Susan is a renowned sculptor in the United States and abroad and is both the sculptor and visionary for this Memorial. She is grateful for the wonderful people she has met through her work and travels. Susan has had a lifelong passion for animals and loved exhibiting her beloved champion Afghan Hounds in her 20s. She also has extensive experience in breeding and served as a judge at many dog shows.

Susan received her BFA at New York University, worked at CBS-TV in New York City, and later had her own retail business before focusing full-time on her professional art career 34 years ago. She was on the Executive Board of Critter Lovers at Work in the San Francisco Bay area and was a Co-Chair of the celebrated Bark and Whine Ball in support of shelter animals.

Susan has a very close family, including 3 children and 3 granddaughters. She is married to her very supportive husband Ken, an architect, general contractor and developer, with whom she often collaborates on building projects.

Susan has always had at least one dog and currently has an 11-year-old 6-lb Maltipoo rescue that has brought immeasurable joy into her home. She enjoys walking, hiking, skiing, and traveling.

Nigel Allsopp is an author and expert on war and service animals as well as captive zoo animal management. He is the founder of one of the world’s largest war animal charities which ensures the deeds and sacrifices of four legged soldiers are not forgotten via the establishment of memorials internationally. This charity also provides veterans with therapy animals, including PTSD Equine and Dog programs.

As a passionate and engaging speaker, Nigel shares a wealth of knowledge from his 15 years as a military working dog handler in the Royal New Zealand Air Force Police and years of practical and researched experiences. His expertise is called upon by the Defense Department and government agencies such as Veterans Affairs, Returned serviceman’s associations. Nigel has also lectured at notable institutions, universities and museums around the world.

Nigel is a published author of 14 books including an international best seller, Cry Havoc: the history of war dogs, which has been published in three languages. He also holds the honor of being the recipient of Australia’s 2017 RSL ANZAC of the Year Award.

Marcia is retired after a varied work career including at St. Louis University in St Louis, MO where she served as associate editor of Communication Research Trends for the Jesuit international Center for the Study of Communication & Culture. Marcia was a founding member & first Chair of the SLU Staff Advisory Committee, creating its mission statement, charter & bylaws still in use 25+ years later.

She was also a founding member of a national dog rescue, writing its bylaws & serving as treasurer & at large member of the board for 8+ years, while fostering & placing many rescues in their new forever homes.

She’s one of William A. Wynne’s nine children. Bill owned Smoky, a 4lb Yorkshire Terrier, a WWII war dog hero, Yank Magazine’s Mascot of the Southwest Pacific Theater of Operations as well as the 1st therapy dog of record (Animal Planet). Marcia assisted her father in publishing his memoir, Yorkie Doodle Dandy (1996) & continued to assist him with pc technical & software issues until his death at 99 years in April 2021. She continues to help out with Smoky War Dog LLC.

Marcia & her Dad first met Susan Bahary in 1996 at the opening of the Dogs of War exhibit at the AKC Museum of the Dog where Susan’s “Always Faithful” was featured. In 2007, Susan’s life-sized bronze “Smoky in her helmet” was unveiled in the Rocky River Reservation of Cleveland Metro Parks.

Marcia, her Dad & family have long recognized the need for our nation to recognize & honor animals who serve, as well as their handlers. Its an honor to be involved in bringing this memorial to our nation’s capitol.

Marcia graduated with a BA from St. Louis University, Summa Cum Laude in 1997 & completed most of the course work for a MA in Communication. She’s published articles on rescue stories in the dog rescue newsletter & national dog magazines.

Marla Schneidman is an Executive Talent Acquisition Partner who has been inspiring exceptional talent to join innovative and growing companies for 20+ years. She is passionate and enthusiastic about engaging with visionary business leaders and using her cross-cultural communication skills and charisma to share exciting corporate stories as well as career-defining opportunities with executive professionals around the globe. Marla’s experience includes in-house corporate recruiting, executive search, and global mobility for VC backed start-ups and F500 organizations across a variety of sectors including biotechnology, construction, energy, retail, and technology. She has lived, worked, and travelled in the UK, Ireland, Eastern & Western Europe, Asia, and Israel. Marla was born and raised in San Francisco and currently lives in Marin County. She has two children, Naomi and Noah, and a black cat, Nabu. She has an MA in International Development from the School of International Service at American University in Washington, DC and a BA in Communications with a minor in French Literature from the University of California, San Diego. Marla enjoys playing tennis, hiking, cooking, and speaking French when her accent feels like cooperating.

Shelby has been working in the service animal industry for the last four years, working closely with Dr. Bonnie Bergin. She has worn many hats in the nonprofit world, from fundraising to managing social media accounts to writing grants and organization newsletters. Her immersion in the service dog world has allowed her to create meaningful connections and eventually led her to cross paths with Susan. Shelby is proud to say that she’s been at every NSAM Purple Poppy Awards and Fundraiser since the beginning!

She has a “son” named Mango, her two year-old orange tabby, and shares a released-service dog named Douglas with her sister. Shelby has lived in Northern California her whole life, from South Lake Tahoe to Marin County. She graduated from Sonoma State University in 2020 with her BA in Dance and has been teaching dance to children, teens, and adults ever since.

Her interests include all-things arts and crafts, caring for her 40+ houseplants, spending time with loved ones, being in nature, and listening to music. Shelby is excited to help bring the National Service Animals Memorial to life!