Team Roster

Coordinator:  Christine Doucet

Management Director:  Krista Ryall

Operations Director:  Herbert Shuhmacher

Training Director:  Bettina Lori

Training Director:  Lisa Giroux

Isabelle Schmelzer

Claudia Hanel

Andrew May

Kirsten Miller

Agency Liaison:  Cpl. Brian Companion, RCMP, Rocky Harbour  

GSAR Liason:  Shawn Street, Coordinator, Bay of Islands Search and Rescue

Profiles

Coordinator:  Christine Doucet

• NLSARA member, Bay of Islands.  
• Senior Wildlife Biologist for the Provincial Wildlife Division (1998 * current). 
• Extensive experience as a graduate student working in wilderness settings in Quebec, Ontario, and Texas (1988-1998). 
• Worked as an assistant dog trainer specializing in behavioural problems in adult dogs (1995-1998). 
• Volunteer with the Delta Society Pet Therapy Program (1996-1998). 
• Have trained dogs in agility and basic obedience. 
• Volunteer with the St. John's SPCA (1998*2000).  Current volunteer co-chair of both the  Wilderness and Ecological Reserves Advisory Council and the Species Status Advisory Council.

 Management Director:  Krista Ryall

• NLSARA member, Bay of Islands
• Research scientist with Canadian Federal Government, in Forestry sector, 2003 to present.
• 1995-2003, conducted field research in remote forest sites, completing a Doctorate in Forestry in 2003. 
• Experienced in backcountry hiking, camping, mountain biking, and rock and ice climbing.
• Has participated in extensive obedience training and competed in obedience trials with a Standard Schnauzer and a Doberman Pinscher.  
• Volunteered as training assistant in puppy obedience classes. 
• Trained and handled dogs for Canine Confirmation trials.  

 Operations Director:  Herbert Shuhmacher

• NLSARA member, Training Officer, Bonne Bay
• 25 years of Police Dog Service with Zurich State Police/Switzerland, dog and handler trainer, rank Sgt.
• 15 years of volunteering with REDOG (Swiss Disaster Rescue Dog Association) as Rescue Dog Handler, Group Leader, Team Leader, Mission Leader and National Coordinator
• Member of Swiss Disaster Relief Unit (Swiss Federal Government)
• 15 weeks of Avalanche Rescue Dog Training with Swiss Alpine Club and Swiss Kennel Club
• Consulting Work for UNDRO (United Nations Disaster Relief Organisation) in Switzerland, Germany, Austria and Italy
• Co-founder of INSARAG (UN International SAR Advisory Group)
• Judge/Expert for SAR Dog and recreational K9 Competitions with REDOG and Swiss Kennel Club
• Co-founder and Co-trainer with K9SARNL
• Earthquake rescue missions:
  1983 Koyunoeren, Turkey, as dog handler
  1985 Mexico City, as dog handler
  1986 Landslide Brünig (Switzerland), as dog handler
  1986 San Salvador, as dog handler
  1988 Leninakan, Armenia, as deputy mission leader
  1991 Costa Rica, as mission leader
  1992 Erzincan, Turkey, as mission leader
• NASAR Lost Person Incident Management Training
• Languages:  German, English, French

 Training Director:  Bettina Lori

• NLSARA member, Assistant Coordinator, Bonne Bay
• Languages:  German, English, Italian
• 20 years volunteer K9 handler with REDOG, a Swiss SAR dog organization
• Avalanche training yearly since 1986 (Swiss Kennel Club and REDOG)
• Earthquake rescue missions:

1977, Italy (disaster relief)

1980, Italy (disaster relief)

1982, Italy (disaster relief)

1988, Armenia (dog handler)

1996, Greece (dog handler)

• Dog handler in several lost person cases in Switzerland with REDOG

• Wilderness First Responder qualified
• Obedience instructor 1986-1988, Switzerland
• Puppy raiser for Swiss Seeing Eye Association, 1991-1992

 Training Director:  Lisa Giroux

• NLSARA member, Training Officer for Bay of Islands, formerly Public Relations Officer
• Former US Army intelligence, 1988-1992
• Languages:  English, Russian, German, French
• 1997-2003, worked full-time at Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind in the Training Department.
• Dog trainer in the private sector for 14 years.  Has taught extensively:  pet obedience classes (specializing in aggression), agility, flyball, competitive obedience, stockdog training. 
• Competed extensively with Australian Shepherds in stockdog trials, agility, flyball, obedience, conformation, and disc-dog competitions. 
• Elected member of the Australian Shepherd Club of America's (ASCA) Education Committee. 
• Volunteer for Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind, St. John Ambulance, Bay of Islands SPCA and ASCA's rescue program.

 Isabelle Schmelzer

• NLSARA member, Bay of Islands
• Employed as a conservation biologist conducting applied wildlife research and managing threatened wildlife populations (1999 to 2006).
• Doctor of Zoology (2001). 
• Languages:  English, German
• Member and/or co-chair of numerous provincial and national species recovery teams. 
• Extensive experience in project management and in establishing and working at remote field camps in Alberta, Quebec, Ontario, Labrador and Newfoundland (1990 to 2006). 
• Former part-time university lecturer and community college instructor (1995-2002).
• Passionate about community service and much past volunteer work in the arts, with sport, at nature centers and with naturalist groups, at dog shelters and as wilderness trip leader.
• Experienced canoeist and kayaker
• Experienced in back-country pursuits, both work-related and recreationally (back-country skiing, camping, hiking, ski-dooing and ATV).  Extremely knowledgeable navigator and trip leader.

 Claudia Hanel

• NLSARA Member, Bay of Islands
• Ecosystem Management Ecologist (Botanist) with Wildlife Division, Newfoundland and Labrador Dept.  of Environment and Conservation.
• M. Sc. in Forestry, 2000.
• Languages:  English, German  
• Has performed tree planting, then botany field research every summer for the past 16 years, much of it in rough terrain and remote wilderness settings.
• Experienced in ocean kayaking, canoe camping, backpacking, backcountry navigation and work from remote field camps (helicopter access only).
• Skijoring and dogsledding enthusiast (recreational levels)

 Andrew May

• NLSARA member, Bay of Islands
• Navigator for adventure racing teams: 2001-2004
• Certified in sea kayak rescue
• Up to Class III whitewater in open canoe
• Very good knowledge of every part of the Blow-Me-Down mountain range under all weather conditions
• Expert level backcountry skier and mountain biker
• Member of dog clubs with experience in obedience and tracking
• Occupation:  Lawyer (including federal prosecution work)
• Education: B.A. History Mount Allison University, L.L.B. / B.C.L. McGill University
• Languages:  English, French, Spanish

Kirsten Miller