Paws4people®️
Staff
Kyria Henry Whisenhunt
Founder, Executive Director
Assistance Dog Trainer – Fully Credentialed Master Trainer
Chief ITT Instructor
Kyria Henry Whisenhunt was raised with her father’s German Shepherds, and successfully convinced her family to “cross-over” to the Golden Retriever breed, receiving her first puppy when she was 10 years old. Since that time, Kyria has been enveloped in the world of dog training, dabbling in disciplines such as advanced obedience, agility, rally, behavior modification, and scent work; but her true love and expertise is Assistance Dogs.
Terry Henry
Deputy Executive Director
Assistance Dog Trainer – Fully Credentialed Master Trainer
Chief ITT Instructor
Terry began training dogs over forty years ago. His early focus was with German Shepherds and advanced obedience training. In the late 1990s he was introduced to Golden Retrievers and quickly fell in love with the breed. Terry served in the Military from 1972 to 1977 and from 1979 to 1987.
Cece McConnell
Deputy Executive Director, paws4prisons & Client Services
Assistance Dog Trainer – Fully Credentialed Master Trainer
Chief ITT Instructor
Cece and her husband, Nate, share their home and their hearts with Assistance Dog, STANLEY, a Tribute Puppy named in honor of Corporal Stanley J. Smuck, Facility Dog, EMBER, Breeding Ambassador Dog, SHILOH, and McConnell Household Mascot, Granger.
Danielle Cockerham
Deputy Executive Director – Operations & Information Technology
Credentials: Assistance Dog Trainer – Public Access
Chief ITT Instructor
Danielle shares her life with her husband, Tommy, a remarkably hardworking young man, as well as their personal (pet) dog Samson and her Ambassador Dog, WATSON.
Carrie Coonce
Director, Accounting
Credentials: CPA
Carrie has always loved animals, none more so than her first dog she rescued as a young girl, named Toby. Toby and Carrie had many excellent adventures traveling the country together.
Ashley Currin
Director, Client Services
Credentials: Assistance Dog Handler
Ashley grew up always wanting a dog, but never having one! Now, she finds herself surrounded by her husband’s Service Dog CHAMP, named in honor of 1SGT John Champion, paws4people Career Change Dog Wesson, a Cocker Spaniel who is full of personality, and her pet Bulldog, Raider!
Kaitlin Bellamy Jefferies
Director, Executive Administration
Credentials: Assistance Dog Trainer – Puppy Development & Public Access ITT Instructor
I began my journey with paws4people in 2016, when I began the UNCW SDTP program. I completed the four course UNCW SDTP program in Spring 2017, and have been alumni trainer and volunteer since.
Abi Kiradjieff
Director, Public Access Training
Credentials: Assistance Dog Trainer – Puppy Development & Public Access ITT Instructor
Abi discovered paws4people while she was attending school at UNCW. She enrolled in the UNCW Assistance Dog Training Program and quickly fell in love with the organization.
Katie Blackewll
Executive Administrator, Community Engagement
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Tina Musselwhite
Director, Executive Administration
Tina grew up in Wilmington, moved to Raleigh, and most recently lived in Nashville, TN. While in Raleigh, Tina left the corporate world to pursue her passions for dogs and baking.
Sara Harts
Director, Puppy Development Centers
Sara Harts was born and raised in Wilmington, NC. Sara has had a love for working with animals and the community her entire life and began volunteering with Adopt-An-ANGEL at the age of 10.
Ceyda Ozogul
PDC Shift Supervisor
Ceyda started the UNCW ADTP program at UNCW in the Fall of 2017 as a junior in college and stayed on as a volunteer training since. She enjoys working with dogs as she also worked at The Dog Playspot for about 3 years. During graduate school she started the advanced K9 training program for a year. She eventually started the kennel tech program February 2024. She loves forming relationships with the dogs and the clients and watching them improve throughout the years. She spends her free time taking her 2 goldens to the beach and playing on a volleyball league.
Shannon Coyle
Program Manager, Client Training
Credentials: Assistance Dog Trainer - Puppy Development & Public Access ITT Instructor In-Training
Tom Hines
Executive Administrator, Operations & IT
Tom was born and raised in Wilmington North Carolina. He has spent most of his professional career in the fields of IT and project management he is passionate about helping others it is especially fond of dogs. He enjoys spending time on the water with his family.
Melissa White
Relationship Development Officer, Headquarters Region
Melissa has worked in the non-profit sector since graduating from UNC-Chapel Hill. As a college student, she knew she wanted to pursue work that would impact lives in a meaningful way.
Katie Moore
Relationship Development Officer
Katie Moore has worked for some of the biggest brands in the world, including Revlon, Macy’s, New York & Company, and Paula Deen. Moore is the Founder & CEO at Imprint Digital & Design where she works with both national brands and small businesses designing their digital footprints.
Katie and her husband joined the p4p family as volunteers in September She is a puppy host family and an outing supervisor.
Cpl Seth Eure, USMC (ret.)
Director, Client Training
Credentials: Assistance Dog Handler
ITT Instructor In-Training
Seth is a client, and retired Marine now living in Wilmington, NC with his wife, Brooke, pet dogs, Odin, Jack and Assistance Dog, HARRIS II. He has experienced first hand how having an Assistance Dog can transform lives and how it has transformed fellow clients lives. The two enjoy volunteering their time helping other clients along their journey.
Renee Johnson
Birthing & Whelping Master
Credentials: Assistance Dog Handler
Renee grew up with parents who set a strong foundation for her to always push herself harder. After serving in the Navy, and raising two amazing children single handedly, Renee hit a bump in the road that would forever change her life.
Dawn Richard Cook, MA, LCMHC
Director, pMET
Credentials: Assistance Dog Handler
Dawn and her husband live with Facility Dog, RUPP. She believes being the child of a military veteran had an impact on her life. Among other things it taught her one of the greatest lessons in life is to be open to and respectful of diversity.
Victoria O'Connor, PhD
pMET Case Manager
Credentials: Assistance Dog Trainer – Public Access
Victoria became involved with paws4people through UNCW’s Assistance Dog Training Program (ADTP) and assisted in the placement of her first dog, TRASK, with a veteran client. She continued her education and received her master’s in psychology from UNCW with AIRLIE at her side. AIRLIE was a staple in the research lab and sparked her interest in applying assistance dogs to work with victims and child witnesses of domestic violence who experience post traumatic stress.
Bethany Tennant, MS, LCMHC
pMET Case Manager
Bethany was born and raised in West Virginia, but now resides in Wilmington, NC with her husband and son. She completed her Bachelors degree in Psychology and Masters degree in Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling both at West Virginia University. Bethany now owns a private practice for mental health counseling in Wilmington, where she focuses on the impact of PTSD and trauma, particularly in women.
William Taggart, MD
pMET Case Manager
William is a lifelong animal lover who has always had beloved dogs in his life. He became a believer in the therapeutic possibilities of dogs through his experience with a family member with special needs and their trained German Shepherd.
Hannah Orozco, MS, RMHCI
pMET Case Manager
Hannah began her journey as a volunteer with paws4people in 2017 after being stationed in Fort Bragg, NC, to apply her Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology and give back to the Military Community that has become a home away from home. Originally from Germany, Hannah followed her husband, an active duty service member of the U.S. Army, to Italy and eventually North Carolina.
Alison Beyers, Psy. D.
pMET Case Manager
Dr. Byers is an Executive Coach and Leadership Development Consultant providing services to clients in both the nonprofit and corporate sectors, including the retained search industry. Dr. Byers uses her training as a clinician to inform her work assisting C-suite executives and teams to effectively address increasingly complex issues and enhance an organization’s bottom line. She believes that genuine connection and deep empathy are the foundations of lasting relationships and much of her work spans many years, growing and evolving with her clients, offering opportunities for accomplished executives to successfully move out of their comfort zones and rise to new challenges and build stronger ties with colleagues. Coaching can also provide a confidential environment where leaders can speak candidly, get objective and non-judgmental feedback, and develop skills and strategies. Dr. Byers also works with non-profit development teams to hone the message to the philanthropic community and identify targeted outreach for intimate events.
Susan Adams Judd
pMET Case Manager
Susan was introduced to paws4people from a good friend and fellow OT. Having recently retired and moving to Wrightsville Beach, she was looking for fulfilling activities and quickly became engrossed in all paws4people has to offer, from volunteering in the Puppy Development Center to pMET.
Katelyn Monday, MA, LCMHC, LCAS
pMET Case Manager
Katelyn has always had a passion for working with paws4people. She started her journey by completing the UNCW Assistance Dog Program while in her undergraduate program, as well as working as a puppy development intern for paws4people. Katelyn decided to pursue her career further in the helping profession and completed a graduate program at Appalachian State University for Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Addictions Counseling. During her program, she started working with Bosh (Psychiatric Facility Dog) where they learned how to provide animal-assisted therapy to a variety of individuals. Katelyn and Bosh have been a team, working in the mental health field, since 2019. Katelyn is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor and a Licensed Clinical Addiction Specialist who owns Caring Mind Counseling private practice nestled in Boone, NC. Katelyn and Bosh plan to continue to support and volunteer with paws4people.
Amanda Rubenstein
paws4prisons DOC Mentor
Credentials: Assistance Dog Trainer - Public Access
Amanda graduated from West Liberty University in 1997 with a B.S in Criminal Justice then began her career with the West Virginia Division of Rehabilitation. Since becoming involved with paws4people/paws4prisons Program in January 2014, Amanda is always seeking opportunities to become more involved with their programs.
Randy Powers
Relationship Development Officer
Credentials: Assistance Dog Handler
Randy first discovered the paws4people organization/family in March 2016. In April 2016 he became a Volunteer Community Liaison for paws4people and shortly thereafter a client. Randy attends many fundraising events throughout the year, but his primary focus is during the Combined Federal Campaign (Sept – Dec), when his goal is to visit as many Government agency fund raising events as possible and to share the paws4vets mission.
Cathy Demeroto
Relationship Development Officer
Credentials: Assistance Dog Handler
Cathy and her family wake up to demands of two sweet Golden Retrievers named LAYTON and Daisy.