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 at 1:30 p.m. at our Oceanside campus. Tours are open to the public. If you are interested in attending a tour, please RSVP to Carrie Linden. For groups larger than 10 people, please contact Gwen Seah to make arrangements.

Southwest Region Staff:
Marcell Mallette, Executive Director  | Piero Berlonghi, Director of Philanthropy | Kim Danker, Director of Philanthrophy | Carrie Linden, Development Assistant | Ann Hough, Senior Office Manager | Gwen Seah, Volunteer Coordinator | Lauren Marshall, Community Events Coordinator | Sarah Zetlmeisl, Public Relations and Marketing Coordinator

Shelley Dickinson, Program Director | Chuck Dickinson, Training Manager | Stephanie Yocum, Puppy Program Manager | Kerri de Jager, Client Services Manager | Madeleine Cullen, Kennel Supervisor | Julia Sanchez, Puppy Program Assistant | Grace Hardy, Program Field Representative | Lindsay Taylor, Senior Instructor |  Sarah Nigoghossian, Senior Instructor | Kate Incremona, Instructor | Aimee Schildt, Apprentice Instructor | Morgan Galovic, Apprentice Instructor | Ashley Wilt, Apprentice Instructor | Anika Schenkel, Apprentice Instructor| Katie Lake, Instructor Assistant | Kerry Wallerius, Instructor Assistant | Samantha Chapparone, Instructor Assistant | Patti Irby, Program Assistant | Jennifer Hof, Campus Caretaker | Keerah Caldwell, Kennel Technician | Zyla Guthrie, Kennel Technician | Abigale Vandeven, Kennel Technician | Candelaria Mendoza, Kennel Technician | Irak Paniagua, Kennel Technician

Southwest Region Board of Directors:
Joseph Celentano, President | Sheryl Ishizaki | Kim Haydel | Leslie Hennessy, Ph.D. | Susan Ryan, M.D. | Sondra Thiederman, Ph.D | Barb Beier | Nick Kemp | Alison Gilmore | Jay Orlandi | Cynthia Yankovich