Trusted Advisor Network

Peggy Hoyt

Founder/CEO Animal Care Trust USA , Attorney and Pet Mom

Peggy Hoyt is Animal Care Trust USA's Founder and CEO. She is a Florida Bar Board Certified Specialist in Elder Law and Wills, Trust and Estates. She is a founding partner of The Law Offices of Hoyt & Bryan. She has been a life-long animal advocate, whose personal motto is. "Until there are none, adopt one." She understands the need of Pet Parents as she has only four-legged kids; the kind that wear fur coats! She currently has 3 horses, 7 dogs, and 2 cats. Her number one priority is making sure her Loved Pets stay in a loving home.

Alessandra Williams

Attorney - United Kingdom

Alessandra Williams is a member of the Bar of England and Wales, where she practises in various areas of law. From a young age she wanted to be a vet and would spend hours (in class) drawing pictures of her animal hospital complete with stables, to satisfy her love of horses. Alessandra love of animals, extends to helping people and she is currently writing a book of her journey into law.

Bob Jenkins

Founder - Let Your Love Grow

Bob is the co-founder and president of Verde Products Inc. and Let Your Love Grow. He has over 40 years’ experience in funeral service. In 2006 Bob became involved in the pet after-life care after the loss of his beloved dachshund, Silke. He and his wife, Annette, wanted to find an organic way to memorialize Silke’s life and thus created Verde Products Inc and their first product, Let Your Love Grow. Bob resides in Wildwood, Missouri with his wife, Annette and his beloved companion, Roscoe, a rescued dachshund.

Jessica Pita

Founder/CEO - The Paw and Feather Plan, INc.

I'm the owner of and primary pet caregiver for The Paw and Feather Plan Inc. Animal Welfare is one of my life's greatest and most rewarding passions. I know that working with other reputable, solid rescue warriors allows us all to help more pets and people in need. Therefore, it's an honor to be a member of the Trusted Advisor Network of Animal Care Trust USA.

Jill Ginsberg

Attorney - Florida

Jill R. Ginsberg, Esquire, a Florida Board-Certified Elder Law Attorney, specializes in Guardianship, Estate/Trust, Tax and Probate. Ms. Ginsberg’s previous employment history includes several of the Big 4 (CPA) accounting firms as a Senior Tax Manager and Director of Estate and Financial Planning. Ms. Ginsberg is an Emerging and Mid-Career Contemporary Art Collector and holds a Level 2 WSET Wine Degree with Merit. She lives in Hollywood with her partner, David Kaplan, and their rescue dog, Jeffrey.

Kate MacFall

Florida Senior State Director - The Humane Society of the United States

Kate works tirelessly for animals doing ground breaking legislative work. She advises the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission to protect black bears, manatees, and gopher tortoises. She's active with the Florida Animal Friend license plate,and the Florida Association of Animal Welfare Organizations. She's co-founder of the Animal Shelter Foundation Inc. and fosters for the Leon County Humane Society and Tallahassee Animal Services.

Lorie Moran

CPA, CSPG (retired)

Lorie is a retired CPA and Certified Specialist in Planned Giving originally from CA. Lori and her husband are passionate about cruising the East Coast of the US on their boat. She has been a dog lover her whole adult life and currently has 2 rescued Shih Tzu’s. She is the founder of “The Loyal Canine Yacht Club”, an online social club whose mission is to educate the boating community about the importance of “Safety, Protection & Planning for the Life of our Paw Mates!” Lorie’s favorite quote:is “Once you rescue an animal it opens your heart to a whole new level of love”.

Ralph A. DeMeo

Attorney - Florida

Ralph is a Shareholder with the Tallahassee office of Baker Donelson, practicing environmental, land use, administrative, real property, health and safety, and animal law.. He is an adjunct professor of environmental law and animal law. Ralph has published extensively. He is Chair Emeritus of The Florida Bar Animal Law Section, past Chair of The Florida Bar Environmental and Land Use Law Section, past Chair of The Florida Bar Journal and News Editorial Board, and past Executive Council Member of The Florida Bar Administrative Law Section.

Rich Shapiro

Attorney - New York

Richard J. Shapiro, a Certiﬁed Elder Law Attorney* (CELA), is a partner with Blustein, Shapiro, Frank & Barone, LLP, a law ﬁrm with ofﬁces in Goshen and Warwick. Head of the ﬁrm’s Estate Planning, Probate, and Elder Law Department, he counsels clients of both modest and higher net worth in creating tax-efﬁcient legacy plans that provide asset protection throughout the generations. Mr. Shapiro concentrates his practice in the areas of estate planning, elder law, special needs planning, asset protection, and business planning.

Scott Fine

Founder/CEO Joey's Legacy

Scott Fine was born in Brooklyn, New York and was raised in North Miami Beach, Florida. He owned and operated Fine Care Center, the largest social model adult day care center in Lee County, Florida. He also at Lee Health for over 24 years and recently retired. Scott is the Founder of Joey’s Legacy, Inc., a Florida 501c3 non-profit organization whose mission is to assist people who have claims of veterinary negligence that resulted in the permanent injury or demise of their pet companions. He has been married to his wife Debbie for 24 years and has four daughters.

Sean Hawkins

Chief Advamcement Officer - Charleston Animal Society

Sean is the Chief Advancement Officer for Charleston Animal Society. In 1989 he joined Cleveland Amory at Fund for Animals where he did ground breaking work in dog and cat sterilization. He helped open the “largest spay and neuter clinic in the world” and mobilzed spay and neuter clinics across the U.S.. He is the creator of the Hero Dog Awards® that recognizes the powerful relationships between dogs and people. In 2016 he earned his Certified Animal Welfare Administrator (CAWA), the highest professional credential possible in the animal welfare sector.

Diane Delano

Founder - Wild Horse Rescue Center

Diane began riding horses at the age of three and has been an animal lover ever since. At 3 , Diane was given her first horse, a mare named Raindrop. Then, Diane met her first mustang, and has deveoted her life to helping mustangs and animals in need. In 2001, Diane started a small private horse rescue. In 2007, she founded the Wild Horse Rescue Center, Inc. (WHRC), a non-profit organization on 40 acres in Webster, Florida. She currently cares for 56 horses, 4 mini horses, 5 donkeys, 15 dogs, 2 cows, 2 pigs, 5 ducks, 1 goat, 2 guinea pigs, and 3 dozen chickens.

Donna Stidham

Attorney - Washington, Nevada

Donna is a Nevada and Washington attorney helping traditional and non-traditional families plan for their life and deal with death. She has made it her mission to plan not only for the human family members but to make sure the family pets are taken care of in the event of the death or disability of the pet’s owner. Donna graduated from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Boyd School of Law. She co-founded the student chapter of the Animal Legal Defense Fund and she served as treasurer and president. She was also a member of the Environmental Law Society.

Lilly Baron

Founder - SPCA of Ocala

Lilly has been an animal lover since she first took a pony ride at a zoo. She then moved on to large exotics and equines. She is the Founder and President of the SPCA of Ocala. She has a mission to promote Molly's Law across the nation and create a nationwide animal abuser registry. She is currently working on a documentary about Molly's Law and the importance of advocating on behalf of all animals.

Amanda Vavak

Attorney - California, Trusted Advisor Network Liaison

I have always wanted to be an attorney. I was fortunate to grow up in a family that taught me strong values and the benefits of hard work. My motivation to practice law is to help others overcome challenges in their lives and to protect their hard-earned property and assets. I am a life-long resident of Placer County. where I graduated from Whitney High School and earned my undergraduate degree at UC Davis and myJuris Doctorate from the University of Pacific McGeorge School of Law.

Chris Roy

CEO- Doobert.com

Chris Roy is a technology guy in his "day" job and used his experience to create Doobert.com which is an online software platform custom-built for animal rescuers. It's like a combination of Match.com specifically for animal shelters and rescues to find new partners, and then a volunteer Uber for getting the animals where they need to go. Chris enjoys helping provide technology solutions to some of the biggest challenges in animal rescue and is always looking for new ways to help animals and the people that care for them.

Matt FitzGibbon

President - FitzGibbon Alexander, INc.

Matt is a private equity investments manager and owns an Orlando business brokerage and valuation firm. He is a “Lifetime Certified Business Intermediary” with the International Business Brokers Association (IBBA); a Board Certified Intermediary (BCI) with the Business Brokers of Florida; an Accredited Senior Appraiser (ASA) of the American Society of Appraisers. He has a passion for K-9 training and is a volunteer K-9 handler on a Florida K-9 Search and Rescue team. He deploys with his nationally certified Human Remains Detection (HRD) German Shepherd dog (GSD) named Vesper.

Rudi Hoffman, CFP, CLU, ChFC

CEO Hoffman Planning

Rudi Hoffman is the author of The Affordable Immortal: Maybe You Can Beat Death and Taxes and co-author with Peggy Hoyt of the Cryonics Estate Planning Handbook: Maybe You Can Take It With you. As an enthusiastic cryonicist, he is a frequent speaker on the topic. He is the nation's leading life insurance salesman for products designed to help his client meet their lon-term cryonics goals. He is married to Dawn and is a pet dad to several dogs.

Nora Bergman

Author, Business Coach, Atticus Practice Advisor

Nora is a law firm coach, author, and certified Atticus Practice Advisor. She loves helping attorneys live the lives they dreamed about in law school. Nora is the author of 50 Lessons for Lawyers: Earn More – Stress Less – Be Awesome and 50 Lessons for Women Lawyers – From Women Lawyers. Nora is also a graduate of Villanova University’s Lean Six Sigma Program and is certified in both DISC and EQ through Target Training International. A licensed attorney since 1992, Nora has coached lawyers across the country and brings a deep understanding of the practice and business of law to her work with lawyers, law firms, and bar associations.

Sean Desmond

Attorney - Florida

Sean has been married to his beautiful wife, Angie, since October 2000. They have two children, Kevin (17) and Kristen (16). They have a yellow lab named Dixie and are expecting a Boxer puppy soon. He graduated Florida State University, College of Law, in May 2000. He served as an Assistant State Attorney in Tallahassee where he tried cases ranging from misdemeanors to felonies. Sean has served as the President of the Tallahassee Bar Association and now practices exclusively in the areas of Elder Law and Estate Planning. Sean also serves in Bi-Vocational Ministry as an attorney and as a Pastoral Intern at Bradfordville First Baptist Church.

Craig Coopersmith, CRPC

Truist Advisor Services

Craig Coopersmith helps people attain financial confidence; that's what attracted him to the financial services industry over 20 years ago. He focuses on making a substantial and positive difference in his clients' financial wellbeing. He is a Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor™ (CRPC®) and was ranked among the top 100 Financial Advisors by Bank Investment Consultant magazine in December of 2019. Craig is a UCF graduate. He is married to Ruby and they have two beautiful daughters. They all love living in Central Florida.

Jamie Lee

Founder, Animal Bonds

Jamie Lee is passionate about helping animals and the people who love them find calm through meditation, even in the middle of a crisis. As the founder of Animal Bonds, she is dedicated to enriching lives and strengthening relationships between people and animals. She is a member of SARA (Shelter Animal Reiki Association) and certified in the Let Animals Lead®method of Animal Reik,animals. Jamies lives in the beautiful city of Las Vegas with her three rescue dogs (Oscar, Bella, Sophie), one rescue parakeet (Sitka), and a desert tortoise (Terra).

Kathy Boyle

President, Chapin Hill Advisors

Kathy Boyle is the founder and president of Chapin Hill Advisors, Inc. The firm offers succession, business, estate and personal planning to family owned businesses and high net-worth families. Kathy is a regular commentator and guest on national television and radio shows such as Bloomberg Radio and TV, Fox Business Network, Yahoo Finance and Market Watch radio. She is a passionate animal rescuer and is working on building her own animal rescue as a vegan community.

Martha Blackmore-Smith

President, Forensic Veterinary Investigations, LLC

Dr. Martha Smith-Blackmore is a veterinarian with a focused interest in the investigation and prosecution of animal cruelty crimes. She is a visiting fellow at the Animal Law & Policy Program at Harvard Law School. She leads Forensic Veterinary Investigations, LLC a private veterinary forensics consulting business. Martha is adjunct faculty at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine and a Fellow of the Center for Animals and Public Policy at Tufts University where she teaches Veterinary Forensics and Animal Law & Veterinary Medicine.

Sean Casterline, CFA, MBA

Delta Advisory Services

Sean is the President and Senior Portfolio Manager for Delta Capital Management, LLC a Federally registered Investment Advisory firm located in Maitland, Florida. He began his career with Delta First Financial as an asset manager. Sean is the author of Investors Passport to Hedge Fund Profits. He met his wife Amy in 1992. They are the proud parents of two adopted sons, Jonathan and Beau. He is involved with several charitable organizations including the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Gainesville and Habitat for Humanity.

Kathleen Prasad

President and Founder, Animal Reiki Source, President and Co-Founder, Shelter Animal Reiki Association

Kathleen Prasad is founder of Animal Reiki Source and president of the Shelter Animal Reiki Association (SARA). A Reiki practitioner and teacher for over 23 years, she has pioneered the profession of Reiki for animals, creating the Let Animals Lead® method of Animal Reiki. Kathleen is also the author of several books on Reiki for animals, including Reiki for Dogs and Heart to Heart with Horses: An Equine Lover's Guide to Reiki. Over 200 trained and certified members of her nonprofit, SARA, share and teach the Let Animals Lead® method of Animal Reiki for rescued animals and their caregivers in shelters and sanctuaries around the world. Kathleen enjoys life with her husband, daughter, dog and horse in northern California. For more information please visit www.AnimalReikiSource.com or www.ShelterAnimalReikiAssociation.org.

Shawna Schuh

President, Schuh Biz, Inc.

Shawna Schuh, CSP helps leaders evolve into their higher potential. With over 3 decades of working with remarkable professionals, Shawna uses her expertise in leadership, business ownership, and life with animals to cut to the essence of how someone can shift their thinking for better and better results. She is the founder of Women in the Pet Industry.

Tim Martin

Attorney - Martin Law Office, P.A.

Timothy C. Martin is licensed to practice law in Florida state courts and in federal court, Middle District of Florida. He is a member in good standing of The Florida Bar and participates in the Animal Law, Real Property Probate & Trust Law, and Solo & Small Firm sections. Martin Law Office, P.A. is a solo practitioner law firm focusing on animal law, business law/organizations, LGBTQ+ advocacy, estate planning and probate, and property. Tim is a fellow of The Florida Bar, Wm. Reece Smith, Jr. Leadership Academy Class IX, 2021-2022. He is also a continuing member of The Florida Bar’s standing committee on Diversity & Inclusion. He is a member of the Board of Directors and secretary of FloridaAssociation of LGBT Lawyers & Allies, Inc. He is an active member of the Hillsborough County Bar Association, participated in the HCBA Leadership Institute (2013-2014), and co-chaired the HCBA Diversity Committee (2016-2017). He is also a member of the St. Petersburg Bar Association, and previously served as the chair of the SPBA diversity committee.Tim earned a J.D. from Barry University School of Law in Orlando, Florida, with an Honors Certificate in Environmental Law, Jurisprudence, and Justice. He was active in a number of student organizations and served as the president of the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund, secretary of the Environmental Law Society, and student representative of the Environmental Responsibility Committee. He participated in the Earth Advocacy Clinic as a certified legal intern and as a Barry Public Interest Fellow. He previously earned his B.A. in Journalism/Public Relations from the Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, and an A.S. in Paralegal Studies from Valencia Community College in Orlando, Florida.Tim lives in St. Petersburg, Florida with his partner Scott. They are the dutiful caregivers of a 15-year old American Eskimo dog named Niko Glacier, Prince of Eros, and previously had the privilege of caring for Kodiak Arctic Glacier, another American Eskimo dog (1994-2007).

Dr. Chumkee Aziz

Chris Olinger

President and Founder- The Gwen Fund

I am an eye care professional by day and an animal welfare advocate by night. I studied Healthcare Administration at Purdue University and completed opticianry certifications in Ohio, California, and Georgia as well as national certifications from the American Board of Opticianry and National Contact Lens Examiners. My career has spanned patient care and patient advocacy to business development in the independent eye care sector. While I've earned a living in eyecare, I've spent my free-time volunteering for various animal rescue organizations. My passion for quality care and advocacy spilled over into animal welfare which is why we launched The Gwen Fund in 2020. This organization aims to remove unnecessary suffering of both pets and their families by providing financial aid for veterinary care with a priority given to emergency, palliative, hospice, and after death care. We are among the first (if not the first) to provide financial aid for this type of care. The Gwen Fund is based in Decatur, GA and was launched in April of 2020 by my husband Jonathan and I. We have three rescue dogs, Stevie (Great Pyrenees), Grant (Black Lab), and Jackson (Blackmouth Cur). The Gwen Fund is an approved 501c3 nonprofit organization.

Erika Sinner

CEO, Directorie and author “Pets are Family”

Erika Sinner, CEO of Directorie, is more than just a leader; she's a catalyst for change in the realm of empathy at work. Her background, rooted in humble beginnings and marked by hard work, instilled in her the grit and tenacity that propelled her to entrepreneurial success. She founded Directorie, a company dedicated to supporting small-to-medium size life science organizations in delivering essential medications to patients who need them most. Erika marries feminine leadership with strong business acumen, fostering a workplace marked by empathy, understanding, and high standards. She creates an environment where authenticity and vulnerability are celebrated, an approach known as "the Erika effect" among her team. Her book, Pets Are Family, set to release March 21st, serves as a first step in raising awareness about the necessity of such leave.

Nick Musica

Psychic Animal Communicator & Intuition Coach

Nick had his first psychic & psychedelic experiences in his early 20s. Besides that much of his adult life was “normal”. That changed when he went to a psychic medium who told him that her guides were showing her Dr. Dolittle. She told him that he was going to communicate with animals, and it would be easy for him. After a few false starts it turned out that she was right. Nick now communicates with other people’s animals and helps people to develop their own intuitive gifts.

Daria Tavana

Director of Development - Street Dog Coalition

Daria is a vegan activist and the Director of Development at The Street Dog Coalition, a nonprofit dedicated to providing free veterinary care to pets of people experiencing homelessness via pop-up street clinics in over 60 cities. She has 13+ years of experience in digital fundraising, donor relations, special events, and grant writing, raising millions of dollars for nonprofits that advocate on behalf of animal protection, environmental justice, and other social causes. Daria spends her free time volunteering as a cat socializer and education assistant at the Animal Welfare Association of New Jersey. She also supports the development office at Woodford Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge. She holds a B.A. in playwriting and theatre production from Fordham University and various certifications in personal training, nutrition coaching, and yoga.

Sue Alexander

CEO, Dogs in the park, dog trainer's Crucible and founder, Losing lulu

Sue Alexander has been teaching and consulting about dog training and behaviour since 1993. Sue has an extensive speaking portfolio including speaking at the Canadian Association of Professional PetDog Trainers National Conference in 2009, presenting at the Dogs in the Park Service Dog Conferencefor 6 years, and being interviewed on countless podcasts, television shows and radio programs. Sue has mentored over 20 individuals through the CPDT-KA exam, as well as developing and overseeing a dog behavior rotation for fourth year veterinary students. For the past two years, Sue has devoted her energy to consulting in the dog training industry, helping other trainers to learn, grow and optimize their dog training professionalism.

David and Courtney Roché

Co-founders of Whisker & Fang

David and Courtney Roché are the co-founders of Whisker & Fang, a company dedicated to celebrating and honoring pets with unique memorials and keepsakes. Motivated by their own experience with loss, they provide meaningful and lasting grief support for fellow pet parents. Through a rich compilation of resources, an extensive blog, and an online support group, they aim to expand the network of support for those navigating the difficult journey of pet bereavement.

Taylor Chastain Griffin, PhD

National Director, AAI Advancement, Executive Director - Pet Partners/AAAIP

As National Director of AAI Advancement for Pet Partners and Executive Director of the Association of Animal-Assisted Intervention Professionals, Taylor Chastain Griffin, Ph.D., supports research and professional development in the therapy animal field. Having observed countless interactions between her therapy animals and those they’ve visited, she is passionate about enhancing the intervention with empirical research. She earned her doctorate in research psychology in 2018, focusing on the human-animal bond in shared traumatic experiences. Through her undergraduate education in psychology and animal behavior to her graduate work to become a mental health counselor, she has always strived to shape her educational and professional endeavors with the foundational goal of promoting AAI. She is also a published author, dog trainer, speaker, and Pet Partners team evaluator.

Karrie Noterman

President and founder, Natural inspirations Parrot Cage and WINGSPAN PARROT SANCTUARY

Karrie Noterman has participated in a lifetime of service to aviculture including parrot rescue, in situ conservation work in both Costa Rica and Tambopata, Peru, as well as community education. Wingspan Parrot Sanctuary was founded in 2020 after seeing the limited options available for after life care to owners whose birds were accustomed to an exceptional quality of life or were challenging animals to rehome. Wingspan Parrot Sanctuary is a non-profit organization committed to making a positive impact in the avian community and providing long term sanctuary housing for a very limited number of animals ensuring personalized attention and exceptional lifetime care in a loving home environment.

Erica Messer

Founder, CEO - Wolfie's Wish

Erica is a board-certified pet bereavement specialist and coach. She leads a free monthly virtual support group and is an in-demand international speaker. With clinical musical training, Erica helps people navigate their grief through the healing power of music. Her artistic talents also shine through hand-painted pet portaits, showcasing her love for animals and dedication to capturing their spirits on canvas. Erica wrote and illustrated "Tails Of Spirit Pets" and "Tails of Spirit Cats" Books. She has touched the lives of many with her love for music, animals, and unwavering desire to support others in their healing journey.