CWA Conference Speaker and Seminar Bios

Eve Adamson
Eve Adamson has been a full-time freelance writer since 1996, and a long-time contributing editor to Dog Fancy magazine. She has a Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing and is a member of the Dog Writers Association of America and the Cat Writers' Association. Eve has written over 50 books, including Adopting a Pet for Dummies, Labrador Retrievers for Dummies, Dachshunds for Dummies, and Shih Tzu for Dummies, and hundreds of magazine articles and columns for such publications as Dog Fancy, Cat Fancy, Cats USA, Popular Pets, Kittens USA, AKC Family Dog, Your Dog, Pet Product News International, and Veterinary Practice News. Eve also writes about holistic health and food. She just finished a book with reality show star and natural foods chef Bethenny Frankel, called Naturally Thin: The Skinnygirl Guide to a Delicious Life, and is currently working on The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Chakras, and a book about living with animals in a more eco-friendly way.

Mara Bovsun
Mara Bovsun is the features editor for the AKC Gazette and AKC Family Dog. She lives in New York City with her husband Mike and two dogs, Maggie the Lab, and Lisa the Leonberger.

Cathy Bruce
Cathy Bruce, CPDT, is a Certified Pet Dog Trainer, member of the IAABC, and Chair of the MRC Committee of the APDT. She is also certified as an AKC Canine Good Citizen evaluator. She has been training and studying dog behavior for the last 11 years. Following an apprenticeship and stint as a Staff Instructor at a training school in NY, where she taught classes in Puppy Obedience, AKC Canine Good Citizen Prep, and AKC Rally Obedience, she teamed up with Animal Planet's "It's Me Or the Dog's" Victoria Stilwell to run Dog Trainers of New Jersey. There she taught private lessons for dogs and owners dealing with obedience and behavioral issues. Many of the dogs she worked with were rescued shelter dogs who were adopted in New Jersey. Currently, she runs Dog Trainers of Georgia and Canine Country Inn in metro Atlanta, where she offers private lessons, Board & Train and group classes.

Jane Brunt, DVM
Dr. Jane Brunt has practiced feline-exclusive medicine in Maryland for over 20 years. She founded the Cat Hospital At Towson (CHAT) in Baltimore, the first feline-exclusive veterinary hospital in the state. Dr. Brunt opened a second practice, Cat Hospital Eastern Shore (CHES) in June of 2001. She represented AAFP in the AVMA House of Delegates for eight years, and served as AAFP president in 2006. She served as president of the Maryland Veterinary Medical Association (MVMA) and has also participated in American Animal Hospital Association leadership activities. She is currently participates in two feline initiatives, the KNOW Heartworms campaign to educate veterinarians and the public about heartworms in cats and HARD-Heartworm Associated Respiratory Disease, and the CATalyst Council which partners the veterinary profession, shelter, rescue and welfare organizations, animal health industry, and the media to improve the current status of cats in North America. Dr. Brunt shares her home with her two hilarious cats, Freddy and Paddy, and her loyal--though less smart than the cats--Standard Poodle, Charley.

D. Caroline Coile, PhD
D. Caroline Coile, Ph.D. has written 31 books and hundreds of articles about Dogs and one book about cats. She writes monthly columns for Dog World and the AKC Gazette, and has written feature articles for most major dog magazines, many internet sites, and one newspaper. She has competed in dog events since 1975, owner-handling her Salukis to national rankings in conformation, obedience, field, and agility, all the while exhibiting steely self-control as her dogs regularly humiliated her. Trying to figure out how to get her dogs to mind, Caroline earned a Ph.D. in psychology from Florida State University, focusing on canine behavior, senses, genetics and neuropsychology.

Victor DiGenti
After 35 years in public broadcasting working as a producer, director, fundraiser, and producer of the Jacksonville Jazz Festival, Vic DiGenti turned to his first love-writing. He found inspiration in his household of feline critters and wrote three adventure/fantasies with a feline protagonist. His first two novels, Windrusher and Windrusher and the Cave of Tho-hoth, have won multiple awards and attracted readers of all ages. His third in the series, Windrusher and the Trail of Fire, was released in August 2008. He won the 2007 Josiah W. Bancroft, Sr. Award for an unpublished manuscript mystery/suspense novel set in St. Augustine, Florida. Vic is a regional director of the Florida Writers Association, vice president of the Friends of the Library-Ponte Vedra Beach, and a member of the Rotary Club of Ponte Vedra Beach. He and his wife live in Florida where they are closely scrutinized for aberrant behavior by their many rescued felines.

Deb M. Eldredge, DVM
Dr. Eldredge graduated from Cornell School of Veterinary Medicine in 1980 and was the first recipient of the Gentle Doctor Award that same year. She has been in private practice for the past 25 years. Dr. Eldredge is also a professional writer and a member of both DWAA and CWA, and has won both Maxwells and Muse medallions. She lives in upstate New York with her family and a host of animals.

Lea-Ann Germinder
Lea-Ann Germinder is an accredited public relations professional and president of Germinder & Associates, Inc. Germinder has practiced public relations for over 20 years and has specialized in animal health for 15 years, focusing on a wide range of animal health issues and representing national companies and organizations. She has won many individual awards and was recently accepted into the prestigious Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) College of Fellows, one of the most distinguished groups of senior leaders in the public relations profession. Her innovative programs have also won dozens of awards including the PRSA Silver Anvil Award of Excellence. She and her agency teams have created over 100 campaigns including the KNOW Heartworms and the CATalyst initiatives. She is a member of the CWA and has been publicity chair for several years, has conducted several media training seminars for CWA meetings and presented at national and international veterinary conferences. Germinder's youngest son Joseph shares his cat Cocoa, an American Wirehair that didn't wire, with his mom.

Michael Cowl Gordon
Michael Cowl Gordon received his MD degree from the University of Illinois College of Medicine in 1967. Early in his medical career he became interested in treating addictions, and has been in this field full time since 1981. In 2004 he published "Autobiography of a Georgia Cat," a story that he wrote as an answer to his grief over the loss of his first wife. The book was honored by the Georgia Writers Association as the best self-published first novel of the year. In 2005 he published "What Life Teaches a Cat," a discussion guide to the novel. Mike is a member of several medical societies, as well as the Georgia Writers Association and the Cat Writers' Association.

Susan Graham
Susan Graham is a literary agent and one of the founders of Georgia Writers Association, Inc., a state-wide nonprofit organization dedicated to helping writers in Georgia and surrounding areas. She has sold several books to large and small publishers and is currently expanding her business, About Words Agency.

Dena Harris
Hailed as the "Erma Bombeck of cat writers," Dena's stories charm readers in her short-story humor collection, Lessons In Stalking…Adjusting to Life with Cats (2005). A former humor columnist for Cats & Kittens magazine, Dena's work appears in Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's Soul (2007) and Cup of Comfort for Cat Lovers (2008). She is also the author of For the Love of Cats (2006), and is completing two new books of feline humor. A freelance magazine writer, Dena's articles have appeared in over 50 national and international publications including Writer's Digest, Art Jewelry, 2007 & 2008 Novel & Short Story Writer's Market, and many more.

Dan Kramer
Dan Kramer is the Senior Marketing Manager of US Companion Animal Parasiticides for Pfizer, Inc. and has been in the animal health industry for more than 24 years. Dan is the founder of the CATalyst Summit and current Chair of the CATalyst Council. He is also actively involved with the Companion Animal Parasite Council and the KNOW Heartworms partnership with the American Association of Feline Practitioners and the American Heartworm Society. Dan is a graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park where he completed his undergraduate and graduate education.

Marion Lane
Marion Lane is Special Projects Editor in the National Program Office of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). The former editor of ASPCA Animal Watch and Pure-Bred Dogs/American Kennel Gazette, she has written dozens of personal essays and feature articles on pets as well as four nonfiction books on dogs. Most recently she coauthored Heritage of Care, a history of the ASPCA, to mark the society's 140th anniversary. Marion is the recipient of numerous awards for both writing and editing. She lives in Cobleskill, New York, with her husband, three cats, two dogs and a rabbit.

Susan Logan
Susan Logan is the editor of Cat Fancy magazine, the world's most widely read cat care and lifestyle magazine. A veteran in print journalism with more than 18 years of experience, she has spent the past eight years devoted to pet and veterinary topics at BowTie magazines. This is the sixth year Logan has participated in the Cat Writers' Association annual conference. A life-long pet lover, Logan is the proud mom of a Ragdoll named Chloe and Tonkinese named Chamois.

Sharon Melnyk
Sharon Melnyk has specialized in writing and conducting feline behavior and adoption counseling training programs for animal shelter volunteers since the mid-1980s. Beginning with the San Francisco SPCA where she apprenticed with Gwen Bohnenkamp, author of >From the Cat's Point of View, Sharon has volunteered at municipal and private animal shelters while refining her knowledge of feline behavior. Cats in shelters, as well as her own tame and feral cats, have enabled her to put scientific theory into practice. In collaboration with Dr. Ian Dunbar, founder of Sirius Dog Training and the Association of Pet Dog Trainers, and Dr. Sheila Segurson, formerly of the U.C. Davis Shelter Medicine Program, Sharon wrote and launched the "Open Paw Program for People and Cats," a reward-based training and education program. She served on the City of Berkeley's Citizens Humane Commission and is employed as Circulation Manager for a labor relations program at the University of California Berkeley.

Robert Menardi, DVM
Dr. Robert Menardi, DVM, is the technical marketing manager for Merial. He has been involved with the recent development and commercial launch of new pharmaceutical products at the company.

Melinda Merck
Melinda D. Merck, D.V.M., received her veterinary degree from Michigan State University in 1988 and, upon graduation, opened her private practice, The Cat Clinic of Roswell in Roswell, GA. She began studying and investigating animal cruelty cases at the same time. In 2003, Dr. Merck joined the Georgia Legal Professionals for Animals and as the vice president of Veterinary and Forensic Affairs, she began giving seminars on veterinary forensic investigations for law enforcement and veterinarians.
Dr. Merck joined the ASPCA in 2007 and currently serves as Senior Director of Veterinary Forensics. She frequently testifies as a forensic veterinary expert for animal cruelty cases around the country, including cases involving animal hoarding, dog fighting and animal torture. In addition, she continues to be a veterinary forensics consultant for the Fulton County District Attorney's Office in Atlanta, GA and also conducts veterinary forensic examinations for Gwinnett County Animal Control.
Dr. Merck is co-author of the book "Veterinary Forensic Investigation of Animal Cruelty: A Guide for Veterinarians and Law Enforcement." Her latest publication, "Veterinary Forensics: Animal Cruelty Investigation, " was released in June 2007. She frequently provides training for veterinary and law enforcement professionals nationwide on the use of veterinary medical knowledge in the investigation and prosecution of animal cruelty cases.

Joan Miller
Joan Miller has been a member of the Cat Fanciers Association Board of Directors since 1987, and is currently Vice-President of CFA. Joan is a CFA All-breed judge. Her job as CFA Legislative Coordinator involved mobilizing grassroots response to proposals that impact breeders of pedigreed cats, caretakers of feral cats or pet ownership in general. Her writings include various cat related articles,two chapters in Feline Husbandry and a chapter in the CFA Complete Cat Book. She presents talks on the diversity of cat nature, cat breed evolution, multi-cat environments, cat population issues, shelter cat handling, feline colors/patterns and other topics to veterinarians, students, pet owners and shelter professionals. Joan lives in San Diego.

Arden Moore
Arden Moore travels all over America to help millions better bond with their pets. She is the editor of Catnip, an in-demand professional speaker and host of the "Oh Behave!" show on Pet Life Radio.com. In 2007 and 2008, she conducted two national book tours that took her from Maine to Hawaii. She has authored 20 pet books and happily shares her Oceanside, CA home with her "furry fab four."

Jacqueline Nivison
Jacqueline Nivison worked for the Patriot Newspapers chain (later sold to Liberty) as a staff writer and later feature editor. She has received awards from the Michigan Press Association for her hard news writing and column, "Muddlin' Through." In 2004 her interest in sighthounds culminated in the founding of The Performance Sighthound Journal, a magazine devoted to the athletic skills of all sighthound breeds. She holds the position of Editor/Publisher for The PSJ. In 2007 she was hired as Editor/Publisher for the Field Advisory News, the official magazine of the American Sighthound Field Association. FAN has been published continuously for 38 years. In addition to the MPA awards, Nivison has also received a Maxwell award.

Ellen Price
Ellen Price has worked with Pet Sitters International for the past nine years. She is the editor of The WORLD of Professional Pet Sitting magazine, which serves as a major source of information and support for PSI's 8,000+ members. Ellen is also PSI's academic manager. She also heads PSI's Accreditation Program, the continuing education coursework for professional pet sitters. Prior to her work with PSI, Ellen worked in the national livestock publications industry for more than a decade and served as senior sports marketing coordinator for the San Antonio Express-News. Ellen's family includes her husband, stepchildren, two Labs and calico cats Stasha and Mauser.

Dusty Rainbolt
Dusty Rainbolt is an award-winning cat writer, according to her answering machine. She's the author of Cat Wrangling Made Easy: Maintaining Peace and Sanity in Your Multicat Home, Ghost Cats: Human Encounters with Feline Spirits, and Kittens For Dummies. She's also the author of a humorous science fiction novel, All the Marbles, and co-author of The Four Redheads of the Apocalypse (written with three other redheads). She writes the monthly feline advice columns, "Dear Hobbes" and Ask Einstein, and is the product editor for Catnip newsletter. She also freelances for Cat Fancy. Over her cat-writing career, she has won 10 Muse Medallions and 16 special awards from the Cat Writers' Association. During her life as a newspaper journalist she was recognized by Open Government Coppell for Excellence in Reporting.

Chris Redenbach
Chris Redenbach CDBC runs a dog behavior consultancy, The Balanced Dog, in metro Atlanta. While most of her clients' dogs have aggression or extreme fear issues, she works with all dog issues and enjoys helping people develop a rich relationship with their companion. She works with both pet owners and performance hobbyists at problem solving and training challenges. She was one of the first in the country to use a combined ethological and learning theory approach for her Introduction to Animal Behavior courses for vet tech degree candidates. Chris is a licensed presenter for Dogs & Storks™, teaching parents to manage dog and baby safely. She shares her home with a Blue Front Amazon, a feral cat, and a Bouviers des Flandres.

Jill Richardson, DVM
Dr. Jill Richardson is the resident veterinarian at Zootoo.com. She is a consultant for Veterinary Information Network and Lloyd Incorporated, and also an instructor for Penn Foster College. She started her career as a small animal practitioner in West Virginia and has worked in the Animal Health Industry for over 14 years.

Kim Jack Riley
Kim Jack Riley is a communications specialist with skills in journalism, web content, product development, marketing, and non-profit advocacy. Drawing upon her 18-year career in publishing--primarily for youth markets-Riley was the creative force behind the content for www.teenwire.com. She aksi worked for the nation's top selling music monthly, The Source Magazine, as managing editor and for the classroom magazine division at Scholastic. Her professional affiliations include membership in the American Society of Magazine Editors, the National Association of Black Journalists, and the International Women's Media Foundation. In addition to editing, Riley has been published in a number of publications including Parenting Magazine, Black Enterprise, Impact Magazine, Honey, Time Out (UK) and the London-based Pride Magazine. Recently she served as a reporter for the weekly newspaper, The Teaneck Suburbanite. She is married to noted radio journalist and political commentator Mark Riley. Together, they have a ten-year-old daughter and reside in New Jersey.

Amy D. Shojai
Amy D. Shojai, CABC, is a nationally known authority on pet care and behavior, a certified animal behavior consultant, a spokesperson for the pet products industry, and the author of 22 nonfiction pet books and hundreds of articles. Her award winning columns are published in the Herald Democrat newspaper, Purina's CatChow.com, Weseed.com, Homeagain.com and iVillage.com. She appears in a twice-monthly CBS-TV "Pet Talk" segment, hosts "Pet Peeves" weekly radio podcast at PetLifeRadio.com, blogs daily at Petside.com, and produces the free monthly "Pet Peeves" e-newsletter. Her books include the award-winning Petiquette and the best-selling First-Aid Companion For Dogs & Cats, as well as Chicken Soup For The Dog Lover's Soul andChicken Soup For The Cat Lover's Soul. She lives in Texas with her husband, a Siamese wannabe named Seren(dipity), Magic the German Shepherd, and seven koi.

Kim Campbell Thornton
Kim Campbell Thornton has been writing about cats and dogs for more than 20 years. She has written numerous articles and more than 20 books on pet care, health, behavior and selection, and currently writes a monthly pet health column for MSNBC.com. Kim started the Darcy Fund in 2002 to provide support for research into chronic valvular disease. She lives in California with her husband, three Cavaliers and an African ringneck parakeet.

Ellen E. Tucker
Ellen E. Tucker is the author of the humorous fiction book Cats in the Belfry. A former accountant, Ellen became an author by accident when she was sitting at her computer one day and started writing a book. She is currently writing a sequel and plans to publish early next year. Ellen lives in north Georgia with her husband and three cats.

Kimberly Turner
Kimberly Turner is a senior editor/staff writer at Atlanta magazine. She has previously been an editor for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, as well as Roost and ADB magazines, and is the editorial director/co-founder of Regator.com, a selective blog aggregator launched in July. This year, she was awarded the Gold GAMMA by the Magazine Association of the Southeast as well as the Bronze City & Regional Magazine Award, both for service journalism. Her work has appeared in Australian music and action sports magazines such as Massive, Kerrang!, Surf Girl, Skate, and Outdoor Australia. She lives in Decatur, Georgia, with her husband and two cats.

John C. Wright, PhD
Dr. John C. Wright is a professor of psychology at Mercer University. He is an ABS-Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (1991), and a Charter Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science (1988). He has a successful veterinary referral house-calls practice in Atlanta since 1981, and has been an invited speaker for seminars on dog and cat behavior by organizations in the U.S. and internationally. Dr. Wright has authored numerous scholarly works on dog and cat behavior, and has coauthored several books including the CWA Muse award-winning Is Your Cat Crazy? Solutions from the Casebook of a Cat Therapist. He presently serves as the Chairman of the Animal Behavior Society's Board of Professional Certification.