IAABC Foundation

Beth started out her behavior career in a shelter setting. Once she started learning about behavior, she continued to consume as much education as was possible on the topic. Beth started out training dogs but quickly realized there was a severe deficit in the cat behavior world and strove to start filling that gap. Beth was inspired by Lemonade Conference presentations and set out on her journey to become a Certified Control Unleashed Instructor (CCUI). She fell in love with absolutely everything about pattern games and now mentors aspiring CCUIs and feline behavior consultants alike. Beth’s goal is to empower cat behavior professionals and cat owners to think outside the box and make their cat's world the best it possibly can be. Beth lives in Houston, Texas with her husband and truly unhealthy number of dogs. While she has no cats herself, her chihuahuas use cat trees, play with cat toys, and enjoy rolling on catnip, so she figures that's good enough for now. In the meantime, she has plenty of niece and nephew cats that she enjoys providing enrichment for when she visits their homes to play board games with their humans.

Jennifer Summerfield is a veterinarian and Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA), with a focus on treating behavior problems including aggression to humans or other animals, separation anxiety, and compulsive behavior disorders. She is proud to be a member of the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) and the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT). Jennifer is a passionate advocate for positive, science-based methods of training and behavior modification, and loves helping pet owners learn to communicate more clearly with their dogs. Outside of work, Jennifer enjoys competing in a variety of sports with her three Shelties, including AKC agility, obedience, rally, and conformation. She has been a regular webinar presenter and guest instructor, a guest lecturer on clinical animal behavior topics for veterinary technician students at her local community college, and also writes a blog on behavior and training issues for dog owners.

Jocelyn has worked full time as a Clinical Behaviorist at the MSPCA-Angell in Boston, MA since 2016. Jocelyn earned her BA from Connecticut College and her Master’s in Companion Animal Behavior Analysis and Counseling from the American College of Applied Science. Her master’s thesis was a research study evaluating the effects of Feliway on stress behaviors in cats in a shelter environment. Jocelyn is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant (CDBC) and is also a certified veterinary technician. She previously worked as a technician in the ER and other specialty vet services. In her current role, Jocelyn primarily sees clients and their cats and dogs for behavior consults. Her additional experience includes teaching group dog & cat training classes, conducting private training sessions with owners and their dogs and cats, and assisting with behavior problems in shelter animals. In addition to her formal education and training, Jocelyn has also learned a lot from her everyday hands on training with her own dogs & cats, including her adopted reactive dog, Sugar.

Originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, Dr. Maggie O’Brian completed her undergraduate degree in Animal Nutrition at Ohio State University and graduated from the Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2017. Following graduation, Dr. O’Brian worked in an emergency and primary care practice for one year before completing a 3-year residency training program in Behavioral Medicine at Ohio State in 2021. In October of 2021, she earned her board certification in behavior. Dr. O’Brian is the managing partner at a behavior specialty practice in Charlotte, NC, as well as the managing partner at a consulting service to help pets with behavior problems across the country. Dr. O’Brian lives in Charlotte with her husband, Colin, her son, Wally, and her Beagle mix, Mashed Potatoes.

With over a decade of experience working with shelter cats, Samantha Bell, M. Ed. draws on her unique background as a teacher and former Disney performer to carve out her innovative and positive approach to inspiring the public to adopt and foster homeless cats, as well as to better understand their cats at home. Samantha began her work with shelter cats at Best Friends Los Angeles in 2013, transitioning from a cat caregiving role to becoming the organization's first cat behavior lead. Currently, she serves as the cat expert and cat content strategist for Best Friends, where she educates the public on cat lifesaving and behavior through speaking engagements, TV appearances, and social media. Her expertise has been showcased at events like CatCon and Cat Camp, on The Today Show, and in the cat lifesaving course she teaches at Southern Utah University. In addition to her professional work, Samantha mentors shelters across the country on kitten care and fostering, is a recognized cat influencer, and serves on the boards of the nonprofits Mission Meow and Thrifted Kittens. Samantha lives in Los Angeles with her three rescued cats and many foster kittens.

Sandra Grossmann is the owner of The Feline Consultant LLC. She holds a B.S. in Food Science from the Technical University of Berlin, Germany and has over 28 years of experience in companion animal nutrition. She is a passionate advocate for the unique nutritional and behavioral needs of cats. She completed the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s (UIUC) Companion Animal Nutrition certification whilst also launching her business. In July 2021, she graduated from the Veterinary Assistant Program at Animal Behavior College (ABC), and in June 2022, she completed her Approved Veterinary Assistant (AVA) certification from The National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA). Since December 2021, she has been a certified feline training and behavior specialist with the Animal Behavior Institute. She is a member of the IAABC, PPG, and the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP). Cats are fascinating animals and often misunderstood. They have a different metabolism and display different behavioral traits compared to dogs. Cats often get accused of being low maintenance and less personable. As the founder of The Feline Consultant, Sandra’s mission is to help cat parents better understand and cope with their cats’ behavioral challenges. Nutrition and behavior are deeply intertwined, and Sandra aims to provide science-based information and practical solutions to foster a deeper bond between cats and their humans.