Divine Canines Board Member Bios September 2007
Lee Mannix
Lee is a pack behaviorist who consults on dog behavior and specializes
in aggression issues. He is dedicated to a teaching philosophy based
on improving relationships between people and their pets. Lee might say
he was chased into working with dogs by a German Shepherd that ran him
down the street when he was eight. Twelve years later he began his career
at the Austin Humane Society/SPCA cleaning kennels. He has a gift with
dogs, however, and was promoted within months, first to kennel manager
and then into various director positions.
In 1998, Lee left the Humane Society to train people and their dogs at a boarding and training facility in the Austin area. His unique approach to training and his understanding of dog behavior and animal/human relationships has brought him local, state, and national recognition as well as a following of clients from around the country. He is now widely regarded as the last stop for many dogs with aggression and other severe behavior problems.
Taking his success with dogs one step further, in August of 2002 Lee acted on a dream of his and opened the Lee Mannix Center for Canine Behavior in Austin, Texas. At the new facility Lee continues to teach classes and impart as much knowledge as he can about dogs through lessons, seminars, and workshops.
Lee has held seminars for the American Boarding Kennels Association, shelters and kennels across the country, Old Mother Hubbard, the Australian Cattle Dog Club of America, and the Austin Pet Sitters Organization. He also holds training seminars for dog rescue groups and performs behavior assessments and evaluations. Most notably, Lee has played Santa Claus at the Humane Society of Austin holiday fundraiser, sitting for hours having his picture taken with multitudes of owners and their dogs...gotta love it!
Lee lives in the Greater Austin area with his three dogs Floyd, Allie, and Creek. In his spare time, you'll find Lee in a dinghy on a lake with fishing pole in hand!
Victoria (Tori) Keith
Tori is an attorney with Segal McCambridge Singer & Mahoney, Ltd.,
a private law firm specializing in product liability and toxic torts.
Her passion, however, is promoting Divine Canines' unique mission in the animal assisted
therapy industry and the impact that the human-animal bond has on our emotional well being.
She spends most of her free time with her family, which includes Eudora, the Divine Canines
mascot and inspiration, and her yellow lab named Buster.
Cristopher Burton, M.Ed.
Cris is a Lead Behavior Consultant and 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 and has been training his own dogs
since. 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 for the last two years. Cris also trains several Canine Good
Citizen classes a year. Cris has run a week long summer camp for
youth to train shelter dogs to become more adoptable.
Cris’s full time job is a Manager of the Professional Development Academy at the Texas Youth Commission. Cris has 20 years of experience working with adolescents in the mental health field. He has been a resident of Austin for over 40 years. In his spare time Cris continues training his five dogs, cooks and scuba dives with his wife whenever time and weather permit
Frank Falkstein
Frank B. Falkstein has been working in the field of marketing and customer
service for over 35 years. He has 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.
Dr. Robert (Bob) Griffith DVM
Dr. Griffith has been providing excellent health care to dogs for over
14 years at his clinic, Griffith Small Animal Hospital. Bob is
a 1982 graduate of Colorado State University. He was the recipient of
the Upjohn Award for proficiency in veterinary clinical medicine. Outside
interests include all sports, skiing, and other outdoor activities.
Jeannie Johnson
Jeannie is a tax auditor with the Texas State Comptroller of Public Accounts. She
and her husband Jeff have three dogs, Mr. Jim, a 13 year old pointer-mix,
Molly, an 8 year old lab-mix, and Daisy, a 4 year old Great Dane. In
her spare time she enjoys cooking for friends and taking the dogs to all
the great pet-friendly parks in Austin.
Molly Murray
Molly is a Production Film Accountant with the local Austin Film Industry. Molly
served on the Board of the Humane Society for three years, where she met
Lee Mannix and Local Animals Activist Karen Medicus. Karen told Molly
about Lee and Tori's dream of a pet therapy group. Molly had been
wanting be part of an animal therapy group for years. Her dogs always
helped her through tough times and she knew the love could spread.
Molly's dog Buster Brown is one of the first five dogs in the program. They go to the Austin State Hospital where Buster wags and woos his way into the heart of the patients. It is very rewarding to see the smiles on the faces and the laughter when Buster does his tricks. Buster is license to love and does a great job.
Jane Herrmann
Jane was one of the first five handlers to join the Divine Canines team. She
and her dog Rosie, a Chocolate Labrador Retriever, enjoy Agility when off
duty from doing therapy work. Jane is a Staff Services Officer for
the Texas Workforce Commission by day and fills the rest of her time with
Divine Canines therapy visits, Girl Scouts, teaching religion, photography,
making jewelry and Creative Memories Scrapbooking. Her two 14 year
old daughters have embraced the Divine Canines mission and have been through
all the handler trainings. They accompany Jane and Rosie on many
visits and participate in fundraising events and training activities.
Heidi Armstrong Smith
Heidi, a longtime animal enthusiast active in greyhound rescue, works for Johnson & Johnson full time.
She and her Divine Canine, Bella, especially enjoy visiting children’s facilities throughout Austin.
Heidi and Bella began agility competitions in March 2007 “just for fun” and their adventure turned
into many agility titles and countless ribbons.
Paul Mann
Paul began working at the Lee Mannix Center for Canine Behavior (LMCCB) in 2005. Searching for ways to fuse his love for animals and desire to help individuals with disabilities, Paul approached Lee after hearing about some of his programs. Immediately impressed by LMCCB’s focus on truly improving the relationship between dogs and people, Paul knew that Lee’s unique methods were a great fit for him. Prior to 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 an Assisted Animal Activities program run by the Austin State Hospital.
Paul grew up as the son of a teacher and Lutheran minister. As a young boy, he would accompany his father on visits to nursing homes and hospitals. It is such experiences at an early age that Paul attributes his desire to help others in vulnerable situations. Paul went on to earn a degree in Psychology from the University of Texas and has volunteered for Safe Place and the Austin Humane Society/SPCA. In his spare time, Paul enjoys spending time with his wife Krislyn and their Chiweenie, Tricksy. He also loves to play music, camp, hike, and fish.