Lines From Linda: Candid Candidates
BY LINDA AYERS TURNER KNORR continued
consulting—including crisis management, investor relations, internal communications and public relations. After retiring in 2000, I continued as a consultant to Ketchum for six years. I became totally active in the dog world after my retire- ment, beginning with training my Australian Shepherd bitch for obedience competition. After five years of competition, she earned her Obedience Trial Championship. I then went on to become obedience-training director for Port Chester Obedience Training Club, White Plains, New York. During this period, I was a contributing editor for Front and Fin- ish magazine and the obedience editor for The Australian Shepherd Journal , published by The United States Australian Shepherd Association. In 2013, I won a Dog Writers Associa- tion of America “Maxwell Award” for an article that appeared in AKC Family Dog magazine. The sport continued to keep me busy—training three more dogs to their OTCH titles, titling an Afghan in lure coursing, becoming an AKC obedience judge and then being named a Delegate for my club. In 2011, the AKC nominating commit- tee put my name up for the class of 2015 and I was elected to a four-year term. As a board member, I served on the pen- sion committee, the task force that helped select major public relations firms for the AKC, as board liaison to the Delegates Companion Events Committee and as Chair of the Audit Com- mittee (2013-2015). I still judge and compete and am working on my fifth OTCH with a Golden Retriever. CARL ASHBY
the last two as Vice Chairman. I currently serve on the AKC Canine Health Foundation Board of Directors and Executive Committee, am a Vice Chair of AKC Reunite and a member of the Board of Managers for AKC Link. I belong to the Carolina and Forsyth Kennel Clubs, am a founding member of the Car- olina Terrier Association and am a Life Member of the United States Kerry Blue Terrier Club (USKBTC). He currently serves as Cluster Chair for the Carolina Cluster. I have served on three Delegate committees including the Delegate Advocacy and Advancement Committee and most recently the All Breed Club Committee and the Perspectives Committee. JAMES DOK
I love the American Kennel Club because of my love for pure- bred dogs! My first dog, as a young boy, was an AKC Registered Cock- er Spaniel, followed by an AKC Registered Dachshund. The challenges are surround- ing us daily. How do we maintain the original integrity of our sport while at the same time grow the awareness of an important con-
stituency the American public that AKC is good, our base is ever-expanding and Family-friendly? In the past, we could live on AKC Registrations and dog shows alone. Those days are gone today and for our future. Fifteen years ago, AKC rec- ognized that problem and it was systemic. Today, with knowledgeable Individuals, along with the New York State Not-for-Profit Corporation, AKC has maneu- vered itself legally into a business platform, along with our sport platform, to effectively secure investments, (LLC’s,) that mimics aspects comfortable/compatible with our origi- nal intent. These investments over time will generate income that "sustains and supports" our growth, and AKC Mission Statement. To fathom this concept is critical to our contin- ued growth, supportive of our core interest and healthy for the American Kennel Club. It might surprise many "close to AKC," that almost 82% of our income is derived from within our business platform growth team’s initiatives. Yes, my love is for all purebred dogs, but I am pragmatic enough to value the importance of all things all dogs! My appointed Board responsibilities these past four years include: board appointed liaison to delegate advocacy and advocacy committee; herding, earthdog and coursing events committee; all-breed clubs committee and bylaws commit- tee. I am an AKC Pension Committee member and have been since March 2015, on the Judges Review Committee as of October 1st, 2015 and AKC Detection Dog Imitative since June 1st, 2015. I have been an AKC/PAC Board Member since January 1st, 2015 and have been an AKC/PAC Chairman since January 1st, 2016. My qualifications include: AKC/Eukanuba Invitational Championship (designated ring steward 15 years since incep- tion of the venue), AKC delegate for Gig Harbor Kennel Club
I love the American Kennel Club because it is the only orga- nization 100% committed to all aspects of responsible dog ownership including health care, preservation of purpose-bred dogs and promotion of respon- sible dog ownership. No organiza- tion does as much or deserves our support more than the American Kennel Club!
I am the President of Ann Crittenden, Inc. which I grew to a chain of 14 retail stores. I retired from AT&T as President, AT&T Custom Manufacturing Services a $200 business unit of AT&T, which I founded. I hold a BS in Electrical Engineer- ing, a Masters in Business Administration and a certification in Strategic Planning from MIT. My wife, Jaimie, and I became involved with purebred dogs soon after graduating from college first in obedience and then conformation. Our first Kerry Blue Terrier litter pro- duced an owner-handled multiple Best in Show dog. Since then we have had a limited breeding program under the Blu- jac prefix including two additional Best in Show Kerry Blues. We continue an active breeding program and owner handle our Kerry Blue Terriers at major shows around the country. In addition to my many civic leadership roles, I have been very active in dog organizations, most recently completed eight years of service on the AKC Board of Directors with
92 • S HOW S IGHT M AGAZINE , N OVEMBER 2017
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