WCC Staff Archives - Warrior Canine Connection

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New Faces at WCC: Welcoming Molly Elmore and Tessa Williams

March 11, 2024

Molly Elmore, Volunteer Program Manager

Meet Molly Elmore, our newest addition to the Warrior Canine Connection (WCC) team! Molly joined us in January as Volunteer Program Manager and brings a wealth of passion, organizational skills, and a deep love for dogs to her role, which involves working closely with all WCC’s amazing Puppy Parents, sitters, whelpers and volunteers. Her commitment to WCC’s mission is evident, and we’re thrilled to have her on board.

“I’ve seen the power of dogs in my own life, the bond, and raised my children with them,” said Molly. “There’s something about their companionship, their empathy towards us—it’s powerful, and then to get to work with these dogs that are so well-trained, it’s just remarkable.”

Molly spent the past 23 years, including 15 in Montgomery County, as an educator; she worked with all age groups from pre-school to adults, teaching French and English to Speakers of Other Language (ESOL) and creating unique enrichment courses.

Molly is married to husband, Lee, and they have three daughters, Rachel, 20; Becca, 17; and Kate, 14 and two dogs, Millie, 8, a Golden Retriever; and Seamus, 4, an Aussiedoodle. In addition to her work with animals, she loves meeting new people, traveling, learning languages, cooking, hiking, reading, learning, and is always up for a long walk.

Tessa Williams, Community Engagement Specialist

Tessa Williams, a familiar face at WCC for the past five years, has recently transitioned to the newly established Volunteer Department as WCC’s Community Engagement Specialist.

Tessa, who began as a volunteer with WCC, has helped in just about every capacity you can imagine—facilities and cleaning, overnight whelping duty, and canine care staff.

“At first, it was the dogs … isn’t it always the dogs that bring us in?” said Tessa. “I don’t have any military family or affiliation, but seeing all the training and the tremendous joy these dogs bring the Veterans and how they help them transform their lives, it’s nothing short of amazing.”

Tessa earned her bachelor’s degree in marketing from Salisbury University.

When not working, Tessa enjoys cooking and listening to music (two of her favorite artists include Tove Lo and Dua Lipa).

Join us in extending a warm WCC welcome to both Molly and Tessa!

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New Faces at WCC

November 16, 2023

We are excited to introduce our newest members of the WCC pack, who bring a wealth of experience and passion to our mission. Join us in extending a warm welcome to these dedicated individuals as they help us serve our Veterans.

Jennifer Ashley, Events Coordinator
 We welcomed Jennifer Ashley to the WCC team at the end of August as our new Events Coordinator. In her role, she will be the mastermind behind the planning and logistics of all the events WCC hosts and participates in throughout the year. With our involvement in hundreds of events each year, Jennifer is primed to stay very busy. 

Before joining WCC, Jennifer supported both the International Services and Service to the Armed Forces lines of service at the American Red Cross. Inspired by the monthly visits from the therapy dogs at Walter Reed, she was drawn to work with an organization that included service dogs in its mission to aid recovering Service Members and Veterans. When Jennifer saw a job opening at WCC, she said it felt like serendipity; she instantly knew she had to apply.  

Jennifer shared, “I know how strong the animal-human connection is, and this position married my previous role of providing military support with my love of animals, so it was a total win-win.”

Jennifer earned her bachelor’s in business management and a minor in human development & family studies from the Pennsylvania State University. She has more than 10 years of experience working and volunteering for non-profits where she developed her skills in event planning, stakeholder engagement, development, volunteer management, and communication strategies.    

Outside of work, Jennifer, a huge animal lover, enjoys spending time with her best buddies, rescue dogs Duke and Moby, 6 and 8, playing tennis, and getting creative with all kinds of arts & crafts projects. 

Lisa Kilmer, Service Dog Training Instructor
Lisa Kilmer joined the WCC team as a Service Dog Training Instructor in September at its University of Pennsylvania program location in Philadelphia. She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience working with animals with her, as she previously worked as a zookeeper. In her role, she had the opportunity to really dive into the training world by working with creatures big and small.

Several years ago, Lisa turned her attention to dog training and has had the opportunity to work with dogs of all ages, breeds, temperaments, and behaviors through private lessons, as well as group settings. She realized her passion for working with dogs and loved helping others form a long and lasting bond with their dogs. She’s excited to be taking that experience to help train service dogs while working side by side with Veterans.

“Dogs just don’t have a judgmental bone in their body,” said Lisa Kilmer. “They’re patient and understanding and in tune with human emotions. And they’re funny, too.”

Lisa is a graduate of Rider University, where she received her bachelor’s in environmental science.

Outside of WCC, Lisa and Bindi, her trusty Golden Retriever, who is a certified therapy dog, can be found volunteering with Angel Readers, a local volunteer group that offers a program called Angel on a Leash, where kids read to dogs and in the process, can overcome anxiety and nervousness while reading, as well as their fear of dogs. In addition to Bindi, Lisa also has a second dog, Spike, a Lab/Pit mix. When not working, she enjoys hiking and spending time at the beach.

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New Faces at WCC

September 29, 2022

We are pleased to introduce you to two new members of WCC’s pack! Join us in welcoming both Cyrus Fenwick, social media coordinator, and Samantha Johnson, development officer, to our team. Learn more about our new team members below.

Cyrus Fenwick

Cyrus “Cy” Fenwick joins Warrior Canine Connection after having spent several years working as a member of the media—both at ESPN and NBC Sports Washington. When the pandemic hit, Cy took time to re-evaluate his professional path and decided to switch to the nonprofit world.

“I love dogs and feel strongly about the need for mental health support, and Veterans, so when I saw the job posting at WCC, it immediately spoke to me,” said Cy. “Seeing how much these dogs help people moves me to my core; it makes me excited to come to work every day knowing that I’m contributing to a beautiful cause that I believe in.”

Cy grew up in The Plains, Virginia, with two older sisters and four dogs. And he comes from a proud military family; his grandfather served as a decorated Air Force Lieutenant Colonel in Vietnam.

Cy studied broadcast and digital journalism at Syracuse University. He is married to Sarah, his wife of almost one year, and they have two dogs (a Jack Russell Terrier named Rus and a rescue Chihuahua named Starfox). Outside of work, Cy has enjoyed fostering 12 dogs—all of whom have been adopted, and he loves making bread, going hiking and kayaking and spending time with family and friends.

Samantha Johnson joins WCC after spending 10 years as a veterinary technician. She brings her amazing experience, along with her love of all animals, to WCC in an entirely new role—development officer!

Samantha says having a dad who served in Army Airborne definitely shaped the way grew up and fostered her appreciation for Veterans.

“I fell in love with WCC when I saw the job posting,” said Samantha. “This role combines my love of dogs and support for Veterans. Coming from a military background, our mentality was always ‘we help our own,’ and I knew I wanted in. Everything’s amazing … everyone is so awesome, they welcomed me with open arms.”

After working as a vet tech, Samantha used her bachelor’s degree in biology as a genetic counselor assistant for a genetic testing company.

When she’s not still volunteering with her former veterinary clinic, Samantha enjoys rock climbing, checking out local events, including the “Live at 5” concerts in Frederick, and hanging out with friends. A devout animal-lover, Samantha has a cherished yellow Lab named Rudy.

New Faces at WCC

March 31, 2022

Please join us in welcoming two new members to our team!

Kristina Frick
Kristina is the latest service dog training instructor to join our pack. She is based at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE0) in Bethesda, where she meets with Service Members and Veterans and help run our Mission Based Trauma Recovery (MBTR) training program.

“Although I’m still settling in, I know this work is going to be absolutely rewarding and phenomenal,” said Kristina. “As a member of a military family and community, I’m excited to combine my passion for animals by providing support for Veterans.”

No stranger to the military, Kristina met and married a U.S. Army Foreign Area Officer, John, who gave her the opportunity to literally see the world. She moved 14 times in 24 years, but she was fortunate to enough earn her teaching certification in high school biology and taught off and on while stationed stateside.

Kristina graduated from Southern Illinois University with a bachelor’s in zoology. Her first job after graduation was as a zookeeper at the Houston Zoo. There, she led public animal shows with the birds of prey and educational demonstrations with Texas wildlife, exotic small mammals, nonvenomous reptiles and psittacine birds, and the general husbandry for the animals under her care.

She and her husband have two children, Isabella, 17, and Joshua, 14, and two Boasian street dogs that were rescued while their family was living in Sarajevo during one of John’s deployments.

Stacey Rogers
A Maryland native, Stacey joins WCC as a service dog training instructor from the Baltimore area. She started raising puppies for another organization (she is now raising her 10^th puppy) and that’s what led to her interest in a career training dogs. Her experience as a puppy raiser gives her a unique perspective in her work with WCC and its amazing puppy parent volunteers.

“I completely understand what puppy parents go through when they pass the leash for advanced dog training,” said Stacey. “I was always the person bawling my eyes out before, and now I see it from the perspective of being the person taking the leash from the person crying on the other end. It’s helped me in my job to give advice and really relate to what they’re going through.”

Outside of puppy raising, Stacey worked at a dog daycare training facility in Columbia, Md., where she learned about dog behavior, body language and different play styles. Several years later, she began shadowing trainers and began leading group classes and doing 1:1 puppy training — experience that plays an instrumental role in her work teaching WCC’s “Boots” classes for puppies six months and under.

When not working, Stacey enjoys hiking with a combination of her four dogs, three of which are pets, and the puppy in training, which she is caring for until February 2023. She also enjoys participating in nose work with her Golden Retriever, Vito.

New Faces at WCC

January 31, 2022

Warrior Canine Connection’s pack has grown! We are excited to introduce you to two new members of our team.

Michele Tate
Michele joined WCC in mid-November 2021 as a service dog training instructor at WCC’s program in Asheville, North Carolina. She has vast experience working with a wide variety of breeds and temperaments, as well as service and rescue organizations. In her role, she will oversee the puppy program and work closely with WCC’s highly valued puppy parents.

Michele graduated from the University of North Dakota with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. She then received her training at Starmark Dog Training Academy, where she specialized in task training and behavior modification.

Prior to coming to WCC, Michele spent four years working with service dogs and Veterans, so this is not new territory to her. She says the military population is one she’s always been interested in supporting, as she has a partner who is a Veteran and family members who are Veterans and active-duty Service Members.

“It’s been amazing to see how quickly WCC’s purpose-bred dogs pick up on skills, how calm and easy going they are,” said Michele. “Of course, they have well-rounded lives with puppy parents, exposure to people, sounds, and other stimuli from the time they’re only a few weeks old and then formalized training … but it’s been magical to watch that come together.”

Michele has two dogs, Brin and Red, and when not at WCC, she enjoys swimming, riding her bike, cooking, and reading.

Suzanne Brown
In late November, we also welcomed Suzanne Brown as a service dog training instructor who will work in a part-time capacity at our Healing Quarters in Boyds, Maryland. Suzanne graduated from the Coast Guard Academy with a bachelor’s in Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering, and she earned advanced engineering degrees at the University of Michigan. She served over 25 years active duty in the U.S. Coast Guard before retiring as a Captain in 2020.

Suzanne has volunteered at WCC for the past few years and served in almost every volunteer role from whelping/puppy watcher to puppy parent and she helped coordinate WCC’s Inaugural Ruff Mutter event.

She has extensive experience with the MBTR program, where she discovered her passion for training service dogs, both as a participant and running WCC’s Extended Veteran Program for fellow Veterans who complete the MBTR program and want to continue training service dogs for fellow Veterans.

“I came to know WCC at a really rough time in my life and they really helped me through that,” says Suzanne. “I have seen firsthand the impact that working with the dogs has as well as the difference a service dog can make on a Veteran’s life. WCC’s programs, both the placement of service dogs and utilizing military members and Veterans to help train the service dogs in training, have not only helped me but so many military members and Veterans in their recovery process. Those invisible wounds are real and it’s hard to explain but the dogs have such a tremendously positive impact. I came in at the right time, and now I want to actively help others through WCC’s mission.”

Outside of work, Suzanne enjoys spending time with Baxter, her 14-year-old pet Golden Retriever. Suzanne also used to compete in triathlons and says she is focusing on becoming more active. Suzanne is also a volunteer coach for adaptive/para-swimming and triathlons.

New Faces at WCC

November 26, 2019

The Warrior Canine Connection team is growing! We are pleased to welcome some new faces to our pack both at our Healing Quarters in Boyds and at the Menlo Park VA in California. We are very excited about the wealth of knowledge, experience and expertise that these new team members bring to our team, please join us in welcoming them on board!

Katherine Kane joined the WCC team in September in a special 11-month role as a volunteer coordinator through AmeriCorps and Volunteer Maryland. In her position, she assists with all things related to volunteer recruitment, including retention and creating and refining systems.

Katherine got involved in the AmeriCorps program because her passion is tied to serving our Veterans. Her plans post-WCC include attending graduate school so she can achieve her career goal to become a military psychologist.

“I really like the mission and the people — it’s been a great experience so far,” said Katherine. “My goal is to be a military psychologist, so this opportunity is an invaluable step in that process. Not to mention being around these puppies every day – that’s definitely an added bonus.”

Katherine grew up in Greensboro, N.C. and attended Guilford College, where she completed a double-major in psychology and criminal justice. She also competed on the school’s tennis and swimming teams.

When not working, Katherine enjoys reading, yoga and she recently started kickboxing.

Jody Neal also joined WCC in September as a dog program administrative assistant.  

“What I love about working for WCC is that everyone is working for the same end result and mission,” said Jody. “I love that everyone here loves their job and that each day at WCC is different. Having the dogs and puppies around is truly therapeutic and healing. I have always wanted to give back to Veterans because of what they do for our country, and this is such a rewarding way to do that.”

Jody’s role is part-time, and when she’s not at the WCC Healing Quarters, she can often be found working as a crossing guard for the Montgomery County Police Department.

Jody grew up in the Maryland suburbs and completed her education there; she earned her advertising design degree from Montgomery County Community College and her one-year certification in business administration from the Katharine Gibbs School. She put her experience and degrees to good use by serving in various administrative capacities in the private sector prior to joining WCC.

When not working, Jody enjoys caring for her two horses, Beetle and Galley, and her two Jack Russell Terries, Grizzly and Maizie.

Also joining WCC in September is Service Dog Training Instructor Shelley Smith, who is based out of WCC’s location at the Menlo Park VA.

Shelley has worked in animal welfare her entire professional career; she has vast experience in animal sheltering with dogs and cats, animal intake, behavior, fostering and adoptions and animal-assisted interactions.

She earned her degree in literature from California State University Bakersfield and later continued her education at the San Francisco Academy for Dog Trainers. She says she’s excited to be putting her skills to work with WCC.

“I love it, it’s fantastic,” it actually combines two of my most passionate topics, which are dog training and the welfare and well-being of Veterans,” said Shelley. “I feel incredibly lucky every day to have the chance to do this — to work with Veterans and to use my skills as a dog trainer to help them is a humbling experience, I love it.”

A true animal-lover, Shelley has a 13-year-old Lab from the Oakland Shelter named Enzo and three cats (and, yes, she says they all get along): Caterpillar, Pinot and Elroy.

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