CCPDT Board

The CCPDT® is governed by a Board of Directors that consists of no more than twelve and no less than seven directors. Mandatory positions include President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Public Member. The Public Member is someone whose profession is not working with animals. The Public Member’s role is to provide the perspective of dog owners and to ensure that their interests are considered during all discussions, decisions, and actions undertaken by the board. All board members, including the Public Member, have voting privileges.

Because we are a credentialing organization, not a membership organization, board members aren’t elected by the certificants, but rather by the current board. Instead we issue a call for nominations to fill any vacant seats on the board of directors once every year (or more often, if needed). Interested candidates submit a letter indicating why they would like to be considered for a board seat, and include information about their professional background.

All candidates are then interviewed by the CCPDT Executive Director with questions created by the CCPDT Nominations Committee. Finally, the CCPDT board votes on the candidates based on all the available information.

Interested in Volunteering?

Look out for the annual call for board members. We announce it in our newsletter, on social media channels, and post it on our website.

But serving on the board is not the only opportunity to get involved with the CCPDT. If you would like to grow your professional network and give back to the profession, we are always looking to expand our energetic team of volunteers. Learn how you can contribute.

CCPDT Board Members

Ashley Foster, CBCC-KA®

President
afoster@ccpdt.org

Ashley Foster is a CBCC-KA and Professional Dog Trainer who has been training and consulting professionally for over 26 years. She is the founder and owner of Complete K-9, which offers science-based behavior consulting and various training services to build human-dog relationships. Fueled by a great passion for the progression and professionalization of the field, Ashley joined the CCPDT Board in 2018 and was elected president in 2021.

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Lynne Stott, CPDT-KA®, CBCC-KA®

Treasurer
lstott@ccpdt.org

Lynne Stott is retired from a 20 year career in hospitality management and is currently a volunteer trainer at Pima Animal Care Center and member of the Leadership Team for TOP Dogs, a volunteer-run focus project supported by the Friends of PACC and concentrating on the needs of behavioral dogs in a municipal shelter.

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Erica Kramer, MBA, PMP

Secretary, Public Member
ekramer@ccpdt.org

Erica is a lifelong dog lover. As a client of dog trainers, Erica appreciates and values regulated professional certification programs and ongoing learning that is required to maintain a certification. She holds a BA from the University of Minnesota, MBA from Capella University, and is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP).

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Erin Askeland, CPDT-KA®; CBCC-KA®

Director
easkeland@ccpdt.org

Erin Askeland specializes in helping build positive relationships between families and their new pets through play. She has over 20 years of experience in the pet care industry and focuses on education and continued learning for pet owners and pet professionals. Erin’s work also includes the development of a grant program to serve families and rescue groups who need financial assistance to help provide a dog life-altering medical care.

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Drake Azevedo, CPDT-KA®

Director
dazevedo@ccpdt.org

Drake Azevedo has been professionally training animals since 1999. He founded Dog as Copilot, a small service dog collaborative that assists owner-trainers on their journey toward independence. Drake provides one-on-one private training on all types of behavior problems and the usual pet interactions. He also manages Sarah’s Pet Sitting , a large pet-sitting agency in central Connecticut.

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Ruth Crisler

Director
rcrisler@ccpdt.org

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James Crosby, CBCC-KA®

Director
jcrosby@ccpdt.org

James Crosby has professionally trained dogs, taught individual and group obedience classes, and addressed canine behavior problems since 1999. He teaches safe handling, evaluation and rehabilitation of dangerous dogs and the investigation of fatal and serious dog attacks throughout the US, Canada, Italy, the UK, Poland and Australia.

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Brian Galea, CPDT-KA®, CBCC-KA®

Director
bgalea@ccpdt.org

Brian Galea is the founder of Snoot App Inc, a startup based out of Miami, FL. He has been training dogs professionally since 2016. Combining his years of scientific and research training, professional dog experience, and passion for building community, Brian’s goal is to bring quality support and standards to the pet industry.

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Linda LeFauve, CPDT-KA®, CBCC-KA®

Director
llefauve@ccpdt.org

Linda LeFauve is a former college administrator who has happily turned her full attention to dogs. She founded LeFauve Behavioral Consulting, working with rescue groups and shelters to support new dog adopters at no cost. She also volunteers with Continuing the Mission, a group that trains support dogs for veterans with diagnosed PTSD.

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Brad Phifer, CPDT-KSA®, CBCC-KA®

Brad Phifer

Executive Director
bphifer@ccpdt.org

Bradley Phifer joined the CCPDT Board in 2009 and served as President from 2012 to 2017. His extensive experience includes roles as the Director of Animal Behavior Programs at the Humane Society of Indianapolis, the Director of Pet Behavior Services at the Broad Ripple Animal Clinic & Wellness Center, and the owner of Bradley Phifer Dog Training, which includes Seven Acres and Bark Tutor School for Dogs.

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Devin Zimmer

Director of Exam Development
dzimmer@ccpdt.org

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Public Policy Documents

We have a public policy page to give certificants and the public a central place to review the documents that underpin our governance. The documents are updated continuously.

CCPDT Public Policies