Meet the
candidates.

Philip Thayer Jr. is a resident of New Hampshire. He is affiliated with the Northern New England Brittany Club. He regularly attends Brittany Events in ME, NH, RI, MA, CT, NY and PA. He has also gone and done events in Canada. HE has been involved with Brittanys for 52 years and with ABC 38 years. He is willing to attend the ABC BOD meeting.

He has participated in Field Trails, hunt Tests, shows, Futurity and NAVHDA. He is a breeder and his dogs have earned multiple titles. These include CH GCH, SH, JH, NAVHDA NA, NAVHDA UT. He has received the most NAVHDA awards for Brittanys in the history of the breed. He is a NAVHDA judge.

He has held multiple positions with multiple clubs including director, 1st VP for field, 3rd VP for show, secretary, FT chairman, He has coordinated FT events, HT events and even chaired the summer specialty.

In his words this is what he says his strongest asset will be serving on the boards of directors.

As a current board member, I am committed to serving and representing ABC members.

When I attend Brittany Club events. I always take the time to talk with Brittany people to discuss any concerns they may have for ABC. I ask for suggestions. Membership is one of My main concerns. With the amount of Brittany pups sold every year. One would suspect.

we would have more ABC members. Our low membership is an indication we need to change as an organization if we want to survive. I have been around long enough to Remember what the Brittany world was like 20 to 30 years ago. I have watched ABC shrink.

while NAVHDA grows. I am open to suggestions on what we need to do to grow the ABC membership.

Mo Pollard is a resident of NC of the East Coast Region. He is affiliated with Northern Virgina Brittany club and Sooner Brittany Club. He regularly attends events in CT, NC, VA, KS, OK, TX, IA, ME and AR. He has been associated with Brittanys for 13 years and with ABC for 13 years. He is willing to attend the BOD meeting.

He is a breeder who participates in Field Trials, Show, Hunt tests and the Futurity. He is a Field Trial judge for both AKC and American Field. He has bred and titled various dogs. These titles include: CH, GCH, FC, AFC, JH, AM Field CH.

Mo has held positions in various regional clubs over time. He has been President, club officer, multiple Event chairman positions and Event Committee member. He continues to support the field committee and has started working within the show community as well.

My passion for the American Brittany began with my grandfather’s Britt (Piper). When my grandfather was not guiding grouse hunts in the Northern Maine woods, he took us hunting grouse close to home.

Upon returning from serving 32 years in the US Navy, I joined the Central Main Brittany Club, where I was mentored by numerous club members. Shortly after joining the CMBC I purchased my first Brittany for grouse hunting. Following in my grandfather’s footsteps, I guided and hunted grouse in the North Maine woods.

It was not long before I wanted to extend my time hunting with dogs, so I started entering Hunt Tests and Field Trials. Since then, I have continued to participate with my dogs’ earning titles in both venues. Eventually I wanted to give back to the sport and qualified to judge both field trials and hunt tests. Additionally, I enjoy supporting my wife Bobbie’s endeavors in the Show Ring.

If Elected to the American Brittany Club (ABC) Board of Directors, I hope to collaborate with other Directors and Committee members in improving communications between ABC Leadership and ABC Membership. There are many challenges facing ABC today and in the near future. The most effective way to overcome these challenges will be teamwork by the Leadership and the membership of our American Brittany Club.

I believe there is a place for every member who owns a Brittany in ABC. I would like to utilize my 32 years of Senior Enlisted Leadership Experience in the US Navy, to help improve teamwork with ABC ‘s Leadership and its members.

I want to ensure the membership in the East Coast Region that I will represent, their concerns and opinions are heard by actively seeking out member input and establishing an open line of communications.

Brittany is from Indiana in the East Central Region. She is affiliated with the Greater Indianapolis Brittany Cub. She regularly attends events in the states of IN, OH, KY and Michigan. She started with Brittanys in the early 2000’s as a junior and since 2023 has gotten back into the breed. She has been a part of ABC since 2023 also.

She participates in Shows, Hunt tests, Agility, Obedience, Scent work, Rally and the Futurity. She is also a CGC evaluator and a fetch judge.

Brittany has put many different titles on her dogs which include GCH, JH, RN, RI, RA, BN, CD, BCAT, CGC and various scent work elements.

She has been working as part of an Event Committee with a scent work club. She has been observing and participating in many events and hopes to do more within the clubs.

In her words these are her strongest assets if she becomes part of the ABC BOD.

I am eager to learn about how a national club works. Good or bad, I am not coming on to stir the pot, I want to provide a new voice where new input may be needed. I would like to find a way to better communicate with the club members to make the membership feel more informed.

Ron Gulembo is a resident of Michigan in the East Central Region. He is affiliated with Michigan Saginaw valley. He regularly attends events in MI, OH, IN, IL, AR and PA. He has been involved in Brittanys for 51 years and has been with ABC for all of them. He is willing to travel to attend the ABC BOD meeting.

Ron is a breeder that participates in field trials, shows and the futurity. He is also an Am field judge and an AKC field judge. He has put numerous titles on dogs including CH, FC, AFC, DC, Amer. Fld Ch, Nat’l Amt. Gun Dog Ch.

He has held many positions within the Regional and National club. These positions include club officers, club secretary and event chair within the regional clubs. He has also served as an ABC board of director for the east central region for 9 years.

In his own words his strongest asset as a BOD member is he enjoys talking to people and listening to their ideas and sharing his thoughts. He strives to be transparent as possible; he is willing to put in the time necessary to be an actively involved BOD member. He believes strongly in the Brittany as a dual dog.

Todd Parmenter is a resident of Illinois. He is affiliated with the Heart of Illinois Brittany Club in the Central Region. He regularly attends event in WI, IL, IA, MI and MO. He has been associated with Brittanys for over 25 years and with ABC for 24 years. He is willing to attend the ABC BOD meeting.

He is a breeder who participates in Field Trials, shows and the Futurity. Todd is also AKC field Trial judge. He has bred or titled dogs with the following titles: NAGDC, NWGDC, NAWGDC, DC, FC, AFC, CH, GCH, Masked Man award and various other titles.

Todd has held other positions for regional clubs and their field trials. He has held the offices of President, 1st VP, Treasurer, event chairman, Event Sec and multiple event committee positions.

In his own words the following is what he feels is his strongest attribute if he becomes a member of the BOD.

When my wife and I had children, I introduced them to hunting and bought each one of them a Brittany pup that we trained together. My middle son chose a pup that we purchased from Gene Salmons named Rip It Good. Rip turned out to be a field trial dog and thus, we were introduced to the field trial community. I attended my first field trial in 2001 and we have been involved in trials ever since. As we got more involved in field trials, Gene encouraged me to become a judge. I have enjoyed judging since 2007.

throughout the mid-west.

I have been a member of the Heart of Illinois Brittany Club since 2001 and have served as President, 1st Vice President and currently serve as Treasurer. I have also served as the Field Trial Chairman or Secretary on numerous occasions.

I have come to appreciate the commitment to the Dual standard of the Brittany breed. I truly believe that this is what sets the Brittany apart from all the other sporting breeds. It has allowed the Brittany to stay true to type and function throughout the years while maintaining a very high level of performance in many different venues of competition.

As we have found our niche as breeders, we have remained committed to doing our best to continue the Dual standard of the Brittany breed.

I have been an Executive Pastor for 25 years and I serve at Northwood’s Church in Peoria, IL as the Executive Pastor of Operations. I oversee the finances, facilities and security. I lead approximately 35 staff and 500+ volunteers and oversee a $10M budget.

My experience as a breeder and leader uniquely qualifies me to serve the ABC. As a Director for the American Brittany Club I will bring a commitment to maintaining the Dual Dog focus of the American Brittany and the fiscal soundness of the Club. I believe the American Brittany is uniquely positioned to thrive because of the lasting commitment to the Dual Dog. I look forward to the opportunity to serve.

Matt is a resident of Minnesota in the central region. He is affiliated with the Minnesota Brittany club. He regularly attends events in IA, MO, NE, KS, IL and AK. He has been associated with Brittanys for 9 years and with ABC for 8 years. He is willing to attend the ABC board meeting.

He participates in field trials, shows, hunt tests and the futurity. He is also an AKC field trial judge. He has put different titles on his dogs including CH, GCH, FC, DC, AFC, RAFC.

Matt has also held many different positions in his regional club such as 1VP, event chairman, event secretary in both field trails and shows. He is currently a director for the Central region and works with different committees at the national level.

Matt has stated in his own words what he feels is his strongest asset as an ABC director.

The ability to understand and communicate the needs of our membership and work collaboratively with the BOD and ABC committees. Making sure to continue to preserve all the values and traditions that make the ABC unique. All the while continuing to utilize the tools and technology we have to ensure that we continue.

to grow our local, regional and national clubs.

Shawn Macleod is a resident of Texas in the Midwest region. He is affiliated with the Texas Coastal Brittany Club, Fort Worth Brittany Club and Alamo Brittany Club. He regularly attends events in TX, LA, OK, NC, IA, CO, FL and AR. He has been involved with Brittanys for more than 20 years and with ABC for 18. He is willing to attend the ABC BOD meeting.

He is a breeder who participates in Field Trails, Hunt tests, Agility and shows. He has done work for rescue. He has accomplished many titles on his dogs including Dual champion, others are DC, FC, AFC, CH, MACH, CH and GCH. Also, titles in hunt tests and other agility titles. He has held the position of 1st VP, VP of field trials, He has been on national committees, many event committees, event chairman and a current director.

In his own words this is what he feels would be his strongest asset.

My strongest asset as a member of the Board of Directors is my ability to combine strategic leadership with a hands-on commitment to serving the American Brittany Club. My experience as a corporate executive and nonprofit board member enables me to help navigate complex governance, financial, and organizational challenges while remaining focused on practical solutions.

I believe directors should do more than vote—they should lead. Through active committee service, strategic communications, and collaboration with fellow directors, I work to move important initiatives forward. Equally important, I maintain regular communication with Midwest members and remain actively involved in breeding, field trials, hunt tests, and conformation to ensure my decisions reflect the diverse interests of our membership. My goal is to strengthen the member experience while helping position the American Brittany Club for a successful future.

Dennis Sullivan is a resident of Wyoming. He is affiliated with Northern Colorado Brittany Club in the Midwest region. He regularly attends events in CO, NE, IL, WI, WI, IL, MI, AR, MO, IA. He has been associated with Brittanys for 41 years and with the ABC for 41 years. He is willing to attend the ABC BOD meeting.

He participates in Field trails, Hunt Tests, Showing and the Futurities. Dennis is an AKC and AM Field judge for field trails. He has finished titles on a half dozen dogs over the years, the titles included are FC/AFC, AMFC, CH.

Dennis has held positions with different regional clubs such as LaSalle and Northern Colorado and the parent club as well. Positions held include, President, 1st VP, 4th VP, FT/sec./Treasurer. Also did the National GD Championships in 04 and 05. He has served on multiple field trail committees both as a member and as the chair.

In his own words this is what he feels will help him be a strong asset as a member of the BOD.

I have worked extensively within the ABC community for many years filling positions and roles both at the regional and national level. From the regional club level with the LaSalle Brittany Club as the 4 th , VP ( Hunt Test) when this program was developed with AKC to 1 st VP with LaSalle BC managing all their field trials for many years. I was President of the LaSalle BC for a couple of years as well.

Having moved to the greater Midwest back in 2019 I have worked with others to resurrect the Northern Colorado Britany Club acting as Club VP and FT Sec./ Treasurer. I have a strong background working with the ABC National level club. I was the 4 th VP for a couple years being chairman and running the American Brittany Club National GD Championships in 2004, 2005, when they were in Michigan. I feel my extensive and broad experience working in the dog world from the regional level to the national level gives me a strong base to assume the role of Director from the Midwest region. I advocate the importance of the regional club’s voices to be heard at the National level. The regional clubs are the backbone of the American Brittay Club and should be listened to when National decisions are made that affect the grassroots regional clubs.

My business professional career consisted of running a company for 24+ years communicating and managing many employees, conducting business with multi-billion dollar companies.

With my many years of successful business experience and years of participation and managing different aspects of regional and national club functions I feel I will be a strong voice from the Midwest region. With my past experiences and knowledge of the American Brittany Club community I feel I will be an asset to help move the club forward and strengthen the ABC Director management team. I look forward to the opportunity to work with the ABC family as director from the Midwest region.

Layne Peterson is a resident of Utah. He is affiliated with the Wasatch Front Brittany Club located on the west coast. He regularly attends events in ID, OK, UT, NE, AR and other areas within the west coast. He has been associated with Brittanys for 12 years and a member of the ABC for 12 years. He is willing to attend the ABC BOD meeting.

He is a breeder who participates in Field trails and futurity. He is also a judge for FT for AKC, Am Field and NSTRA. His dogs have earned the titles FC, AFC, GFC, RFC, RAFC, Am Field CH and NSTRA Ch.

Layne has held positions in his regional club including club officer, Treasurer, breeder referral, event chairman and event secretary. He has done a lot for his field trail community and would like to continue making a difference.

In his own words this is what he feels would be his strongest asset as a member of the BOD.

One of my faults is constant curiosity, and the desire to find out about things I have not been exposed to before. As an example, I nominated yet another litter for Futurity this year and purchased another puppy whose litter was nominated this year. I have plans to attend at least one, if not multiple Futurity venues in 2028 and I plan to attempt to enter the conformation shows at hose events. It would make my heart happy to have one or more of my dogs, which are primarily bred for Field competition compete well in the conformation ring.

Leaders lead and are not blown about the prevailing wind. Leaders should not be part of the problem, any problem, nor should they be a part of the rumor mill of discord. Taking a position, popular or not, and listening to other positions with genuine curiosity and the willingness to adapt if required to solve problems is my guiding philosophy. I like people, which allow me to work with those from diverse backgrounds, on complex issues, for the betterment of all involved. I believe this can be leveraged to improve the ABC and to further the accomplishments of the breed.

My background is in accounting, I have spent 40 years in that professional realm, which will allow me to provide input on financial matters of the ABC in a meaningful way.

Jason Sanko is a resident of Washington in the West Coast Region. He is affiliated with Washington, Inland Empire and Oregon Brittany club. He regularly attends events in Washington, Oregon and Idaho. He has been associated with Brittanys for the last 24 years and with the ABC for 6 years.

He is a breeder that participates in field trails, shows hunt tests and the futurity. Jason is also an AKC field trail judge and has put multiple titles on dogs which include CH, GCH, DC, FC, AFC and JH.

Jason has held positions within his regional club such as event chairman, event secretary and different positions within the event committee. He likes to volunteer with his regional clubs to help them put on their field trails.

Jason states in his own words what he feels would be his strongest asset as a member of the BOD.

My greatest asset as a member of the BOD will be my ability to bring diverse groups together and guide them toward our shared goal of preserving and promoting our beautiful breed.

I bring decades of project management experience, supported by strong problem-solving skills and a proven ability to lead successful teams. My work has included complex, high-stakes projects in ship repair and emergency response, where I managed multifaceted schedules, budgets, and priorities to deliver results.

In addition, I am an active member of our local clubs and regularly welcome and mentor new participants in field trials.