Heidi Armstrong

Heidi Armstrong has worked for Johnson & Johnson in Austin, Texas, since early 2004. Heidi manages sales of and consulting on J&J's Women's Health portfolio. The previous 5 years Heidi worked for Dell, Inc., in technical sales. She architected and designed server, storage and networking solutions for Intelligence Agencies in the US Government and was instrumental in deployment of complex solutions in the Middle East after September 11. Prior to Dell, Heidi worked in the research field on the Human Genome Project and on several Organic Synthesis research teams.

Heidi's passion for dogs started at a very early age. She began handling and training dogs in 1994 after becoming involved with greyhound rescue. She sits on the Board of Directors, managing fund raising, and actively volunteers with her divine canine, Bella.

Heidi earned a degree in Zoology with concentrations in Chemistry, Mathematics and Spanish, with Honors, from The University of Texas at Austin in 1994.

Cris Burton

Cris is a Consultant and has been a trainer for the Lee Mannix Center for Canine Behavior. He got his first dog, a beagle named Geoff, for Christmas when he was 3 years old. Cris has been working with Lee since 1995, when he began having problems with one of his dogs that was showing signs of human aggression. Cris has been working with Lee training owners and their dogs ever since. Cris continues to provide training with private clients and consults with Lee on a periodic basis. Cris and Lee have run a week long summer camp for youth to train shelter dogs to become more adoptable and have designed a program to use shelter dogs as a part of a rehabilitation program for juvenile offenders.

Cris's full-time job is a Manager at the Texas Youth Commission. Cris has 20 years of experience working with adolescents in the mental health field. He has three foxhounds and a Border Collie/Ridgeback mix that are all rescues and are Canine Good Citizens. He has been a resident of Austin for over 40 years. In his spare time, Cris continues training his four dogs, cooks and scuba dives with his wife whenever time and weather permit.

Frank B. Falkstein

Frank B. Falkstein has been working in the field of marketing and customer service for over 35 years. He held senior level marketing positions for major corporations, as well as started-up and run several of his own companies.

Frank has been a dog person for as long as he can remember. In December of 2003, he and his wife Ann lost their Schnauzer Jenny, who had been their best friend for almost 17 years. Soon after losing Jenny, Ann and Frank adopted two young rescued Schnauzers, Josie and Murdoch who have become members of the family. However, the new additions were rather rambunctious and needed the Lee Mannix touch. After meeting Lee and his team and learning of the divine canines mission, Frank joined the Board.

Jane Herrmann

Jane is a Staff Services Officer with the Texas Workforce Commission. Prior to moving to Texas, she lived in New Jersey and New York. Jane grew up always having multiple dogs in her house and participated in their training. While living in upstate New York, she trained with the Binghamton Dog Training Club and became a member of their team.

Jane was one of the first five handlers to join the divine canines mission. She and her dog Rosie, a chocolate Labrador Retriever, make regular visits along with Jane's two daughters who have also embraced the divine canines mission and have gone through training.

Victoria (Tori) Keith

Tori is an attorney with Segal McCambridge Singer & Mahoney, Ltd., handling environmental, employment , product liability, and commerical litigation. She is on the firm's pro bono and public service committee which encourages attorneys to donate professional services to those who don't have access to attorneys or can't afford legal representation. Her passion is promoting divine canines' unique mission in the animal assisted therapy industry and the impact that the human-animal bond has on our emotional and physical well being. She spends most of her free time with her family, which includes great dane Eudora, the divine canines mascot and inspiration.

Paul Mann

Paul is a trainer and pack behaviorist who began working for the Lee Mannix Center for Canine Behavior (LMCCB) in 2005. Studying under Lee, he honed his skills and applied them to therapy dog work as the trainer for divine canines. Before coming to Lee, Paul gained experience working with individuals with mental retardation and multiple disabilities at the Austin State School (QMRP). After leaving the Austin State School he continued his work with individuals with disabilities through Special Education programs in the public school system. In addition to training for divine canines, Paul is currently involved with programs at the Austin State Hospital and Austin State School. When relaxing, Paul enjoys spending time with his wife Krislyn and their dogs, Tricksy and Farmer. He also loves to play music, camp, hike, and fish.

Lisa Myers, Executive Director

Lisa Myers has been the Executive Director and a member of the Board of Directors of divine canines since May 2008. She is also a divine canines volunteer with her dog, Mickey, a Boston Terrier. Lisa worked as an actuary and Account Manger for Watson Wyatt Worldwide, a global consulting firm, from 1987 - 2004, in the company's Washington, DC offices.

Barbara ten Brink, PhD

Dr. ten Brink is a native Texan from a military family with the advantage of living in Japan, Germany, Maryland, Virginia, and Texas. She coordinates elementary science instruction, curriculum design, assessment, teacher training, laboratory safety, and materials acquisition for Austin Independent School District. She strives to improve the delivery of science instruction, and to raise the scientific literacy of students, teachers, and community members through teaching, publications, and presentations. Her dissertation, published 1984, examined humane issues involving elementary students and their relationships with animals.

Jeannie Turlington

Jeannie works at GSD&M Idea City handling compliance and accounting. She enjoys volunteering her time on the divine canines Board and various projects helping to build the organization. The rest of her time is spent wrangling her family into order - husband, daughter and three dogs, Daisy, Molly and Sam.

Raye Ward

Raye picked her dog Abby up on a county road in the middle of cattle country soon after her dad died, as she was helping her mom begin the transition into assisted living. Abby – a jokester from the word go – made her mom laugh and helped her adjust to a new lifestyle.

Witnessing this dog/human healing process steered Raye and Abby toward divine canines, where both have been able to grow in new directions. Raye, who had traveled heavily in her work with IBM and a local dotcom, had never trained a dog before. divine canines taught her to use positive discipline with Abby, and to use the dog as a tool to relate to many different kinds of people.

Abby, a pit bull, connects with people who have had bully breeds as pets, and teaches people who are afraid of the breed how generous and loving pits can be. Volunteering with divine canines has made Abby has a better pet, and Raye a better human.

During the week, Raye is a public relations consultant for Laura Raun Public Relations, a firm that specializes in public outreach. Abby has a great time no matter what she is doing.