Speakers for the 2009 New Mexico State Humane Conference include:
Keynote: Susana della Maddalena, Vice President and Executive Director, PetSmart Charities
Welcome: Ray Powell, Director, Four Corners Regional Director, Roots & Shoots
Courses:
Allen, Laura, Esq., Animal Law Coalition
Laura Allen is the Founder and Executive Director of Animal Law Coalition, www.animallawcoalition.com, a 501c4 non-profit, which brings the latest animal legal news to attorneys, law students and the public and offers legal analysis of the issues affecting animals. Animal Law Coalition takes the fight to stop animal cruelty to Congress, state legislatures, local governments and the courts. Animal Law Coalition educates the public on how they can participate and take control of government agencies to stop cruelty and promote animal welfare.
Laura Allen was formerly an attorney for Best Friends Animal Society and helped develop programs to stop puppy mills and breed specific legislation. She is a regular guest on animal protection issues on WFL Endangered Stream Live radio and on the advisory board of Animal Advocate Television.
Laura Allen has been a trial attorney in the state and federal courts for more than 20 years. She has tried dozens of cases and has also argued appeals in state and federal courts in Missouri, Illinois, Washington, and Arizona and is a member of the Bar of the United States Supreme Court.
Battista, Judah, Best Friends Network, Best Friends Animal Society
Judah Battista is an associate director for the Community Programs and Services division of Best Friends. Judah first began volunteering for Best Friends in 1984 while on summer vacations; he began working full-time at the sanctuary in 1988. He served as a vet tech, cat care manager and clinic manager before accepting the responsibilities of interim director of animal care in 2005.
In 2006, he moved to Chicago and worked at PAWS Chicago as the manager of animal care at their rescue center. During his tenure, the organization more than tripled the number of animals rescued each year.
Bonar, Laura, Equine Campaign Manager, Animal Protection of New Mexico
Laura Bonar is Equine Campaign Manager with Animal Protection of New Mexico. Her past work with APNM includes: updates to the CARE Network, which temporarily houses animals of domestic violence victims; working with New Mexico Department of Game & Fish on nonlethal solutions to beaver-human conflicts; compiling data on New Mexico's animal shelters; building coalitions to support animal bills at the legislature; and working with local communities to improve animal ordinances all over the state. She also serves as the back up Cruelty Case Manager.
Culbertson, Miles, Executive Director, New Mexico Livestock Board
Esterson, Emily
Emily Esterson is a lifelong horse-obsessive, who neighed in her sleep (family legend has it) when she was two years old. She spent childhood summers at horse camp. In between, she begged her parents for a horse, cleaned stalls at a local stable and took weekly riding lessons. She put herself through college and graduate school working as a professional groom for such reputable and accomplished trainers as Janet and Henry Schurink, one of the first U.S. breeders of the Trakehner horse, and Janet “Dolly” Hannon, an “S” level dressage judge and FEI rider. Emily purchased her first horse, a 17.1 hand Oldenburg-Thoroughbred cross, when she was thirty. She’s competed in the jumper ring, the eventing field, and recently switched to dressage.
A career journalist, Emily has contributed articles to Dressage Today, Equus, John Lyons’ Perfect Horse, Equestrian and Equine Veterinary Management. Her writing has covered trailer safety, equine head injuries, foal weaning techniques, and how to teach a horse a flying change (with Jane Savoie).
For seven years, she was editor-in-chief of the New Mexico Business Weekly, taking it from a small bad newspaper to a well-respected publication. She also served as an associate editor at Inc. Technology Magazine, and a senior editor at Natural Foods Merchandiser.
She has several hundred articles in print, covering business, horses, food and whatever anyone will pay her to write about. She has an MBA from the University of Denver and an MFA in creative nonfiction from Goucher College in Maryland.
In addition, Emily is an accomplished public speaker. She continues to speak to groups and market her first book, "Covering the Business Beat: Strategies for Publishing What you Write," published by Purdue University Press in 2004. Her second book, "The Adult Longeing Guide." was released in 2007 by The Lyons Press. Her third book, "The Book of Bits," will be released in April 2010.
Emily lives with husband Scot, three horses, three dogs, four cats and two goats in Albuquerque’s South Valley.
Feeser, Patricia, DVM, Chair, Animal Sheltering Board
Patricia Feeser, DVM, is the current chair of the New Mexico Animal Sheltering Board as well as one of the veterinarians for the NM Attorney General's Animal Cruelty Task Force. She is also the chair for the Rio Rancho Animal Welfare Task Force. She is the owner of and veterinarian for High Desert Animal Hospital in Rio Rancho. She founded and continues to run the Pet Safe program which offers free foster care, vaccinations and physical examinations for animals owned by victims of domestic violence in Sandoval County. She is a member of the CCR (Community Coordinated Response) for Domestic Violence in Sandoval County.
Ferguson, Heather, Legislative Director, Animal Protection Voters
Heather Ferguson is the Legislative Director for Animal Protection Voters (APV) and Animal Protection of New Mexico (APNM). She has a B.A. in Biogeography from UCLA and over a decade of experience as a veterinary technician. After moving to New Mexico in 2001, she became active in political campaigns and was named to the APV board in 2004. In her current position at APNM and APV, she works with a tenacious legislative team who recently worked to pass a law that gives shelters the legal standing to request compensation for animal care from owners whose animals have been seized due to cruelty charges. APV also passed a ban on cockfighting, the Animal Sheltering Services Act and obtained $1.5 million in state funding for animal shelters.
Ferguson is the coordinator for the New Mexico Attorney General's Animal Cruelty Task Force (ACT). As the ACT’s coordinator, she has worked with law enforcement to orchestrate more than 25 raids and investigations on cockfighting pits, dogfighting operations and large animal hoarding cases throughout the state since the ACT’s inception in 2007. After the task force’s first large-scale raid of the Otero Game Club in December of 2007, resulting in the seizure of over 130 roosters, all of the remaining large cockfighting arenas have shut down. So far, these raids have resulted in the rescue of over 4,000 animals from a life of cruelty.
Ferguson has worked with the NM Attorney General’s office, NM State Police, NM Sheriff’s and Police Association, the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security and The Humane Society of the United States to train more than 300 law enforcement and animal control officers statewide in "Illegal Animal Fighting Investigations.” As a liaison to law enforcement, she has helped prosecutors secure the state’s first cockfighting convictions since the passage of the ban, and the first dog fighting conviction in over a decade with approximately 15 cases still pending.
Ferguson also works with APNM staff in many other programs in the state ranging from extreme animal cruelty issues to supporting animal-friendly candidates for political office. In her “free time” she enjoys hanging out with her "rescued family" of two dogs, Gus and Monty, and two cats, Tabitha and Tilly.
Gilman, Nick, Humane Logic
Nick has been working on behalf of animals for over 21 years. He has worked at the local level at animal shelters, doing everything from direct care of animals to being executive director. His work experience ranges from national disaster relief to cruelty investigations, consulting and shelter design. He worked for three years for the Humane Society of the United States and for seven years for the American Humane Association, where he served as director of animal programs. Nick has appeared on NBC's The Today Show, CBS' This Morning and National Public Radio. He has authored numerous articles in humane trade magazines and has presented hundreds of workshops on humane issues both in the United States and abroad. Nick is the 2003 recipient of the Dennis J. White Award for Excellence in Instruction and Training presented by the American Humane Association (AHA) and was also presented the Humanitarian of the Year Award by the Wisconsin Federation of Humane Societies.
Glickman, Lauren, FORAY Consulting & Associates
Lauren Glickman founded FORAY Consulting & Associates in 2007 out of a commitment to work with those dedicated to inspired missions. With over ten years of experience as a trainer, facilitator, and manager, she is committed to helping individuals, teams and organizations develop leadership capacity, improve vital business processes, manage change effectively, enhance interpersonal relationships and build the capacity to learn from experience.
Lauren brings practical experience, knowledge and training to her delivery of consulting activities. After completing a B.A. in geography from Clark University, she started teaching and training rural farmers as a Peace Corps Volunteer working in rural Nicaragua. Upon returning to the United States, she began her work as a Volunteer Program Manager at the wildlife hospital at the Progressive Animal Welfare Society. She created both technical trainings and conceptual workshops for the volunteers as well as managing process design and facilitating conflict resolution. It was here that she began to fully understand that the best way she could work for any mission is to empower people working for that same mission. She earned a M.A. in Applied Behavioral Sciences with a focus on coaching and consulting in nonprofit organizations.
Lauren has served as a board member and Fundraising Chair for the Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest (CSNW) as well as Crooked Trails. She currently serves on the advisory committee for Grey Muzzle.
Gugisberg, Grant, DVM, Park View Cat Clinic
Dr. Grant Grant Gugisberg, D.V.M. is a 1991 graduate of the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. He lectures nationwide on feline health and behavior topics in shelter cats for American Humane, Petfinder.com, Petco Foundation and Puppyworks and participates on national roundtable discussions regarding feline upper respiratory tract infections. Clinical interests are internal medicine, upper respiratory disease and whole life behavioral issues. As part of his practice he operates a referral cat behavior service, doing both in-clinic and in-home consultations. In his free time Dr. Grant lives with his wife, Heidi, two cats (Oskar and Mr. Peabody), a Labrador named Nigel and twenty laying hens. Activities include hockey, travel, cooking, fishing and gardening, including vegetables, dahlias and gladiolus. Dr. Gugisberg is a member of the AVMA, MVMA, Fellow of the AAFP and past member of the St. Croix Animal Shelter animal care committee.
Hamm, Kathy, xecutive Director, Dream Catcher Therapy Center, Inc.
Kathy is the founder and Executive Director of Dream Catcher Therapy Center, Inc. and End of the Trail horse rescue/sanctuary. She started the hippotherapy program in 1999 and has brought the program from a 2 1/2 month single program to a year round 3 program facility. Throughout the programs her focus has been on safety and making a difference in the lives of the clients and horses. Her love for the animals have never been unyielding and she expanded the vision from providing shelter and rehabilitation not just to horses, but to rabbits, dogs, cats, and now chickens. She is dedicated to protecting animals from harm and giving them a safe haven until a suitable home can be found.
She was raised in Winter Park, Colorado, and loves the mountains and outdoors. Her love was riding horses in the mountains, camping, hiking and showing horses professional in the Paint Horse Association. She is married to a High School Government Teacher, wrestling coach, farmer, and Army Reservist who spent 15 months in Iraq. She has two children. Kathy prides herself in saying if I don’t know the answer I will find it and if its not getting done then let's do it!
Certification: AAS in Accounting, American Hippotherapy Assoc., Equine Assisted Psychotherapy Level I, II, Certified Equine Investigator though the University of Missouri Law Enforcement training institute and Link Training Level I, II.
Hardiman, Tio, Dog Fighting Expert
Contact Information: 847-630-5318
Tio Hardiman spearheads The Humane Society of the United States’ innovative End Dogfighting campaign which combats urban dog fighting in Chicago, Atlanta and Charlotte by using youth anti-violence methods as well as positive alternatives such as canine obedience and agility training. One of America’s foremost experts on dog fighting, Hardiman has personally intervened in dog fights and rescued pit bulls in and around the city of Chicago. He has been interviewed frequently on the subject by the New York Times, Newsday, Baltimore Sun, Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Sun-Times, as well as network television stations throughout the United States.
Growing up in Chicago’s Henry Horner projects and the Avalon Park community, he attended Chicago’s Hisch High School, and went on to earn a degree in liberal arts and a master’s degree in inner city studies from Northeastern University.
In addition to his work with The Humane Society of the United States, Tio works with The Chicago Alliance for Neighborhood Safety, where he has organized more than 50 block clubs and facilitated problem solving sessions for crime ridden communities and served as lead trainer. He also has worked with Bethel New Life, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley’s CAPS Program, Chicago Police Officials, community residents, elected officials, and clergy members to help reduce crime in Chicago.
In 1999, Tio joined The Chicago Project for Violence Prevention to work with Dr. Gary Slutkin a world-renowned epidemiologist working to reduce the homicide rate in Chicago. He continues to display a wealth of knowledge regarding his work assignments. The neighborhoods in which Tio works in have experienced 40-60 percent reductions in shootings since the implementation of CeaseFire. Tio predicted in the Chicago Tribune in 2004 that there would be 150 less homicides. In 2004, the number declined by 151.
In 2006, he joined forces with The Humane Society of the United States to help combat dog fighting and change the mindset of people who fight dogs in Chicago. For more information on End Dogfighting, visit www.humanesociety.org/enddogfighting.
Maddalena, Della, Vice President, Executive Director, PetSmart Charities
Susana Della Maddalena joined PetSmart Charities in July 2003 as Vice President and Executive Director. Prior to joining PetSmart Charities, she was Vice President of Marketing for Northern Trust Bank of Arizona, N.A., where she developed and implemented various marketing and branding programs for the Arizona and Colorado divisions. Prior to that, she held senior positions with marketing and advertising agencies in Chicago, Los Angeles and Phoenix, where she consulted for clients such as Kellogg’s, SC Johnson, Safeway, Vons, and Kaufman and Broad Homebuilders.
Prior to joining PetSmart Charities, Susana spearheaded several multi-million dollar fundraising campaigns for non-profit organizations - as board president of Friends of Maricopa County Animal Care & Control and as founder & board president of The Wellness Community – Central Arizona. She holds a bachelor of arts from the University of Iowa and a master of business administration from the American Graduate School of International Management. She is a pet parent to two adopted dogs - Meg and Finnegan, as well as three horses named Cash, Orson and Shelby, and a pony named Walter.
Morris, LeMac’, DVM, MPH, Fort Dodge Animal Health
Dr. LeMac’ Morris is a field services veterinarians for Fort Dodge Animal Health’s companion animal department. His responsibilities are to provide product technical support to the sales force, act as a sentinel in the field to identify companion animal pathogens of interest to the R & D department and develop Biological Risk Management resource materials for companion animal clinics and animal shelters. Before coming to Fort Dodge the doctor was an adjunct instructor at a CDC Specialty Center, The Center for Food Security and Public Health were he assisted in producing fact sheets on foreign animal and zoonotic diseases and developed Biological Risk Management protocols for mobile veterinarians and mobile veterinary clinics. Before working in industry, Dr. Morris practiced veterinary medicine in rural Oklahoma for over twenty years.
Newbury, Sandra, DVM
Dr. Newbury is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine (UW SVM) with a special interest in infectious disease and population management as it relates to group health. Dr. Newbury works as a National Shelter Medicine Extension Veterinarian for the Koret Shelter Medicine Program at the University of California, Davis. Dr. Newbury focuses on partnerships between shelters, veterinarians and the community to improve health for homeless animals. Two such programs, The Dermatophyte Monitoring and Treatment Program and a study of Feline Upper Respiratory Disease Complex, are three-year-long partnerships between the Dane County Humane Society (DCHS) and the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine. Three years ago, she began DCHS Spaydays, which serve the multi-county region surrounding Madison, Wisconsin. Dr. Newbury shares her home in Madison with several poorly behaved pets and her savage kindergartener son. Dr. Newbury’s position results from a partnership between UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and PetSmart Charities.
Patton, Richard, PhD
Dr. Richard Patton has been an animal nutritionist for over 35 years. He has formulated diets for just about every species and worked in 22 countries. Trained in reproductive physiology, nutritional biochemistry and statistics, this formal education led to employment as Director of Research for the Mark Morris Foundation (Theracon, Topeka, Kansas) and Marketing Manager for the Dext Company in Los Angeles. A private consultant since 1980, his clientele includes zoos, companies that make food for zoos, pet food companies, feed mills, horse facilities, animal agriculture, foreign governments and feed additive companies.
Dr. Patton sees his role in the market place as transferring technical insight from the source to the people who apply it to keep animals healthy. Two patents, 25 publications, one book chapter. BS Penn State, MS Purdue, Ph.D. Virginia Tech. The Pattons are actively involved with horses (trail riding, packing, Grand Prix) and have numerous dogs and cats.
Pierce, Cathy, Animal Humane | New Mexico
Kathy Pierce is the veterinary clinic manager at Animal Humane | New Mexico. She has worked in the veterinary medical field for six years and has been managing feral cat colonies since 1998. She is a founding member of Street Cat Companions, the first organization in New Mexico to systematically spay and neuter feral cats.
Powell, Ray, DVM, Four Corners Regional Director, Roots & Shoots
Ray Powell brings natural enthusiasm and distinguished experience in conservation and government service to the job of educating and empowering young people. Powell is head of Roots & Shoots-Four Corners States -- Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico. In this capacity, the former New Mexico Commissioner of Public Lands is coordinating more than 140 groups of young people in service learning and environmental education projects.
Roots & Shoots is the Jane Goodall Institute’s environmental and humanitarian education program, supporting youth of all ages in projects that benefit people, animals and the environment.
Mr. Powell has an extensive record of engagement in civic life. He is the longest serving elected Land Commissioner in New Mexico State History. His duties included the oversight of a $10 billion dollar permanent fund and 13 million acres of state trust land that generated revenues for the state’s public schools, universities, hospitals, and public institutions that support young people with special challenges. He served as the President of the 22 member Western States Land Commissioner Association and served as special assistant to New Mexico Governor Bruce King, advising him on policy related to the environment, natural resources, health and recreation. He was also executive director of the Valle Caldera Trust, which oversees the 89,000-acre Valle Caldera National Preserve in the Jemez Mountains.
He received his veterinary degree from Tufts University with an emphasis on wildlife rehabilitation and an M.S. in Systematic Botany and Plant Ecology from the University of New Mexico, where he had also earned a B.S. in Anthropology and Biology.
Saunders, Kim, Petfinder.com
Kim is vice president of shelter outreach and public relations for Petfinder.com. Prior to becoming Petfinders first staff member in 1999, Kim was an attorney with a passion for rescue. She left her practice and joined Petfinder.com after witnessing firsthand how it doubled her foster-based rescue groups adoptions. Kim has been instrumental in increasing services to Petfinder members and helping them strengthen their adoption programs. Kim is vice president of the board of the Animal Welfare Federation of New Jersey (AWFNJ) and is a New Jersey certified animal control officer. She shares her home and Petfinder.com office with rescued dogs Kona and Mojo and whoever the current resident foster pup may be. Kim’s one-eyed shelter cat, Slide, helps keep the pack in line.
Smith, Georgia, The Horse Shelter
Recent non-profit employment:
Luciente, Inc., Abiquiu, NM: Director 2007-2008, Assistant to the Director, 2006-2007
The Georgia O’Keeffe Foundation, Abiquiu, NM: Assistant Curator, 1994-2006.
The Girard Foundation, Santa Fe, NM: Curator, 1986-1998.
NARHA certified instructor since 2001.
Currently teaching for Las Campanas Compadres.
Education:
PhD in mythological studies from Pacifica Graduate Institute, 2008; Master of Arts, 2003.
Certificate in management studies, Santa Fe Community College, 1999.
Master of Arts in art history, 1978.
Bachelor of Fine Arts in design, 1976.
Life-long interest and involvement with horses.
Smith, Mike, Fenton Communications
For the past seven-plus years, Mike Smith has worked for Fenton Communications, a national communications firm that works exclusively with nonprofits. Mike is a member of Fenton's animal welfare practice, with past clients including the San Francisco SPCA, Maddie’s Fund, the Animal Welfare Institute, the Chimpanzee Collaboratory, and No Voice Unheard, a Santa Cruz, Calif., nonprofit focused on area shelters.
Mike has twelve years of experience in branding, marketing, and media planning, outreach and training. He has trained spokespeople for all types of speaking and interview opportunities, including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, NPR, NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s World News Tonight and Comedy Central's The Daily Show With Jon Stewart.
Prior to Fenton, Smith worked for the Horn Group, a high-tech public relations firm; WetFeet, a publisher and Web site for career information; and Odwalla Juice, where he conducted marketing outreach, events, donations and sponsorships with community and grassroots organizations. Smith also wrote and developed advertising campaigns for The Onion.
Sternberg, Sue, Rondout Valley Animals for Adoption
Sue Sternberg is the Founder and Director of Rondout Valley Animals for Adoption, a local not-for-profit open admission animal shelter in upstate New York. She is also the founder of the Community Animal Shelter Association (CASA), a not-for-profit organization dedicated to pet owner outreach, safe animal adoptions, and quality of life at animal shelters around the world.
Sue is an expert in dog aggression and an innovator in the field of shelter dog welfare, and she develops programs to prevent pet relinquishment and overpopulation, to match families with safe pets, and to help shelters attend to the mental health of the animals in their care. Training Wheels, a mobile community outreach program, and Assess-a-Pet, a method to evaluate animal temperament, are two popular programs developed by Sue. With over 23 years of experience she shares her knowledge of dog behavior on radio and television shows, as a popular speaker at national humane and dog training conferences, and through books and videos.
Her most recent books are Successful Dog Adoption, A Howell Dog Book of Distinction, and Great Dog Adoptions: A Guide for Shelters (Latham Foundation Press, 2002). Other publications include Defensive Dog Handling, 1999 (awarded APDT honor, Top Ten Dog Training Videos of 2001); Temperament Testing for Dogs in Shelters (1996, 1998, 1999 republished and distributed to over 3,000 shelters by Milkbone Nabisco and ASPCA), as well as contributed articles to The HSUS Animal Sheltering Magazine.
Suttle, Steven, Esq., Attorney General’s Office
Steven Suttle is a career prosecutor with thirty-five years trial and appellate experience. A 1974 graduate of the University of Oklahoma College of Law, Suttle worked as an assistant district attorney in Oklahoma’s Third District until being elected district attorney in 1982. Suttle moved to New Mexico in 1990 and worked as a deputy district attorney in Albuquerque. His duties included major crimes prosecutions, prosecutor training, representing the district attorney in the appellate courts, and service as a legislative liaison for New Mexico District Attorneys’ Association.
Suttle joined the New Mexico Attorney General’s staff in 1996 in the criminal appeals division. His duties included general appellate practice in the state and federal courts and service as a legislative lobbyist.
In 2007, Attorney General Gary King promoted Suttle to the position of Special Counsel with responsibility for advising the attorney general on matters pertaining to investigations, prosecutions, and appeals within the office as well as service on the office’s legislative team.
Weigle, Peggy, Executive Director, Animal Humane | New Mexico
Ms. Weigle joined the Animal Humane | New Mexico in September of 2006, following a successful 20 year career in the high tech industry. She retired from Intel Corporation in August 2006. Prior to Intel, she was the CEO of Sanctum, Inc., for five years and managed the company’s successful sale to Watchfire in August 2004. Prior to Sanctum, she held sales management positions in several software companies.
While at Animal Humane, she has led the organization to increased adoptions, a major decrease in euthanasias, and the opening of New Mexico’s first low-cost veterinary clinic for low-income pet owners. Several programs have been introduced under Ms. Weigle’s leadership including the ASPCA’s Safer tm and Meet Your Match™ Programs, a behavior rehab program, the Behavior Training department, as well as a feral cat Trap/Neuter/return program. She has also overseen significant campus renovations including the veterinary clinic, dog kennels, construction of a new communal cat building and the addition of the Mary Claire Bachechi Learning Center.
In 2008, Governor Richardson appointed Ms. Weigle to serve on the newly formed Animal Sheltering Board. In 2009, she was named one of New Mexico Business Weekly’s thirty “Women of Influence” and received the Governor’s Award for Outstanding NM Women. She currently chairs the 2009 NM Humane Conference.
Ms. Weigle started her career as a professional show dog handler and kennel manager. Her role at Animal Humane brings her career full circle.
