Board Members and Staff

Heidi Meinzer, JD, CPDT-KSA, CNWI

Heidi Meinzer, JD, CPDT-KSA, CNWI. Heidi’s background is unique as she is both a practicing attorney and a trainer. She obtained her law degree in 2000, initially serving as a public defender for six years before joining a civil litigation law firm for seven years. While at the firm, Heidi’s practice naturally gravitated to animal law. In 2013, Heidi established her own law firm to focus on animal law and small business and nonprofit law.

Heidi has devoted her efforts to civic activities, including with the Maryland State Bar Association’s Animal Law Section and on various legislative work groups studying companion animal law issues in Virginia. Heidi’s civic work includes serving on the boards of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers, the Virginia Federation of Humane Societies, and Homeward Trails Animal Rescue, Inc.

In 2011, Heidi began her work as a dog trainer with the award-winning company Fur-Get Me Not. Since 2013, she has been a Certified Professional Dog Trainer and a Certified Nose Work Instructor. She learned a tremendous amount from her beautiful but reactive German Shepherd, Sophie, and her amazing partner, Boomer, an English lab who achieved his ELT-CH title in 2020. Heidi has continued the lab/Shepherd combination with her current canine companions, Hannah and Arwen.

Robin Bennett, CPDT-KA

Robin Bennett is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer, author, speaker, and expert on dogs. She founded one of the largest dog training companies in Virginia and has been using her expertise in “reading dogs” to teach families how to train their pets as well as helping others in the pet care industry keep dogs safe for nearly 30 years. Robin’s first book, All About Dog Daycare is the number one reference on opening a dog daycare. She is also Co-author of Off-Leash Dog Play… A Complete Guide to Safety and Fun, and an extensive staff training program called, Knowing Dogs, which are the leading staff training resources for dog daycare and boarding facilities. Robin co-founded The Dog Gurus, the nation’s premier resource for dog care which helps pet care professionals get their lives back by showing them how to create sustainable businesses with teams that truly know dogs. She now hosts pet parent discussions online, teaches virtual Fit Dog Classes online, and encourages families to get fit with their dogs in a AKC Fit Dog Club.

Sandy Modell, B.S., CPDT-KA

For over 20 years, Sandy has been training dogs using rewards-based, positive reinforcement methods. She is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA), an AKC CGC/CGCA Approved Evaluator, a Mentor Trainer for the Animal Behavior College, a member of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT), a licensed certified Family Paws Parent Educator (FPPE), a member of the Pet Professional Guild (PPG), and on the list of national Truly Dog-Friendly Trainers. Her mentors include some of our industry’s pioneers of positive training such as, Patty Ruzzo, Leslie Nelson, Sue Sternberg, Pat Miller, Kathy Sdao, Robin Bennett and others.

In June 2017, Sandy opened Alexandria Virginia’s first and only, and now award-winning premier training and learning center for people and their dogs. The Academy offers programs and activities for pet dog owners and their dogs, pet care professionals, and other professional dog trainers. Sandy’s mission includes empowering her clients by teaching them how to communicate with their dogs, how to reinforce the behaviors that they want, and how to respond to both their dog’s good and the bad behaviors. One of her goals is to teach people how to train their dogs to make incredibly brilliant choices, so that they can both live better, happier, and easier lives together. In June 2018, Wholistic Hound Academy was voted the Best Dog Trainers in Northern Virginia by Northern Virginia Magazine. Earlier this month, the Academy was selected as a finalist in the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce Best in Business Award in the Small Business category.

Heather Mishefske, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA

Heather opened emBARK and began serving dogs and their owners in 2005, but the journey that led to this labor of love began long before that. In 1983, Heather stepped into a simple 4H project and began sharing life with an English Springer Spaniel. That special relationship became the driving force behind emBARK many years later. While Heather has a degree in Dietetics from UW-Madison, her love for all things dog conquered her career goals, and in December of 2005, she left the healthcare field to pursue her vision of working with dogs. The business, which has grown in the past 15 years from a single proprietor (Heather) to employing 26 dog care professionals, offers daycare, training classes, grooming, massage, and behavior consulting. It didn’t take long before Heather racked up dog training credentials: CPDT-KA, CBCC-KA, AKC Canine Good Citizen Evaluator, Living and Learning with Animals Applied Behavior Analysis course certificate of completion, is a certified level II Canine Sports Massage provider and hosts her own podcast. She is a member of APDT (premium professional), IAABC, Upper Midwest Flat-Coated Retriever Club vice president, Flat Coated Retriever Club of America and has served as a Learning Theory and Behavior guest lecturer at the University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire and presented a lecture on body language to the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.

Heather is a steward of her farm and acreage in west central Wisconsin with her husband and her Flat Coated Retrievers. She is an avid hiker, a certified Master Naturalist, cyclist, mountain biker, backpacker, cross country skier, gardener, reader, and curious observer of the natural world. She has shown and competed with her dogs in multiple venues since the age of 13. Her passion for learning in all things is endless, and there is a huge force within her heart to do good for all creatures.

Erica Marshall, CPDT-KA

Erica is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer through the CCPDT, a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant through the IAABC, and a premium professional member of the APDT. She is also a committee member of the Membership Task Force for the APDT. She is from the East Coast, currently living in the Middle TN area where she is the owner/trainer for Wicked Good Dog Training. She has been working with animals for over 20 years and has worn many hats in the animal field, working in veterinary clinics, boarding kennels and humane societies.

Erica’s passion has always been dog behavior and training. She most enjoys helping the bond develop between owner and dog as they learn to communicate better through positive training and interactions. She especially enjoys working with families and helping them raise their puppies to be excellent family companions.

She has trained and titled her own dogs in Rally Obedience, Agility and Tricks. She currently has 4 wonderful dogs: a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, a terrier mix, a Great Pyrenees and a cattle dog mix, 7 cats, 2 teenagers and a very understanding husband.

Ines McNeil, CPDT-KA

Ines McNeil, B.S. Biology, CPDT-KA, is a dog training industry expert with over 15 years of experience. She has operated her own dog training businesses in Texas and New York state in addition to working for a multitude of organizations as a professional dog trainer teaching group classes, private in-home lessons, and providing board and train services. She was an early adopter of virtual dog training back in 2014 and helped trainers make the leap to virtual training at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020.

She founded the industry-leading dog training business coaching company, The Modern Dog Trainer, in October 2014, to mentor other trainers on the business side of being a dog trainer. She now has an incredible team that supports her mission and her students which made it a perfect time for her to join the board of the APDT.

Outside of work, Ines is a mom to a talented and curious 3 yr old. She also shares her home and life with her supportive husband, Sean, her dog, Clark (a Cardigan Welsh Corgi,) and a rescue cat named Kiwi ("Kitty" in toddler speak).

Fanna Easter, CPDT-KA, KPA CTP, CSAT, CDBC

Fanna has been instructing group classes and in-home behavior consults for more than 29 years with a special focus on separation anxiety. She owns Positive Pooch Dog Training and Behavior, which offers virtual, in-home and off-property consultations in the Dallas, Texas area. Also, Fanna teaches reactive dog classes and offers private consultations with the only veterinarian, that specializes in behavior, in the North Texas area.

Because of her love to write, Fanna has written dog training class curricula and dog trainer courses for large pet box chains and nationally recognized dog training schools. Also, she’s authored several articles for Dogs Naturally, Animal Wellness, Chronicle of the Dog and numerous online magazines and blogs. When not working with clients and their dogs, Fanna volunteers at the Bridge, the only homeless shelter that allows dogs, where Fanna and her co-workers offer group classes and one-on-one training for pet guardians.

Fanna shares her home with Miss Stella Mae (Miniature Bull Terrier), Eli Joseph (Miniature Bull Terrier) and Rick, her “darling hubby.”

Sarah Bond, CDBC, CSAT, CPDT-KSA

Sarah Bond, CDBC, CSAT, CPDT-KSA, has been teaching people and dogs since 2008. Starting as a PetSmart trainer, she quickly moved into an area trainer position with the company hiring and training new trainers for local stores. In 2014, she transitioned to training shelter dogs to be service dogs through Service Dogs, Inc., a nonprofit in Texas. In 2018, she left Service Dogs, Inc. to start her own company, Bond Dog Training. Working with her own complicated rescue dog, Percy, led her to specializing in behavior issues like aggression and anxiety.

Currently, Sarah lives in the Texas hill country near Austin with Percy and her lab/German shepherd mix, Clara, a service dog dropout who helps her with other dogs. Bond Dog Training serves the greater Austin area and Sarah focuses on both challenging behavior cases and helping people train their own service dogs. She works with the city shelter as well as multiple local and state rescues in addition to private clients. She is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant through IAABC, a Certified Separation Anxiety Trainer and a Certified Professional Dog Trainer - Knowledge and Skills Assessed. She is passionate about training that is effective and kind, and allows dogs to be dogs while living successfully in a human world.

Matt Varney

Matt has a passion for making a positive impact on communities. He came to APDT’s Executive Director role in 2023 after leading nonprofits and membership associations for over 12 years.
Before APDT, he acted as a Director at Entrepreneurs' Organization, supporting a global community of 18,000 entrepreneurs in expanding leadership and personal development. Prior to that Matt was a Director with the International Coaching Federation, supporting the advancement of professional coaching around the world.

Born and raised in Southern California, Matt left home at 18 to serve in the US Army. He currently lives in Lexington, Kentucky with his wife Rachel, daughters Ruby and Sophia, and their recently rescued 2yr old twins, a Boston Terrier named Sandy and Pug named Banksy.

Matt holds an MSc in Global Economics, a BA in International/Global Studies, with certification and training in Project Management, Agile Leadership and Organizational Systems Relationship Coaching.

Tricia Louque

Director of Marketing and Communications

Nita Briscoe

Exhibitor Relations Manager

Jennifer Franco

Director Of Educational Programs

Devon Hubbard

Chronicle Of The Dog Editor

Abby Davis

Events Manager