> Club Information

Office	Name	Contact Info
PRESIDENT	Sharon Costello (NJ)	908-454-8100
VICE PRESIDENT	Ingrid Fortunato (WA)	360-786-9274
SECRETARY	Donna Welty (NJ)	P.O. Box 66 Vienna, NJ 07880 908-637-8957
TREASURER	Irene O’Connor (NJ)	908-362-6708
DIRECTOR	Ms.Rita Biddle, ESQ (MI)
DIRECTOR	Nicole Smith-Stamper (MD)	301-782-3504
DIRECTOR	Anita Goetz (IN)	219-324-9447
DIRECTOR	Kendail Gonzales (CA)	408-779-0097
DIRECTOR	Jennifer Groves (MD)	410-766-8225
DIRECTOR	Shani Stewart-Robbins (WA)	253-223-3168
DIRECTOR	Nydia Thornton (MA)	413-238-5994

President - Sharon Costello

Sharon Costello has been involved in showing Neapolitan Mastiffs since 1989 and has championed 6 dogs. Sharon was the first USNMC sanctioned breeder judge to gain regular status as an AKC Judge for our breed. Her record speaks volumes:

USNMC - Founding member and first Membership Secretary, serving on the club's Board and as Show Chair during the club's infancy. Trophy Coordinator for the 2000 ATIMANA and 2000 National, Show Chair for the 2002 and 2003 National Specialty shows. Trophy Coordinator for the 2007 National.

GSNMC - Founding member. Secretary for five years. Helped institute their awards dinner and format for recognition of annual championship Award Achievement. Has co-chaired shows and co-chaired as trophy coordinator since 1997. Worked with Bill Welty to gain not-for-profit status. Helped gain recognition as an AKC Club.

Boardwalk Kennel Club - Member since 1997, currently serving on their board. Current match show chair, serving in this position for the past several years.

Bulldog Club of New Jersey - Business Manager since 1995. Newsletter Editor and current Board Member.

New Jersey Dog Club Federation - Served as a delegate to New Jersey Dog Club Federation

Vice President - Ingrid Fortunato

Ingrid Fortunato lived in Sicily Italy with her husband for many years, but came back to the United States with her husband for a visit and ended up staying. They started their first business with $75. Ingrid and her husband now own one of the most successful international mechanics shops in the Pacific Northwest, along with a second business. Ingrid gets along well with other people and is a hard worker. One of her latest tasks was to help put together and hold the 5th Annual Canine Festival. This Festival had seminars and clinics, demonstrations, specialty breed matches and many other events. It donated money to the Retired Seattle Police dogs and Sirius CID.

Ingrid owns a newly Championed Neapolitan Mastiff, Ironwoods Fast and Furious Ruler Del Flavia, who was only 15 months when he received his Championship. She is active in the fancy and will soon be breeding her newly championed male.

While running her two businesses she is also a Red Cross Disaster worker and shares her knowledge of the Italian Language with people around her. She has translated for Italian judges at dog shows, and has also taken the time to help breeders in the United States correspond with breeders in Italy.

Ingrid brings a new perspective to the Unites States Neapolitan Mastiff Club. She has lived in Italy and understands the Italian Breeders knowledge and love of the breed. She understands how to run a business, but also has many different volunteer projects. She understands that teamwork is the key and her well rounded disposition will be helpful to any dog club, but luckily for the Neapolitan Mastiffs this is where she wants to donated her time and love.

Secretary - Donna Welty

Donna Welty has been involved with Neos since 1988 and has produced 4 Champions. Donna and her husband, Bill, were awarded the AKC Community Service Award in 2006. Her 20 years of experience speaks for itself:

Schooley's Mountain Kennel Club - Past president, vice-president, board member, and recording secretary (member since 1988!). Served as Program chair for meetings, coordinator for the information booth for the annual 4-H Fair (3 day event).

USNMC - Founding member of USNMC, former "acting" secretary, former Educational Committee member, occasional contributor to Neogram, and moderator of USNMC Legislative Alerts on USNMC website.

Garden State Neapolitan Mastiff Club - Founding member, newsletter editor, Chair of AKC Club Recognition Committee, Legislative chair, Membership Chair, Awards Dinner Chair, Educational Materials Chair, former vice-president and board member, past Show Secretary for shows and matches and current President of club.

New Brunswick Kennel Club - AKC licensed club Corresponding Secretary for the past 5 years, Match Show Chair, Program chair, and Legislative Chair.

New Jersey Federation of Dog Clubs Delegate for NBKC and alternate delegate for GSNMC and SMKC, Database Coordinator, and recently elected to Board of Directors.

Treasurer - Irene O'Connor

Irene O'Connor has been involved with Neapolitan Mastiffs since 1999 when she rescued her first Neapolitan. She now owns 2 Neapolitan Mastiffs. Irene became a member of the Garden State Neapolitan Mastiff Club in 2002 and is currently serving as Secretary for the Garden State Club. Irene joined the USNMC Rescue Program in 2002 has recently been appointed Treasurer for the Rescue Program. In 2002 she became a Member of the United States Neapolitan Mastiff Club. In 2006 she participated with the VIP Committee to raise money for the 2006 National Specialty Show. By day, Irene works as a Deputy Municipal Clerk and is a Certified Municipal Registrar of Vital Statistics for the Town of Newton, New Jersey. As the Deputy Municipal Clerk, one of Irene's responsibilities is balancing the Town Clerk's checking account and preparing a monthly reporting of the Clerk's Account for the Town Manager. Irene's passion for the Neapolitan and work experience make her a perfect candidate for Treasurer of the United States Neapolitan Mastiff Club.

Directors

Nicole Smith-Stamper

Nicole Smith-Stamper has been a USNMC member since 2002. She has been active in the club since then, volunteering for the club's Rescue and more recently as an integral part of the 2006 VIP Committee and Education Committee. She is a frequent sight at dog shows throughout the Mid-Atlantic region, exhibiting her mastini as an owner-handler. She is an active member of the Chesapeake Neapolitan Mastiff Club and leads that new club's efforts in increasing awareness of health, training, and breed education topics.

Professionally, Nikki owns and operates a virtual tour company serving the Washington DC Metro area's real estate agents and small businesses. Nikki's experiences, her commitment to education, and her youthful spirit make her an excellent choice to serve on a diverse Board of Directors.

Anita Goetz

Anita Goetz and her husband, Bill, are frequent sights at dog shows throughout the country, showing about 3 dogs at a time in at least two shows a month. By attending so many shows, Anita is clearly an ambassador for our breed. Anita and Bill are also known for setting up booths at the Chicago International Kennel Club (where 100,000 people attend) and the Detroit Kennel Club. They not only represent themselves at these shows, but the breed as well, passing out brochures and discussing the Neapolitan Mastiff with judges. Anita's dog, Contessa, was the first Neapolitan Mastiff to ever get a Group First, and Contessa's offspring is one of the youngest Neos to become Championed, doing so at 13 months of age. Her dogs have shown at both Eukanuba (twice) as well as Westminster.

Anita Goetz has extensive experience in many volunteer capacities. Anita has successfully created and directed children's clubs for several churches in her community while also serving in local schools. Anita has also spent 6 months in France furthering her education and views this as valuable experience toward understanding how to increase foreign membership and European - American relations. Anita feels it is important to keep our eye focused on keeping the standard true to the Italian way of thinking and further educating the AKC judge in this manner. Anitas strengths are communication, conceptual thinking, organizing, and bringing a plan to fruition. Her past experience leads her to believe making a good organization become great is when everyone is actively involved using their own gifts or strengths to achieve one common goal. Anita loves to find the correct project for members to succeed in. She has helped when called upon for rescue, and as a breeder she looks forward to continuing to expand her knowledge for the betterment of this great breed and serve this club with all her abilities.

Kendail Gonzales

Kendail Gonzales fell in love with the Neapolitan Mastiff when she first laid eyes on a picture of one in the book "Guide to dogs" page 56. She has owned Neapolitan Mastiffs since 1990. She has been an active member with various clubs since that time, including NMCA, ASPNM, and CNNMC. She has been a Full Member of the USNMC since 2004 and her friendly, welcoming posts and excellent pictures have graced the club's messageboard since 2003. Kendail prides herself on having true working Neapolitan Mastiffs, which work her ranch, and takes pride in a careful and deliberate breeding program. Kendail feels strongly motivated to contribute to her national club and her diverse range of experience and level-headedness makes her an excellent choice for Director.

Jennifer Groves

Jennifer Groves has been a USNMC member since 2001. She has been a volunteer for the club's Rescue program that entire time, serving as Director of USNMC Rescue since 2004. In 2006 she founded the VIP Committee to raise money for the 2006 USNMC National Specialty Show. The excellent teamwork and spirit of cooperation among the other members of the VIP Committee enabled them to raise more money for the club than any previous year. She is also the President of the Chesapeake Neapolitan Mastiff Club. Jennifer's professional background - as Human Resources Manager for a high-profile Foreign Policy think-tank in Washington DC - makes her a perfect choice for the USNMC Board of Directors.

Shani Stewart-Robbins

Shani Stewart-Robbins, of Spanaway WA, got started in dogs as a child in the residential area of Tacoma, WA. She first began exhibiting "horses" in 1979 when her family moved to a small farm in Spanaway. While she was learning about the "show" world through horses her family continued to care for many different breeds of dogs to work on the family farm. In 1998 her love affair with the Neapolitan Mastiffs began. She has since bred and exhibited "a number of champions as well as Best in Show winners that were first bred and raised to be their best as companions; second, as show dogs" under the kennel name Bella Dolce Mastini.

Ms. Robbins is a founding member and current Vice President of the North West Molosser Group, a founding member of The Pacific North West Neapolitan Mastiff Club, and a long time prior member of the American Society for the Preservation of the Neapolitan Mastiff. She is a member of the Tacoma Kennel Club, where she actively participates in ring stewarding and breed education. She is campaigning membership with the Working Dog Association of Puget Sound, and a prior breed presenter to Judges Education Association of Washington.

Ms. Robbins has been showing internationally since 2000. She exhibited under renowned Italian judges Michele Palazzo at the American Society for the Preservation of the Neapolitan Mastiff national specialty in 2002 Anaheim, CA, as well as Antonio Di Lorenzo in 2003 at a similar show of the ASPNM also in Anaheim, CA which included an amazing breed seminar by Mr. Di Lorenzo. She has attended the USNMC nationals and the breed seminar presented by Peggy Wolfe. Ms. Robbins is a regular ring steward for the International All-Breed Canine Association shows.

North West Neapolitan Mastiff Rescue, a nonprofit organization founded by Ms. Robbins in 2000, successfully rehabilitated and rehomed over 200 mastini in just 2 years. The organization has since merged with USNMC Rescue where Shani continues to be an active volunteer, foster home and advocate for Neapolitan Mastiff rescue.

Nydia Thornton

Nydia Thornton has been a member of the USNMC since 2004 and a volunteer for the club's Rescue Program since 2003. Nydia and her husband Scott formerly owned one of the last domestic plastic injection molding companies of its kind in the USA. They currently own three Neapolitan Mastiffs - Zena 7; Jake 5 and Juni 1. Zena, her first Neapolitan Mastiff was adopted from USNMC rescue. It was after adopting Zena that Nydia chose to volunteer for Rescue.

Nydia became active in the show circuit and has campaigned one of her dogs, Von Knights Jake cb. to championship. Nydia and fellow nominee Irene O'Connor are regular faces at dog shows along the east coast, doing fund-raising and meet-the-breed booths for Rescue, contributing greatly to Rescue's well-known fund-raising prowess. Her active involvement in Rescue has helped to educate the public about our unique breed and Jake is often seen accompanying her to these events as an ambassador for our breed. In 2006 she joined the VIP Committee and assisted in a record breaking fundraising effort.

As a former business owner, mother of three boys, Neo owner, and owner-handler, Nydia Thornton has all the qualities one should look for in a future Director.

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