Michelle Kramer – First Vice President

I have owned dogs all my life.  As a child I grew up with a Pomeranian and a German Shepherd.  I bought the AKC book of all breeds and was drawn to the Doberman.  In 1980 I purchased my firstDoberman, “Duke”, and have had at least one ever since.  I was bitten by the show bug in the early 80’s, showing in both conformation and obedience.  After my children were born in the late 80’s, I stopped showing but always shared my home with a Doberman.

In 2005, once my children were grown, I jumped back into the show ring.  Owner-handled, I quickly finished “Tyson”, our red boy.  All of my current dogs go back to my beloved boy including the 2019 National Specialty Winner, “Diana”.

As a member of the DPCA in the 80’s, I was the DPCA OFA liaison.  Long before online OFA reports, I reported the quarterly OFA certified Dobes and they were published in the “Pipeline”. 

I am active on the Dobequest volunteer committee.  I was involved with the Legislative committee have been the DPCA webmaster since 2008.  In November 2007 I became the Longevity chairperson.

I have been in the Marketing Research industry for over 30 years and am a Director at a top 5 global Marketing Research firm.  I live on 19 acres with 5 dogs and 3 cats.

I am honored to be the DPCA First Vice President and I pledge to always protect the breed we all love.

Elaine Hopper – Second Vice President

I have been involved with Dobermans since 1987. I started competing in obedience then acquired my first conformation dog. I have continued to compete as an owner handler along with showing dogs for others. I have finished many champions, added obedience titles, handled two DPCA Top Twenty conformation finalists as well as DPCA AOM recipients and other local and national award winners. Under the Starlaine prefix I have bred conformation champions as well as obedience and agility titlists. I have attended most nationals since my first one in 1988. I am a member of the Puget Sound DPC and I have held every office and I am currently on the Board. I have also been show chair, obedience chair, breeder referral, judges selection, legislative committee member, website coordinator, and trophy chair. I am also a member of the Mt Hood DPC. Within the DPCA, I have been on the Nominating Committee, the FRAC Committee and the Show Site Selection Committee. I started the DPCA Holter Project and I was enlisted to revamp the Breeder Referral rules as well as the DPCA Code of Ethics. I currently serve on the committee updating our online forms and I am now working on updating our disciplinary procedures.

I feel very strongly about the preservation of our breed. I have been employed in the communication industry for over 40 years and offer the DPCA my experience in communication, project management and organization. I have spent the last two years as the DPCA 2nd VP working on updating the WAE and Specialty application process and have more ideas I would like to implement. I have assisted several chapter clubs with updates to their bylaws and my goal for the future would be to have each club as up to date as possible. I am also working on plans to put together a guide for new show chairs to assist in putting on a specialty. My personal interest lays in research into health issues that affect our breed and I would like to promote more health-related testing to be made available. I plan to continue being an advocate for the membership as I feel it is possible to balance the requirements of the organization with the needs and desires of its members. I strongly believe all members deserve a voice and all aspects of Doberman activity should be embraced and celebrated.

Brandy Billington – Recording Secretary

I have been involved with the breed for 15+ yrs. I started in Rescue and then purchased my first Doberman from a responsible breeder in 2009 to pursue IPO. I have Owner-Handler-Trained my dogs across multiple venues (AKC OB, IGP, AKC Confo). I have bred four litters producing dogs that have achieved titles such as IPO3, AKC GCH, multiple AKC CHs, CDs and various other performance Titles. I strive for and support the TOTAL Doberman. I also believe in betterment of our breed utilizing health testing, titles, pedigree analysis, genetic testing, and transparency.
I was an avid volunteer/member with the Tucson DPC for over 7yrs. And now with the Charlotte DPC. I have been a member of the UDC since 2010 and have served on the board previously. I have not missed more than 2 nationals in the last 10yrs. I have also assisted the working dog chair for quite a few years in finding teams to provide the working dog demo for the JEC and interfaced between the UDC and DPCA for previous Fall Classic IGP Trials. Most recently, I had the pleasure of being on the decorations committee for the 2023 Natl. I have volunteered with rescues consistently since 2005 as a foster, evaluator, trainer and behavior consultant. Just recently I, with 2 others, formed Dogwood Doberman Rescue of Charlotte Inc. 501c3(pending) here in Charlotte, NC.
Professionally, I spent 8yrs in the US Air Force and then a DOD contractor. I have been a project manager for Technology, Animal science divisions, professional development services, and construction development ever since. I have also led multiple teams to include international members and members across our country. I have worked with foreign nationals to support and run emergency services for natural disasters and drug trafficking initiatives from the southern border. Currently, I am working for Jones Lang Lasalle as a Product Owner and Cross Functional Lead.
I have always been a student of the breed since I met my first Doberman as a child. Their athletic structure, sleek appearance and air of nobility had captivated me. Along with that one-of-a-kind temperament, I was hooked. My life is centered on my Dobermans, and I hope to see this breed for many generations to come. I am looking forward to serving our breed and club as Recording Secretary.

Paula Vester – Corresponding Secretary

I have owned Dobermans for 17 years but grew up with dogs my whole life. I started my Doberman obsession with a BYB flop eared male named Aldo. He was an amazing dog but was hardly true to breed type. He did however move us to getting our first Responsibly bred Doberman in 2013. Our girl Tyler was quite the introduction into dog sports, she was a once in a lifetime dog, taking us to BISS, BIS and multiple groups placements in both Canada and the US, and performance titles all owner handled. She was the foundation of our breeding program Nomad Dobermans. To date we have bred six litters, and compete and train in Conformation, Barn hunt, Agility, Scent work, and Rally. Within our program we strive to produce healthy, stable, and structurally sound dogs. We are proud of what we have produced and what we have assisted others in producing through stud service. I am a passionate supporter of Dobermans and always try my best to do what is right for the breed. Our dogs have given my family so much that I am driven to give that effort back to assist in preserving the breed that we have come to love so much.

I attended my first DPCA National in 2014 and joined the DPCA in 2015. Since my first National I have only missed two years of attendance and absolutely love seeing dogs from around the country and attending the seminars.

My family is a military family, so we move around every three to four years. One of the things that allows us to build strong foundations in the communities we move to is involvement in local kennel clubs.  I am currently an active member of the Doberman Pinscher Club of Indian Nation, Mid Del Tinker Kennel Club, Mid Del Tinker Barn Hunt Club (based in Oklahoma), Greater Panama City Dog Fanciers Association (based in Panama City FL), Manitoba Working & Herding Association and Doberman Pinscher Club of Canada.

Professionally I have worked the past 18 years in Mental Health and Substance abuse treatment. While living in Oklahoma I assisted in the development of one of Oklahoma’s first female diversion programs to assist women who were facing incarceration, obtain treatment and stabilization within their communities.  One of the last projects I worked on in Oklahoma was in growing a community based Medication Assisted Treatment program for the treatment of Opioid Abuse. In both of these roles I regularly engaged with community members, leadership and other treatment providers to educate, advocate and discuss best practice approaches. 

Kris Baker – Membership Secretary

I have had Dobermans in my home since 1993. After several heartbreaking losses to DCM, we decided to go through a DPCA breeder to find a healthy dog and, of course it had to be a red boy; anyone who knows me knows they are my heart. I ended up getting a red boy from Denmar Dobermans.

When I got my Doberman in 2011 from Denmar Dobermans, I also decided to dabble in the show world. It was a downhill slide from there (lol). We not only tried the show ring, I ended up trying various other sports and we learned so much along the way.

I became involved with my local chapter club, Miami Valley Doberman Pinscher Club, of which I am currently the President. In 2013 I joined the DPCA and became an active member, first as the Breeder Referral Chair and currently as the Futurity Director.

I have been in the financial services industry for over 37 years and am currently a Compliance Manager for Fifth Third Bank’s registered investment advisors. When I am not at a dog show, I can be found at the baseball field with my stepson Nicholas’s travel baseball team. I currently have two red boys in my home, Titan and Beamer.

I am honored to serve on the Board and give back to the breed I love so much.

Linda Zaeske – Treasurer

I have been a Doberman fancier for 19 years and currently live with 2 Dobermans. During this time I have participated in conformation and trained and competed at the top levels of agility. My dogs Zena and Dylan have been DPCA Top 20 Agility Finalists 5 times. Zena won the Top 20 event in 2006 at the Denver National. Zena also qualified for the AKC Invitational 3 years as one of the top 5 agility Dobermans the country.

I have been very active in my local chapter club, Mt. Hood Doberman Pinscher Club, since joining in 2005. Currently I am Vice-President, on the agility committee, and have previously served as Treasurer and Newsletter Editor. I played a key role in helping get the MHDPC agility program off the ground and chairing our trials for several years. I am currently serving on the DPCA TT-Agility Committee and was the DPCA TT-Agility Statistician for many years.

I have a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and have been in corporate accounting for 20+ years, including working for Fortune 500 companies.

I have had various roles and responsibilities including internal auditing, in which I performed operational audits and made recommendations on process improvements; budgeting, where I led business units in preparing and analyzing their annual budgets; and cost accounting, where I was responsible for determining the costs to produce products and various analyses to assist management with making business decisions to maximize profitability. In addition to these key roles, I have also been involved in various team projects including corporate re-design teams, cross-site best practices team, and teams to implement new corporate software.

My core responsibilities in my accounting career have always had me working closely with multiple departments of an organization. Experience has taught me how to build strong working relationships with all levels of an organization. I believe my skill-set well qualifies me to serve in the role of DPCA Treasurer, and I look forward to serving on the Board.

Glenn Lajeski – AKC Delegate

Growing up with family Miniature Pinschers in New Jersey I decided in college that I wanted a larger dog. After researching in the day before Siri I purchased a Great Dane puppy from one of the early pioneers in the breed, “Pop Gilbert”, from what was his last litter. Pop led me to Kitty Kolyer who was breeding some of the top Danes in the country and working for Kitty on weekends, assisting at dog shows. Before long I was a professional handler while working full time at Arista Records with artists such as Barry Manilow, Aretha Franklin and Whitney Houston. At that time there were only dog shows on weekends, other than two circuits, so it was easy to juggle a full time job while handling.

Getting a job offer at MCA Records in LA led me from handling to getting a judges license. All the while I was also breeding and showing Standard Poodles with my partner Joseph Vergnetti. We had the good fortune of having the #1 Non-Sporting dog of 2009, Ch Hillwood Dassin DeLovely.

Dobes, having always been a passion since handling several to their championships in my youth, allowed me the opportunity to sponsor Ch Cambria’s Must Be Fate who was a top winning Dobe and breeding two of her get who were WD and RWD from the puppy class at the last National held in LA. Since then I have shown and bred many other champions.

At MCA Records I progressed to Senior VP of Artist Development working on the careers of Elton John, Tom Petty, Bobby Brown and many others. Due to the opportunity I had in working on all soundtracks I was offered a job in the film division of Disney working on music in their live action films. While there I expanded by duties to include music in and animation, Pixar films, Disney Channel and home video. This offered me the opportunity to work with any artists whose music used in our films from Kelly Clarkson to Carrie Underwood, Pit Bull to Tina Turner and many, many more.

After retiring as Executive Vice President Of Disney’s film division I thought I’d subsidize my retirement by planting 1,500 olive trees making organic olive oil. Well, the olive oil is subsidizing many retirements, just not mine.

But, retirement gives me lots more time for the dogs. I currently judge breeds in the Working, Toy and Non-Sporting groups. I am also on the board of Morris & Essex, Assistant show chair and Decor Chair Of Santa Barbara KC, and hospitality chair of Malibu KC.

I currently own too many dogs, but they are all family and my partner, Gerry Etcheverry, is a saint for putting up with us all.

Adrian Woodfork – Director

Adrian Woodfork started showing dogs 61 years ago at the age of 12. He has paid a lot of dues in the dog world, going from a junior showman to breeder/exhibitor, and now an AKC licensed judge. He has judged numerous Doberman Pinscher Specialties including the DPCA, Australian, Argentine, Brazilian, Canadian, and Philippine Nationals. He is licensed to judge the Working Group as well as Dachshunds and Junior Showmanship. In addition to Doberman Pinschers, he breeds Dachshunds and exhibits both breeds under the kennel name of Addox. He has been a member of the DPCA for 31 years.

Over the years, Adrian has fought hard in California against frivolous bills that would impact the freedom of owning and breeding dogs. He has testified in committee hearings on several occasions, appeared on television numerous times and has been quoted in the newspapers pleading with legislators and the public not to be swayed by the animal rights whackos.

Adrian began working in the media right out of college. He worked at a NBC affiliate for nearly twenty years. After leaving the news business, he freelanced as a feature reporter/producer for television magazine shows- America’s Most Wanted, Current Affairs, Inside Edition and California Heartland.  He has appeared in national television commercials and print ads.

Adrian is now retired after working for the California Department of Food and Agriculture for 20 years. He is married and the father of three and grandfather to Master Elijah, Miss Emma Rose and Miss Leila Virginia. He resides in Sacramento, California.

Cindi Huckfeldt – Director

I purchased my first Doberman in 1975 and I have been involved with the breed since. I joined the DPCA in 1977. I have belonged to both the Doberman Pinscher Club of the Rocky Mountain Area and the Greater Kansas City Doberman Pinscher Club. I became an AKC licensed handler in 2000, and for the last 25 years I have bred Dobermans under the kennel name Ciden in a partnership with Mona Fasth , DVM of Gallant Dobermans. Together we have produced over 70 champions, including three consecutive DPCA Grand Prize Futurity winners.

I have been married to Dennis for 44 years. Together, for the last 35 of those years, we have owned and operated Huckfeldt Trucking , where I serve as the secretary/treasurer of the corporation.

I believe we all need to be united as Doberman owners whatever interests we have. All aspects of the Doberman are important and must come from one standard , a standard that I believe must not change.

I feel it is important to keep an open mind and consider all opinions. It is very important to use common sense for decision making within the DPCA. My reason for running is very simple, to protect and preserve the breed . The only side I am on, is the side of the Doberman. For everything the breed has given to me, it is the least I can do for the breed. What needs to be remembered is, none of us is more important than the breed.

I have served as a director of the DPCA for the last four years. It has been a very positive learning experience although not always a pleasant one. I have greatly appreciated serving our breed and the people who love the Doberman breed as much as I do.

I do not participate in on-line social networking such as Facebook, Twitter or internet chat lists. However, if anyone has a question please call me directly, I will be happy to answer. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve.

Tammy Rabold – Director

My Parents always told me “At first you don’t succeed, try again?” Hence my bid for a 2 yr term serving the DPCA membership as a Director.

In essence, I did achieve my first goal. Now on to the second one

I have watched, listened, made mistakes and learned from them and hope I can continue to learn and work for the breed at the pleasure of the membership.

I have been a member of this organization since before 1987. My first National was New Orleans and I think I have missed 2 all of these years.

I’m pretty sure most of you know me and our breeding program under the Registered Kennel name of Goldgrove. I have worked with Sharon Pflueger for the last 27 years and continue to improve our lines.

I have been National Event Chair for 2009 ,2011 ,2012 and 2015 and have continued serving at the National in whatever capacity they need me.

Jocelyn Mullins – Director

23 YEAR DPCA MEMBER WITH A LIFETIME OF DEDICATION TO THE BREED

My journey with this amazing breed began in 1985 in Chicago with my first Doberman, a rescue. I was his 4th home. He was the beginning of my desire to help as many Dobermans as possible.

Rescue had its challenges, but when I could turn dire into endless possibilities for those dogs, I found that rewarding.

My rescue efforts guided me to a purpose-driven breeder as a mentor. She inspired me to join our local club, where I served as rescue chair and, over the years, in many other capacities.

I became a breeder (Protocol Dobermans) in 2003. I’ve trained, competed with and titled Dobermans in Conformation, Obedience, Agility, Schutzhund, Dock Diving and Lure Coursing. Our dogs have also been public servants, working in the community for education, fundraising and therapy. I’m currently working with my 4th generation.

We’ve been blessed with successes, both with the dogs that live with us and the dogs that live with their wonderful and dedicated owners. As a breeder, I believe my program can only be as good as its dogs and their people and we’ve been very fortunate in both.

Throughout my career, I’ve watched the DPCA accomplish great things. In the future, I know we can double-down on those achievements. I’m running for the board because I want to be a part of stewarding our breed’s future. But, to bring the future into fruition, we must come together. Our members must also feel seen, heard and valued for the important role they play in protecting and serving our great breed. I hope my multi-faceted background can be useful as we work toward an even better tomorrow.

VOLUNTEERISM HIGHLIGHTS

• Member in good standing with the DPCCO (30 years)
  • Served as DPCA liaison, recruiting members, arranging speakers and organized fundraisers.
  • Ran the DPCCO’s rescue program (more than 10 years).
    • Founding member of Hand Me Down Dobermans, a 501c3
    • Rescued and rehomed 300 Dobermans before volunteers joined my team
  • Illinois Doberman Rescue Plus, volunteer (current role)
  • Co-show chair, Delaware, Ohio Kennel Club (current role)
  • DPCA, member (current role)
    • Volunteerism at top 20, ring crew and educational events
    • Served as ring steward during the Nationals
    • Planned seminar on Wobblers with Dr. Ronaldo DaCosta from OSU
    • Assisted in DPCA workshops

Carissa Shimpeno – Director

I was born into dogs. I know that is a phrase used a lot but my mother was often teased that she gave birth in the ring and then continued on for the win. If you knew her you might believe that since she was an extremely devoted breeder and an even more competitive handler. My mother Gwen DeMilta was a professional handler and breeder as was her mother before her. I am the third generation in my family to carry the Alisaton kennel name. As a breeder I have over 150 champion Doberman Pinchers, multiple top twenty winners, national specialty winners, grand prize futurity winners and the 2009 working group winner at Westminster Kennel Club. In 2015 Alisaton was named AKC Breeders of the Year. My love for dogs goes back as far as I can remember. I started junior showmanship at the age of 11 and represented the USA in both Crufts and the World Dog Show in Vienna, Austria. In 2001 I started my professional career as a dog handler. I campaigned the 2008 #2 dog among all breeds and in 2009 my Doberman CJ won the working group at Westminster Kennel Club. In 2018 I was nominated for the DogNews Handler of the Year and in 2019 I was honored as AKC Registered Handler of the Year.
As a volunteer in our sport I work closely with the DPCA as the chair of the Junior showmanship committee. This committee was in the red when I took over and with the help of other valued DPCA members and the board we have grown into a well funded program. Our program is modeled in breed clubs all over the country. I am also a founder of a beautiful new volunteer based grass root movement called Show-Safe. The program is an education based preventative measure to help the people of our sport feel safe and empowered. Following the Safe Sport and Stewards of Children guidelines and utilizing the educational tools they have we will educate breed clubs and kennel clubs on how to raise well rounded empowered young people in our sport. We will also be offering seminars around the country to better educate and empower new people of our sport as well as their mentors and or parents. The program also features an emergency assistance program to get dog people out of any situations in which they feel unsafe. This could be domestic abuse, sexual abuse or an abusive work relationship. As an organization we hope to build our community up so we are showing safe.
It is an honor and privilege to serve our breed as a board member. I am so excited to give back to the breed that has given me so much.

Ann White – Director

My first Doberman was a long-awaited gift from my parents. After sitting on the sidelines of dog obedience class for what seemed like forever, I was presented with Gretchen in 1970. She was purchased through Irene Nail (Bivin), and became my first obedience, showmanship and conformation dog. She was my best friend.

Fifty-plus years later, the breed is still my passion. I handle dogs professionally, but identify first as a breeder.

I whelped my first (Doberman) litter in 1975. Jim White and I became partners in life and partners in breeding dogs beginning in 1993. As part of Cambria, we have produced many Champions, including Top Producing Working Dog (and Doberman) in the history of the breed. We also owned the breed’s Top Producing Doberman female Ch. Florowill Bit of Magic. Both are behind pedigrees of many important contemporary Dobermans.

I consider myself a student of the breed, with great respect for our Standard and the history behind it. My experience in many venues of training and study of behavior give me great respect for proper Doberman temperament and character; the true hallmark of our breed. Also, my experience in many venues of performance (and years of study in livestock judging) give me great appreciate for a properly constructed, functional dog.

I have judged the DPCA National Futurity and the American Pointer Club Futurity. I have judged the DPCA Top 20, and I have served on the Board of Directors for the American Pointer Club. I have piloted two Dobermans to #1 Doberman (all systems)…and both were #2 Working Dog for the year. I have won the DPCA National Specialty Best of Breed and numerous National Specialty WD, WB, and Grand Prize Futurity. In 1974 I was the recipient of the DPCA Junior Showmanship award (based on year long accumulation of points). And, I was approved to judge Junior Showmanship at AKC events in 1977.

I take our breed seriously and consider a position on the Board of the Doberman Pinscher Club of America a huge responsibility and honor.