The CHAMP Assistance Dogs Staff
Pam Budke - Executive Director
Pam has enjoyed a diverse career centered on animals and helping children and adults with disabilities. Pam has a degree in Corporate Communications from Lindenwood University. Pam worked at SSD -Special School District as the Assistant Administrator of Communications while attending college.
In 1997, Pam began working in non-profit management which included working for the APA Adoption Center and she served as the Executive Director of the Wildlife Rescue Center in Ballwin, MO.
In November of 2011, Pam joined CHAMP Assistance Dogs as the Executive Director. Pam is consistently inspired by the variety of life-changing programs at CHAMP and she is extremely passionate about the CHAMP mission. Pam enjoys working with service dogs-in-training and visiting the CHAMP prison program at a women’s prison camp in Greenville, IL.
Rydell, an on-call courthouse facility dog, lives with Pam. Ry and Pam are available to go to the Mel Carnahan courthouse in downtown St. Louis, where Ry comforts children and adults during depositions who are victims or witnesses of crime. Ry is also a CHAMP Therapy Dog.
Pam and her daughter, Sarah, love to spend time outdoors playing with their dogs and service dogs-in-training who are visiting their home. Besides Rydell, Pam and Sarah also live with Richie, a black standard poodle, and a kitty named Frankie, who are all members of their family.
Jacqui Zancanata - Director of Education
Jacqui Zancanata is a St. Louis native, where she continues to live with her husband and growing family. Jacqui is a graduate of the University of Missouri, holding a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology.
She has been actively involved in the dog rescue community, working with multiple 501c3 groups fostering, training, and rehabilitating a variety of dog breeds. After placing 50+ animals into their forever homes, she continues to care for a number of animals who have become a permanent part of the Zancanata family.
Jacqui worked with the Bi-State Pet Food Pantry (501c3) for most of the last decade. She first became a volunteer assisting, in their efforts collecting food donations. Jacqui became the Volunteer Coordinator in 2013 where she organized teams for processing large incoming food donations and monthly distributions. She was also actively involved in fundraising efforts, organizing multiple trivia events and representing the Pantry at numerous outreach events. Jacqui assumed the role of President in 2015, working to extend the reach of the Pantry throughout the greater St. Louis area. She maintained relationships with numerous manufacturers and generous contributors, and worked with multiple media outlets to both promote and raise awareness.
Jacqui began volunteering with CHAMP in 2015 when she and her Labradoodle Daphne graduated from the Therapy Dog program. Both were actively making visits to retirement communities, schools, and universities. During that period Jacqui also served two (2) years as the CHAMP Therapy Dog Program Director. Following the passing of Daphne at the age of fifteen and a brief hiatus, Jacqui has returned to making regular visitations with her new teammate Walter. Walter is a seven (7) year old Bagel (Beagle/Bassett Hound mix) full of personality, and was the first Beagle to achieve the CHAMP certification with his original handler Regina. Unfortunately, the CHAMP family lost Regina who was a beloved member of this organization. Fate united Jacqui and Walter where they continue to represent CHAMP in the community. Additionally, Jacqui has also recently accepted the position as Education Program Director.
Martha Pollard - Director of the Therapy Dog Program
Martha was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, where she currently resides with her husband, Mike, and 2 Cornish Rex cats, Ivy and Gideon. She has 3 children, 3 perfect grandchildren, and a variety of grand-pets including dogs, cats, and a blue-tongue skink!
Until recently, she worked as a Registered Nurse, starting in Intensive Care and Mother-Baby and transferring in 1982 to the Operating Room where she found her true nursing calling. Martha holds a Master’s Degree in nursing, and over the years gained experience working in Integrated Health Technology, Nursing Informatics, Nursing Management, and Operations Consulting, all with a focus on surgical services.
Martha has owned and loved many pets over the years including cats, birds, hamsters, guinea pigs, a horse, a Saint Bernard, a Husky, a Miniature Poodle, a Rottweiler, a Pug, and many mixed-breed dogs! She became familiar with CHAMP Assistance Dogs when she attended her grand-dog Rocky’s graduation as a CHAMP Therapy Dog! Martha believes there is a true and spiritual energy bond between animals and humans; that touching and visiting with pets connects us to a broader web of positivity, love, and healing; and that one of the great gifts of dog-human interaction is acceptance without judgment.
Martha is very excited to be the new Director of the CHAMP Therapy Dog program and is looking forward to adding a new pup (hopefully with Therapy Dog potential!) to her family in the near future. In this position, she will be coordinating over 100 active Therapy Dog teams.
Nola Ewers - Director of the Assistance Dog Program
Nola is a founding member of CHAMP, and past board president. She has been training service dogs since 1992, first starting with another local organization before leaving to become one of 13 founding members of CHAMP Assistance Dogs. Nola visits the CHAMP prison program in Greenville, IL each week to lead classes for our offender-trainers.
She is responsible for all aspects of the service dog program, from selecting and educating puppies through their eventual placement as service or facility dogs. Nola is also responsible for ensuring each dog’s future partner is ready to be a great partner for their dog.
She also enjoys being part of the instructional team for CHAMP therapy dog classes, and a presenter for the CHAMP Education Program.
Robin Wood - Director of Finance and Special Events
Robin’s involvement with CHAMP began in 2015 as a volunteer on the planning committee for CHAMP’s signature event, “Hooray for Howl-E-Woof”. After getting to know the wonderful volunteers and staff at CHAMP, and seeing all of the great work the organization does, Robin was thrilled to have the opportunity to join the CHAMP staff in February, 2017. She considers it an honor to be a part of CHAMP and to support the organization’s mission.
Robin has a Master’s Degree in Media Communications. Her previous work in non-profit special events, as well as accounting, and even television, has helped to prepare her for her current role as Director of Finance and Special Events at CHAMP. Producing a successful event is definitely a team effort, and Robin loves working with the enthusiastic and dedicated volunteers who make it all happen.
Robin has great admiration for the work of all of the assistance dogs in the CHAMP program, and is very gratified by seeing the extraordinary positive impact that these dogs make on people’s lives.
Dana Ruff - Placement Services Manager
Dana has been training with CHAMP since 2009, and joined our staff in February 2012. Her skills as an advanced service dog trainer coupled with her desire to help each client develop a strong partnership with their assistance dog make her the perfect choice for this position.
Dana also works one-on-one with our service dog students during the transfer process, and helps answer questions that may arise throughout the life of the team.
Dana also enjoys being part of the instructional team for CHAMP therapy dog classes.
Jen Wotka - Puppy Program Manager
Jen started as a volunteer with CHAMP in 2016 as a Pet Therapy Team with her beloved dog Luna. Visits to Ranken Jordan and Delta Gamma Center were always their favorite places to spread joy, smiles, and the healing power of dogs. After learning about the work that CHAMP does placing Assistance and Facility dogs, she became a puppy raiser in 2019.
Jen and her husband Mike love to travel, spend time outdoors, go to concerts, and spend time with friends and family. They believe a house is not a home without a dog and love each CHAMP puppy that makes an appearance in their home.
Jen graduated from Fontbonne with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and completed her Masters in Social Work with a focus on Mental Health at Wash U. She has worked as a therapist to a wide range of ages and populations and continues to see a small number of therapy clients.
When the opportunity arose to join the CHAMP team as the Puppy Program Manager, Jen could not pass up the chance to combine her two passions of dogs and helping people. She looks forward to bringing her compassionate, caring approach to support CHAMP’s puppy raisers, clients, and staff. One of her favorite things about CHAMP is that they place equal emphasis on the needs and well being of both clients and dogs. Jen continues to be inspired by CHAMP and looks forward to being part of the organization as they grow and serve those in the community that need it most.
Katie Leemon - Assistance Dog Trainer
Assistance Dog Trainer Katie Leemon GFI, PT, CNC is currently obtaining a bachelor’s degree in strategic communications from Washington University in St. Louis. She is also a Certified Canine Good Citizen Evaluator through the American Kennel Club and has received her Apprenticeship in Animal Training through the US Department of Labor.
She began volunteering with CHAMP in 2010 and fell in love with the mission and vision of the organization. Katie began training service dogs on a volunteer basis starting in 2015. During that time, she worked as a camera operator and video editor creating Human Resources Videos for the state of Missouri.
Through CHAMP Katie has learned so much and in 2021 she accepted a position as a full-time staff member. She is thrilled to be an integral part of the Assistance Dog Team, teaching group classes and individual training sessions for service dogs in training. Other aspects of CHAMP Katie assists with include: helping present educational demos, evaluating therapy dog hopefuls, and implementing a new breeding program.
Personal Projects Katie fosters for the organization include: a strategic communications campaign through social media channels, a trick’s class to further engage therapy dog handlers with their dogs and the St. Louis community members they serve, and teaching a restorative puppy yoga class that helps participants with mental, physical, and emotional wellness.
Katie receives so much fulfillment from helping her community through the Assistance Dogs placed by CHAMP. She cannot wait to help the organization grow and continues to be excited to see how much further she can become involved in the future of the organization.
Christina Rustenhaven - Assistance Dog Trainer
Christina Rustenhaven has been an animal lover all her life. She was born and raised in Kansas City, MO, where she grew up on 20 acres of land with many animals. She moved to St. Louis in 2012 with a job offer to train service dogs and has since made St. Louis her home.
She started professionally training service dogs in 2009. She has college hours in dog psychology, VT animal training, and VT hearing dog training. She also went through Assistance Dogs International certification and is an ADI certified service dog trainer including certification through the Department Of Labor.
Christina has trained over a hundred service dogs and has worked with hundreds of clients and volunteers. She has been an instructor for volunteer puppy raisers and prison programs in service dog training classes since 2012.
Christina joined CHAMP in October 2021. She is an instructor for puppy raising classes and CHAMP’s prison program in Greenville, IL, and also works with CHAMP clients, and our education program.