divine canines - Our Board

Heidi Armstrong, President

Heidi Armstrong works as a self-employed medical device consultant. The previous six years she worked for Johnson & Johnson. Prior to J & J, Heidi worked for Dell, Inc., architecting and designing 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.

Heidi's passion for dogs began at a very young age. She started handling and training dogs in 1994 after becoming involved with the Texas Greyhound Adoption Program.

In 2004 she rescued her divine canine, Bella, from Town Lake Animal Shelter. Heidi says, "The first day I met my amazing friend Lee Mannix he walked right up to Bella, completely ignoring me. He knelt down and she played with him in the silliest way. He laughed and giggled. He stood up, looked me straight in the eyes with his intense blue eyes and said, "This dog is one in a million. She is a gift. You enjoy every single day with her. You will never, ever have another dog like her." My favorite thing about Bella is not one thing, it's everything." Heidi actively competes in agility with Bella while also working her in frisbee, search and rescue and tracking. The two also enjoy long hikes in the mountains and epic cross country skiing adventures.

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

Heidi's term as divine canines's President began in January 2011.

In addition to her work with divine canines, Heidi is an Endurance Mountain Bike Athlete selected as one of 50 influential female athletes in North America. She is a 2010 Leadville Trail 100 Mountain Bike Race finisher.

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.

Sharon Collins

Sharon is a Senior Programmer Analyst with Austin Community College and has worked there since 1981. She joined divine canines with her Shi Tzu, Sasha, in May of 2009. In August of the same year, she took her hound/heeler mix, Phoenix, through the divine canines training. Sasha is small and energetic and Phoenix is large and very mellow. With these two different personalities, she can choose which dog fits best with each site she visits. She has two other dogs at home. Cinnamon is a lab mix and Angel is a Pekinese mix.

In January of 2010, Sharon volunteered to take over the divine canines website. It required a major renovation and is still a work in progress. She was invited to join the Board in December 2010 to provide technology support. Outside of work and divine canines, Sharon enjoys taking classes with her dogs, sewing and baking (especially cupcakes).

Jane Hayman

A graduate of the University of Texas Law School, Jane Hayman was raised in Houston and spent her legal career in Washington, D.C., New York City and San Francisco before returning to Texas. As an attorney she represented both domestic and international companies in matters of regulatory compliance, particularly as regards transportation, insurance, petroleum and securities.

Much to her surprise and that of friends and family she realized in mid life that her real calling was painting pet portraits. She lives in Austin with two toy poodles, an English Bulldog and a doubtful but supportive Australian husband. Her colorful, expressive paintings have been shown in exhibitions around Central Texas and are included in the private collections of animal art lovers in Texas, New York and California.

Eileen Hughes, Executive Director

Eileen has been involved with volunteer groups and dogs since she adopted her first greyhound years ago. She knew then that bringing dogs and people together can really have positive effects across all kinds of situations. Eileen and her husband and four greyhounds moved to Austin in 2005, and when she took one of her dogs for some basic training she was introduced to divine canines. Eileen and Dooley jumped right in to visit a variety of venues and have loved all the work they do. Since living the truth of what this organization provides, Eileen has taken on the role of Executive Director with energy and enthusiasm. Being in a service organization comes easily for Eileen with prior work and graduate education in nursing administration,and later in social work as a psychotherapist. Eileen’s most current work was as a vet tech until she retired, and made divine canines her work and a real joy in her life.

Victoria (Tori) Keith, Founder

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.

Oscar Llarena

"Technology is an art." Oscar not only believes that statement, he's made a career out of it. With a BS in Computer Engineering and an MBA from the University of Florida, Oscar honed his technical skills with companies like IBM and Harcourt Publishing. He then found his true creative calling in the ad world at Crispin Porter & Bogusky where he was the architect on campaigns for Volkswagen, American Express and Burger King.

Oscar joined GSD&M last fall as lead Information Architect, and made an immediate impact on every digital piece of business we have. He currently works on the digital strategy for clients such as Marshalls, Legacy and Jarritos. He recently helped architect the site redesign for becomeanex.org and has contributed to the user experience for recent Zales and Air Force projects.

Anna Madrigal, Secretary

Born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, Anna received her Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology from St. Mary’s University. She has nearly 15 years of experience working with non-profit agencies and academic institutions in the areas of grant writing, program management, and research and evaluation. After more than a decade with the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, Anna recently moved to Austin to pursue her passion for wildlife rehabilitation and animal welfare. She is certified as a basic wildlife rehabilitator working primarily with aquatic turtles, box turtles, and land tortoises. It was love at first site when she visited the Lee Mannix Center for Training and Behavior where Anna took her dog Romy for CGC classes. Combining her love of animals with the ability to help persons in need was the reason Anna joined divine canines. Anna happily shares her country life with her partner Fred as well as their 6 dogs, 2 cats, chickens, and various turtles and tortoises. In addition to volunteering with Romy, Anna serves as the Board Secretary and is also actively involved with the Fundraising Committee.

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.

Rebecca Jones McKnight

Since 2003 Rebecca Jones McKnight has worked as a regulatory attorney in the FDA and health care fields. She assists clients who develop, make, and distribute FDA-regulated products and those who play a part in the investigation and delivery of health care products and services. Rebecca is committed to pro bono service, providing education and advice on FDA, health care, regulatory, and administrative law issues to several non-profit pro bono clients. She is active in the Austin life sciences community.

Taking her dogs through classes at the Canine Center for Training and Behavior opened her eyes to the potential for animals to make a concrete and meaningful difference to those experiencing physical and mental health and developmental challenges. Rebecca is an informal student of human and animal behavior and believes, in the words of Temple Grandin: "People wouldn't have become who we are today if we hadn't coevolved with dogs."

She and her husband Reese enjoy spending time in the great outdoors with their intrepid canine companions Luna, Apollo, and Aurora. Puddle, pond, stream, or lake—if there is water nearby the McKnight dogs will dive right in.

Christine Springer

Christine first encountered divine canines through her best friend, Heidi Armstrong. After hearing a lot about the organization, she got the bug to volunteer but did not have a dog at the time. So, she asked to "borrow" Heidi's greyhound, Hanna. After several months of training classes and volunteering, Christine and Hanna became inseparable and Hanna adopted Christine.

Christine works as the Director of Physical Therapy for Sports Center Physical Therapy in Central Austin. Knowing how beneficial the presence of a dog can be in a rehab setting, she recruited Hanna to come to work and visit with clients and spread good cheer around the office. This program started with visits two days a week but quickly became a five day a week program as clients began requesting appointments when Hanna would be in the office.

As a member of the board, Christine will be responsible for developing new programming for our teams. Outside of work, she enjoys swimming, cycling, photography and spending time with friends.

Jeannie Turlington, Treasurer

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.

	Heidi Armstrong, President Heidi Armstrong works as a self-employed medical device consultant. The previous six years she worked for Johnson & Johnson. Prior to J & J, Heidi worked for Dell, Inc., architecting and designing 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. Heidi's passion for dogs began at a very young age. She started handling and training dogs in 1994 after becoming involved with the Texas Greyhound Adoption Program. In 2004 she rescued her divine canine, Bella, from Town Lake Animal Shelter. Heidi says, "The first day I met my amazing friend Lee Mannix he walked right up to Bella, completely ignoring me. He knelt down and she played with him in the silliest way. He laughed and giggled. He stood up, looked me straight in the eyes with his intense blue eyes and said, "This dog is one in a million. She is a gift. You enjoy every single day with her. You will never, ever have another dog like her." My favorite thing about Bella is not one thing, it's everything." Heidi actively competes in agility with Bella while also working her in frisbee, search and rescue and tracking. The two also enjoy long hikes in the mountains and epic cross country skiing adventures. Heidi earned a degree in Zoology with concentrations in Chemistry, Mathematics and Spanish, with Honors, from The University of Texas at Austin in 1994. Heidi's term as divine canines's President began in January 2011. In addition to her work with divine canines, Heidi is an Endurance Mountain Bike Athlete selected as one of 50 influential female athletes in North America. She is a 2010 Leadville Trail 100 Mountain Bike Race finisher.

	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.

	Sharon Collins Sharon is a Senior Programmer Analyst with Austin Community College and has worked there since 1981. She joined divine canines with her Shi Tzu, Sasha, in May of 2009. In August of the same year, she took her hound/heeler mix, Phoenix, through the divine canines training. Sasha is small and energetic and Phoenix is large and very mellow. With these two different personalities, she can choose which dog fits best with each site she visits. She has two other dogs at home. Cinnamon is a lab mix and Angel is a Pekinese mix. In January of 2010, Sharon volunteered to take over the divine canines website. It required a major renovation and is still a work in progress. She was invited to join the Board in December 2010 to provide technology support. Outside of work and divine canines, Sharon enjoys taking classes with her dogs, sewing and baking (especially cupcakes).

	Jane Hayman A graduate of the University of Texas Law School, Jane Hayman was raised in Houston and spent her legal career in Washington, D.C., New York City and San Francisco before returning to Texas. As an attorney she represented both domestic and international companies in matters of regulatory compliance, particularly as regards transportation, insurance, petroleum and securities. Much to her surprise and that of friends and family she realized in mid life that her real calling was painting pet portraits. She lives in Austin with two toy poodles, an English Bulldog and a doubtful but supportive Australian husband. Her colorful, expressive paintings have been shown in exhibitions around Central Texas and are included in the private collections of animal art lovers in Texas, New York and California.

	Eileen Hughes, Executive Director Eileen has been involved with volunteer groups and dogs since she adopted her first greyhound years ago. She knew then that bringing dogs and people together can really have positive effects across all kinds of situations. Eileen and her husband and four greyhounds moved to Austin in 2005, and when she took one of her dogs for some basic training she was introduced to divine canines. Eileen and Dooley jumped right in to visit a variety of venues and have loved all the work they do. Since living the truth of what this organization provides, Eileen has taken on the role of Executive Director with energy and enthusiasm. Being in a service organization comes easily for Eileen with prior work and graduate education in nursing administration,and later in social work as a psychotherapist. Eileen’s most current work was as a vet tech until she retired, and made divine canines her work and a real joy in her life.

	Victoria (Tori) Keith, Founder 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.

	Oscar Llarena "Technology is an art." Oscar not only believes that statement, he's made a career out of it. With a BS in Computer Engineering and an MBA from the University of Florida, Oscar honed his technical skills with companies like IBM and Harcourt Publishing. He then found his true creative calling in the ad world at Crispin Porter & Bogusky where he was the architect on campaigns for Volkswagen, American Express and Burger King. Oscar joined GSD&M last fall as lead Information Architect, and made an immediate impact on every digital piece of business we have. He currently works on the digital strategy for clients such as Marshalls, Legacy and Jarritos. He recently helped architect the site redesign for becomeanex.org and has contributed to the user experience for recent Zales and Air Force projects.

	Anna Madrigal, Secretary Born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, Anna received her Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology from St. Mary’s University. She has nearly 15 years of experience working with non-profit agencies and academic institutions in the areas of grant writing, program management, and research and evaluation. After more than a decade with the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, Anna recently moved to Austin to pursue her passion for wildlife rehabilitation and animal welfare. She is certified as a basic wildlife rehabilitator working primarily with aquatic turtles, box turtles, and land tortoises. It was love at first site when she visited the Lee Mannix Center for Training and Behavior where Anna took her dog Romy for CGC classes. Combining her love of animals with the ability to help persons in need was the reason Anna joined divine canines. Anna happily shares her country life with her partner Fred as well as their 6 dogs, 2 cats, chickens, and various turtles and tortoises. In addition to volunteering with Romy, Anna serves as the Board Secretary and is also actively involved with the Fundraising Committee.

	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.

	Rebecca Jones McKnight Since 2003 Rebecca Jones McKnight has worked as a regulatory attorney in the FDA and health care fields. She assists clients who develop, make, and distribute FDA-regulated products and those who play a part in the investigation and delivery of health care products and services. Rebecca is committed to pro bono service, providing education and advice on FDA, health care, regulatory, and administrative law issues to several non-profit pro bono clients. She is active in the Austin life sciences community. Taking her dogs through classes at the Canine Center for Training and Behavior opened her eyes to the potential for animals to make a concrete and meaningful difference to those experiencing physical and mental health and developmental challenges. Rebecca is an informal student of human and animal behavior and believes, in the words of Temple Grandin: "People wouldn't have become who we are today if we hadn't coevolved with dogs." She and her husband Reese enjoy spending time in the great outdoors with their intrepid canine companions Luna, Apollo, and Aurora. Puddle, pond, stream, or lake—if there is water nearby the McKnight dogs will dive right in.

	Christine Springer Christine first encountered divine canines through her best friend, Heidi Armstrong. After hearing a lot about the organization, she got the bug to volunteer but did not have a dog at the time. So, she asked to "borrow" Heidi's greyhound, Hanna. After several months of training classes and volunteering, Christine and Hanna became inseparable and Hanna adopted Christine. Christine works as the Director of Physical Therapy for Sports Center Physical Therapy in Central Austin. Knowing how beneficial the presence of a dog can be in a rehab setting, she recruited Hanna to come to work and visit with clients and spread good cheer around the office. This program started with visits two days a week but quickly became a five day a week program as clients began requesting appointments when Hanna would be in the office. As a member of the board, Christine will be responsible for developing new programming for our teams. Outside of work, she enjoys swimming, cycling, photography and spending time with friends.

	Jeannie Turlington, Treasurer 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.