Southwest Training Center

The Southwest Region of Canine Companions was founded in 1986. We serve Arizona, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Southern California, Southern Nevada and Hawaii. The Southwest Regional Training Center is named the Dean, Gerda and Trixie Koontz Campus after our campus benefactors: bestselling author Dean Koontz, his wife and their late Golden Retriever adopted from Canine Companions after being retired from service.

The Dean, Gerda and Trixie Koontz Campus is located in Oceanside, California. We invite you to explore our volunteer opportunities, make a donation or attend an event. Presentations are also available for your group by Canine Companions representatives. Our monthly public tours are held on the third Thursday of every month.  If you are interested in attending a tour, please RSVP to Carrie Linden at 760-901-4300. For groups larger than 10 people, please contact Gwen Seah to make arrangements.

Southwest Region Staff:
Piero Berlonghi, Director of Philanthropy | Kim Danker, Director of Philanthropy |Vicky Williams, Office Manager | Carrie Linden, Philanthropy Assistant | Gwen Seah, Volunteer Coordinator | Sarah Zetlmeisl, Public Relations and Marketing Coordinator | Karen Noble, Grants Specialist

Shelley Dickinson, Program Director | Chuck Dickinson, Training Manager | Stephanie Yocum, Puppy Program Manager | Kerri de Jager, Client Services Manager |Morgan Galovic, Graduate Services Manager | Madeleine Cullen, Kennel Supervisor | Julia Sanchez, Puppy Program Assistant | Grace Hardy, Program Field Representative | Lindsay Taylor, Senior Instructor |  Sarah Nigoghossian, Senior Instructor | Aimee Schildt, Instructor | Ashley Wilt, Apprentice Instructor | Anika Schenkel, Apprentice Instructor| Katie Lake, Instructor Assistant | Sheryl Ishizaki, Program Assistant | Jennifer Hof, Campus Caretaker | Keerah Caldwell, Kennel Technician | Zyla Guthrie, Kennel Technician | Abigale Vandeven, Kennel Technician

Southwest Region Board of Directors:
Nick Kemp, President | Dr. Susan Ryan, Vice President | Leslie Hennessy, Ph.D. | Sondra Thiederman, Ph.D | Barb Beier | Alison Gilmore | Cynthia Yankovich | Jennifer Halstead | Craig Kirk | Melayne Yocum