Our Board

Our Board

The ADW Board of Directors has, for its primary responsibility, oversight of strategic and financial programs, along with fundraising and development activities.

Current Board Members:

LINDA MILANESI
CEO/President (Ex-officio)
Linda Milanesi began her career with Assistance Dogs of the West in 2006 when she apprenticed to become an instructor/trainer in the school programs. She served as Vice President of ADW’s Board of Directors until 2011, when she was named ADW’s Executive Director. Linda oversees a whole-systems team approach for ADW. She supervises and manages policy and procedure, advocacy, board relations, finance, development and grant-writing. She is responsible for creating and nurturing donor and foundation relations and earned income projects.  She is a lead in developing the Facility Dog programs including Courthouse, Crisis Response and Peer Support canines. She regularly presents nationally, and statewide on the benefits of utilizing highly-skilled canines in partnership with professionals in the investigation and prosecution of crime and the mitigation of the trauma associated with the process—both for victims and first responders. She also produces the annual graduation ceremony celebrating the dogs that have been successfully trained for client placements and facility placements. Prior to Santa Fe, she lived in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and worked in Philadelphia and New York City.

JILL FELICE
Founder/Executive VP (Ex-officio)
Assistance Dogs of the West (ADW) Founder and Senior Vice President Jill Felice graduated from Bergin University in 1994 and founded ADW in 1995 placing dogs for people with mobility disabilities and medical conditions. In 2006, Jill began breeding and training dogs specifically for Facility Dog placements—particularly canines who work with legal professionals in the investigation and prosecution of crimes. In 2015, she placed the first Crisis Response Canines in the Office of Special Victims Assistance at FBI headquarters, where the dogs are part of a Rapid Deployment Team for mass violence incidents. Very specialized breeding for health and temperament is at the forefront of the ADW canines in training, ensuring the qualities necessary for Courthouse Facility, Crisis Response, and Peer Support. Jill is a proponent of relationship-based training techniques, which utilize positive reinforcement, to build positive working partnerships between handlers and their working dogs.

JIM MOORE
Executive Chair
Jim Moore, a retired lawyer and business executive, has decades of experience in the federal government, private law practice, and corporate worlds. Born and raised in Southern Colorado, Jim graduated from Princeton University (1968) and Harvard Law School (1971). He and his wife, Ann McWilliams Moore, a professional artist, first met Jill Felice, the founder of Assistance Dogs of the West, shortly after she started ADW in 1995. They have followed the organization closely over the years, and Jim joined the board several years ago. From April 2018 until April of 2024, Jim served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Santa Fe Botanical Garden.

A. DION SILVA
Executive Treasurer
A. Dion Silva is the President of Enterprise Bank & Trust – Santa Fe. Dion has a BS degree (Civil Engineering) and an MBA (Finance) from New Mexico State University. He became involved with Assistance Dogs of the West as a volunteer in 2018. As a Puppy Raiser, he saw intimately the great work and impact ADW has on others. He is currently raising Gigi. Deeply dedicated to service, Dion is the Chairman of the Board of the Santa Fe Community Foundation, Vice-Chair of the Cancer Foundation for New Mexico and Treasurer of Communities in Schools of New Mexico and many other volunteer commitments.

LINDA BERKELEY-WEISS
Executive Secretary
Linda Berkeley-Weiss is a preservation breeder of Labrador Retrievers with over 25 years’ experience.  Linda’s passion has been to maintain, protect, and improve the breed including concentrated efforts of researching pedigrees and selecting dogs to produce the temperament for ADW service dog and facility dog work.  Linda and ADW have partnered in their breeding program for 18 years, producing 250 service dog puppies.  Linda has competed in many AKC venues, including Conformation, Obedience, Rally, Hunt Tests, and Field Trails.  She is the owner/handler of FC AFC Shoreline’s Press On Regardless, High Point Amateur Field Trail Dog 2022, Purina Award Winner 2022, and Women’s Challenge Trophy Winner 2022.  Linda is also a member of the Board of Directors for the Labrador Retriever Club Inc. (AKC Parent Club), and the Women’s Field Trial Club.  She is a member of the Labrador Retriever Club of the Potomac, Labrador Retriever Club of Greater Boston, Palmetto Retriever Club, Carolina Piedmont Retriever Club, and Central New York Retriever Club.  Linda received a BA in Economics at Manhattanville College and a Master of Landscape Architecture at Rhode Island School of Design.

WHITNEY SUNDERLAND
Whitney Sunderland and his wife Kate first moved to New Mexico in 1978, where Whitney completed his doctorate in clinical Psychology from UNM. After graduation, they moved back to their hometown in Kansas City to work and raise their two daughters. Whitney was a hospital based psychologist specializing in Behavioral Medicine and Neuropsychology. He last worked for Truman Medical Center where he was Chief of Psychology, and also directed an outpatient Brain Injury Rehabilitation program. Whitney has served on several other non-profit Boards including the Barstow School and was chair of the Brain Injury Association of Kansas and Greater Kansas City Board of Directors, and the Rediscover Mental Health Center Foundation Board. After retirement, Kate and Whitney moved to Santa Fe and became involved with ADW who trained our wonderful dog Peaches, who assisted our daughter Tess as she was recovering from a severe brain injury.

JOLEEN ROE
Joleen Roe earned her degree from the University of Baltimore Law School. Driven by a passion for giving back, Joleen has since dedicated herself to various causes dear to her heart, including the American Cancer Society, Peninsula Regional Hospital, and the American Heart Association. However, none have resonated more deeply than her involvement with Assistance Dogs of the West (ADW). Since becoming a Puppy Raiser in 2021, Joleen has found profound joy in actively supporting ADW's mission. Currently raising her third dog with ADW, she engages wholeheartedly in various aspects of the organization. Beyond her volunteer work, Joleen and her husband cherish time spent with family, including 13 grandchildren, and share a mutual enthusiasm for collecting Southwest art and Pueblo pottery.

LUZANN FERNANDEZ
Luzann Fernandez is an attorney and has practiced Labor and Employment law for over 30 years as a partner in law firms in Los Angeles and San Francisco.  She graduated from Stanford University with a degree in Art History and attended law school at George Washington University. She is an animal lover and has proudly watched ADW grow and flourish for the last 25 years.  Luzann moved from California to Santa Fe full time in 2020. She has also served as a member of the Board of Trustees for Pitzer College and is a member of the Equestrian Committee at Las Campanas in Santa Fe. 

DEENA SEMLER
Deena Horwitch Semler has been a Court Appointment Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer for the last ten years, working in the Los Angeles, Santa Fe and Portland, OR dependency court systems. As a CASA, she provides vital one-on-one advocacy for children, helping them find safe, permanent homes, securing appropriate educational, and mental and physical health services, and guide the court’s decisions towards more restorative solutions.  Deena has a sister who is significantly impacted by multiple sclerosis, and experiences first-hand the benefits of having a loving, supportive service dog. Deena brings her expertise, fundraising skills and knowledge of living with a disability and the necessity of service dogs to her work with Assistance Dogs of the West.

LIBBY KEEFER
Libby is an attorney with over 45 years of legal and administrative experience. Her primary areas of practice were in public international law and policy for the US government and as General Counsel for two US research universities. In 2021, she retired from her professional career and moved full-time to Santa Fe after being a part-time resident for many years. She is honored to be a part of ADW and impressed every day by what ADW’s staff and volunteers achieve – raising and training these incredible dogs who improve the lives of so many. She is also involved as a member of the boards of the Santa Fe Botanical Garden and the SFCC Foundation Board. She received her B.A. from Barnard College in 1971, and her J.D. from George Washington University in 1977

Advisory Council

To increase our community connections, ADW has formed an Advisory Council. The role of the ADW Advisory Council is to help advance ADW growth and development, influence and professionalism through advice, contacts and counsel. We are honored to have the following community members on our Advisory Council.

Current Advisory Council:

LINDA BERKELEY-WEISS
Contractor and Breeder, CT
GINA BROWNING
Opera Singer and Parent
KATRINA HOLDER
La Mariposa Montessori School
ELLEN KEMPER, JD
ADW Board Emeritus
DOUG LANHAM
Jinja Bistro, Santa Fe
ALI MacGRAW
Actress, Philanthropist and Dog Lover
PAUL MARGETSON
Hotel Santa Fe
TONY MARK
Film Producer
JUDITH NEWTON
ADW Board Emeritus
DR. BRENT PARKER, DVM
Santa Fe Animal Hospital
DR. LARRY TILLEY, DVM, ACVIM
MELISSA WEINER
Publicist
MELISSA WINKLE, OTR/L
ADW Board Emeritus