Board of Directors & Staff – Next Step Service Dogs

Board of Directors

Stefan BienPresident

Stefan Bien

Stefan Bien is a retired U.S. Marine, having served 27 years in the infantry. He retired in 2017 and currently works as a defense contractor as an instructor and consultant on Camp Pendleton, California. Stefan began as a client of Next Step Service Dogs in 2018, having been referred to the organization by the Veterans Administration. The journey with NSSD commenced with Stefan wanting to re-train his bird dog Bosco, a vizsla, to perform tasks as his service dog. After over a year of remedial obedience training, group socialization work, and one-on-one coaching with the professional trainers at NSSD, Stefan and Bosco were certified as a team with Bosco providing mobility assistance among other tasks. Since then, Stefan has volunteered for NSSD as a military liaison and by assisting the organization with transporting service dogs across the central and western United States.

Ian Dunbar, PHD, BVETMED, MRCVSSecretary/Treasurer

Dr. Ian Dunbar is a veterinarian, animal behaviorist, dog trainer and author. He received his veterinary degree and a Special Honors degree in Physiology & Biochemistry from the Royal Veterinary College (London University) and a doctorate in animal behavior from the Psychology Department at UC Berkeley, where he researched the development of social hierarchies and aggression in domestic dogs.

Ian Dunbar, PHD, BVETMED, MRCVS

In 1982, Dr. Dunbar taught the world’s very first off-leash, puppy socialization and training classes—SIRIUS® Puppy Training. Subsequently, he started and wrote the American Kennel Club’s Gazette “Behavior” column, created the K9 GAMES®, which were first held in San Francisco in 1993 and continue as an annual event in Japan, co-founded Open Paw’s Shelter Behavior & Training program, and founded the Association of Professional Dog Trainers and the APDT Foundation.

Dr. Dunbar has authored numerous books, including Before & After Getting Your Puppy, How To Teach A New Dog Old Tricks and the SIRIUS® Puppy Training video. Over the past 50 years, he has given over 1500 multi-day seminars and workshops around the world for dog trainers and veterinarians to popularize reward training techniques, off-leash puppy/dog classes, temperament modification, and owner-friendly, dog-friendly dog training.

Dr. Dunbar hosted the popular UK television series Dogs With Dunbar for five seasons and the Dash Village annual special in Japan. He has consulted on a variety of movies, including Pixar’s Up. His favorite claim to fame was being inducted into the Dog Fancy Hall of Fame along with four of his heroes, James Herriot, Konrad Lorenz, Lassie, and Balto.

Dr. Dunbar continues as Top Dog at the Center for Applied Animal Behavior and produced DogStarDaily.com, a free online, multi-media, puppy raising and dog training website and currently, he serves on the Board of Directors for Next Step Service Dogs.

Ted CollinsBoard Member

Ted is a San Diego native and a third generation police officer.

Ted Collins

Ted is a San Diego native and a third generation police officer. He is currently a supervisor with a municipal police department in the County of San Diego and has been in law enforcement for almost 20 years. He has worked several assignments within the Department, including as a dispatcher and a detective. Ted has trained and worked with various First Responders throughout his career and is currently part of a multi-disciplinary leadership cadre for San Diego county First Responders.

Ted volunteers his time with various organizations throughout the year and is the co-lead of his church’s Safety Team.

He looks for new adventures to have with his wife and sons whenever the opportunity arises.

Ted came to Next Step Service Dogs through his wife, Dana, who volunteers her time as a Chaplain with the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department. Dana is partnered with Knox and is part of the Crisis Response Canine teams serving the Fire-Rescue Department and their personnel. Ted is trained as a back-up handler for Knox and other dogs in the program. He is always looking for opportunities to assist Veterans and First Responders as the First Responder liaison for Next Step Service Dogs.

Staff

Gina Esoldi, CPDT-KAProgram Director

Gina Esoldi

Gina Esoldi was born and raised in New Jersey and via Florida, made her way to San Diego, CA back in 2001. For 30 years, she and her husband owned and operated a successful Real Estate Development business on both coasts. During the years of owning their own business, Gina also worked with several non-profits, providing services for children and adults with disabilities, started and developed a Junior Ice Hockey Program in Florida and discovered that she was a phenomenally successful non-profit fund-raiser. In San Diego, Gina served with the Wellness program for High School students at Cathedral Catholic.

In 2014, with children raised and moving into a new chapter of her life, Gina was blessed with meeting Sally Montrucchio, the founder of Next Step Service Dogs. This chance meeting in a dog park changed Gina’s life; she discovered her life’s calling — selecting and training Assistance Dogs for Veterans primarily those with PTSD and/or TBI and providing 24/7 life-long support. In 2017, Gina received her Certification as a Professional Dog Trainer.

Having the opportunity to work with, not only amazing dogs but also, the men and women that have served our country, is more than she had hoped or planned. Gina is truly passionate about her work and beyond grateful to the men and women that continue to provide purpose for her each day.
Subsequently, Gina founded Companion Dog Training to teach Puppy Classes for Veteran-owned puppies and adolescent dogs. CDT also employees Veterans that have graduated the NSSD program.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

AND STAFF

Board of Directors

Staff