The instructors at Guide Dogs for the Blind are truly leaders in their field. GDB's Guide Dog Mobility Instructors have gone through rigorous three-year apprenticeships under the guidance of senior instructors and supervisors. They study conditions that affect vision, learn cane travel, and, of course, become fully versed in Guide Dogs' own "Balanced Educational System for Training Guide Dogs" (BEST). As part of their apprenticeships, they also participate in class training and spend ten days under blindfold, experiencing what it's like to be a student in Guide Dogs' program. They have passed written, oral and practical exams to be licensed by the State of California.
In addition to training dogs and teaching students, they assist Guide Dogs alumni throughout the U.S. and Canada as part of the school's extensive post-graduation services.
Meet some of GDB's Guide Dog Mobility Instructors.
Jenna Bullis, Master Guide Dog Mobility Instructor/Research and Development Assistant
Originally from Fremont, California, Jenna now lives in El Sobrante with her husband, Grant. Jenna graduated from San Diego State University with a B.A. in Psychology and an emphasis in animal behavior and began her career at Guide Dogs in 1997. Jenna currently serves as both a Senior Instructor and Research and Development Assistant and in 2007 completed a three-month O&M course with Guide Dogs Victoria in Melbourne, Australia. Over the years Jenna has trained and titled her Rottweilers in numerous dog sports including; Schutzhund, Tracking, AKC conformation and obedience, and Herding. When not training dogs, Jenna enjoys cycling, triathlons, and adventure travel.
Ben Cawley, Senior Guide Dog Mobility Instructor
Ben moved from Connecticut to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1998 to work for Guide Dogs for the Blind. He graduated from Fairfield University in 1996 with a B.S. in Biology. On his journey to Guide Dogs, Ben had a diverse career path spending summers during college working as a forklift driver for a salmon cannery in Kodiak, Alaska; following college Ben worked for a brief time as a Research Assistant for Dekalb Genetics, a corn seed company. Ben currently lives in Fairfax, California with his wife Nancy, Mack the Australian Shepherd, Cali the Border collie mix and Pepe the cat.
Jenn Ceia, Guide Dog Mobility Instructor
Jen is from Pleasant Hill, California. She was a Guide Dog puppy raiser from 1986-1992. She received a bachelor's degree in psychology from U.C. Davis. She has worked as a veterinary clinic receptionist and as a pre-school teacher in Romania. She currently resides in Oakland with her husband Cristian, 7-year-old daughter Julia, and German Shepherd Starly.
Molly Combs, Guide Dog Mobility Instructor
Molly grew up in Washington State and has always lived in the Pacific Northwest. After raising Guide Dog puppies for 12 years and completing two internships at GDB, Molly decided to become an instructor. She began working at Guide Dogs in 2001 and received her license in February of 2008. When not working, Molly enjoys camping, square dancing, spending time with her horses, reading, and watching old movies. Molly has an 8 year-old Airedale Terrier and two cats.
Heather Crandall, Guide Dog Mobility Instructor
Originally from Bellingham, Washington, Heather now lives in San Rafael, California after moving to the area with her fiance Joel. She received a bachelor's degree in Psychology and Elementary Education from Western Washington University and has two Weimaraners: Farley and Clover-Belle; she also has numerous fish. She enjoys snowboarding, camping, gardening, and taking her dogs to Stinson Beach and Fort Funston.
Nancy Denier, Guide Dog Mobility Instructor
Nancy is originally from Idaho Falls, Idaho and now lives in Boring,Oregon with her three dogs: a GDB career change dog named "Vanka," a Pit Bull called "Irie," and "Grady," a Sheltie; she also has two cats. Nancy raised her first Guide Dog puppy in 1990, and has raised two more since then. Before coming to Guide Dogs in 2000, she managed a coffee house and was an adoption and foster home coordinator for her local, all-volunteer Humane Society. She fostered many dogs in her home and continues to do so for GDB. For fun, Nancy enjoys snowboarding, hiking, camping, playing the fiddle, and training and competing with "Irie" in the dog sport of flyball.
Ann Marie Dobosz, Guide Dog Mobility Instructor
Ann Marie grew up in Dearborn, Michigan, and then moved to New York to study writing and history at Sarah Lawrence College. She worked as a writer and editor for various magazines in New York City before coming to Guide Dogs in 2003. In addition to her work as an instructor, Ann Marie is currently studying psychology in graduate school. She lives in San Francisco with her partner, Susan, and their two dogs, Neko and Luke.
Stacey Ellison, Training and Class Supervisor
Stacey has worked at the Guide Dogs for the Blind California campus since 1989. She graduated with honors from U.C. Berkeley and recently chaired the Adult Learning Committee at Guide Dogs, which played a paramount role in the new class program initiatives now in place. Stacey lives in San Rafael with her husband and daughter, and she enjoys volunteering at her daughter's school, gardening, running, and doing agility with her Flat Coated Retriever Trilby.
Marc Gillard, Guide Dog Mobility Instructor
Marc is from Melbourne, Australia. He resides in Novato, California, with his wife Christy and two cats: Shasta and Stinson. He received a degree in forest science from the University of Melbourne. He has worked for several guide dog organizations including the Royal Guide Dogs Associations of Australia, the British Columbia Guide Dog Services and Guide Dogs Victoria. He received his postgraduate diploma in orientation and mobility at Latrobe University, and is currently dually qualified as a guide dog orientation and mobility instructor for Guide Dogs for the Blind. He is also an assessor for the International Guide Dog Federation. He enjoys playing trombone in the Santa Rosa Junior College jazz band and the 'People of Note' community big band in Novato, California.
Jeff Grey, Master Guide Dog Mobility Instructor
Jeff grew up in Springfield, Virginia. He received a B.S. in Business Administration and played football at the University of North Carolina. He had a successful career in the computer industry and moved to California in the process. Jeff's passion for scuba diving led him to The Marine Mammal Center, where he volunteered his time assisting with the rehabilitation of sick/injured marine mammals; he was also a member of the water rescue team. When Jeff decided it was time for a new career challenge, he joined Guide Dogs in 1998 as an Instructor Assistant and obtained a California State License in 2003. Jeff resides in Novato with his career change Golden Retriever/Labrador cross named Trevino.
Patrick Kelly, Guide Dog Mobility Instructor
Patrick Kelly, a former police officer and member of the US Marine Corps Reserves, grew-up in South Lake Tahoe and graduated from California State University, Sacramento with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice. He enjoys hiking, camping, and martial arts. Pat lives in Rio Vista, California, with his wife Andrea, daughter Ryann, son Sean, and German Shepherd Kayla.
Carrie Skym, Guide Dog Mobility Instructor
It was Carrie's dream to work at Guide Dogs since she turned 17 and raised a successful Guide Dog puppy. Now after working here for the past 11 years, she still finds herself passionate about her job, our clients and our mission. Carrie is married with two children and she and her family have become breeder custodians for Guide Dogs; they look forward to volunteering and giving back to the organization.
Shawna Wooley, Guide Dog Mobility Instructor
Another Petaluma, California, resident, Shawna was born in Sitka, Alaska. She lives with a career change dog from GDB, a German Shepherd named Matisse, and a rescued terrier mix named Tater. She enjoys hiking and sea kayaking in her spare time.
Julie Wright, Guide Dog Mobility Instructor
Julie is from Pennsylvania and Virginia and received a B.S. in Psychology at Virginia Tech. While in college, she received a summer internship position at the Baltimore Aquarium in Maryland with the marine mammal division, working closely with trainers, dolphins and seals. Afterwards, she volunteered with a group of dog trainers at Virginia Tech who were researching the ability of dogs to sniff out scents. Julie then became interested in pursuing a career working with guide dogs and fell in love with Guide Dogs' Oregon campus. After pursuing a position at Guide Dogs for three years, marrying, and moving to Oregon, Julie got her wish. She became an Instructor's Assistant in 2000, was promoted to Apprentice in 2001, and became Licensed in 2004. She lives in Oregon with her husband, her 2 year-old daughter, a great Aussie dog, and is also expecting a little boy to join their family very soon. Julie enjoys horseback riding, hiking, camping, and spending time with her family.
