— Kenneth A. Marden Elected; Dr. Patricia H. Haines and Patti L. Strand Re-Elected; Ronald H. Menaker and David C. Merriam Re-Elected as Chairman and Vice Chairman Respectively —

The Annual Meeting of the AKC Delegates took place on March 13, 2007. Kenneth A. Marden, Delegate from the German Shorthaired Pointer Club of America, was elected as Director. Incumbent Directors Dr. Patricia Haines and Patti L. Strand have been re-elected. In addition, Ronald H. Menaker has been re-elected as Chairman of the Board and David C. Merriam has been re-elected as Vice Chairman.

• Ronald H. Menaker has been the Chairman of the AKC Board of Directors since 2002. Menaker represents the Greater Freeport Illinois Kennel Club and is Show Chairman for AKC/Eukanuba National Championship. An active participant in the sport of purebred dogs for nearly 40 years, he bred and exhibited Giant Schnauzers, and has also shown Bedlington Terriers and Norfolk Terriers. A licensed AKC judge since 1994, Menaker is approved to judge Best in Show, all Working breeds, all Sporting breeds and several Terrier breeds. Menaker is also a member of the Board of Overseers for the University of Pennsylvania Veterinary School.

  Menaker is a retired Managing Director and Head of Corporate Services of J.P. Morgan & Co. Incorporated of New York, and a past President and Director of J. P. Morgan Services, Inc. He is also the Vice Chairman and past Chairman of New York Downtown Hospital. Menaker resides in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey with his wife Kathy.

 

• Hon. David C. Merriam is the Delegate from the Duluth Kennel Club and has been involved in the sport since 1952. He served as interim CEO of the AKC for six months and as Chairman of the AKC Board of Directors from September 1996 until March 2002. He has been a member of the Board since 1994 and previously served on the Board from 1979-1985. Merriam has bred and exhibited Bull Terriers extensively for over 50 years and has served as Show Chairman for the Kennel Club of Riverside and President of the Bull Terrier Club of America. Mr. Merriam was admitted to the California and Federal Bars in 1967 and worked as a Deputy District Attorney before entering the private practice of law. He served as a trial judge for 20 years in San Bernadino County, California. Merriam lives in Bonsall, CA.

 

• Dr. Patricia H. Haines of Xenia, Ohio, is the AKC Delegate for the Cincinnati Kennel Club. Dr. Haines has been dedicated to the sport of purebred dogs since childhood. She is a 1979 graduate of The Ohio State University College of Agriculture and a 1983 graduate of the College of Veterinary Medicine.

  Her activities in the sport of purebred dogs include involvement with national breed clubs, local breed clubs and all-breed clubs. Haines has served on the Board since 2003. She previously served on the Board from 1995 to 1999. Since 1990, she has served on numerous AKC Board-appointed committees, including the Breeders Education Committee. Dr. Haines serves on the board of trustees of the Ohio Veterinary Medical Association and is the current chairman of its legislation advisory committee. Additionally she is a member of the Ohio Farm Bureau and the United States Animal Health Association.

  Initially involved with Golden Retrievers, she bred her first litter and champion in 1970, the same year she won the junior showmanship competition at the Westminster Kennel Club. With Golden Retrievers she owned BIS and national specialty winners and bred top producers. She has bred American Foxhounds, producing multiple champions and group winners. Since the early 1990's her focus has been Pointers, producing multiple breeder-owner handled BIS winners, national specialty winners and top producers.

  Dr. Haines and her husband Thaddeus operate a commercial livestock and grain farm where they also raise purebred Shorthorn cattle.

 

• Kenneth A. Marden of Whitefield, Maine is the AKC Delegate for the German Shorthaired Pointer Club of America. Marden has owned, trained and bred German Shorthaired Pointers since 1961. Successfully competing under his Crossing Creek banner in field trials, hunting tests, conformation and obedience, he has finished 12 champions. A Field trial judge since 1966, he has judged more than 100 pointing breed field trials.

  Marden has served as the AKC Delegate for the German Shorthaired Pointer Club of America since 1974, serving as Vice President for several terms, as well. He previously served on the Board from 1986-2006. He also served as AKC President from 1987-1990 and was instrumental in establishing the Public Education and Legislation departments, as well as the creation and expansion of the Performance Events division. A retired marketing/advertising executive, Mr. Marden remains active both locally and nationally in combating restrictive dog legislation by testifying at hearings and speaking to dog clubs.

 

• Mrs. Patti L. Strand of Portland, Oregon is the AKC Delegate to the Dog Fanciers Association of Oregon. Strand has served on the AKC Board of Directors since 1995. She is an internationally-recognized animal issues expert and the author of numerous articles on dogs and animal issues including a 1993 Maxwell winner. With her husband, Rod, Mrs. Strand is co-author of An Owner's Guide to the Dalmatian and The Hijacking of the Humane Movement: Animal Extremism, which was featured at the 1993 National Conference of State Legislatures as a key resource for understanding contemporary animal issues.

  Her articles and views on animal welfare, public policy and animal rights have appeared in a wide variety of trade, professional and scientific magazines, in addition to lay publications including the Los Angeles Times, the AKC Gazette, Veterinary Forum, Wall Street Journal, and the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. She is also a frequent guest on radio and television programs.

  As a 38-year breeder of Dalmatians, Patti and her husband Rod founded Merry Go Round Dalmatians and have bred and owned some of the top dogs in their breed including, numerous champions, Specialty and Best in Show winners. In 1993, Patti won the FIDO Award and was named Dogdom's Woman of the Year.