Officers
Katie Rendina
President + Co-Founder
Hi I’m Katie Rendina of Alexy Collies. I am a mom of three girls, and a AKC junior showmanship judge.I serve as a district director for the collie club of America.
Collies have been a huge part of my life. I am second generation in the sport. I started early on in the breed ring and transitioned to juniors at age 10. Junior showmanship helped me build confidence, make lifelong friendships, taught me dedication and good sportsmanship. I am so passionate about this sport as I believe it gave me the building blocks for my success today. My girls will hopefully find their joy in the Juniors ring as well; until then, they’re having fun as Pee-Wees!
Michelle Esch-Brooks
Vice President + Co-Founder
I am Michelle Esch-Brooks of Heritage Collies. I am 3rd generation to breed and show Collies, and my daughter is our 4th generation. I hope my son will show too but he’s a bit young still. I followed in my parent’s footsteps and obtained my judge’s license for Collies and Junior Showmanship.
I started showing when I was 5 years old, joining my entire family in the breed ring under the kennel name Signet Collies. I started in Juniors at 10 and continued until I was 18, garnering many awards including Best Junior at CCA in 2004, #1 in CCA Top 10 Juniors in 2005, Top Northeast Junior 2005, and Westminster finalist in 2006. Juniors are the future of the sport and have always been near and dear to my heart. My daughter just started in Juniors and I hope she loves it as much as I did. Please help us support them!
Michele Boice
Treasurer
I am excited to be part of CJF! I’ve piloted all three of my children through the world of juniors, with my youngest now taking over our kennel, Clearvu, located in Amherst, VA. I currently serve as a provisional judge for Collies and All-Breed Juniors. Juniors are the heart of our breed, and the energy on this newly formed board is bursting with ideas and enthusiasm — I can’t wait to see what we accomplish together!
Frances Flaim
Secretary
I am Frances Flaim of Qualteri Collies. I live in Cheyenne, Wyoming and I am a second generation collie breeder. I showed a collie for the very first time when I was 3 and was a collie junior from ages 9 to 18. I was ranked in the Top 10 starting at age 12 until I aged out. Since then, I have become a Breeder of Merit, and I continue to show actively.
Directors
Lindsey Dowling
Director
Hi there! My name is Lindsey Dowling and I’m a life long Collie lover. I grew up participating in junior handling which brought me all around the country and my passion in dogs quickly grew into a career. Currently I own a dog grooming salon and I show (and groom) all breeds of dogs. I have 4 Collies, a Siberian Husky, and an Australian Shepherd. My dad, sister, and I all breed and show together, and I cannot thank the dog world enough for the opportunities it has afforded me. I’m so excited to be on the CJF board to help some kids ignite their passions too!
Bree Ardizzone-Sulewski
Director
I am Bree Ardizzone-Sulewski of Destiny Collies. I am a third-generation collie breeder. I started showing at 4 years of age, started in juniors at 10, and participated in juniors until I aged out at 18. In that time, I was ranked amongst the top Collie juniors every year and ended my career amongst the Top 25 all breed juniors my final year. At the end of my junior career, I took on a major role in the Collie Club of America’s junior program and was selected as the CCA Junior Coordinator since the role was enacted by the AKC. I am an AKC licensed All-Breed Juniors judge as well as Collies and Shelties. Juniors have been a passion for most of my life, and I want to continue to support and encourage our future collie fanciers.
Johanna Lance
Director
Hi, I am Johanna Lance of Skye Blue Collies, located in Northeast Ohio. Through the years, I have been very supportive of our Collie Juniors and have watched them grow into exceptional adults who now have children of their own.
I have been involved in the Collie world for over thirty years. I belong to Cleveland Collie Club, Columbus Collie Club and Northeast Ohio Collie Rescue. I am currently on the BOD of Columbus Collie Club and was Secretary of Cleveland Collie Club for many, many years. I am on the Board of Directors for the Collie Health Foundation and am the current Membership Chair.
I am so looking forward to getting to know and work with the Collie Juniors!
Michael Pitt
Director
My name is Michael Pitt and I am very pleased to serve on the board of CJF. As a youngster my favorite dog was the collie so you can imagine my joy in meeting and marrying into the Kitleigh Collie family 30 years ago. Learning the dog show world via our lovely collie ambassadors was a beautiful experience.
My career as a Nationally Registered Paramedic naturally exposed me to folks in our community during their most fearful and terrifying experiences and helping to escort families through those trying times gives one a unique set of people skills.
In addition, I became a charter member of the Maryland State Critical Incident Stress Debriefing Team. Helping those who helped others added another layer of support for others in my community. Additionally, in the State of Tennessee, I was asked to join CASA as a court appointed child advocate for children at risk, who faced the many stressful situations present at court. My time with CASA was very satisfying in addition to heart-wrenching. I look forward to working with the foundation in support of our juniors.
