Meet The CGQ Authors

Amy “Bullet” Brown

International speaker and creative judge, Amy Brown, has been working in the pet industry for over 25 years. She owns and operates A. B. Grooming & Spa Services in Alabama, an upscale private spa that was featured in the PAWsitively Posh article from Groomer to Groomer’s Nov/Dec 2009 issue.

In addition to managing her spa, she is president and founder of the National Association of Professional Creative Groomers, the first and only organization dedicated solely to creative grooming. Through the NAPCG, Amy is able to develop educational material for established and aspiring groomers everywhere, including authoring The Science of Creative Grooming and writing for CGQ: Creative Groomer Quarterly as well as other grooming publications.

Justine Cosley

Justine Cosley graduated from the Median School of Allied Health Careers in 1991 with a certificate in Veterinary Assistance. She graduated from the Pampered Pet School of Grooming in 1996. After working in local grooming shops for 5 years, Justine opened “Justine’s Doggy Styles” in 2001.

She began competing in creative grooming in 2005. Over the past 5 years, she has competed in 12 creative grooming competitions, receiving placements in 8 of those 12. Alongside her standard poodle Silas as the “Steeler Poodle”, she graced the cover of Groomer to Groomer magazine in March of 2006. Silas and Justine were also featured on the cover of the Atlanta Journal Constitution in 2007. In 2009, she appeared with her standard poodle Franchesca in the Abstract Design Runway competition at the All American Grooming show in Chicago. Although they didn’t place, Franchesca’s leopard spot design has become a commonly repeated theme in groomingsSalons all over the world after photos and an explanation of the technique she used were published in numerous magazines.

In the summer of 2009, Justine switched gears and re-opened her grooming business as a feline exclusive grooming shop, “Cat Around Town.” She is a Certified Feline Master Groomer with the NCGIA as well as a Nationally Certified Master Groomer with NDGAA. She is also a proud member of the National Association of Professional Creative Groomers and plans to certify as soon as it becomes available.

In addition to competing with live animals, Justine has entered 3 model dog competitions, winning 3 placements, including 2 first places.

Danelle German

Danelle German, CFMG, CFCG, owned CFA’s Bara Cattery from 1999-2005. During that time she produced and showed many National and Regional award winning Persian’s, including CFA’s 3rd Best Cat in Premiership in 2005. Danelle is a member of Foothills Felines Cat Club, serving as President and Show Manager for a number of years. In 2005, she retired from showing to focus on her feline-exclusive spa and resort, The Catty Shack, Ltd., located in Simpsonville, SC.

Danelle is the founder of the National Cat Groomers Institute of America, Inc. and, in 2009 sold her grooming salon so she could open the world’s first feline-exclusive grooming school located in Greenville, SC. She currently serves as President and Certifier/Instructor of the NCGIA and Director of the National Cat Groomers School and is a member of Wahl’s X-Treme Groom Team. Along with her husband, Michael, she is the inventor and patent holder of the Catty Shack Vac™ drying system.

Danelle has authored the Ultimate Cat Groomer Encyclopedia as well as several articles for a variety of grooming publications. She is also the author of certification study guides for cat groomers and has written updated cat grooming study material for other associations. Danelle has appeared on Animal Planet’s Cats 101 and has been interviewed and filmed numerous times for Discovery Channel, local TV stations, Kittens USA and other media. She is the winner of the first Groomers Got Talent competition held at Groom Expo in 2009 and has served as a judge for the Cat Writer’s Association.

Speaking regularly on all topics related to cat grooming and behavior, Danelle is a true pioneer in the field of feline grooming. Her lectures and training materials can found around the world. In addition to speaking, Danelle has judged cat grooming competitions at various shows in both the US and Europe.

Judi Cantu-Thacker

Having both parents as groomers, Judi began bathing dogs at the age of nine. However Judi did not approach grooming seriously until she was 21. At that point she developed a strong interest in the industry. She began attending trade shows with her parents who also developed and manufactured pet dryers and apparel for groomers.

By the time Judi finished her first year of grooming, she was already in the contest ring. By her second competition she took first place. She went on to place as “Best All Around Groomer” and “Best Groomed Dog” in her division in Nashville 2001. She was given the honor of joining the Wahl Clipper Corporation as a member of the Extreme Grooming Team. This team travels the grooming show circuit holding mini demos and seminars to educate other groomers within the industry. Judi was also invited to participate in the Tournament of Champions Grooming competitions in 2004 and 2005.

Judi retired from competing at the end of 2004 due to a potential conflict of interest as a grooming show promoter. She then accepted the position of Coordinator for Groom Team USA. This non-profit organization presents scholarships in Judi’s father’s name. Judi traveled with the team to Milan in spring 2007 as Team Captain of Groom Team USA along with the top four groomers of 2005 and 2006 to represent the United States in the international grooming competition.

Christein Sertzel

Owner of Finer DeTails Pet Spa & Healing Arts Center in Mazomanie, WI.

Christein Sertzel is a multiple certified Master Companion Pet Stylist with over 30 years of experience in the pet care and grooming industries, beginning in 1980. Christein learned at a young age to value kindness to animals and awe of nature and respect for spiritual wholeness and has carried these values with her all the length of her career. Christein is also certified in multiple modality Canine Massage Therapy and Acupressure Therapy thru both the Pet Massage School, and coordinates with IAAMB as a basic course instructor, as well as an independent consultant. Christein also has extended certification in many supportive care services including Reiki, TTouch, Hydrotherapy, Reflexology, Kinesiology, Dancing Lights Color Therapy, Aromatherapy and Bach’s Flower Essence Therapy. For the last 20 years, in addition to learning all that she can about grooming and skin & coat care for pets, Christein has studied at length in canine physiology, energetics, and written articles, books, and developed her own line of canine skin & coat care products, Canine Spa Therapies, as well as founded the Wisconsin Association of Professional Pet Stylists. Giving back to the industry she loves keeps Christein guided and passionate about caring for pets and fellow professionals of all walks.

MICHAEL C. FLECK, DVM

Dr. Fleck, with bachelor and veterinary degrees from Michigan State University, holds an M.A. degree and is certified as a licensed esthetician. Dr Fleck has practiced small animal medicine for thirty-five years in Florida, Michigan and Guam. He is a member of many professional organizations including the American, Florida, California and Michigan Veterinary Associations.

Dr. Fleck is founder and creator of Epi-Pet, which develops “high performance” skin and ear care products and treatments for pets.

Dr. Fleck has lectured extensively on “Skin and Ear Care for Pets” throughout the United States at many veterinarian and groomer conferences and trade shows.

Lisa Drake

Lisa Drake has been a Master groomer for 20 years and is a member of the National Dog Grooming Association, International Society of Canine Cosmetology, National Cat Groomers Institute of America, National Association of Professional Women as well as, a Search and Rescue K-9 handler for the Safety and Technical Rescue Association. She has a specialty in obedience and behavior training. She holds an Associate’s Degree in Business Administration, and has owned her own grooming and K-9 training businesses. She enjoys working with all breeds; her favorite is the Belgian Malinois.

Lisa is the Operations Director for Epi-Pet, a natural skin and ear care line for pets. She received her esthetician license in 2007 and she travels with Dr. Fleck around the world teaching about skin and coat care to groomers. Lisa is also a Pet Esthetician. Lisa fields most of the questions that come into the Epi-Pet office on a daily basis as it relates to the skin and coat care to help resolve problems, as well as deal with particular ingredients used in various products that may harm the skin and hair coats of pets.

Michele Grenkow

In February 1990, at the age of 15, Michele’s official animal activities started at the SPCA after a large horse seizure caused the shelter to rely solely on volunteers. Once the horses were rehabilitated and placed in new homes, Michele continued to work as volunteer coordinator and kennel staff/receptionist for the SPCA while going through college to become a Farrier & Blacksmith. Michele continues to aid the SPCA in seizure cases, giving expert testimony when needed.

In 1996, Michele entered into the world of medicine when she started working at BC’s top animal reproduction clinic. She was able to understand, in depth, the difference between a breeder and a great breeder, as she watched clients forced to euthanize beloved pets, because of genetic illnesses that could have easily been screened out of breeding programs.

In 1997, Michele and her mom, Hilary, started MiHi Great Danes (pronounced My High). MiHi Great Danes has produced top award winning Danes in Canada and the US.

After 5 years at the clinic she turned her sights on the human medical world, where she met her future husband, Darcy. Michele was a First Responder for 3 years until the birth of her first child. It was during that first pregnancy (2003) that Michele was visiting a grooming friend and started helping out around the salon, mentored and exposed to the grooming world by one of Canada’s top breed profile groomers. Everyone still teases that her second child was born in a whelping box at Canada’s largest dog show, even though she was born a week before that show!

2006 was an intense year for Michele. She took a third place in her first grooming competition. Animal Haven Grooming was given to her to carry on the legacy in September. Michele completed all her practical and written exams for IPG, and one week later Hilary died on Halloween after a battle with breast cancer. Shortly after she wrote her masters and became a CMG, just three months after Michele’s Mom passed, she was undergoing a bilateral radical mastectomy herself.

In 2010, Michele set out to rally a group of groomers into starting a Canadian certification body. Shortly thereafter, that group of dedicated Canadian groomers started Canadian Professional Groomers.

After twenty-one years, 2011 is a new chapter of Michele’s adventure, with the start of creative grooming, done safely and correctly through the education of the organization NAPCG.