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Keynote Speakers

 
Ken Rameriz & Sparkle

Opening Keynote Speaker

Title: Challenges of the Working Dog Trainer

Description:

Working dog trainers face many challenges in their day to day work. Ken Ramirez has consulted with many working dog organizations from service dogs and guide dogs to law enforcement and search and rescue dogs. Their desire is to continue to do excellent work while focusing on positive reinforcement. The challenges they face range from dealing with duration behaviors, impulse control, generalization and avoiding the use of punishment. Ken will share many of the tips and guidance he provides to these working dog organizations. 

Biography:

Ken Ramirez is the EVP and Chief Training Officer for Karen Pryor Clicker Training where he helps to oversee the vision, development and implementation of training education programs. Previously, Ken served as EVP of animal care and training at Chicago's Shedd Aquarium. A 40+ year veteran of animal care and training, Ramirez is a biologist and behaviorist who has worked with many zoological organizations and dog programs throughout the world.

Ken’s work has included guide dogs, service dogs, law enforcement, search and rescue, film and television, and countless private clients. He is past president of the International Marine Animal Trainers Association and has been active in various leadership positions within IMATA for over 30 years. He hosted two successful seasons of the TV series Talk to the Animals. Ramirez authored the book ANIMAL TRAINING: Successful Animal Management through Positive Reinforcement in 1999 and most recently The Eye of the Trainer in 2020. He taught a graduate course on animal training at Western Illinois University for 20 years. He currently teaches at ClickerExpo every year, offers hands on courses and seminars at the Karen Pryor National Training Center (the Ranch), and teaches online courses through Karen Pryor Academy. 

Dr. Susan Friedman

Training Workshop Speaker with Ken Rameriz

Title:  Effectiveness is Not Enough - A Discussion About the Humane Hierarchy

Description:

Many forces conspire to make effectiveness the sole measure of an animal training program's success. Factors like clients' desperation, the animal's quality of life, and even the dynamics of a professional work-for-pay relationship create the pressure cooker that fosters an exclusive "eye on the prize" or "as long as it works" focus for many professionals. In this session, we will go beyond effectiveness by adding another measure to our success criteria: the process by which we achieve effectiveness. This second criterion is embraced by the concept "most positive, least intrusive" effective intervention, which has protected children in special education programs for over 40 years and is also referred to in law and medicine. By implementing this standard, we become more thoughtful about the path to effective training outcomes, increasing the likelihood that we will be both maximally effective and humane. Dr. Susan G. Friedman will lay the ground work and Ken Ramirez will follow with a description of how to apply the humane hierarchy effectively in everyday uses. together they will present for 90 minutes and then open it to attendees for questions.

Biography:

Susan G. Friedman, Ph.D. is a professor emeritus in the Department of Psychology at Utah State University. Susan has co-authored chapters on behavior change in five veterinary texts, and her popular articles have been translated into 17 languages. She teaches seminars and courses on animal learning online (How Behavior Works: Living & Learning With Animals), with students from 60 countries so far. Susan also consults with zoos and animal organizations around the world. She was appointed to the F&WS California Condor Recovery Team from 2002 – 2010, after which time the team was retired due to the success of the birds in the wild. She is the Chairperson of the Scientific Advisory Committee of American Humane Association (AHA) Film and TV Unit, and a member in good standing of ABAI, ABMA, IAATE and IAABC. See behaviorworks.org and facebook.com/behaviorworks.

Chris Muldoon

Tuesday Keynote Speaker

Title:  What the Client Application Won't Tell You?

Description: 

This presentation is a PhD thesis, with case studies from Guide Dog owners over three years. This study explored as part of its remit, the emotions, in particular depression, experienced by Guide Dog Owners who are blind or vision impaired as they go through the process of applying for, training and ultimately working with their Guide Dog. The study looks at the emotions, in particular depression, experienced by Guide Dog Owners when applying for, training and ultimately working with their Guide Dog. by removing the word guide dog and replacing it with assistance dog, the journey is similar for many of our applicants and future clients. The case studies provide insight into the experiences of Guide Dog Applicants and Owners from the thematic perspective of their milestones and the experiences they recount at each of them. More than that, it strives to give voice to their stories and experiences on what is an often complex and emotionally charged path to having their dog.

Biography:

Chris Muldoon is trained as a Guide Dog Mobility Instructor 30 years ago with Guide Dogs Victoria in Australia. He has worked in most Australian states and as a manager, developed the RSB Guide and Assistance Dog Service in South Australia. He also worked for Guide Dogs UK as a Service Manager and in Research and Development. Chris is currently working for Dogs for Good, an assistance dog charity member of ADUK in the UK, as Operations Manager.  Chris has a couple of undergrad degrees and post grad diplomas, a Masters (Vision Impairment) from Flinders University in South Australia and more recently two PhDs, one from Flinders University and one from Glasgow Caledonian University.  Chris serves as an International Assessor of Guide Dog Schools with IGDF and currently serves on the Accreditation Committee. He also serves on the ADI Education Committee and the Trainers Certification Committee with ADI and is very honoured to do so. 

Chris is deeply committed to the work we do. He loves having the opportunity as a small cog in a bigger wheel to contribute to improving the lives and independence of the people we work for, and with the organisations that support them. He loves upholding the obligation we have to improving and championing the wellbeing and welfare of dogs who help our clients on that journey.

Chris is a Scots by birth but lived for half my life in Australia and the other half in Scotland. He likes kangaroos and kilts, and jokes he is very culturally confused. If you Google “what does a non-academic, client focussed, dog daft nerd who asks lots of questions look like”, you’ll see a picture of Chris waving back.

Joey Ramp-Adams & Sampson

Closing Keynote Speaker

Biography:

Joey Ramp-Adams is a Biocognitive Neuroscientist whose study interest was the neurological underpinnings of posttraumatic stress disorder after traumatic brain injury. But, after recognizing the obstacles for students with disabilities in science, based on her personal experience as a service dog handler often barred from accessing science laboratory experience, she founded the disability access firm Empower Ability Consulting (EAC) in 2018. EAC is dedicated to advocating and acting as a liaison for disabled students, professional academics, and those in the STEM industry, including biomedical sciences, with a focus on disabled student service dog handlers. In addition, EAC conducts laboratory risk assessments nationally to determine reasonable and safe accommodations for disability access.

Ramp-Adams is a published author and public speaker on the topic of service dog access to science laboratories. Ramp-Adams is an activist, renowned crusader, and champion fighter for disabled student scientists. She is the global pioneer for university-wide inclusive laboratory policies for student service dog handlers, providing equal access to science education. Ramp-Adams’ passion led her to partner up with a colleague to become the Vice-president and Co-founder of the International Alliance for Ability in Science (IAFAIS). This non-profit organization provides resources, financial aid, and scholarships for disabled student scientists, with one scholarship specifically for student service dog handlers in STEM.

With all Ramp-Adams’ passion and hard work in providing equal opportunities for disabled scientists, she is accompanied everywhere by her faithful service dog partner, Sampson the Science Service Dog. Ramp-Adams is probably most known as being the “roadie” or “Mom” for the gregarious social media sensation, Sampson. Sampson is the official ambassador for service dogs in science, the Golden retriever wearing full personal protective equipment in the neuroscience lab, who carries his “happy” wherever he goes and has a best-stuffed friend named Mr. B (for blue octopus). Sampson was named one of seven “Dogs of the Year 2022” and was featured on CW Network. Together Sampson and Ramp-Adams have been in People magazine, on TMZ, on the NPR Science Podcast, Sirius XM Podcast, and been featured in 1000’s of media outlets globally, raising awareness on the need for equal access to science experiences for disabled student service dog handlers.

With the aid of her service dog, Ramp-Adams has changed service dog policies in STEM globally to be inclusive. Just a few of these changes include new guidelines in the American Association of Microbiology and The American Chemical Society writing specific protocols on accommodating service dog handlers in laboratory environments.

Empower Ability Consulting (EAC): https://empowerabilityconsulting.com/

International Alliance for Ability in Science (IAFAIS): https://iafais.org/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sampson_dog

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sampson_service_dog/

Facebook: Sampson the Service Dog in Science

Antoinetta Mosley

Keynote Speaker

Title:  DONT DIY YOUR DEI: HOW TO START TREATING DEI LIKE A STRATEGIC PRIORITY

Description:

Over the last two years, a lot of organizations announced publicly they were making DEI a strategic priority. However, many ended up treating it more like a craft project by DIYing this critical work internally with no experts to guide them through the process and ensure long-term impact and growth. Driven by her belief that cookie cutter DEI solutions don’t work, Certified Diversity Professional (CDP)® Antoinetta Mosely offers a different way forward for organizations who truly want their DEI efforts to make an impact on their employees, culture and bottom-line.

Audiences will learn:         

• How to determine if your organization is ready for DEI (and how to navigate the journey when you are ready)
• Why you can’t pull DEI on and off the shelf   
• How to create a strategic, measurable and sustainable action plan
• The business case for DEI—the results you can expect when you stop DIYing DEI and start embracing it as an ongoing, continuous strategic priority alongside an expert 

Biography:

Antoinetta Mosley is the CEO and Principal Leader at I Follow the Leader LLC, a strategic consulting firm specializing in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) strategy, initiatives, and education. Launched in 2016 to heighten awareness and readiness of DEI initiatives within companies, I Follow the Leader partners with organizations to move them along the diversity continuum, improve their overall culture and increase profitability, creativity and innovation. 

After earning her Bachelor of Science from Georgia Institute of Technology, Antoinetta went on to pursue a Master of Public Administration with a concentration in nonprofit management from Western Michigan University (WMU). It was there at WMU where Antoinetta's passion for DEI deepened while interviewing CEOs from across the country on their diversity efforts. Her research culminated in an award-winning graduate paper, "Diversity in Nonprofit Leadership: Overcoming Barriers" and a clear-cut career path post-graduation.      

Since launching I Follow the Leader, Antoinetta has worked with organizations of all sizes, including small to global nonprofits as well as Fortune 500 companies, with project scopes varying from team-specific to enterprise-wide. Antoinetta is also a Certified Diversity Professional (CDP)® as issued by The Institute for Diversity Certification (IDC)®, a subsidiary of the Society for Diversity and the leading professional association for diversity and inclusion.      She is currently based in Durham, North Carolina where she also serves as the Vice President of Education for Durham Toastmasters.  Antoinetta enjoys volunteering with local nonprofits, reading novels and traveling around the country to speak on DEI. She is also a published author of the children’s book Happy Birthday, Tulip and Violet.