AMY CONDELLIRE
PROGRAM AND VOLUNTEER MANAGER

Amy (she/her) joined Canine Therapy Corps in August of 2022 as the Program and Volunteer Manager. She grew up in St. Louis, Missouri and has been living in Chicago for the past 10 years. Amy has experience working with a variety of populations at nonprofits in Missouri and Chicago, including working with youth in an emergency shelter, college access for in-need adolescents, and preventative foster care work with children and families throughout Chicago. She loves meeting new people and dogs alike, and firmly believes in the benefits of animal-assisted therapy.

Amy holds a Bachelors in Psychology and Criminology from Missouri State University and a Masters in Social Work from Loyola University Chicago. She lives in Chicago with her husband, son, and their Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Roscoe and Reilly.

Sheila Gidley
Executive Director

Sheila (she/her) became the Canine Therapy Corps Executive Director in April 2023. An entrepreneur and 30- year non-profit management veteran, Sheila has provided leadership and support to a wide variety of charitable organizations and associations. Through her firm, Gidley Management Group, Sheila has served as Executive Director/Head of Operations for non-profits including the Commercial Real Estate Executives of Chicago, Lynn Sage Cancer Research Foundation, Security Traders Association of Chicago, the National Association of Women Business Owners Chicago Chapter and Advisors in Philanthropy. Her expertise in the non-profit arena includes strategic planning, governance, financial management, event planning, membership care, marketing and sponsorship development.

Sheila has a bachelor’s degree in Speech Communications from the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign. A Chicago native, she lives on the northwest side with her Australian Shepherd, Margot. Margot aspires to be a therapy dog one day soon and is looking forward to beginning her training at Canine Therapy Corps. 

Joan Harris, cpdt-ka
Dog Training Program Coordinator

Joan (she/her recently joined Canine Therapy Corps in February 2024 as Dog Training Program Coordinator. For over 30 years, she has trained dogs and their people in the Chicagoland area. Her main goal is to help people develop happy and healthy relationships with their dogs. She is a graduate of prestigious Karen Pryor Academy, where she gained a solid knowledge of clicker training and the science that governs learning.

Joan began her career in dog training after she adopted her first rescue German Shepherd, Hans. She entered the competition world with her next seven German Shepherds, earning titles in obedience, tracking and protective work. Simultaneously she worked as a trainer helping people with their pets and helping solve behavior challenges encountered in the home environment.

In 2014, she joined the staff of Chicago’s largest no-kill shelter PAWS Chicago as Director of Canine Training and Behavior. During her time at PAWS, she trained staff and volunteers on safe handling techniques and canine body language. Since leaving her position at PAWS Chicago, she became a trainer at Darn Good Dogs Chicago where she does private in-home training sessions.

Joan lives in Logan Square and is currently between dogs but would love to find a dog to train to be a therapy dog in the future.

JULIE SCHULTZ
DEVELOPMENT Manager

Julie (she/her) joined Canine Therapy Corps in June 2022 as the Development and Program Coordinator. Her love for animals ignited when she was searching for a way to give back and started volunteering at One Tail a Time.  From there, she began fostering, working events and joined their Associate Board. Over the years, her passion for fundraising and community development grew.  Julie enjoys building new relationships with potential partners and cannot wait to spread awareness on the amazing benefits animal assisted therapy provides individuals.

Julie lives in the Southwest Suburbs with her husband and their two rescue dogs, Marbles and Phoebe.

Kim Campbell, CPDT-KA
Lead DOG Trainer & Program Leader

Kim (they/them) from their youth working with farm animals and horses, to their current work as a therapy dog trainer and as one half of a therapy dog team (2020), Kim’s focus is on helping to strengthen the animal-human bond through scientifically proven, fear-free, positive reinforcement methods. Kim has a deep interest in canine enrichment methods, obedience training, and working with fearful and reactive animals, all of which stems from a childhood promise to themself to always advocate for animals in need of empathy and assistance. Kim is a therapy dog test facilitator, and an AKC Canine Good Citizen evaluator and has a BA at Northeastern Illinois University.

Kim lives with their partner and their two dogs in Chicago.

Margaret Fraser, CPDt-KA
LEAD DOG Trainer & Program leader

Margaret joined the Canine Therapy Corps team as a dog trainer in early 2022 where she teaches classes, evaluates therapy dog exams and co-leads the physical therapy program at Swedish Hospital. She has over 5 years of professional training experience and has been volunteering with local shelters and rescues since 2013. 

Outside of Canine Therapy Corps, Margaret runs her own business Copilot Dog Training, which offers positive reinforcement training for both humans and their pups. She is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA) and certified in fear free methods. 

Margaret has two mixed breed dogs - Gambit and Bea - who inspire her every day to be a better and more compassionate handler. 

Kate Keenan, CPDt-KA
LEAD DOG Trainer

Kate (she/her) and Levi, her Vizsla, passed the Canine Therapy Corps test in October 2019 and have volunteered in each Haymarket Center session since. In October 2020, Kate joined as a part-time trainer teaching three levels of group glasses including Competence to Confidence that prepares handlers and dogs for our rigorous test.

Kate is employed full time as a Director of Data Science at Kroger and holds an MSc in Analytics from University of Chicago. Kate competes in multiple dog sports with her two vizslas, Levi and Ezra. You will likely see one or both hanging out when she teaches classes.

Laurel Meng
Assistant dog trainer

Laurel (she/her) started taking training classes at Canine Therapy Corps with her first dog Taro in late 2021. In August 2022, Laurel and Taro were very excited to be certified as a volunteer team. Since then, they have been active volunteers, participating in programs at Easterseals Academy, Lawrence Hall and UCAN and various outreach events. Through her experience training her dog, Laurel has evolved into a full “dog nerd,” and is excited to join the Canine Therapy Corps training team to further develop her passion for dog behavior. 

Laurel is employed full time at The Expansive Group, where she is the Director of Operations and a staff therapist, providing individual and couples psychotherapy in a private practice setting. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and holds a Masters in Social Work from the University of Chicago. Given this background, Laurel is especially passionate about helping human handlers and their dogs improve the quality of their bond. 

Jessica Vlodek
Assistant DOG Trainer

Jessica (she/her) started working with Canine Therapy Corps in late 2021. She has been dog handling for three years at Urban Pooch Training and Fitness Center and was extremely dedicated to her job as a handler. Before dogs, she rode and trained horses. Jessica was disciplined in Dressage, and rode and competed for almost 10 years and counting. She started dog training in early 2021, interning with a professional service dog trainer. Currently, she is dog handling and running a puppy enrichment program at Urban Paws. Jessica is in the process of training Dewey, her Doberman, as a mobility and psychiatric service dog. She loves learning about the philosophies of other dog trainers. The best feeling is to see a team of a handler and dog achieve a goal of theirs. Jessica is very glad to be able to love what she does in life.

Corinne Carso PT, DPT
Program Leader

Corinne (she/her) joined Canine Therapy Corps in April of 2022 as a Program Leader. Corinne has known and followed along with Canine Therapy Corps since 2013 when she started to volunteer at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (now known as Shirley Ryan AbilityLab) where she first encountered animal-assisted therapy. Corinne credits this exposure as one of the reasons she pursued a career in physical therapy. She earned her clinical doctorate from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2019 and has been practicing with the Department of Veterans Affairs ever since. Corinne is thrilled to finally be able to incorporate animals into physical rehabilitation programs and can’t wait to get her newly certified Australian Shepherd, Nani, involved as well.\

Joe Saltarelli, CPDT-KA

Program Leader and LEAD dog trainer

Joe (he/him) has been working and volunteering with dogs for years through different kennels and rescues. Joe has a background in Business/Marketing but decided to move toward a full-time career working with dogs. He’s managed several dog daycare facilities over the years. This included leading dog training services, and overseeing the handling and safety of all the dogs. He is currently a full-time dog trainer with Canine Sports Dog Training in Chicago.

Joe joined Canine Therapy Corps as a volunteer in May of 2021 when he certified his pup Junebug. Since then, he has volunteered with June in numerous outreach events as well as our Lawrence Hall and Haymarket programs.

He then joined as a Program Leader in March of 2022. Joe has helped lead our Lawrence Hall and Haymarket Programs through his Professional Dog Training background. Joe has a passion for working with dogs but also loves helping people! Working and volunteering with Canine Therapy Corps has been an extremely rewarding experience for him.

Joe and his wife currently live on the north side of the city with their pup June, their cat Cherry and their two freshwater fish tanks! They have both been involved with rescuing and fostering animals over the years.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Ally Bain
Rebecca Bennett
Barbara Brightman
Michael Conway
Deborah Crown
Ann Davidson, Secretary
Margee Elias
Sheila Gidley, Executive Director (Ex-Officio)
Spencer Hadelman
Matt Kowalczyk, Treasurer
Kathy Krenger
Robert Rustman, Vice Chair
Alice St. Clair
NIck Vom Brack, YPB Chair (Ex-Officio)
Will Wagner
Amy Welzer

HONORARY BOARD

Eowyn Ford
Marjorie A. Getz, Ph.D.
Carrie Grant
Debra Hadelman
Tim Hudson
Julie Muccillo
Amanda Sonneborn
Lisa Wiersma

• Aliya Brown

• Justin Burd

• Serena DeRosa

• Lauren Falasco

• Billy Fogel

• Erin Friedlieb

• Megan Green

• Spencer Hadelman

• Jennifer Haely

• Matt Kowalczyk

• Tom Lennon

• Naomi Lopes

• Jason Morgan

• Jack Morrison

• Megan Ryan

• Kelly Steckel

• Rachel Stern

• Nick Vom Brack, Chair

• Ryan Walsh

• Gordon Wolfe

• Rachel Wortell