President
Noel King
As Noel puts it, "My job is easy. I get to work with amazing and inspirational people and dogs.” Dog trainer by day, fundraiser by night, Noel is deeply involved in all aspects of MidAmerica. She founded this organization in 2008 and is touched by the ripple MidAmerica has created, and continues to create, though recipients, dogs, volunteers, and the Chicagoland community. With years of obedience, agility, and service dog training, Noel brings the business operations and animal training worlds together to support our mission, a mission rooted in connecting dogs and people to enhance lives. "This organization has a life, a family of its’ own, and I’m blessed to be a part of it."
Vice President
Patricia Kinsella-Stallter
Pat’s day is never the same with MidAmerica. Pat oversees multiple aspects of our service dog placement, recipient matches, training initiatives, efficiencies in operations, and long term objectives. Her duties include review of applications, conducting interviews for potential recipients and volunteers, home visits for recipients and volunteers, and fostering dogs through the transition of being prepared to be placed with a recipient. Pat’s knowledge of the needs of individuals with varying abilities and how those needs can be supported through a service dog are unmatched. Pat has been with MidAmerica for over 15 years and has seen firsthand the impact a service dog can make through the chapters of on an individual’s life.
Secretary
Stacey Davis
Stacey is the common thread that holds MidAmerica together. She is the communications queen, ensuring a welcoming and efficient first point of contact for all inquiries. Stacey routinely brings the board together to ensure smooth operations, coordinates schedules for recipients, plans for social media posts and email messages, and guides our outreach opportunities. In addition to overseeing communications, she actively assists in the development of organizational policies and plays a key role in coordinating and supporting fundraising initiatives to advance the MidAmerica mission. Stacey deeply believes in this organization and loves being able to support it.
Treasurer
Nicholas Listello
Between swimming, hiking, working out, and his day to day job, Nick is always on the go. His active lifestyle and experience with dog training makes him the perfect person to bridge the gap between the dog's task work learned in the prison training program and real-world application of those skills, leading to successful placement of a dog ready to work with the recipient in numerous situations. Nick's goal is to ensure every dog is confident, capable, and ready to thrive alongside their new recipient. Nick is crucial in advising potential recipients how to work with their individual dog and is full of tricks on how to best use a service dog in real life scenerios.
Director
Kim Insley
Kim assists with all aspects of the dogs in our program. From puppy acquisition, coaching of trainers at the prison, perfecting dog working skills, or evaluating potential recipients current dogs, Kim uses her knowledge of dog behavior to promote dog wellbeing from puppy to placement through home visits, policy development, and dog training. Kim says “my experience and ongoing education in the field of dog training has prepared me for the training aspect of this role, but nothing could have prepared me for the overwhelming emotions experienced as a result of working with the incredible humans who receive these amazing dogs."
Director
Charlie Jacobsma
Charlie has two big passions: people and animals. He loves being a part of MidAmerica where he can combine those two passions into one impactful organization. He values being able to teach, whether that is through training a dog to meet the needs of a recipient, teaching a recipient how to best utilize their service dog, or working with the inmates to deepen their knowledge of animal behavior. Charlie is constantly inspired by the MidAmerica family and loves being able to have a small part in changing the lives of people, both recipients and trainers, through the impact of a service dog.
Director
Cathy McMahon
Cathy is never off the MidAmerica volunteer clock! She constantly connects with corporations, local businesses, and individual donors to create meaningful partnerships to ensure we have the financial resources needed to achieve our mission, a mission she is energetic about supporting. Alongside her fundraising efforts, she often opens up her home to foster dogs at different stages of their training journey, supporting their progress and readiness to find a home with a recipient. Cathy is always looking for new ways to make an impact and help sustain and grow MidAmerica. She is our walking billboard, constantly talking and promoting our organization to anyone that will listen.