Our Board Members
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Carole Krivanich, President
I have been President of BHAD for many years. I came to BHAD with a rescue Rottweiler that I wanted to bond with, and I ended up bonding greatly with the sport of agility. I take great pride in BHAD, and all this amazing small Club has done.
Over the years, we have grown to offer our members many ways to enjoy their relationship with their dogs. My goal is to keep the club fun and not limit what we can do together.
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Kim Parks, Vice President
We moved to Rehoboth Beach in October 2020 and sought out BHAD so we could continue our then-budding dog sports career. We've been members for two years. Through BHAD, we enjoy agility classes, seminars, and trials. My two other Boston Terriers, Miles and Hudson, love Fast CAT, Rally, and Scent Work. BHAD members actively support events and share knowledge with volunteers so that everyone can participate in the Club's successes.
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Deb Givin, Secretary
After the passing of the best dog in the world at 19 and the opening of my feline exclusive veterinary clinic, I was a dedicated "cat person" for more than 30 years. Retirement returned me to my home state of Delaware, and I was again ready to fall in love with a canine companion. I knew I wanted to have a small active dog, and agility looked like a fun activity. Ultimately, Gus, a Papillon, and I were brought together as much by fate as by design.
I could fill a book with what I did not know about training and competing in canine agility when I found Blue Heron and signed up for a foundation class in the spring of 2021. It did not take long for me to realize just how much work a dog club requires to provide opportunities for training and competing. Sandy Moody, one of my early instructors, made me feel so special when she invited me to volunteer as a leash runner at a trial I attended as a spectator. I have been volunteering ever since and am happy to serve on the BHAD Board as secretary.
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Julie Boughn, Treasurer
I am a Delaware transplant from Maryland and a lifelong dog owner who has always aspired to try agility with one of my dogs. I feel very fortunate to have found BHAD, where I started in Foundations classes with my miniature poodle puppy, Grace, in 2022. We started trialing in 2023 at a BHAD trial, and we both love everything about the challenges and fun of agility! Grace has earned her Excellent titles and is now competing at the Master level. We have also begun training with BHAD for scent work. Outside of agility, we enjoy traveling, camping, and hiking with my wife, Doreen. Grace and our other dog, Rider, a senior All-American dog, usually also join in on the fun.
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Trixie Rufft, Board Member
When I moved to Delaware 8 yrs. ago, I left the comfort of my home agility club of 10 yrs. What I thought would be a hardship was a major step to growth. BHAD offered classes that stretched our abilities and brought in instructors for seminars that I could only admire from a distance. I was amazed. But BHAD's greatest achievement is being the friendliest AKC club I have ever encountered. We are a group that wants our friends and strangers to succeed; members actively cheer and support all competitors. This is something I have not found anywhere except at our sister clubs of Talbot and Salisbury. I felt so accepted that I thought I should give back. I started by attending meetings and helping with trials, and now, here I am, a board member. I couldn't ask for a better group of people to work with because I generally only talk to dogs. Tater and I are delighted to have found a home with BHAD.
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Tammy Sparks, Board Member
I grew up riding and showing horses and started training and giving lessons when I was in the 8th grade continuing through college. Life drew me away from the horses and I missed them terribly until I started doing agility with my first vizsla in 2007. She was a dream Novice A dog and by 2009 she was the Vizsla Club of America #1 Agility Dog. We shared an incredible journey. Now I am the first to say that it was all her. I had so much to learn and since then I have been blessed with three more incredible vizslas; each one challenging me with their differences. Over the years we’ve earned 11 Machs, many trips to Nationals and Invitationals. a spot in finals at AKC Nationals, and titles in several other venues.
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Natalie Simon, Board Member
I come from a family of dog trainers, and I have had dogs all my life, various breeds small to large. I got into dog agility with my first dog Luna back in 2013. She was all in it for the food, but we both fell in love with agility together. Luna went on to earn her Master's titles and competed at nationals and regional events. She held many titles and was one of the top ten fastest All American dogs in the P4 jump height a few years in a row. I've competed in various venues including AKC, UKI, CPE, and USDAA. Over the years I've continued my agility education by taking seminars and training with some of the top trainers in the sport of agility.
I moved to Milton, DE in 2021 and was going through a major transition, but so happy I found BHAD. On occasion I had previously traveled for the shore trials and always thought everyone was so nice, but this truly is the best community of dog people and agility enthusiasts that I know. I have a passion for helping new people in the sport of agility and showing them the ropes. I've also participated in disc dog, therapy dog programs, and hold various titles in trick, fast cat, and obedience titles with my dogs. Outside of dog agility I enjoy travelling and learning how to golf with my husband. I am also a graduate of the University of Delaware and serve as the Chief Human Capital Officer at the Army Research Laboratory. We currently have four dogs, Cosmo a shih-tzu mix, Lyra the border collie, Leia the Pomsky, and most recently adopted a Bernese Mountain Dog named Lou.