Lines From Linda: Candid Candidates
BY LINDA AYERS TURNER KNORR continued
Ann Wallin continued
I believe I have been preparing myself for this most impor- tant position for over 25 years, of course not realizing that so many years ago, but it has become evident to me now. As a life member of The Atlanta Kennel Club I have devoted my time and talents to the sport of purebred dogs by serving in just about every aspect of club life. I have served on the Board of Directors for over 25 years, as past President, and as their delegate for 15 years. I was an original member of the show committee that began The Peach Blossom Cluster and have continued to serve on both show committees for approximately 28 years. There is not a job I have not done from Assistant Show Chair, advertising, set up, hospitality, event hearings, to clean up and staying on Sunday night until the last box is packed and everything in between. I have also chaired our Finance and Audit committees and oversee the insurance for the club and directors. I have come to realize that longevity in any dog club is a great achievement. My first show dog was a Rottweiler bitch named Kietel, who was truly a handful. We survived obedience school and went on to obtain a CD and were on our way to a CDX title but were interrupted by the arrival of our daughter Jenna. Keitel produced beautiful Rottweiler puppies that went onto great show careers. My childhood love of Boxers brought me into the Boxer world with great joy. I was lucky enough to have one of my bitches win Winners Bitch at the national defeating 332 bitches that year. She also went onto to produce beautiful boxer babies. Three still fill our home with lots of energy and daily excitement. I am very honored to have served as my club’s del- egate for 15 years and as the chairperson of the All-Breed Clubs Committee for 13 of those years. I have had the privi- lege of serving with great and talented committee members throughout all these years. One of the initiatives I brought to the committee was the task of developing Best Practices for our clubs in an effort to keep our clubs viable and strong. With the support of a wonderful subcommittee we have made that dream a reality. I feel I was “raised up”, so to speak in the Delegate body and I have a great deal of respect for what the Delegate Body has to offer that I will always carry with me. I also served on the initial AKC Reunite trailer task force that under the great leadership of Pat Laurens brought the trailer initiative to the delegate body and has since become a wonderful and successful project. My professional life began after I graduated from the Uni- versity of Florida with a Bachelor’s of Science degree and began a nursing career that included being the one of the youngest nurses to be promoted to the position of Head nurse of a 28 bed medical and surgical unit. I went onto special- izing in critical care and was part of the original staff that was in charge of the Open Heart Unit. Learning to deal with highly stressful situations became an everyday experience. After moving to Atlanta I decided to make a career change and took a position a sales representative for a pharmaceu- tical company. Here I utilized my medical background and learned how to run my own territory and manage approxi- mately 240 accounts which included doctors, hospitals and
“...TO ENSURE THE BEST DECISIONS ARE MADE TO ADVANCE AND PROTECT OUR SPORT AND TO PROMOTE THE INTERESTS OF THE AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB.”
- Ann Wallin
pharmacies. I developed strong sales and organizational skills and turned a historically low producing territory into one of the best in the company. For the past 16 years I have had a successful real estate career. As an independent contractor I have mastered the skills needed to run my own company within a company. I have learned how to deal effectively with all types of per- sonalities in stressful and complicated situations. I have devel- oped strong negotiation skills and have become an expert in contract preparation. One other accomplishment I am very proud of is that I was the co-chair with my dear friend Bonnie Turner that raised $25,000 with the support of our local clubs to bring a bronze DOGNY dog to Atlanta after 911. He is prominently displayed on the corner of the State Agricultural building and the State Capitol along with a beautiful plaque that tells the great story of the AKC initiative and the clubs that made it financially possible. Thank you Dennis for creating such a wonderful project that demonstrated the true greatness of the American Kennel Club. I have a wonderful supportive husband and family and three precious grandchildren that are the light of my life. I believe my life experiences which includes a strong busi- ness background, extensive experience in our sport, and a proven successful track record of board experience and of making sound decisions for many years, will serve me well to take on this new and most important role as a board director of the American Kennel Club. I believe one of my strongest attributes is that I am able to focus on the details at hand while keeping the larger goal in mind. I am able to hold a divergent opinion while accepting that others may have dif- fering opinions, goals or ideas. I believe I am a good facilita- tor in a board setting and can offer a positive approach to problem solving. Most importantly I have no personal or political agenda but only to ensure the best decisions are made to advance and protect our sport and to promote the interests of The American Kennel Club.
Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. –Linda Ayers Turner Knorr
S HOW S IGHT M AGAZINE , N OVEMBER 2017 • 113
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