NAIA Board, Program Directors, and Former Board Members
Board Members
NAIA's board members are volunteers from a wide variety of animal fields, including dog and cat associations and sports, animal agriculture, rodeo, medical research, veterinary medicine, wildlife management and hunting associations, entertainment and education. They are distinguished and respected members of their respective communities and serve without compensation in support of NAIA’s mission and goals. We are honored by their service.
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Cindy Buckmaster, PhD, CMAR, RLATG Cindy Buckmaster is a passionate advocate for animal welfare, biomedical progress, and public outreach. She is an engaging and dynamic speaker, educating audiences throughout the world and is frequently interviewed for her knowledge of basic research with animals and laboratory animal care. Dr. Buckmaster completed her doctoral degree in Neurobiology and Behavior at SUNY Stony Brook. She serves on the boards of the American Association of Laboratory Animal Science, Americans for Medical Progress and the Texas Society for Biomedical Research. She hosts the GetReal podcast and is committed to educating the public on the distinction between animal welfare and animal rights. She believes that animals and people cannot survive without each other and she will draw her final breath defending the human-animal bond. |
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Caren Cowan Caren has used her degree in agricultural communications to advocate for agriculture and rural lifestyles for more than 4 decades. Along the way she’s served as executive director of multiple livestock groups and lobbied at the state and federal level. Raised on a commercial beef ranch in Cochise, County Arizona, she now publishes two magazines for the livestock industry, the Livestock Market Digest and New Mexico Stockman Magazine, as well as writing a monthly column for the latter. In 2003, she authored, No Home on the Range: Diary of an Executive Cowgirl, a book showcasing the challenges faced by ranchers and others who make their living on the land. |
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Wendy Davis |
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Dr. Arnold L. Goldman |
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Dr. Betsy Greene Dr. Greene is a Professor and Extension Horse Specialist at the University of Arizona (U of A). Her previous statewide extension programs at the University of Vermont have focused on preventative care and maintenance for horse health, safety, equine business, and pasture management. Her extension program at the U of A has a heavy emphasis on working with agricultural agents, 4-H leaders and youth to develop strong 4-H education programming, as well as addressing statewide industry issues. Dr. Greene has received state and national recognition for her teaching and extension efforts from professional societies including the Equine Science Award (2013) from the American Society of Animal Scientists and the Equine Science Society, and most recently the Outstanding Professional of the Year (2015) from the Joint Council of Extension Professionals.
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Dr. Marty Greer, DVM, JD — NAIA Board Chair Dr Greer has run the Veterinary Village Small Animal Clinic in Wisconsin since 1982, and International Canine Semen Bank-Wisconsin/Illinois/Indiana since 2002. She works extensively with clients who breed and compete with their dogs. She frequently lectures on canine reproduction and published “Canine Reproduction and Neonatology”, a book for veterinary professionals and breeders and “ our Pandemic Puppy”, a Guide for Finding and Raising a Well-adjusted Dog during COVID-19". In 2010, Dr. Greer completed her JD at Marquette University. She has served on the Wisconsin Veterinary Examining Board, AVMA Judicial Council, The Society for Theriogenology, The Society for Veterinary Medical Ethics, and the Independent Veterinary Practices Association. In 2020, she received the John Steiner Award for Practitioner Excellence” from the Society for Theriogenology. |
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Patte Klecan Patte Klecan has had a lifelong interest in animals. Today she is involved in canine legislation and the movement to protect pet owners rights. Patte is a dog fancier who raises and shows Bouvier des Flandres and owns a professional grooming business. |
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Jennifer Larsen Jennifer Larsen is a board member of the World Pet Association (WPA) and with her husband is the owner of the Firehouse Pet Shop, a full-service pet shop featuring a full range of pet products, self service pet wash and cat adoptions. |
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Jack McDaniel Jack McDaniel has been involved with animals and farming for a great part of his life. Originally a farmer and rancher, he then moved onto dogs, forming a dog-training school in the greater Seattle that has served over 77,000 dogs during its years of operation. He has authored two books with his wife dealing with real-world solutions to dog behavior issues (Pooches and Small Fry, Parenting Skills for Dogs and Kids). He has also raised Quarter Horses and competed in cutting horse events. Jack has long had an interest in Animal Welfare based on reasonable lsws and served on the board of the Grant County, WA Humane Society for several years. He recently completed a nine-year position on the Snohomish County WA Animal Advisory Board, has been an AKC Delegate for the IWSCA, and served as that club's President. |
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Barbara Reichman Barbara Reichman, NAIA's Shelter Project Director, has been working on NAIA’s Shelter Project since its inception. The Shelter Project is a work in progress; finding, collecting and entering shelter data from shelters and rescues across the country. It is the largest database of its kind, and the only free source of shelter data information that is available to policymakers, the media, and the public. She acquired her first well-bred Golden Retriever over twenty years ago and serves as the Legislative Chair for the Golden Retriever Club of America In addition, she is the Legislative Liaison for Schooley’s Mountain Kennel Club and the Garden State Golden Retriever Club. She is the first two-time recipient of the Walter Bebout Memorial Award given by the American Kennel Club’s Government Relations Department, "For Leadership in Canine Legislation", receiving it in 2014 and 2017. |
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Cindy Schonholtz Cindy is a management consultant working in the rodeo industry. She is currently managing Rodeos in Redding, California and Estes Park, Colorado and assisting many events regarding other animal issues. Formerly, Cindy was the general manager of the St. Paul, Oregon PRCA Rodeo. Her prior experience included 19 years with the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) in various capacities. She served as the President/CEO of the Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund, a non-profit dedicated to providing financial assistance to injured rodeo athletes and their families. Additionally, she was the Director of Industry Outreach where she networked with other agriculture and animal use groups and managed the PRCA’s government relations program. She worked extensively on the PRCA's award winning Livestock Welfare Program insuring the proper care and handling of livestock at PRCA sanctioned events. |
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Dr. John Richard Schrock Richard is a Roe R. Cross Distinguished Professor and Professor Emeritus in the Department of Biological Sciences at Emporia State University where he continues to serve on graduate faculty. After teaching high school biology for 10 years, he earned his doctorate in entomology from the University of Kansas. He directed the biology teacher training program at E.S.U. from 1986 to 2016 and is editor of the Kansas School Naturalist and Kansas Biology Teacher. He spends substantial time assisting teacher training programs in a China that is undergoing modernization. He defends appropriate animal use in education, working with researchers and school administrators, as well as providing commentaries in newspapers and on radio. He is author of several books including Controlled Wildlife: State Wildlife Regulations. |
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Sharon Steckler, Attorney at Law and CPA — NAIA Treasurer Sharon is a licensed attorney in Texas, as well as a Certified Public Accountant. She is a member of the Fort Bend County Bar Association and is admitted to practice before the US Tax Court. As a long time animal welfare advocate, Sharon was a founder of the Houston Animal Welfare Coalition, and a spokesperson and advocate for the rights of responsible animal owners. Sharon is a member of numerous AKC clubs, where she serves in board and officer positions, including the American Boxer Club. |
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Patti Strand — NAIA President and Co-founder
Patti is a recognized subject-matter expert on numerous contemporary animal issues. Her articles, views, and recommendations on animals and public policy and the animal welfare vs animal rights debate have appeared in major print and broadcast media nationwide. Her deep understanding of the issues and legislative success have won her numerous high-profile awards from well-known national organizations and grassroots groups alike. In 1993, she and her husband, Rod, co-authored the first book in the US exposing the extremism of the animal rights movement: The Hijacking of the Humane Movement: Animal Extremism. Patti and her husband have raised AKC Dalmatians and participated in the sport of dogs for more than 50 years. |
NAIA ADVISORY BOARD
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Dr. Mary Burch, Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, Board Certified Behavior Analyst, Certified Animal Behavior Consultant Dr. Mary Burch is the AKC’s Canine Good Citizen Director. She is a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, one of less than 100 in the United States, and a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (the human end of the leash). Dr. Burch has trained dogs to the advanced levels of obedience and is an international expert on the topic of therapy dogs. She is a prolific columnist and the author of eight books including Volunteering with Your Pet, How Dogs Learn, and the award-winning Citizen Canine. She also lectures at universities and colleges, gives presentations throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and Europe, and makes numerous radio and television appearances. Dr. Burch is a founding member of the Animal Trainer's Forum in the Association for Behavior Analysis. Dr. Burch has also been a lobbyist on legislation pertaining to dangerous dogs and responsible dog ownership. She served as member of a county Animal Control's "Dangerous Dog Committee," determining if dogs were to be declared dangerous and the course of action. |
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Art Parola Art developed a love of nature from a young age, spending as much time as he could covered in mud and creek water, with a butterfly net chasing every critter that crawled, slithered, or swam, and trying to identify them with his collection of field guides. This led him to a career path focused on animal welfare, sustainable development, and conserving nature, particularly through sustainable use policy initiatives. He is currently a consultant while pursuing a law degree. He still hasn’t lost his childhood enthusiasm for spending time in nature, although he now more commonly carries a camera instead of a net. His writing and photographs have appeared in numerous online articles, as well as in print publications in multiple countries around the world..
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NAIA EDITOR
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Norma Bennett Woolf Norma and her husband Tom published Dog Owner's Guide, a regional newspaper for pet and show dog owners from 1991-2004 and currently maintain the Dog Owners Guide website. Norma's writing has earned top honors from Dog Writers Association of America. In addition to supporting the human-animal bond through her writing, Norma has served in major offices and roles with her Cincinnati-area all-breed club, taught public dog training classes for nearly two decades at a local obedience club, and served as an AKC legislative liaison in Ohio. She is a past secretary and current legislative co-chair for the Canaan Dog Club of America. |
NAIA HALL OF FAME
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Adrian Morrison, DVM, PhD Dr. Adrian Morrison was a founding member of NAIA and one of its first presidents. Adrian earned his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine in 1960 from Cornell University. Soon after earning his Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania, he began to focus his post-doctoral research efforts on the mechanisms of sleep. He has published more than 110 papers on sleep-related topics and has edited five books. Adrian has been the recipient of awards from a host of organizations: these include the Distinguished service Award from the Society for Neuroscience in 1990 and the Scientific Freedom and Responsibility Award from the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 1991. He has distinguished himself worldwide as a scientist and as a champion for biomedical research and for all others who responsibly utilize animals. |
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Julian Prager Julian was NAIA’s Legal Analyst, Legislative Coordinator, and Chairman of the Board. He helped NAIA in countless ways during his service, acting as advisor on numerous legal and legislative issues, analyzing legislation, drafting amendments when necessary, helping draft model legislation and speaking at conferences. In addition to his valuable role at NAIA, Julian was a Bulldog breeder and exhibitor, an AKC Delegate and judge who was licensed as an attorney in NY. He was Counselor for the Bulldog Club of America, a member of the PA Dog Law Advisory Board and worked as a member of the National Policy Staff in the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service in USDA as a subject matter expert on dogs under the Animal Welfare Act. Julian served as the Legislative Chairman for the Pennsylvania Federation of Dog Clubs where his leadership was a key ingredient in gaining reasonable changes in the Pennsylvania Dog Law. In his professional career he held several Commissioner-level positions in NYC government and was the General Counsel and Executive Director of New York City Animal Care and Control, where he negotiated an agreement with the Mayor's Alliance for NYC Animals to reduce euthanasia rates and increase placement rates by the City. In its fourth year as a Maddie's Fund project, this effort increased adoptions by 96% and reduced total deaths by 49% from the base year. He has been a panel member at the Animal Law Conference of the PA Bar Institute. Julian was a tremendous asset and friend to NAIA. |
