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Board of Directors
Since 2017 Conservation Dogs Collective has been overseen by a group of dedicated, volunteer board members. We are always on the lookout for amazing people to serve on our board. Are you interested?
Kate Stel, MDiv, President
Kate brings diverse experience in conservation, mission-driven nonprofit work, and community engagement with social issues. Growing up Kate regularly engaged in conservation work, especially prairie restoration, with her family, and accompanied by the family dogs. She holds a Master of Divinity from the University of Chicago Divinity School, where she focused on connecting communities to environmental work and research subjects and included Aldo Leopoldo’s "A Sand County Almanac" as a guidebook for growing faith-based environmental consciousness. This path led her back to her beloved central Wisconsin to work in the nonprofit sector and live closer to the land that helped grow her.
Currently, Kate works in nonprofit development and communications at the Oshkosh Public Museum.
She lives with her partner Cory in Ripon, WI along with their beloved animal companions. Their family includes the tireless Australian Labradoodle Ruby, and two feline rescues Indy and Maggie. Kate enjoys spending time outdoors, training courses with Ruby, organic vegetable gardening, and cooking for her friends and family.
Pronouns: she, hers
Currently, Kate works in nonprofit development and communications at the Oshkosh Public Museum.
She lives with her partner Cory in Ripon, WI along with their beloved animal companions. Their family includes the tireless Australian Labradoodle Ruby, and two feline rescues Indy and Maggie. Kate enjoys spending time outdoors, training courses with Ruby, organic vegetable gardening, and cooking for her friends and family.
Pronouns: she, hers
Holly Lewis, Secretary
Holly brings over 20 years of non-profit experience to the group. She was the president of Alliance of Wisconsin Animal Rehoming Efforts (AWARE) for 7 years and has been actively involved in running the Great Lakes Pet Expo (the largest pet expo in the Midwest) for 13 years.
Holly has a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from St Norbert College, but her career was written in stone when she started volunteering in dog rescue more than 15 years ago. During her early years of involvement in dog rescue, she shared her heart with a dog that sparked her interest and desire to learn more about dog behavior and training.
Luckily, that interest has never stopped. In 2011, Holly launched Cold Nose Canine to share her passion and expertise with others. Each animal—human or canine—that crosses her path brings new insight and information to Holly, and she strongly believes in teaching people that animals have choice. Choice is a powerful resource for all beings. She also believes our paths cross for a reason and each interaction with our animals, and others, has a purpose.
In her free time, she enjoys hiking with her own dogs, reading up on the latest dog industry news, and getting her hands dirty in her garden.
Holly has a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from St Norbert College, but her career was written in stone when she started volunteering in dog rescue more than 15 years ago. During her early years of involvement in dog rescue, she shared her heart with a dog that sparked her interest and desire to learn more about dog behavior and training.
Luckily, that interest has never stopped. In 2011, Holly launched Cold Nose Canine to share her passion and expertise with others. Each animal—human or canine—that crosses her path brings new insight and information to Holly, and she strongly believes in teaching people that animals have choice. Choice is a powerful resource for all beings. She also believes our paths cross for a reason and each interaction with our animals, and others, has a purpose.
In her free time, she enjoys hiking with her own dogs, reading up on the latest dog industry news, and getting her hands dirty in her garden.
Beth Enneking
Beth has over 22 years of non-profit experience which includes fundraising, capital campaign development, volunteer recruitment, organizational management as well as major event production. She enjoys leveraging her corporate business development, sales and marketing experience to assist in the non-profit sector.
For the past 6 years, she has been the Executive Director of the Alliance of Wisconsin Animal Rehoming Efforts (AWARE) and the Expo Director for the Great Lakes Pet Expo. Prior to AWARE, her non-profit experience was earned at March of Dimes and Redeemer UCC. Her corporate experience was gained in the areas of technology, human and animal imaging.
She resides in Sussex, WI with her husband, Brad, her sons, William, Jack and Aidan. Her critter crew includes dog, PDot and 5 felines, Lilly, Toshie, Frizzy, MTR and Skiddy. Beth is a lifelong animal lover, appreciates nature, loves cheering for her boys at their collegiate football games and spending time with her extended family.
For the past 6 years, she has been the Executive Director of the Alliance of Wisconsin Animal Rehoming Efforts (AWARE) and the Expo Director for the Great Lakes Pet Expo. Prior to AWARE, her non-profit experience was earned at March of Dimes and Redeemer UCC. Her corporate experience was gained in the areas of technology, human and animal imaging.
She resides in Sussex, WI with her husband, Brad, her sons, William, Jack and Aidan. Her critter crew includes dog, PDot and 5 felines, Lilly, Toshie, Frizzy, MTR and Skiddy. Beth is a lifelong animal lover, appreciates nature, loves cheering for her boys at their collegiate football games and spending time with her extended family.
Dayna Villa
Dayna Villa is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT), Behavior Consultant (CBCC) & Whistle Recall Instructor (CWRI) based out of Southeastern Pennsylvania. She is currently the owner of Taking the Lead Dog Training LLC, providing force-free dog training & behavior modification services to her community. Prior to owning her own business, Dayna worked in animal welfare and provided leadership in both staff and board position in local shelters. She is passionate about keeping dogs out of shelters and helping pet guardians understand the behaviors of man's best friend.
Dayna received her undergraduate degree from West Chester University of Pennsylvania in 2003. She is a constant learner and has attended numerous conferences & seminars to continue her education in dog behavior & training. Some of these include: Clicker Expo, The Lemonade Conference, The Business of Saving Lives Conference, and The Best Friends National Conference where she participated as an attendee and a speaker on shelter animal behavior.
In her spare time, Dayna enjoys going see live music, traveling, volunteering with the Philly Vax Project & ACCT Philly and taking nosework classes with her dog.
Dayna currently lives in Norristown, Pennsylvania with her husband Chris and her deaf rescue boxer, Charlotte.
Dayna received her undergraduate degree from West Chester University of Pennsylvania in 2003. She is a constant learner and has attended numerous conferences & seminars to continue her education in dog behavior & training. Some of these include: Clicker Expo, The Lemonade Conference, The Business of Saving Lives Conference, and The Best Friends National Conference where she participated as an attendee and a speaker on shelter animal behavior.
In her spare time, Dayna enjoys going see live music, traveling, volunteering with the Philly Vax Project & ACCT Philly and taking nosework classes with her dog.
Dayna currently lives in Norristown, Pennsylvania with her husband Chris and her deaf rescue boxer, Charlotte.
Cydney Peterson
Cydney brings myriad experiences and expertise to CDCI through their exotic and domestic animal husbandry, behavior, training, and conservation knowledge and skills. They have a background in the zoological and animal behavior management field. After receiving their B.A. in Biology and Studio Art, they entered a decade-long career as a zookeeper and animal trainer at four zoos, additionally serving as an Animal Behavior Management Coordinator at their last facility. Cydney’s primary focus during their zoo career was rhino husbandry and conservation. Cydney continues to work with various rhino conservation initiatives in South Africa and travels there when possible.
Cydney holds their KPA- CTP, the animal and dog training certification from the Karen Pryor Academy. They have operated business as a pet care provider, dog training consultant, and mental health coach for humans. Additionally, Cydney has farm animal sanctuary experience, providing animal husbandry, managing social media and fundraising efforts, and directing volunteers. Cydney is currently expanding on their interests in art, mental health, and the human-nature connection as an Art and Eco Therapy Counseling master’s candidate at Southwestern College, Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Cydney enjoys learning “the nature of things” and teaching art skills, behavior science, and natural science-y stuff. They also enjoy planning projects, creating art, nature hikes, training with their two adopted dogs, Nelson (Shih Tzu) and Phoebe (Shih Tzu/Yorkie), tending their plant collection, making meaningful connections, listening to people’s stories, photography, writing, and travel. Cydney lives with their husband, Adam, two dogs, a 28-year-old leopard gecko (oldest living? Possibly!), and lots of plant babies in Altoona, Wisconsin.
Pronouns: they, them
Cydney holds their KPA- CTP, the animal and dog training certification from the Karen Pryor Academy. They have operated business as a pet care provider, dog training consultant, and mental health coach for humans. Additionally, Cydney has farm animal sanctuary experience, providing animal husbandry, managing social media and fundraising efforts, and directing volunteers. Cydney is currently expanding on their interests in art, mental health, and the human-nature connection as an Art and Eco Therapy Counseling master’s candidate at Southwestern College, Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Cydney enjoys learning “the nature of things” and teaching art skills, behavior science, and natural science-y stuff. They also enjoy planning projects, creating art, nature hikes, training with their two adopted dogs, Nelson (Shih Tzu) and Phoebe (Shih Tzu/Yorkie), tending their plant collection, making meaningful connections, listening to people’s stories, photography, writing, and travel. Cydney lives with their husband, Adam, two dogs, a 28-year-old leopard gecko (oldest living? Possibly!), and lots of plant babies in Altoona, Wisconsin.
Pronouns: they, them
Dawn Jacques
Dawn is the dedicated, hard-working owner of Milwaukee Paws Pet Care. She came to this business venture with a strong background as a social worker, however, her lifelong passion for animals made her realize she was meant to pursue a new career, and she brought her enthusiasm and love of animals to the MKE Paws family!
Dawn has always had dogs, birds and fish while growing up. When looking back, she especially remembers Poochie, a black Great Dane she and her family had. “He was the best dog! He would do the Great Dane lean, but my parents didn’t know what that was, so they were sure he was trying to block them into the couch!” (For those that don’t know, the “lean” is a sign of affection!)
It’s no surprise that Dawn knows so much about animals; with her passion comes an eagerness to learn and grow in her career. When she isn’t busy working, she is spending her free time studying to become a dog trainer! She also enjoys going sailing, spending time with family and friends or soaking in a good book on a quiet morning, but MKE Paws Pet Care is her passion and her life. Dawn says, “I love our team and our clients! We are so fortunate to have clients who love their pets, value what we bring to the table, and always do what is best for their pets!” Dawn also is proud of her “amazing” team. She says, “I have watched every team member grow and love the pets as if they are their own. I am always impressed with the dedication of the team and their eagerness to learn more every day.” The MKE Paws family is so fortunate to have an owner and boss who gives 100% and truly cares for each individual pet and client. Dawn looks forward to growing the team and helping even more pets and clients in the Milwaukee area.
Before her time at Milwaukee PAWS, Dawn spent the majority of her professional career in the non-profit sector working at nursing homes and as a general manager of a home care agency.
Dawn has always had dogs, birds and fish while growing up. When looking back, she especially remembers Poochie, a black Great Dane she and her family had. “He was the best dog! He would do the Great Dane lean, but my parents didn’t know what that was, so they were sure he was trying to block them into the couch!” (For those that don’t know, the “lean” is a sign of affection!)
It’s no surprise that Dawn knows so much about animals; with her passion comes an eagerness to learn and grow in her career. When she isn’t busy working, she is spending her free time studying to become a dog trainer! She also enjoys going sailing, spending time with family and friends or soaking in a good book on a quiet morning, but MKE Paws Pet Care is her passion and her life. Dawn says, “I love our team and our clients! We are so fortunate to have clients who love their pets, value what we bring to the table, and always do what is best for their pets!” Dawn also is proud of her “amazing” team. She says, “I have watched every team member grow and love the pets as if they are their own. I am always impressed with the dedication of the team and their eagerness to learn more every day.” The MKE Paws family is so fortunate to have an owner and boss who gives 100% and truly cares for each individual pet and client. Dawn looks forward to growing the team and helping even more pets and clients in the Milwaukee area.
Before her time at Milwaukee PAWS, Dawn spent the majority of her professional career in the non-profit sector working at nursing homes and as a general manager of a home care agency.
Janet Cram
Janet Cram is the owner of Two Cents Accounting, an accounting firm for small businesses based in Fairfax, MN. Janet is a lifelong conservation proponent and animal lover. She holds a degree in Animal Science from South Dakota State University, a field she explored before finding her zeal for accounting. She holds a Masters in Accountancy from St. Mary's University of Minnesota.
When not at her computer, Janet enjoys horseback riding, photography and being outdoors. Janet's passion for mission-driven work expands into many areas and she volunteers for several organizations such as Minnesota Horse Council, MN Distance Riding Association, the Pride of the Dakotas Alumni Chapter and the Friends of Fort Ridgely State Park.
Janet is currently serving on the board of both the Pride of the Dakotas alumni chapter as a member at large and as Treasurer of the Friends of Fort Ridgely.
She lives in Southwest Minnesota with cats Harper and d'Artagnan, and BLM Mustang Oops.
Photo courtesy of Kathleen Riley Photography.
When not at her computer, Janet enjoys horseback riding, photography and being outdoors. Janet's passion for mission-driven work expands into many areas and she volunteers for several organizations such as Minnesota Horse Council, MN Distance Riding Association, the Pride of the Dakotas Alumni Chapter and the Friends of Fort Ridgely State Park.
Janet is currently serving on the board of both the Pride of the Dakotas alumni chapter as a member at large and as Treasurer of the Friends of Fort Ridgely.
She lives in Southwest Minnesota with cats Harper and d'Artagnan, and BLM Mustang Oops.
Photo courtesy of Kathleen Riley Photography.
Kathleen Riley
Kathleen is the owner of Kathleen Riley Photography and specializes in photography and videography of dogs, horses, and the people that love them. The Riley Photo team gives back to dog and horse charities and focuses on the human-animal bond. Kathleen worked in the pet and equine industry in sales and marketing and as an editor for dog and horse publications. She was voted Top Dog Trainer in the Minneapolis-St Paul area by Twin Cities Tails readers.
Kathleen's love of animals began as a child. She grew up with dogs and horses and considered them family members. Her current dogs compete in conformation and performance events.
Kathleen lives in the Minneapolis-St Paul metro area with her husband, David, and her dogs, FTV the Labrador and Mick the Chinook.
Kathleen's love of animals began as a child. She grew up with dogs and horses and considered them family members. Her current dogs compete in conformation and performance events.
Kathleen lives in the Minneapolis-St Paul metro area with her husband, David, and her dogs, FTV the Labrador and Mick the Chinook.
Kristen Salmon
Kristen is a lifelong animal lover and is a Product Manager at Encamp, a technology company focused on environmental compliance reporting. Prior to joining Encamp, she spent eight years at Bloomerang, helping develop new software features to make fundraising easier, and guiding fundraisers in realizing the full potential of their donor database. She also has professional experience as a program officer managing federal grants, and holds a Master's of Public Affairs in Nonprofit Management and Policy Analysis from the O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University. In her spare time, she co-leads a Girl Scout troop and enjoys baking, gardening, and spending time outdoors. She and her husband live in Indianapolis with their dog, cat, and leopard gecko (all rescues!), and has had the privilege of sharing her life with many special canines over the years.
Shannon Downey
Shannon spent over 25 years working for federal land management agencies, including the US Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service, in addition to several state and local entities. Her jobs included project management, environmental coordination, endangered species biologist, reclamation ecologist, fire mitigation specialist, and range management specialist. She also served on wildland fire incident management teams as a public information officer, and continues this work on an ad hoc basis. Prior to going into land management, she spent five years working in ecological research.
Her technical expertise includes forest, range, and fire ecology; watershed and riparian management; environmental compliance; vegetation mapping and ecological modeling. She holds a B.A. from The Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA and a M.S. from the College of Forest Resources at the University of Washington in Seattle.
Shannon is a fifth-generation Wisconsinite. During her early years, her family lived in Whitefish Bay. They soon moved out to the lake country near Hartland, where, in addition to nine humans, the family included dogs, cats, tropical fish, horses, goats, frogs, turtles, ducks, a parrot, orphaned baby raccoons and fox that would go wild in the adjacent woods in the fall. The summer she turned fourteen, the family moved to a remote cattle ranch in the mountains of northeastern California, sixteen miles on gravel roads from the nearest town, surrounded by public lands.
Over the course of her federal career, Shannon lived in northern California, Oregon, and Montana, where she worked closely with several Indian Tribes. She moved back to Milwaukee in early summer 2021 to be closer to her sons, both of whom attended college in the upper Midwest. She shares a duplex in Milwaukee’s west end with one of her sons, three cats and golden doodle Rosie. The humans each have their own apartment; the animals have the run of the house. She enjoys hiking, bird-watching, skiing, kayaking, canoeing, and scuba diving.
Her technical expertise includes forest, range, and fire ecology; watershed and riparian management; environmental compliance; vegetation mapping and ecological modeling. She holds a B.A. from The Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA and a M.S. from the College of Forest Resources at the University of Washington in Seattle.
Shannon is a fifth-generation Wisconsinite. During her early years, her family lived in Whitefish Bay. They soon moved out to the lake country near Hartland, where, in addition to nine humans, the family included dogs, cats, tropical fish, horses, goats, frogs, turtles, ducks, a parrot, orphaned baby raccoons and fox that would go wild in the adjacent woods in the fall. The summer she turned fourteen, the family moved to a remote cattle ranch in the mountains of northeastern California, sixteen miles on gravel roads from the nearest town, surrounded by public lands.
Over the course of her federal career, Shannon lived in northern California, Oregon, and Montana, where she worked closely with several Indian Tribes. She moved back to Milwaukee in early summer 2021 to be closer to her sons, both of whom attended college in the upper Midwest. She shares a duplex in Milwaukee’s west end with one of her sons, three cats and golden doodle Rosie. The humans each have their own apartment; the animals have the run of the house. She enjoys hiking, bird-watching, skiing, kayaking, canoeing, and scuba diving.
CDCI's Advisory Board
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Judy Cardin
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Emily M. Chester, Ph.D.
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Alli Dunlop, DVM, CVA, CCRT
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Sharlene Kipfer, MPA
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Joy Nonnweiler PhD, Esq.
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Dr. Lori Rockwell DVM, CCRT, KPA-CTP
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Shelby Klein, CPA
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Louise Wilson
Former Board Members
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Leah Neuroth
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Elizabeth Giddens, Ph.D.
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Maria Muradas, MS
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Joe Clohessy
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Anna Nusbaum, MD
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Natalie Dutack, MS
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Jen Patel
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Tracie Feest
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Carly Irland
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Hannah Stonehouse Hudson
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Shana Magill, CPA, MBA
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John Janssen, PhD
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Lisa Kluslow, DVM, CVA, VSMT, CCRT, CVCH
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Dr. rer. nat. Gerlinde Höbel
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