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Our Team
Our Conservation Dogs Collective team is made up of a diverse, passionate, dog-loving group of individuals. We're known experts in dog training, scent work, nonprofits, communications, and biological sciences. During project development, we gladly collaborate with, advise, and train our project partners. In the field, we're both a guide and a translator for our working dogs. Within the community, we teach both the value of scent detection within conservation and bond-building that strengthens the dog-human relationship.
Laura Holder, CPDT-KA, CNWI - Executive Director, Canine Keeper
Laura's lifelong fascination with canines, especially their unique ability to work alongside humans, inspires her every day in the field. She loves training and deploying the CDCI Finder-Keeper teams to support clients in their critical conservation efforts. Laura’s ability to bring people together for the greater good and natural leadership skills truly shine in her “let’s do it!” attitude. She understands the interconnectedness all species have with each other and is honored to be working alongside dogs to make a difference in the health of our planet.
Driven by her boundless curiosity about how dogs think, learn and detect scent, Laura has spent more than a decade as a professional in the fields of scent-detection, nose work and dog training. She is a Certified Nose Work Instructor (CNWI™) through the National Association of Canine Scent Work (NASCW) and a Certified Professional Dog Trainer – Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA) through the CCPDT. Laura has also trained for obedience and agility. In addition to her involvement with Conservation Dogs Collective, Laura is also owner of Connecting with Dogs, co-founder of the Force Free Trainers of Wisconsin, and has a long list of continuing education credits.
Her two Labrador Retrievers, Ernie & Betty White, are her current canine partners for detection work and she oversees the training for all of the organization's Finder-Keeper teams.
Pronouns: she, hers
Driven by her boundless curiosity about how dogs think, learn and detect scent, Laura has spent more than a decade as a professional in the fields of scent-detection, nose work and dog training. She is a Certified Nose Work Instructor (CNWI™) through the National Association of Canine Scent Work (NASCW) and a Certified Professional Dog Trainer – Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA) through the CCPDT. Laura has also trained for obedience and agility. In addition to her involvement with Conservation Dogs Collective, Laura is also owner of Connecting with Dogs, co-founder of the Force Free Trainers of Wisconsin, and has a long list of continuing education credits.
Her two Labrador Retrievers, Ernie & Betty White, are her current canine partners for detection work and she oversees the training for all of the organization's Finder-Keeper teams.
Pronouns: she, hers
Tracie Schweder - Director of Communications
Growing up an avid camper, Tracie has always had a deep love for the natural environment and creation as a whole. That, coupled with her involvement in the growth of nonprofit brands such as Exploit No More, Camp Hometown Heroes, Gold in September, the JJ Watt Foundation, United Way and more, make her a great asset for CDCI and its continued growth.
Tracie brings 20 years of B2B and B2C branding, marketing and public relations experience to the organization with a passion to kindle fires in the hearts of diverse audiences; inspiring them to take action and be the change they desire to see in the world.
Like our other team members, Tracie also adores dogs and she comes from a long line of canine lovers! She and her family recently welcomed Lola the Labrador Retriever to their home after saying goodbye to their 10-year old Golden Retriever, Bela, who died of cancer in 2018. Of this Tracie shared, “The part of our hearts that she inhabited will forever remain hers… She made us better people.”
Pronouns: she, hers
Tracie brings 20 years of B2B and B2C branding, marketing and public relations experience to the organization with a passion to kindle fires in the hearts of diverse audiences; inspiring them to take action and be the change they desire to see in the world.
Like our other team members, Tracie also adores dogs and she comes from a long line of canine lovers! She and her family recently welcomed Lola the Labrador Retriever to their home after saying goodbye to their 10-year old Golden Retriever, Bela, who died of cancer in 2018. Of this Tracie shared, “The part of our hearts that she inhabited will forever remain hers… She made us better people.”
Pronouns: she, hers
Josephine Lock - Program Strategist, Canine Keeper
Originally from the UK, Jo's fascination with animal behavior and her concern for nature began as a young child through collecting and observing the animals around her, first at her home near Oxford, and later in Bahrain where her family lived until she was 15.
With a degree in Management Science and three years of doctoral research in a tool for strategic planning and decision making, most of Jo’s early career was spent working with human behavior but after moving to the USA she discovered scent detection and has been working with her canine partner Willow ever since. Willow acquired many of her search skills as a search and rescue dog trained to find missing people before transitioning to providing scent detection services for conservation projects.
Following a project recording bat fatalities around turbines at wind farms Jo became concerned for our native bats and began researching this problem and exploring the current solutions which led to her writing a white paper. The paper proposes a solution that draws on the principles of behavior and learning to help the bats to choose safer migration routes which avoid close contact with wind turbines through the establishment of “migration corridors.”
Pronouns: she, hers
With a degree in Management Science and three years of doctoral research in a tool for strategic planning and decision making, most of Jo’s early career was spent working with human behavior but after moving to the USA she discovered scent detection and has been working with her canine partner Willow ever since. Willow acquired many of her search skills as a search and rescue dog trained to find missing people before transitioning to providing scent detection services for conservation projects.
Following a project recording bat fatalities around turbines at wind farms Jo became concerned for our native bats and began researching this problem and exploring the current solutions which led to her writing a white paper. The paper proposes a solution that draws on the principles of behavior and learning to help the bats to choose safer migration routes which avoid close contact with wind turbines through the establishment of “migration corridors.”
Pronouns: she, hers
Morgan Charpentier - Canine Keeper
Morgan got her start on a ranch surrounded by everything from cattle to sheep to chickens, and (of course) many working dogs. It was here she learned the importance of nature, balance, conservation, and respect for all the flora and fauna around us—valuable lessons she carries close to her heart and work to this day.
Morgan's degree is in Social Work, but her passion is in nature. After graduation, she immediately started exploring jobs that would involve spending lots of time outdoors, but her education has not been wasted! Social Workers spend countless hours learning about motivation, learning, memory, behavior, and more—all knowledge she has been able to put to work when training and working alongside her canine partners!
She has been a full time conservation detection dog handler since 2019 with her four-legged partner, Jesse. In 2021 Morgan earned her certification through the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants as an accredited dog trainer (IAABC-ADT). Before this time, she spent years training and handling search and recovery dogs. Prior to working with her own dogs, Morgan was a researcher at a materials laboratory and a geotechnical inspector in Indianapolis. It was here she developed a deep appreciation for research and a drive for accurate and representative study design she now applies to her conservation dog-centric work.
To-date, Morgan's field work experience has primarily come from working on wind farms in the Midwest where she and Jesse surveyed plots for bird and bat fatalities. Together, they successfully completed over 600 searches and located nearly as many targets (not an easy task in the high heat of summer!). Additionally, Morgan has collaborated with other organizations, dog handlers, and researchers to develop training plans and studies.
Morgan currently resides in Indiana and shares her heart and home with her three dogs, Jesse, Cassidy, and Sunny.
Pronouns: she, hers
Morgan's degree is in Social Work, but her passion is in nature. After graduation, she immediately started exploring jobs that would involve spending lots of time outdoors, but her education has not been wasted! Social Workers spend countless hours learning about motivation, learning, memory, behavior, and more—all knowledge she has been able to put to work when training and working alongside her canine partners!
She has been a full time conservation detection dog handler since 2019 with her four-legged partner, Jesse. In 2021 Morgan earned her certification through the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants as an accredited dog trainer (IAABC-ADT). Before this time, she spent years training and handling search and recovery dogs. Prior to working with her own dogs, Morgan was a researcher at a materials laboratory and a geotechnical inspector in Indianapolis. It was here she developed a deep appreciation for research and a drive for accurate and representative study design she now applies to her conservation dog-centric work.
To-date, Morgan's field work experience has primarily come from working on wind farms in the Midwest where she and Jesse surveyed plots for bird and bat fatalities. Together, they successfully completed over 600 searches and located nearly as many targets (not an easy task in the high heat of summer!). Additionally, Morgan has collaborated with other organizations, dog handlers, and researchers to develop training plans and studies.
Morgan currently resides in Indiana and shares her heart and home with her three dogs, Jesse, Cassidy, and Sunny.
Pronouns: she, hers
Clairess Frederick - Canine Keeper
Ever since she was little, Clairess has been surrounded by just about every pet you can think of—cats, fish, birds, turtles, frogs, snakes, gerbils—but never dogs. In 2015, she added her first canine to her life, Alvarado (Alva), and as the saying goes, the rest was history. She welcomed Harriet to her family and began learning about detection dog work in 2017 under the guidance of Laura. Clairess' natural ability to observe canine behavior, combined with her deep love for nature and conservation, make her a natural fit for CDCI's team. Clairess is certified in canine massage therapy and is currently seeking her CPDT-KA certification.
Heather Mongiat, CPDT-KA, PNWI - Canine Keeper
Heather was born with a passion for animals and nature. Fortunately for her she was able to grow up sharing her life with cats, dogs and even horses in her own backyard. After high school she started working at a veterinary clinic and has close to 20 years experience in that professional setting.
Heather has spent the past several years rescuing and fostering dogs, especially pit bulls. In 2009, her first therapy dog she trained and certified with was a pit bull! She has thoroughly enjoyed sharing all of her therapy dogs with the public over the years and loves to connect with others in her community through this volunteer work. Of course, not all of her dogs were meant to be therapy dogs and that’s where her love of training started.
For nearly a decade, Heather has been building her educational background in all-things related to dogs. In 2018 she became Certified Professional Dog Trainer-Knowledge Assessed through the CCPDT and earned her Fear Free Animal Trainer certification through Fear Free Pets. Right around this time she discovered the world of scent work and was one of the first training apprentices of Conservation Dogs Collective back in 2019 with her yellow lab, Bronty. Heather and Bronty are looking forward to a bountiful career, together, searching for different species and helping the planet, one project at a time.
Heather lives in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan with her husband and their three young kids. They have 5 dogs, 2 cats, 2 horses and a whole bunch of chickens!
Heather has spent the past several years rescuing and fostering dogs, especially pit bulls. In 2009, her first therapy dog she trained and certified with was a pit bull! She has thoroughly enjoyed sharing all of her therapy dogs with the public over the years and loves to connect with others in her community through this volunteer work. Of course, not all of her dogs were meant to be therapy dogs and that’s where her love of training started.
For nearly a decade, Heather has been building her educational background in all-things related to dogs. In 2018 she became Certified Professional Dog Trainer-Knowledge Assessed through the CCPDT and earned her Fear Free Animal Trainer certification through Fear Free Pets. Right around this time she discovered the world of scent work and was one of the first training apprentices of Conservation Dogs Collective back in 2019 with her yellow lab, Bronty. Heather and Bronty are looking forward to a bountiful career, together, searching for different species and helping the planet, one project at a time.
Heather lives in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan with her husband and their three young kids. They have 5 dogs, 2 cats, 2 horses and a whole bunch of chickens!
Katie Homan, PhD, PNWI - Research & Program Coordinator, Canine Keeper
Katie’s love of dogs began at an early age with daily visits to the library to check out books on Labrador Retrievers. Now a philosophy professor, she continues this passion for learning about dogs in her research on the philosophy of dog and human play. She also teaches dog training classes and is pursuing trainer certification.
Katie was introduced to Conservation Dogs Collective (CDCI) when she and her dog, Lily, began participating in nosework. She was fascinated by dogs’ abilities to sniff out amazing things and contribute to conservation work. She began volunteering with CDCI in the summer of 2022, regularly helping at events and lending a hand during bumble bee surveys, and is excited to continue learning from and with these remarkable dogs and humans.
Katie currently resides in Milwaukee with her husband, Zack, and dogs Lily, a black Lab, and JJ, a Pyrenees mix. She enjoys training and playing with the dogs, rock climbing with Zack, and finding creative outlets in baking pies and sewing.
Photo by: Unleashed with Love Photography
Katie was introduced to Conservation Dogs Collective (CDCI) when she and her dog, Lily, began participating in nosework. She was fascinated by dogs’ abilities to sniff out amazing things and contribute to conservation work. She began volunteering with CDCI in the summer of 2022, regularly helping at events and lending a hand during bumble bee surveys, and is excited to continue learning from and with these remarkable dogs and humans.
Katie currently resides in Milwaukee with her husband, Zack, and dogs Lily, a black Lab, and JJ, a Pyrenees mix. She enjoys training and playing with the dogs, rock climbing with Zack, and finding creative outlets in baking pies and sewing.
Photo by: Unleashed with Love Photography
Lindsay Hayward - Program Coordinator
After getting her undergraduate degree in Vocal Performance, Lindsay realized that her love of conservation outweighed her love of singing opera. She returned to school at the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee and received her Masters of Biology with a focus in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior.
In conjunction, she began working at a doggy daycare, and quickly rose through the ranks to become a manager specializing in canine behavior observation and modification. Pursuant to her fascination with working dogs, she enrolled her corgis in herding classes in 2013.
In 2016, Lindsay read an article about Tucker, the Labrador Retriever who specializes in sniffing out whale poop in Puget Sound. She realized this was the perfect field to combine her love of conservation and dogs.
Lindsay lives in Illinois with her husband Jake and her two sons, Hudson and Everett. She loves to garden, bird watch, and cycle, and trains her corgis, Devyn and Fletcher, in agility and nosework.
Pronouns: she, hers
In conjunction, she began working at a doggy daycare, and quickly rose through the ranks to become a manager specializing in canine behavior observation and modification. Pursuant to her fascination with working dogs, she enrolled her corgis in herding classes in 2013.
In 2016, Lindsay read an article about Tucker, the Labrador Retriever who specializes in sniffing out whale poop in Puget Sound. She realized this was the perfect field to combine her love of conservation and dogs.
Lindsay lives in Illinois with her husband Jake and her two sons, Hudson and Everett. She loves to garden, bird watch, and cycle, and trains her corgis, Devyn and Fletcher, in agility and nosework.
Pronouns: she, hers
Amy Stel - Communications Volunteer
With a great appreciation for conservation, Amy finds her roots in the teachings of Aldo Leopold and the Land Ethic. From an early age, she has been active in conservation both at home and throughout her community. With the help of their trusty labradors, Amy and her family have spent years fighting buckthorn and other invasive species on her family’s farm. Raised as an avid outdoorswoman, she enjoys hiking, hammocking, and walking her two lovely black labradors, as well as her two fur-nieces Maple and Ruby.
Currently, Amy is located in the Twin Cities, where she works in ecological services and land management. On top of that, she is interning with a local force free dog trainer, working her way towards her certification in nosework and scent detection.
With a degree from St. Norbert College in Communication and a background in Global Politics, Amy is excited to connect her passion for canines, communication, and conservation into a profession.
Pronouns: she, hers
Currently, Amy is located in the Twin Cities, where she works in ecological services and land management. On top of that, she is interning with a local force free dog trainer, working her way towards her certification in nosework and scent detection.
With a degree from St. Norbert College in Communication and a background in Global Politics, Amy is excited to connect her passion for canines, communication, and conservation into a profession.
Pronouns: she, hers
Rachel Nice - Program Assistant Volunteer
Rachel has two passions in her life: dogs and nature. From a young age she enjoyed discovering the wonders of the natural world, even more so with her childhood dog by her side. For years, Rachel held jobs working with dogs of all shapes and sizes as a dog daycare facility worker and pet sitter.
Her college years drove her education towards receiving a Bachelor’s of Science in Environmental Science, concentrating in fish and wildlife management. While working on her degree, she eagerly took on opportunities to work for the DNR as well as interning at a wildlife rehabilitation facility.
When she heard about an organization that combined her two loves, she knew she had to be involved. Rachel began volunteering for CDCI in November of 2020. She is grateful for the opportunities and knowledge she has gained thus far with CDCI. Rachel looks forward to continued contribution of her time and talents to the incredible organization.
Pronouns: she, hers
Her college years drove her education towards receiving a Bachelor’s of Science in Environmental Science, concentrating in fish and wildlife management. While working on her degree, she eagerly took on opportunities to work for the DNR as well as interning at a wildlife rehabilitation facility.
When she heard about an organization that combined her two loves, she knew she had to be involved. Rachel began volunteering for CDCI in November of 2020. She is grateful for the opportunities and knowledge she has gained thus far with CDCI. Rachel looks forward to continued contribution of her time and talents to the incredible organization.
Pronouns: she, hers
Photos of Laura & Clairess courtesy of Lindsay Hayward
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