Susan Divine Sholar
President
For over 49 years Susan Sholar has worked in the pet care industry. While living in Hawaii, she was a veterinarian technician, one of the founding members of the Shetland Sheepdog Club of Hawaii, was a member of the Windward Hawaiian Kennel Club and owner of grooming salons in Hawaii and California. Her special pride is having received special recognition from Hawaii’s Governor Ariyoshi for her care of animals.
Susan’s first introduction to legislation and state government began as Hawaii state representative for the Maui Kennel Club. Susan later also spent many years walking the halls of the California capital in Sacramento, as President of the California Federation of Dog Clubs. There she worked with the assembly and senate on animal-related legislation. Upon returning to the mainland, Susan owned a grooming salon and kennels in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, California. She continued showing all-breed dogs professionally throughout the country and Mexico. During that time, she was a member of the Professional Handlers Association, later known as the Certified Professional Handlers Association. Within her personal dogs she bred and exhibited Shetland Sheepdogs, Alaskan Malamutes as well, Poodles and Shih Tzus’.
Susan later founded the California College of Pet Careers, International College of Pet Careers Inc., where she was licensed by the State of California to teach: all-breed dog and cat grooming (pet and show), animal nutrition, animal massage, and aromatherapy as well as animal first aid and CPR.
Susan has judged AKC dog shows for 20 years in 5 of the 7 AKC groups and grooming competition at industry tradeshows. She now serves as the AKC delegate for the Black Russian Terrier Club of America and serves on the All-Breed Delegate Committee of the American Kennel Club.
Ms. Sholar developed the AKC S.A.F.E. Groomers/Salon Certification program and traveled the country teaching and testing groomers on groomer and salon safety for pets, groomers, and clients alike. This program has certified thousands of groomers across the United States. This program can be found at https://www.caninecollege.akc.org/ It is one of a number of wonderful canine programs the American Kennel Club has developed over the years.
The advantage of working with both the American Kennel Club grooming program and as President of the American Professional Pet Groomers Association, Susan says is, “I have met some of the nicest, driven for perfection groomers you could ever imagine; with a passion for caring for the dogs and cats that come to them for grooming”.
Joey Villani
Vice-President
Joey Villani’s life in pet care and grooming began when he was only nine years old, during a visit to the Super Dog Salon in New Jersey. Invited to lend a hand by salon owner and family friend, John Nash, Joey brushed a sheepdog named Cecilia and so began an unbelievable career.
After 18 years as an instructor for Nash’s renowned grooming schools, Joey began to open his own salons. In 1998, he purchased the Nash Academy in New Jersey, which he owned and operated for ten years.
Now a well-known pet industry speaker and judge, Joey has been nominated four times for the Cardinal Crystal Award for his outstanding achievements, and three times for Grooming Contest Judge of the Year. Joey was also a 7-time nominee for a Barkleigh Honors Award.
He has been enthusiastically involved with Intergroom International for 31 years and has been instrumental in expanding the organization’s reach into Belgium, Italy, and France. He is one of the original members of the International Judges Association and serves as a Ring Master and Core Judge. In 2010 he received the award as the grooming industry Man of The Year. In 2008 he became the Dogfather on Animal Radio. In 2015 became CEO of Intergroom international and is the brainchild and Vice President of the newly formed World Dog Expo and pet grooming Ambassador of Conair Pet. In 2018 Joey was chosen for the highest award in the grooming industry, outstanding contribution to the industry award, and also the AKC leadership award which he is only the fourth person to ever to receive.
His outgoing nature and unforgettable charisma have made Joey a natural television personality, with appearances on The Today Show, Good Morning America, Good Day NY, The Katie Show, Mike and Juliet, and two seasons of both Animal Planet’s Dogs 101 and judge on Groomer Has It.
Joey’s lengthy friendship and professional affiliation with the Nash family continues to this day. Joey has contributed to the development of the Nash Canine Reference and the Groomers Reference, the first online, all-breed, encyclopedic resource created specifically for pet care professionals. In his continuing efforts to provide excellent grooming and pet care training, Joey is working with the Nash Team to create an International Educational Consortium of Pet Grooming & Styling Schools. The Consortium aims to standardize education and terminology for all students aspiring to become bathers, groomers, and stylists, to increase professionalism in the pet care industry, and to provide a uniform curriculum utilizing the Nash systems and methodology. Joey also helped create the national grooming standards of PPGSA.
Today, Joey continues to innovate and explore new dimensions in the pet care and grooming industry. Not surprisingly, Joey says this is just the beginning.
Joey's other notable accomplishments include:
Advisory Board to Groom Team USA
Advisory board to Merryfield Pet Grooming School
Pet grooming advisor to BabelBark/BizBark
Alicen Ingle
Treasurer
Alicen, who has over 25 years of experience in the pet care professions, is something of a Renaissance woman when it comes to pet care. Her list of achievements, certifications, and awards could fill a book.
She oversees all services at Pet-Agree, as she is a certified and trained Master Dog Groomer, Master Cat Groomer, Animal Cosmetologist, behavior-modification dog trainer, and her salon is Indiana’s only American Kennel Club certified SAFE facility, as well as being certified in Pet First-Aid and CPR. Alicen is also an active member of the National Dog Groomers Association of America, Professional Cat Groomers Association of America, Treasurer of the American Professional Pet Groomers Association, and a member of the Jasper Chamber of Commerce. She also works with K-9 Units of local law enforcement, making sure that these important members of the force are happy, healthy and beautiful.
Jacki Panzik
Board Member
Jacki Panzik has enjoyed a career in the Pet Industry spanning 45 years, partnering with renowned Veterinarians, Pet Groomers and in the AKC Show Dog arenas. Having bred, shown and accomplished multiple AKC champions and specials with her Standard Poodle line, Jacki has built a solid reputation in Poodles.
Her knowledge and skills have earned multiple awards in her Grooming salons in Riverside, California. Her extensive background includes canine and feline safety, compassionate handling and training.
Jacki is also a published author of Canine Health and Wellness tips.
Mario DiFante
Board Member
Mario DiFante’s history in the pet industry spans over 30 years. He started as the owner of Four Paws Salon in Providence RI. This establishment was voted top salon/boutique in the US for the Millennium by a national trade publication. His salon/boutique has appeared on book and magazine covers, articles, and has been the subject of lectures across the US and internationally. A renowned international lecturer, Mario well versed in all Pet Industry subjects, ideas, and concepts.
As a former grooming competitor, he has been invited to compete in numerous international grooming invitational competitions. His past wins include multiple “Best in Show” and “Best All-Around Groomer”, and the title of World Scissoring champion. He has bred, groomed, handled and owned many AKC champions over the past 30 years, including Westminster Best of Breed winning Portuguese Water Dogs (ranking top 5 in the US), as well as specialty-winning Bichons.
He has judged at all major US competitions, as well as in Canada, South America, Japan, and Europe in all classes, including Best in Show judge five times for Intergroom. Mario has mentored new and upcoming judges and is a two-time nominee for judge of the year from the Cardinal Crystal Grooming Achievement Awards. He has also performed seminars and instructional classes for advanced grooming/scissoring techniques to thousands of groomers across the US, Canada, and Europe. Mario also serves on the advisory board for Grooming Business magazine.
Mario is a professor for the Master Class series at New York City’s Fashion Institute of Technology newest program, “Pet Product Design and Marketing Professional-Development”
program. Mario is founder and executive director of Pet
Fashion Week NY, the world’s only high-end pet lifestyle tradeshow and design platform, produced annually in NYC, Tokyo, Japan, and Sao Paulo, Brazil.