Co-Hosts

Leigh Toborowsky
Owner of Rainforest Pets, Tampa, FL

Leigh is a native New Jerseyian who moved to Tampa in 1984. After graduating from the University of South Florida she managed various pet shops and was a sales rep for the largest pet supplier in the country handling twenty-two thousand (22,000) products for over one hundred (100) stores.

With a passion for animals since childhood, Leigh established and operated Rainforest Pets, Inc. in Tampa, from 1995 to 2003 which became an integral part of the community with programs and consultation for schools, clubs and organization, and for the inner-city education system. Leigh has been featured on many local TV stations including CBS, NBC, FOX, ABC, HTV22, and on nationally televised Animal Planet. In 1997, Rainforest Pets was highlighted in Southern Living Magazine as a. "Must see."

With an emphasis on pet rescue and adoption, Rainforest Pets became a satelite for the Humane Society of Tampa. The shop was host to GREAT, Greyhound Rescue and Adoption of Tampa which finds homes for retired Greyhounds. Rainforest Pets also hosted The Big Cat Rescue, a sanctuary for abused and neglected large cats such as Tigers, Cheetahs, etc. Icarus Small Animal World, which breeds endangered Tamarins and marmosets for conservation, was featured regularly in the shop for public awareness.

Practicing animal husbandry, health and nutrition on a daily basis, Leigh counsels others on the importance of early and on-going education to understand domestic, exotic and wild animals, and to be aware of their habitats and environments to support the animal's needs.

Leigh co-habitats with her two dogs, Julia and Joey; her four cats, Timmy, Callie, Bridgette, and Jack; one dwarf rabbit, Molly; two Prairie Dogs, Lucy and Linus; a Russian Dwarf hamster named Stoli; her Cockatoo named Darla; her Canary, Sonny; and central to the family is the 37 gallon fish tank with a homogeneously ecumenical community of fish and one frog, named Froggy.

Brenda began training dogs many years ago as a member of the military police force in the United Stated Marine Corps. She has been working as a veterinary technician in animal hospitals and doing rescue work for over 10 years. Brenda has known Jon Patch for the past 17 years and has been doing the show for the past 17 years also. Brenda is currently the proud "parent" of 5 dogs, 3 birds, 2 cats, 1 ferret and numerous fish.
Her ambition is to open a boarding kennel with an emphasis on the quality of a pets' stay, along with a rescue shelter for domestic pets and wildlife.

Linda A. Register was born and grew up in Bradenton, Florida. She attended St. Petersburg Junior College Veterinary Technician Program and graduated in 1987, with an A.S. degree in Veterinary Technology. She worked as a Certified Veterinary Technician while she continued her Undergraduate studies at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida where she received her B.S. degree in Zoology in 1992. Dr. Register then attended The University of Florida’s College of Veterinary Medicine in the fall of 1992. During the course of her studies Dr. Register worked as a C.V.T. in the Large Animal Clinic. She also participated in animal related groups. She graduated in June of 1996 specializing in companion animals.

Dr. Register worked in a small animal practice from 1996 to 1998. She is currently a Relief Veterinarian working in the greater Tampa Bay area. She has continued her involvement in pet groups; currently she is a board member on the Florida Animal Health Foundation and the Hillsborough Animal Health Foundation. She is on the Veterinary Technology Advisory Board for Hillsborough Community College

Dr. Register is married to Dennis J Costantino Jr., and has a daughter named Lela. She has 2 cats Pyro & Tangelo.

Dr. Ferrara received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Cornell University in 1993. She has worked both as a small animal veterinarian and as an animal shelter veterinarian, and is currently working at Livingston Animal and Avian Hospital.

Dr. Ferrara says she enjoys taking care of all creatures great and small - she owns a dog, four cats, a Timneh Grey parrot, a leopard gecko, a bearded dragon, a White's tree frog, two African aquatic dwarf frogs, and a half dozen fish. Her husband Frank and 2 beautiful children think that's enough for now :)
In her "spare" time Dr. Ferrara serves as a Board member for the Duchess Fund - you can check out their website at www.duchessfund.org.

Sue shares her everyday life and love with her husband Wesley and beautiful daughter, Johnna along with a vast array of pets.

Maria T. Ryan has been interested in animals all of her life. From turtles and chinchillas to cats and dogs she's raised all of the above and then some. She became interested in training when she owned her first Doberman named Star. Star and Maria went through basic obedience together when Maria was 14 years old. That was the beginning of Maria's path, though she didn't know it at the time.

Years later Star, Maria and Star's son Bear went down another path. Star had become very ill with kidney disease. Maria had tried everything she knew at the time but to no avail, Star was not healing. She took care of Star at home with IVs and other medicine until Star passed away. It was a very sad day for Maria and Bear. What no one knew was from that experience grew an interest in dogs that would only grow and flourish throughout the years to come.

Maria read whatever books she could find about dogs, regarding medicine, both conventional and holistic, and behavioral information. She soon found herself giving training advice to her friends about their pets. Through some more twists and turns in Maria's life, animal behavior became a strong interest for her. She learned to train dogs the traditional way.

Traditional trainers use choke chains, pinch collars, and other forceful ways of correcting "undesirable" behavior. Maria perceived that traditional training was missing something and that something was wrong.

She noticed that dogs were responding to the corrections but out of fear and pain. This led Maria to take training in a different direction.

Continuing to train dogs in a way that was painful to them just did not feel right to her consequently, these feelings led her in the direction of positive reinforcement.

Maria was introduced to a new piece of training equipment called the "Gentle Leader". With some apprehension she decided to use the Gentle Leader. She also discovered an organization called Association of Pet Dog Trainers. This was the beginning of a whole new world for Maria. The doors were wide open for training pet dogs and the sky was the limit! Maria was compelled to continue to learn as much as she could. She began reading about positive reinforcement training. Maria attended her first conference specializing in this technique, sponsored by the Association of Pet Dog Trainers.

Maria clearly remembers sitting in a lecture hall with chills running down her spine and tears filling her eyes with the excitement she felt about dog training. She called her office that night and excitedly told her associate "I am changing everything! Everything except the use of the Gentle Leader." When Maria came back from the conference, she came back with a spark that had turned into a flame. She continues to travel through out the United States to continuing education courses and schools. Most recently she attended Cornell University and successfully completed courses in Solving Canine Behavior Problems. She studies with top world-renowned trainers and animal behaviorists. Maria has made a commitment to herself, pets and their owners to serve them and educate them with the knowledge she obtains and will continue to gain in the future.

Maria has made a commitment to shelter pets, too! One way is to help owners before they get to a place of despair and frustration. Many times people wait too long before they try any training. Sometimes the frustration winds up being the end of their relationship with their pet.

The other way she helps shelter/rescue pets is to work directly with the pets in the local shelters and rescue groups.

Maria wants to help you and your pet have a great positive relationship! One way to accomplish that is through training. So, don't give up on your pets or yourself. Knowledge is power and with that power and a Dog Gone Positive attitude you'll be amazed at what you can accomplish with yourself and your pets!

Cornell University Certified Solving Canine Behavior Problems; Humane Society of the United States; Animal Behavior and Effective Adoptions; Annual Attendee of Animal Behavior and Positive Reinforcement Seminars; through the Association of Pet Dog Trainers; Animal Behavior and Psychology of Dogs with Dr. Karen Overall; Gentle Leader Instructor Course and Animal Behavior, Studied with Co-Creator of Gentle Leader, Ruth Foster, Terry Ryan AKC Obedience Judge. Certified in Advanced Clicker Training. Studied with Karen Pryor who is the "mother" of clicker training trained some of the Flippers. Pet First Aid and CPR Certified Certified Disaster Animal Response Team (D.A.R.T.) Studies Positive Reinforcement training with the top trainers and animal behaviorist in the world.

Member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers, Pet Sitters International, the Humane Society of the United States, SPCA, Better Business Bureau.

Karen's first official obedience class was in January 1985. Her black lab, "Winchester" won fourth place in the graduation match. She decided to go on to advanced work to be able to earn AKC titles on her dogs.

"Picture: (RT)Karen and Odie get a First Place in Jumpers With Weaves"

February 23, 1987 the Dog Training Club of Tampa welcomed her as a member. She became an assistant puppy instructor shortly thereafter. Today's trainers recommend puppies begin training at eight weeks of age. The myths that dogs should be six months or one year old before training are indeed myths.

September and October 1987 brought the first two CD titles. By April 1989 Karen earned her first CDX obedience title with the help of "Bear", a chocolate Labrador Retriever. In 1989, she earned her first instructors award from the Dog Training Club of Tampa.

By 1990, Karen was teaching for a private school, Hillsborough County Parks & Recreation, and her own club. In 1991 "Bear" helped her earn the Utility Dog Title (UD). She and her dogs represent the Dog Training Club of Tampa at the Florida State Fair's purebred dog tent annually. They do demonstrations for schools, pet charity events and special events at the Tampa Public Library.

After coordinating scent hurdle races at the Florida State Fair, she got permission to change the races to flyball races. More people and dogs can participate in flyball since the dogs don't need advanced scent training.

While continuing to train and title her own dogs Karen strived to read the latest magazines and literature and attend every possible seminar to improve her skills as an instructor.

In 1993, Karen applied to and was accepted as an endorsed member of the National Association of Dog Obedience Instructors. Please click on NADOI to learn more about this special organization.

Karen & other DTCT members trained agility obstacles before agility was a sanctioned event in the United States. They could demonstrate agility but not earn titles.

Karen demonstrated musical freestyle at the Gaines National Obedience Competition in Orlando, in 1995 before freestyle was a sanctioned event.

In 2000, "Odie" a yellow Labrador, joyously earned his first official AKC agility title at the age of 10 years. In one of those competitions he was first place in his class, completing a perfect score faster than all the other dogs in every height & age range. "Odie" is working towards more agility titles and "Conan" , another chocolate, is working on both obedience and agility titles.

On December 30th, 2001, Odie was thrilled to get his second AKC agility title with two first places and one second place qualifying scores.

October 13th, 2002, Odie completed his second UKC Agility Title. His U AG II, was accomplish at 11years & 10 months, proving that he is still going strong.

January of 2004, Conan earned his NAP and NJP AKC agility titles with 5 first place and 2 second place scores at 9 years of age! He retired soon after and was happily guarding "his" house and taking naps.

In the Autumn of 2002, our friend Anita "found" a dog that needed a home. The Labrador retriever that Anita found was a small yellow female called "Biloxi". Her manners were so wonderful she could start the fun of training right away, while Conan was busy with his trials.

January 2nd 2005, Biloxi got her first qualifying AKC Agility score (a 2nd place in Novice JWW). She got busy earning her Novice Standard (NA) title with a 3rd, a 4th and a 1st place Biloxi finished her Novice Jumpers (NAJ) title with two 2nd places and a 1st place. She began collecting Open scores the very same day, taking first place in Open Standard. Biloxi was called upon by Team Lightning Captain Bonnie McDonald to represent the Dog Training Club of Tampa again at DACOF July 2005. She was placed in the Open class even though she was fresh out of Novice. Biloxi came in 2nd place in her class against all the competing dogs in Florida. Her team, "Lightning" won FIRST place in the State of Florida!

Biloxi continues to amaze us by earning her OA with 2 first places and 1 second place, her OAJ with 2 second places and 1 first place and then earning her Rally Novice title during the summer. She earned a qualifying score towards her Rally Advanced title, and has two qualifying scores (winning a first place and a fourth place) in Agility Excellent "A" Standard. She managed 5 AKC titles and three other qualifying scores in one calendar year!

During Biloxi's awesome year, a new little lady joined the "all rescue" dog household, a chocolate cutie that has accomplished ... the ability to be quiet! It took close to a year to reduce "Hyena's" loud, high pitched barking (sometimes more like screaming) to some gentle whining.

By the summer of 2006, Biloxi had finished her Rally Advanced title & finished her Rally Excellent title in the fall of the same year.

Hyena earned her Novice Agility Jumper Title on September 23, 2007 with 2nd, 3rd & 4th place scores. Hyena earned her Novice Standard Agility Title March 11, 2007 with 1st, 2nd and 3rd place scores. Hyena shows great potential.

Biloxi earned her AX in Sept. 2007. She quickly grabbed her first Score towards her master agility title.. By the end of 2007 she earned the AXJ and finished her Novice F.A.S.T. title. She now has scores towards her MX and MXJ but being in the "B" class means not only perfection, but speed. She had a number of perfect runs that were not fast enough to qualify. We are working on speed. We like air conditioned trials!

In June 2008 Hyena qualified twice in Open Standard with a 1st and a 3rd place. In September 2008 she qualified 2 more times in the same class with a 1st and a 4th (we forgot to move up to Excellent so she has 4 scores). She now shows in Excellent Standard. She represented the Club again at the State Competition (it was just too much to have both of them competing at that event so Biloxi declined her place). Hyena finished her Open JWW and is now in Excellent JWW. They all will took a short break in 2009 due to an injury.

Above all, Karen believes training should be fun and kind for the owner and the dog. Force is not necessary ....smiles & wagging tails are!

Amy is a veterinarian to the Stars. She will be sharing information about having Pets and the City.

Founded CityPets, a New York-based company devoted to the health and well-being of urban pets. Provides veterinary services to over 5,000 Manhattan cats and dogs. Also developing well-being products-from food to play toys-geared to the unique needs of city pets.

Veterinary House Call Practitioner, New York City, N.Y. 1992 - 2002
Established and operate solo veterinary house call practice servicing over 2,500 small animal clients throughout Manhattan, including the provision of diagnostic, surgical and full-service medical care. Publish periodic 4-page newsletter, N.Y.C. Pet Wise.

Park East Animal Hospital, New York City, N.Y. 1988 - 1992
Head of medicine and surgery for high-quality, three-doctor, full-service practice on East Side of Manhattan.

Animal Medical Center, New York City, N.Y. 1987 - 1988
Rotating medical and surgical intern in competitive-acceptance intern program.

Henry Bergh Memorial Hospital of the ASPCA, New York City, N.Y. 1986
Served as medical and surgical assistant.

ISAN Center, Ben Gurion University, Beersheva, Israel 1985
Volunteer participant in comparative animal and embryo transfer studies.

Feline Behavior Modification Consultant, Philadelphia, Pa. 1980 - 1983
Treatment of non-medical behavior disorders of domestic cats with behavior modification techniques.

Jay Stutz, host of Animal Planet's Good Dog U., is a nationally acclaimed animal trainer and one of America's newest "animal" personalities. In addition to hosting Good Dog U., Jay appears on television, stage, and radio providing people with a fresh perspective on how to exist happily with all animals; especially the ones in our homes.

A familiar face on Animal Planet (Good Dog U., Petsburgh U.S.A., Eukanuba National Dog Championships, and Animal Planet's Dog Olympics), Jay has also appeared on The Discovery Channel, Home Matters, TNN's Prime Time Country, Saturday Night Live, and The Rosie O'Donnell Show.

On stage, Jay has performed for audiences in Orlando, Hollywood, and Japan, alongside animal stars like "Benji", "Lassie", "Beethoven", "Babe", "Mr. Ed", and "Curious George". On the other side of the camera, Jay has trained and interacted with animal stars from movies like Ace Ventura Pet Detective, Dr. Doolittle, George of the Jungle, Homeward Bound, and 101 Dalmatians and television shows like Frazier.

Jay also appears at pet related events for organizations like Paws for Applause, Canine Companions for Independence, the American Humane Society, and the ASPCA. He shares his home with two dogs and two cats. They are all adopted and they are all wonderful pets.

Dr. Jarrod Lazarus DVM
Bay Area Veterinary Care Center Canine, Feline -- Medical and Behavioral Member AVMA, AAV (Avian), AEMV (exotics)

Dr. Lazarus received his Bachelor of Science degree from Cornell University where he graduated with High honors in 1989. He went on to graduate from the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine in 1996, and followed that up with an Intensive Medicine and Surgery Internship in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery from Virginia/Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine.

Later, in private practice, he received advanced training in veterinary ophthalmology. In 2002, Dr. Lazarus had the unique opportunity of serving as a veterinarian for the 2002 running of the Alaskan Iditarod, overseeing the health and welfare of the dogs under his care.
Dr. Lazarus has been a member of the Hillsborough Veterinary Community for the past 13 years and recently started construction on his new 5000 sq foot veterinary facility with a luxury boarding resort and doggie daycare park.

He is a member of the Association of Avian Veterinarians and Association of Exotic Mammal Veterinarians.

I have been in the veterinary field for over 20 years. I am certified as a national animal control officer and an animal cruelty investigator in the small and large animal field. I am certified as a first response in a disaster. I also work as a vet tech locally for Jumpercreek Vet Clinic in Bushnell, Florida and as a cruelty investigator for Sumter County Humane Society and SPCA. I belong to Last Chance for Animals, Bikers Against Animal Cruelty , SPCA and the Humane Society of America.

I am also a member of Bikers Against Animal Cruelty, Humane
Society / SPCA of Sumter County, ASPCA and Humane Society of the
United States.

VINCENT CENTONZE, D.V.M., Major (Ret.) USAF

EDUCATION

2003. D.V.M. with high honors. University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, Gainesville, Florida.

1997 - 1999. Post-baccalaureate pre-veterinary course work, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.

1994 - 1997. Post-baccalaureate pre-veterinary course work, University of Maryland, Asia Division.

1982. B.S. Aeronautical Engineering, United States Air Force Academy (USAFA).

TRAINING

Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) Course, U.S. Geological Survey, Gainesville, FL, 1998

Air Force Air Command and Staff College, Yokota Air Base, Japan, 1995

Total Quality Management Course, Ft Belvoir, VA, 1992

Air Force Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, AL, 1989

Systems Safety Officer Course, University of Southern California, 1984

Numerous science, engineering, management and accounting courses, 1983-1999, available upon request.

PUBLICATIONS

Centonze, V. August 1998. New Zealand's Tuatara. Reptiles Magazine. 60-67.

Centonze, V. and N.M. Schmoeker. 1986. Bird Impact Testing at Arnold Engineering Development Center's Range S-3. American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA-86-9818).

Non-scientific publications available upon request.

RESEARCH

Gross, T.S., et al. Effects of Atrazine Treatments of Alligator Eggs: An Evaluation of Endocrine Disruption, Sex Reversal and Developmental Toxicity Effects, Southeastern Toxicology Conference, November 1999.

Gross, T.S., et al. Effects of Atrazine Treatments of Freshwater Turtle (Trachemys elegans) Eggs: An Evaluation of Endocrine Disruption, Sex Reversal and Developmental Toxicity Effects, Southeastern Toxicology Conference, November 1999.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Aug 07 - present. Director of Veterinary Technology Program, Hillsborough Community College, Plant City, FL. Create curriculum and syllabi, teach variety of veterinary subjects, perform administrative functions for veterinary technology program. During first nine months, developed and implemented Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), prepared veterinary technology program for accreditation evaluation, recruited students, organized Advisory Committee, and obtained partnership agreements with other animal-related organizations.

Aug 07. Assistant Instructor, Feline Spay Wetlab. Instructed veterinarians and veterinary students in “pedicle tie” procedure for use during feline spays.

Jan 07 - May 07. Adjunct Professor, Veterinary Technology Program, Hillsborough Community College, Plant City, FL. Created syllabus and taught professional development to veterinary technology students.

Aug 05 - present. Practice Owner, Veterinary House Call Practice. Own and operate part-time veterinary house call practice.

Dec 03 - present. Relief Veterinarian, Various Locations. Provide surgical and medical procedures on a relief basis at the following clinics in the Tampa, Florida vicinity: All Creatures Animal Hospital, Lutz; Gentle Care Animal Hospital, Land O= Lakes; Wesley Chapel Veterinary Services, Wesley Chapel; Marcum Road Animal Hospital, Lakeland; Zephyrhills Veterinary Clinic, Zephyrhills; PetLuv Spay and Neuter Clinic, Brooksville; MacDill Air Force Base Veterinary Clinic; Pasco Animal Welfare Society, Hudson; Hillsborough County Animal Services, Tampa, Critter Adoption and Rescue Effort, Ruskin, and Humane Society of Tampa Bay, Tampa.

Jun 03 – Nov 07. Volunteer Veterinarian, Animal Coalition of Tampa, Tampa, FL. Performed spay and neuter surgeries at all-volunteer monthly clinic for stray and feral cats.

Jun 03 – Aug 07. Veterinarian, Animal Health Services, Sarasota, FL. Administered vaccinations and educated pet owners on a part-time basis for veterinary vaccination clinics at various locations around the state.

Sep 03 - Nov 03. Course Coordinator and Instructor, University of Florida, College of Veterinary Medicine, Gainesville, FL. Created the syllabus, organized the material, and taught endocrinology to freshmen veterinary students, and coordinated the activities of five other lecturers.

Jun 03 - Dec 03. Associate Veterinarian, Connechusett Animal Hospital, Tampa, FL. Practiced small animal medicine and surgery.

Jun 02 - Jul 02. Veterinary Extern, Marathon Veterinary Hospital, Marathon, FL. Assisted small and exotic animal veterinarians with all aspects of medicine and surgery.

Jun 02. Veterinary Extern, Alachua County Animal Services, Gainesville, FL. Performed spay and neuter surgeries, physical examinations, and serological tests on dogs and cats, practiced surgeries on cadavers, and assisted animal control officer.

Jun 00 - Jul 00. Volunteer Veterinary Assistant, Needmore Veterinary Clinic, Needmore, PA. Assisted mixed practice veterinarian with canine and feline surgeries, vaccinations, catheters, intravenous fluids, equine ultrasounds and artificial inseminations.

Jul 98 - Aug 99. Laboratory Assistant, Department of Physiological Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, and U.S. Geological Survey, Gainesville, FL. Assisted with alligator and turtle egg processing and incubation; collected and prepared hatchling tissue for histopathology and radioimmunoassay.

May 98 - May 03. Volunteer, Operation Catnip, Gainesville, FL. Participate in monthly clinics as veterinary assistant for an all-volunteer, free spay and neuter program for stray and feral cats.

Oct 97 - Jul 99. Veterinary Technician, Animal Health Services, Sarasota, FL. Assisted in vaccinations, handled and restrained animals, and performed administrative services for vaccination clinics.

Jan 98 - Jan 99. Volunteer and Animal Care Assistant, Suburban Animal Hospital, Gainesville, FL. Assisted in all aspects of surgical and clinical veterinary care.

Apr 98 - Jun 98. Volunteer Animal Care Technician, College of Veterinary Medicine, Gainesville, FL. Assisted in equine veterinary care, feeding, and maintenance.

Mar 98 - Jun 98. Volunteer Assistant, US Geological Survey, Gainesville, FL. Assisted with Large Mouth Bass collection, blood sampling, processing, necropsy recording, and alligator surgeries.

Jul 97 - Mar 98. Veterinary Technician, Petluv Spay and Neuter Clinic, Brooksville, FL. Prepared animals for surgery; administered anesthesia, vaccinations, and medication; assisted veterinarian in surgeries.

Jun 82 - Jul 97. Officer, United States Air Force, Various Locations. During tenure of military service served as Aerospace Test Facility Manager, Project Test Engineer, Scientific and Technical Intelligence Collection Operations Officer, Foreign Material Acquisition Team Chief, Director of Operations for Intelligence Squadron, and Cryptologic Staff Officer. Detailed military resume available upon request.

Feb 97 - Jun 97. Volunteer Technician, Pet Adoption Center, Yokota Air Base, Japan. Assisted in creation of new adoption center for stray animals; provided small animal care, feeding, and maintenance.

May 93 - Sep 93. Volunteer Keeper Aide, National Zoological Park, Washington, DC. Conducted herpetological husbandry and routine maintenance of reptiles and amphibians.

Veterinary: Board Member for Mission Meow (non-profit community feral cat organization), Apr 2008 - present; Session Moderator, North American Veterinary Conference, 2007 - present; American Veterinary Medical Association, 2003 - present; Florida Veterinary Medical Association, 2003 - present; American Heartworm Society, 2007; Society of Phi Zeta (Honor Society of Veterinary Medicine), 2003; Southwest Florida Bird Club Scholarship, 2003; University of Florida Pre-Veterinary Club President, 1997 - 1999.

Military: Military Officers’ Association of America member, 1997 - present; U.S. Air Force's Sijan Leadership Award nominee, 1994; 696th Intelligence Group Company Grade Officer (CGO) of the Year, 1993; Director of Central Intelligence Exceptional Collector Award, 1992; speaker and writer for Public Affairs Office, 1982-86; CGO Council President, 1985.

Other: American Philatelic Society, 1988 - Present; Japan Philatelic Society, 1994-97; United States Chess Federation, 1973-1991, 2004 - 2006; Gainesville Herpetological Society, Apr 1998 - 2003; Japan Herpetological Society, 1994-97; Avid stamp collector, chess player, advanced scuba diver, long-distance runner, and actor/stand-up comic. Knowledge of German, Japanese and Italian languages.