Board Members

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.

Dr. Cindy Buckmaster Cindy Buckmaster, PhD, CMAR, RLATG
Dr. Buckmaster is a passionate advocate for animal welfare, biomedical progress, and public outreach. She is an engaging and dynamic speaker, and has educated audiences throughout the world about the highly trained Laboratory Animal Science professionals who dedicate their lives to caring work with research animals – and about the myriad ways humans and animals benefit from this work. Dr. Buckmaster completed her doctoral degree in Neurobiology and Behavior at SUNY Stony Brook. She serves on the boards of several research advocacy and professional organizations, including the American Association of Laboratory Animal Science, Americans for Medical Progress, and the Texas Society for Biomedical Research. She hosts the GetReal podcast and writes a monthly public outreach column in the journal Lab Animal. Dr. Buckmaster is committed to educating the public on the distinction between animal welfare and animal rights and believes, wholeheartedly, that animals and people cannot survive without each other: she will draw her final breath defending the human-animal bond.
Caren Cowan
Caren Cowan has served as executive director of the New Mexico Cattle Growers’ Association (NMCGA) for more than 19 years. For the seven years previous to that she served in the same position for the New Mexico Wool Growers, Inc. In 2009 Cowan purchased the New Mexico Stockman Magazine and the Livestock Market Digest which she currently publishes.

Cowan’s work for New Mexico’s livestock industry has included representation at the New Mexico Legislature and on Capitol Hill on issues ranging from federal land use to animal health and trade. Additionally, she works directly with state and federal regulatory agencies addressing the needs of agriculture and the livestock industry. She also manages the day to day operations of a statewide trade organization including communication, membership and financial issues.

Cowan was reared on a commercial beef ranch in Cochise County, Arizona, some of which she and her sister still own. She is a graduate of the University of Arizona with a B.S. in agricultural communications.

She writes a monthly column, “To The Point,” in the New Mexico Stockman Magazine. Her book, No Home On The Range --- Diary of an Executive Cowgirl was published in 2003.

Wendy Davis is the Associate Coordinator of the University of Arizona’s Race Wendy Davis
Wendy Davis is the Associate Coordinator of the University of Arizona’s Race Track Industry Program.  Her teaching responsibilities include coursework focusing on the management of racing animals, form and function of race and sport horses, and racing marketing/media – a course that includes a strong animal issue component, including the effect the animal rights organizations have on racing.  Wendy serves on a number of national racing boards and committees including the Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit’s Education and Licensing Committee, The Racing Officials Accreditation Program, Groom Elite (an educational program for race track grooms as well as inmates at facilities that care for retired racehorses) and the American Horse Council’s Research Committee. She continues to actively compete in the hunter/jumper discipline, many times with her off-the-track thoroughbreds.
Arnold L. Goldman DVM, MS, MPH — NAIA Vice President
Dr. Arnold L. Goldman owns Canton Animal Hospital LLC in Canton, CT and is president of the Connecticut Veterinary Medical Foundation. He developed the CTSART disaster response program and the Companions-in-Crisis domestic violence program. Since 2004 Dr. Goldman has served on a variety of emergency preparedness and response committees, task forces and work groups at the local, state and national levels. He also serves on the board of directors of the National Alliance of State Animal & Agricultural Emergency Programs, Americans for Medical Progress, and is currently the AVMA Delegate from Connecticut.

Dr. Goldman was instrumental in passage of Connecticut Public Act 07-11, mandating evacuation of household pets in disasters. For this accomplishment the Connecticut Veterinary Medical Association named Dr. Goldman 2008 Veterinarian-of-the-Year. In 2011 he led the passage of Connecticut Public Act 11-187, which gave the Connecticut Department of Agriculture control over the burgeoning animal importation industry.

Dr. Goldman is a graduate of the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, the University of Minnesota School of Public Health and is a life member of the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society. He speaks frequently on a variety of issues regarding animal welfare and veterinary medicine.

Dr. Betsy Greene

Dr. Greene is a Professor and Extension Horse Specialist at the University of Arizona. 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. She has been active in the leadership of the eXtension “HorseQuest Community of Practice,” and has secured extramural funding for her research/outreach in pasture management, youth safety, and more.  She collaborated with several state agencies to develop educational materials for equine owners and producers, including the award winning National Horse Safety on the Road Public Service Announcement. 

At the University of Arizona, her extension program 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.

In 2010, Dr. Greene was one of four chosen to participate in the American Horse Protection Association Independent Observer Pilot Program pursuant to their mission to protect and preserve America's wild horses and burros on US public range lands and to insure the humane care and handling of animals removed from the range by Bureau of Land Management contractors and personnel. She presented outcomes at the 2011 International Society of Equitation Sciences meetings held in the Netherlands.

 

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. 
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.
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.
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.  
Cindy Schonholtz
Cindy is the General Manager of the St. Paul, Oregon PRCA Rodeo, the Nation’s Greatest 4th of July Rodeo.  She joined the St. Paul Rodeo team on May 1, 2017 as their first general manager. Her prior experience included 19 years with 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 need-based financial assistance to injured rodeo athletes and their families. Additionally she was the Director of Industry Outreach where 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.

In addition to serving on the board of the National Animal Interest Alliance Cindy is the President of the Animal Welfare Council and is a member of the Public Policy Committee for the American Quarter Horse Association. She has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
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.
   
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.
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

Mary Burch 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.

Art Parola 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..

 


NAIA EDITOR

Norma Bennett Woolf

Norma Bennett Woolf
Norma has been an invaluable asset to NAIA throughout our history. She has served as NAIA editor, written countless articles, edited NAIA's Animal Policy Review from 1993-2004 and contributed to the website content of NAIA and Discover Animals.

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

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.
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.