Please feel free to vote by submitting the name of the candidate(s) you select (only one name per category) by sending an email to Betty Stovall, JCCA Secretary. Deadline is October 10, 2005.

Dr. Harry Smith, of Durham, North Carolina, began his involvement in dogs after his return from World War II. He joined his father in breeding Chesapeake Bay Retrievers, showing them exclusively in retriever trials. In the early 1950's he acquired a Westminster Toy Group winning Pug from the Sodergerg kennel that became the foundation for the small kennel that Harry established in Southern Ohio. Initially, Harry's dog world activities centered around Southern Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky. He owned the first black Pug to win the Pug Dog Club of America Futurity, and was the co-founder of the Pug Club of Greater Cincinnati. His activity in the Pug Dog Club of America increased over the years, and he served as the club's AKC Delegate for 10 years.

Dr. Smith began judging Pugs in 1966. He steadily pursued his judging career, adding his final Group, the Hound Group, in 1999. This led to Harry's approval as an AKC all-breed judge in that same year. Dr. Smith has judged on five continents, with judging highlights that include the Toy Group at Westminster, the Non-Sporting Group at the 2001 AKC/Eukaanuba American Dog Classic, Best Bred-By-Exhibitor Toy Group at the 2005 AKC/Eukanuba National Championship, and all Groups and Best in Show at the Welsh Kennel Club Show.

Dorothy Welsh, of Neillsville, Wisconsin, has been involved with the sport of dogs since childhood. Her mother raised Pomeranians, which Dorothy exhibited until college. By the time she graduated from Northwestern University, she was interested in larger dogs and purchased her first Collie. She actively bred and showed Collies from 1944 through 1969. Dorothy married AKC judge, J. Lynn Welsh in 1969 and that same year she began her own judging career. She currently judges all hounds, Working, Toys, Non-Sporting and Herding breeds, and has judged in North and South America, the British Isles, Scandinavia, Russia, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Asia, and Africa.

Dorothy has been active in Collie clubs on all levels and is currently the AKC Delegate for the Chicago Collie Club. She served on the AKC Board of Directors for four years and has actively been involved with The American Kennel Club Museum of the Dog since it's inception and serves on it's Board. Dorothy has the distinction of being awarded a Gaines Fido for "Woman of the Year,&qout; as well as the honor of being inducted into the Ken L Ration Hall of Fame. "Dogs have been a very important part of my life," explains Dorothy, "and I thoroughly enjoy the camaraderie of all the people around the world who are also passionate about dogs."

Rosalie Alvarez, of Los Altos Hills, CA, became involved with Obedience in 1957 when she started training Dobermans. She has taken ten of her Dobermans to Utility and Tracking degrees and competed the first Doberman in the United States to obtain the UDT Sch 111 degree. Rosalie has numerous Highs in Trial to her credit, including tow at the Doberman National. In addition to Obedience, she has trained for tracking, flyball, agility, protection, and scent work for bomb and narcotics detection. The Santa Clara County Sheriff's Dept. recognized her with a citation for developing and training their canine unit. To dispel the myth of the viscous Doberman, Roaslie founded the Doberman Drill Team, which toured the United States and Canada for almost 30 years. With astounding performances including two half-time shows for the San Francisco 49ers.

Rosalie is an AKC judge of all Obedience classes and holds active membership in the Santa Clara Valley Kennel Club and the Northern California AKC Obedience Association. In addition, she is the training director of Town and Country and Deep Peninsula Dog seminars and judged the AKC Obedience Invitational in 2001.

Bonnie J. Baker, of Tomball, Texas, started her lifelong involvement with Obedience in 1968. Training a Cocker Spaniel with Red River Obedience Training Club (RR)TC) in Shreveport, Louisiana. During her RROTC membership Bonnie served as instructor, newsletter editor and trial secretary. After moving to Houston in 1974, she served as instructor, secretary, training director and president of the Breed Competition Dog Training Club (ABC) and founded the Dogwood Obedience School.

Bonnie was approved to judge Obedience in May of 1979 and in 2004 was approved as provisional judge for Rally. She has also been honored to judge several of the Gaines/Heinz events. A major highlight of her participation in Obedience has been judging the AKC Obedience Invitational in 1998 and again in 2003. During her 37 years in the sport, Bonnie has completed multiple CK's, CKX's, and UD titles. One of Bonnie's Cocker Spaniels and five of her Golden Retrievers went on to become OTCH's.

William R. (Sil) Sanders, of Stanwood, WA has been active in Companion dog events for 29 years. Introduced to Obedience at a local Westie club match, Sil was inspired by the dogs' enthusiasm and went on to train his Westie in Obedience. Through the years, he has earned titles on several dogs and competed at the UDX level. Sil has also trained several dogs to the Master Agility, TDX Tracking, and Master Earthdog levels. He and his wife, Anne, have bred and shown Westies since 1972, with many national winners and top-ten dogs to their credit.

As a West Highland White Terrier Club of America board member, Sil formed the club's first award honoring versatile Westies and has led the Club's Companion Dog and Performance Committee since 1979. He helped his parent club become licensed for Obedience, Tracking, Agility, and Earthdog. Due to Sil's involvement, Westie participation in Companion dog events is a common and expected part of a Westie's career. He helped form two regional Westie clubs, both which offer Obedience at all their specialties and helped to form the Palo Alto Foothills Tracking Association (a tracking-only club) and the Puget Sound Earthdog Club (the first Earthdog-only club). Also a tracking judge, Sil served on the most recent AKC Tracking Advisory Committee.