Animal Positive Coalition’s 2026 Board of Directors Nominees
Jen Boyd-Morin, CPDT-KA, FFCP, PST-CI, PMCT1
Owner/Founder, Play & Train Dog Behavior
Jen is a founding board member of Animal Positive Coalition and has served as Chair of the Membership Committee since its inception. She owns and operates Play & Train Dog Behavior, LLC. Her previous animal welfare experience includes serving on the boards of A Home of Their Own and Greyhound Welfare animal rescues, as well as volunteering with Prince George's County Animal Services. She brings 26 years of experience as a project manager from her full-time career in cancer research, a skill set she applies directly to her board and committee work.
As a founding board member, Jen played a hands-on role in establishing APC's structure and presence. This included incorporating as a 501(c)(3), developing the organization's bylaws and other foundational policy documents, and establishing APC's various committees.
As Chair and liaison for the Membership Committee, Jen developed and manages APC's applicant screening and processing, organizes the group's monthly educational sessions, and spearheaded efforts to secure CEUs for those sessions and organize group discounts for professional conferences. She also created the members-only resource page on the APC website and is currently leading the transition to a new professional member directory.
If re-elected, Jen looks forward to completing the directory transition—integrating annual renewals and member tracking alongside the directory, directly into the website—and formalizing the Membership Committee with a Charter and Policies & Procedures for a tiered membership review process. She is also eager to help the board redesign APC's website and continue shaping the organization's broader goals and policies
Ryan Kowalewski, CPDT-KA, PMCT1, FFCP
Manager of Training & Behavior, Baltimore Humane Society | Founder, Ryan K Dog Training
Ryan Kowalewski is a canine behavior professional and operational leader specializing in force-free shelter behavior systems, cross-departmental veterinary protocols, and community-based behavior modification. As Manager of Training and Behavior at the Baltimore Humane Society since 2019, Ryan scaled the department from a two-person team into a seven-member unit, instituting organization-wide standard operating procedures, daily multi-yard playgroups reaching 80%+ of the population, and staff-wide Fear Free education that measurably reduced kennel stress and shortened length of stay.
Alongside his shelter leadership, Ryan owns and operates Ryan K Dog Training, providing in-home behavior consulting across the community. This dual perspective uniquely positions him to advance the Animal Positive Coalition's mission. On the board, Ryan aims to leverage his background to bridge the operational divide between private behavior consultants and regional shelters, establishing accessible post-adoption support networks that prevent relinquishment across the Mid-Atlantic.
Ryan is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA), Level 1 Pat Miller Certified Trainer (PMCT-1), and Fear Free Certified Professional.
Joe Ryan, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA, PMCT1, VSA-CDT, FFCP
Owner, Force Free DC
Joe Ryan (CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA, PMCT-1, VSA-CDT, FFCP) has been a pet care professional for over a decade. He's a leading force in the DC area for humane, motivational methods, spreading the APC's mission throughout the 4 quadrants. Specializing in dogs that display aggressive and reactive behaviors, educating clients about the pitfalls and risks of punishment-based training methods is a daily occurrence. Joe's ability to communicate why humane methods work has convinced countless clients to ditch the prong and shock, and pick up a treat bag!
He is the owner of Force Free DC, a dog training and behavior consulting company in Washington, DC. FFDC quickly became the gold standard of dog training and care in the DMV metropolitan area, and has been voted Best Dog Trainer by Washington City Magazine each year that it's been in business. The name Force Free DC is carefully chosen, and reflects the team's dedication to humane, motivational training methods. They provide different specialized training services including Growing Family Consultations, Aggression Consultations, New Puppy Consultations, and others.
While not having any direct governance experience, Joe is involved with fellow non-profit, PG PUP (Prince George's County Pet Unity Project) by providing training and consulting services to low-income individuals and marginalized communities. He and his team at FFDC host monthly free Ask the Trainer webinars, and free in-person training at PG PUP's microchipping and pet pantry events. Joe also worked alongside PG PUP to help repeal and replace PG County's breed-specific legislation (CB-097-2025) in 2025.
Pam Wanveer, Advanced TTouch & Cranialsacral Practitioner
Owner, Woodside TTouch Training
I became an APC Board Member because I wanted to work to strengthen and help connect a network of positive, Force and Fear Free professionals in our region. I am currently the Board Liaison of the Outreach Committee and on the Membership Committee. I am proud to be one of the Founding Board Members.
I am an Advanced Tellington TTouch Practitioner who has been working and teaching TTouch for 30 years as well as Craniosacral Practitioner for the last 20 years. I have Bachelor of Science degrees in Special and Elementary Education. Over the years I have continued my education with classes in training, behavior, diet and many other health and healing modalities.
My APC journey started in 2006 when I was invited to join a small monthly lunch gathering of like-minded people dedicated to working with animals in a supportive positive way. It broadened into an online group and now has grown into a non-profit organization with those who have the same goals in mind. I am proud to be one of the Founding Board Members.
I wanted to make sure the organization included not only trainers but also other Animal Professional Practitioners and alternative, holistic health and healing professionals for the best range of options for members and the public to find a team to support animals in their journey to health, comfort and understanding while living in this world.
APC provides a needed platform for support, comradely and information exchange that is needed in our small business community. I look forward to the expansion of APC and its mission.
I have always been fascinated with finding new ways to influence behavior that encourage trust and mutual respect. There is a relationship between anxiety, stress held in the body, touch sensitivity, and learning difficulties. By working gently and developing trust we can affect emotional flexibility and the ability to learn.
My goal is to help people see with new eyes and "read the animal" by looking at the whole animal and the connections between the physical body and movement, emotions and learning so we can work to solve the problems we experience with our animal companions.
Interests:
Animal Behavior
Tellington TTouch
Cranialsacral
The energy of Intension, Frequency and Vibrational healing
Body-Mind Connection
Herbalism, Color Therapy, Whole body healing
Essential oils, Flower Essences, Homeopathy
Cooking, Gardening, House Restoration, Decorative Painting