisa Stemcosky Feline Behavior Manager

I am very impressed with the educational opportunities offered by IAABC. Members get free streaming webinars (many of them lectures from their conferences) with CEUs that count towards re-certification. There are a broad range of topics by presenters from a variety of backgrounds. Continuing education is important to me and IAABC offers many opportunities for continuing education.

Joanne Oliva-Purdy, Ph.D. Feline Behavior Manager

For those dedicated to the enrichment of animal lives through professional pursuit or academia the IAABC is an invaluable asset

Shannan Skitch IAABC Supporting Member