Ashley Foster is professional dog trainer who has been training and consulting professionally for over 30 years. She is the founder and owner of Dogs by Foster, formerly known as Complete K-9, which offers science-based behavior solutions and various training services to foster strong human-dog relationships in Northern Colorado, Southeast Wyoming, and virtually worldwide. Ashley also provides consulting services to veterinary practices, rehabilitation clinics, and animal-care businesses, helping them develop stress-free and behaviorally sound practices.

Ashley has participated in every facet of the dog training field, including performance, conformation, blood tracking, therapy dog training and program coordination, rescue and shelter work, animal care facility management and consulting, group class instruction, and private behavior modification. She is the co-author of The Healthy Way to Stretch Your Dog, the 2009 Dog Writers Association of America – Maxwell Award Winner, and co-creator of the Therapeutic Handling for Canine Rehabilitation course for Canine Rehabilitation Institute. Fueled by a great passion for the progression and professionalization of the field, Ashley joined the CCPDT Board in 2018 and was elected president in 2021.

Ashley has a Bachelor’s Degree in Zoology from Colorado State University and lives in Laramie, WY, with her two- and four-legged family.

James Crosby has professionally trained dogs, taught individual and group obedience classes, and addressed canine behavior problems since 1999. He teaches safe handling, evaluation and rehabilitation of dangerous dogs and the investigation of fatal and serious dog attacks to police, animal control agencies and others across the US, Canada, Italy, the UK, Poland and Australia.

Jim is recognized in and out of court in the US and Canada as an expert on dangerous dogs, canine aggression, fatal dog attacks, and related issues. He has personally investigated over 20 fatal dog attacks on humans and has physically and behaviorally evaluated over 40 dogs involved post-attack. Jim served as chair of the review committee addressing dangerous dog procedures and processes for the government of the Australian Capital Territory in 2017/2018.

He authored two chapters in the textbook Dog Bites: A Multidisciplinary Approach and writes the dog aggression blog “Canine Aggression Issues with Jim Crosby”. Jim served as Animal Control Division Manager of Bay County Animal Control from 2008 to 2010 and has been Division Management Consultant to Jacksonville (FL) Animal Care and Protective Services since 2016.

Jim is a retired Police Lieutenant with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and a certified Animal Control Officer in Jacksonville, FL. He is also an Associate Member of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, a Charter Member of the International Veterinary Forensic Science Association, and a Supporting Member of IAABC. Jim holds a M.S. in Veterinary Forensic Medicine and lives in the Jacksonville, FL area.

Lynne Stott works with individual dogs to create resilience, emotional regulation and impulse control through positive reinforcement training. She teaches classes to dog owners and industry professionals in Body Language, Creating Resilience and Desensitization/Counter Conditioning. Her passion is to help owners communicate with their dogs and learn to teach behaviors that support a safe and secure living environment.

Lynne volunteered in one of the nation’s largest shelters, concentrating on the behavioral needs of dogs. She worked to educate volunteers, fosters and adopters in behavior management and training techniques with the goal of making dogs more adoptable and keeping adopted dogs in their homes. Lynne’s interest in behavioral science and the physiology of behavior began as a dual-licensed foster care provider for the Arizona Department of Economic Security and Pima County Juvenile Courts. She was an active member of the Military Affairs Committee at Davis Monthan Air Force Base.

Lynne retired from a 20-year career in hospitality management with a CFBE designation from the University of Michigan. She was Adjunct Faculty for Northern Arizona University and Pima Community College.

Emily Cain Bernhart has over 15 years of experience promoting the well-being of animals across a wide range of settings—including zoos, sanctuaries, research facilities, and animal shelters. Her favorite animals to work with are apes and she has a history of caring for primates like bonobos, orangutans, and chimpanzees. She enjoys building relationships with each individual animal and is committed to advancing their welfare in captive settings through enrichment, training, and behavior modification.

Emily is the co-founder of WildThink, a nonprofit organization that provides practical, evidence-based enrichment resources to animal care professionals around the world. In recent years, she developed and led the SPCA Tampa Bay’s Mission Programs Department which provides vital community resources such as pet food banks, low-cost and fee-waived veterinary services, and surrender prevention support. Emily is passionate about creating sustainable solutions that keep families together and improve outcomes for animals.

Emily holds a bachelor’s degree in Biology and a master’s degree in Zoo, Aquarium, and Animal Shelter Management from Colorado State University.

Erin Askeland is currently the Animal Health & Behavior Consultant & Program Development Manager for Camp Bow Wow® doggy day care. She is also the owner of For the Love of Snouts where she specializes in helping build positive relationships between families and their new pets through play. She has over 20 years of experience in the pet care industry and focuses on education and continued learning for pet owners and pet professionals.

She assisted Fear Free’s development of their Fear Free Boarding and Daycare certification program to further these principles in the industry, and she continues to support efforts to spread safe, humane, and ethical pet care practices. Her work also includes the development of a grant program to serve families and rescue groups who need financial assistance to help provide a dog life-altering medical care. Her efforts with the Bow Wow Buddies Foundation® have led to providing grants to over 1,000 dogs nationwide.

Erin strives to make learning fun for everyone, from pets to people, and this attitude is reflected in her training philosophy, where she emphasizes the importance of lifelong learning for pets and their families to support their health and well-being. She holds a Master of Science in Clinical Animal Behavior and is a Fear Free Certified Professional Trainer.

Drake Azevedo has been professionally training animals since 1999. Before that, he was just messing around, as you do. He primarily focuses on dogs and seeks a better understanding of collaborative learning every day. Drake currently holds a CPDT-KA and a CBCC-KA.

Drake manages Sarah’s Pet Sitting, a large pet-sitting agency in central Connecticut. He is responsible for training all newly hired pet sitters and provides ready assistance with fractious pets. Drake also provides one-on-one private training on all types of behavior problems and the usual pet interactions.

Drake founded and runs Dog as Copilot, a small service dog collaborative that assists owner-trainers on their journey toward independence. Drake currently shares his life with three fabulous dogs and his partner. You will usually see Drake with his service dog, Solstice.

Callie Cozzolino has over 15 years of nonprofit experience, including over a decade in executive management. She led a team of staff and volunteers who provided animal-assisted therapy services to nearly 10,000 individuals annually at Canine Therapy Corps in Chicago. Callie has assessed hundreds of dogs for therapy work suitability, run group training classes, private lessons, and a day training program, and developed therapy dog programs.

She holds a patent for an animal-assisted therapy garment, has been published in an academic journal, presented poster presentations at industry conferences, and taught continuing education programs to lawyers and therapists. Callie has been a CPDT-KA since 2012 and joined the CCPDT board in 2025.

Callie holds a BA in Communications from the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater and a Juris Doctor from the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law. Callie lives in Chicago with her husband, son, and pit bull type dog Myrtle. She enjoys hiking, working with her hands, playing pickleball, and learning Spanish.

Ruth Crisler founded See Spot Run, a training and boarding facility in Chicago in 2000. As a certified behavior consultant with 34 years’ experience working with animals professionally, Ruth is committed to achieving practical solutions to complex behavior problems using methods that meet the highest standards of humane and effective training.

Ruth’s contributions to the field of training & behavior include extensive volunteer work and participation in a wide range of industry education and policy projects. She served as Ethics Committee Chair for the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC) and was an original IAABC Behavior Consulting Principles & Practice Course Mentor. Ruth has written articles for The APDT Chronicle and IACP Safe Hands Journal, and consulted on the Darwin’s Dogs canine genetics project.

Ruth currently lives in Chicago with her husband, children, and dogs Feisal and Lodger. She believes that the best tools a trainer can possess are experience and an open mind. Ruth joined the CCPDT board in 2024.

Linda LeFauve is a former college administrator who has happily turned her full attention to dogs. She has an undergraduate degree in psychology and a graduate degree in experimental psychology with a clinical practicum. She founded LeFauve Behavioral Consulting, working with rescue groups and shelters to support new dog adopters at no cost. She does temperament testing, fostering, and transports for Malamute, Rottweiler, Akita, and Siberian husky rescue groups in additional to working with all-breed rescues and shelters. She also volunteers with Continuing the Mission, a group that trains support dogs for veterans with diagnosed PTSD.

Linda is a CPDT-KA, a CBCC-KA, and is certified fear-free through Fear Free Pets. She is a member of the Marketing and Communications Committee of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT). She specializes in canine fear and fear aggression.

Cathy Madson has over 15 years of experience helping dogs and their people build better relationships and solve problems through humane and ethical training methods. She is the founder of Pupstanding Academy, where she offers virtual behavior consultations and self-paced training courses. Cathy also teaches classes and mentors trainers at Seattle Humane, volunteers with the Humane Alliance of Rescue Trainers, and serves as a content expert for Preventive Vet.

Cathy specializes in aggression cases and behavioral euthanasia consultations, working closely with pet guardians, veterinarians, and fellow trainers to support dogs with complex behavioral needs. She co-authored 101 Essential Tips: Senior Dog, Comfort & Care, a resource for improving quality of life in a dog’s golden years.

Cathy holds a master’s degree in English and Writing and is a Family Dog Mediator and Fear Free Certified Training Professional. She lives in the Seattle area with her two Cardigan Welsh Corgis, Sookie Bean and Fozzie Bear.

Jerri Scherff came to dog training via veterinary medicine where she worked for 18 years in animal hospitals across Kansas and Oklahoma. From kennel staff to veterinary technician, to practice manager of a successful animal hospital in Tulsa, she brought that knowledge to the dog training world.

She is the owner of Tulsa Pack Athletics, a cooperative for dog trainers wishing to provide high quality, low cost training to people virtually. She created the “Open-Minded Approach” in 2021 and has helped thousands of dogs recover from their behavioral problems. Jerri is also the co-founder of Dogs Anonymous, a group of canine behavior professionals working together to do something about the shelter crisis.

Jerri lives in Kansas and is an upland gun dog hunter, and a cowgirl. She spends most of her spare time on the prairie running dogs, in the woods with her American Bully and working partner Enzo, or on horseback. Jerri joined the CCPDT board in 2025.

Selina Wang is the founder of Golden Canine Club, a Colorado-based dog training organization specializing in game-based learning and concept training. Selina is always at the forefront of innovation and system development, with a philosophy rooted in teaching dogs real-life skills through interactive games, fostering optimism and calmness.

With her background in engineering and information design, Selina brings an interdisciplinary perspective and data-driven approach to the board. Selina lives in Colorado.

Bradley Phifer joined the CCPDT Board in 2009 and served as President from 2012 to 2017. His extensive experience includes roles as the Director of Animal Behavior Programs at the Humane Society of Indianapolis, the Director of Pet Behavior Services at the Broad Ripple Animal Clinic & Wellness Center, and the owner of Bradley Phifer Dog Training, which includes Seven Acres and Bark Tutor School for Dogs.

In addition to his training and consulting work, Bradley is actively involved in AKC Conformation shows, exhibiting various breeds such as Affenpinschers, Afghan Hounds, Basenjis, and Ibizan Hounds. He is also a member of the Basenji Club of America, the Affenpinscher Club of America, and the Ibizan Hound Club of America. Bradley holds certifications as a Certified Professional Dog Trainer-Knowledge & Skills Assessed (CPDT-KA) and Certified Behavior Consultant Canine-Knowledge Assessed (CBCC-KA).

Devin Zimmer started training dogs in 2011 after graduating from Transylvania University with a BA in psychology. Her training specialties are pet manners, aggression, and anxiety. Devin owned Ain’t Misbehavin Dog Training and Services from 2017 until 2022 and now teaches group classes at Bluegrass Dog Training Academy, as well as serving as the Volunteer Coordinator for IAABC.

Devin lives in Kentucky and spends her time enjoying live music, lounging by bodies of water, and being a hospice volunteer. She is currently conducting research on the role of B cells in ischemic stroke recovery as part of her graduate studies.