Meet the Trainers
The Starmark family was founded in 1997 and includes approximately 40 staff members—15 of which are certified training and behavior specialists.
All of our certified training and behavior specialists are handpicked from the top graduates of our Starmark Academy for Professional Dog Trainers, the largest and most comprehensive dog training school in the world.
Your dog is a member of your family, and we look forward to welcoming your dog to ours!
Howard Kennedy
Howie has always naturally connected with every dog he’s met and knew early on that he wanted a career where he could work with them. He joined the United States Air Force as a Military Police Officer, where he had the opportunity to work alongside K9 handlers and assist with working dogs, further strengthening his interest in the field. After leaving the military, he discovered the Starmark Academy for Professional Dog Trainers and decided to pursue his education in professional dog training. Howie graduated the 12 week program and is a Certified Canine Training & Behavior Specialist. He spent an additional 3 months participating in an internship and gained valuable hands-on experience working in areas that include Basic and Advanced Obedience, Dog Sports, Behavior Modification and more!
Addison McGinnis
Addison knew from an early age that her love for animals would play a major role in her future career. Her passion for learning more about dogs grew after hearing her grandfather share stories about his time in a canine unit training search and rescue dogs. Eager to expand her knowledge, Addison enrolled at Starmark Academy. After graduating, she discovered a true passion for training pets and helping owners build stronger relationships with their dogs. Addison brings enthusiasm, dedication, and a positive attitude to every training session and is always excited to take on new challenges—especially when they involve a furry friend.
Ali Magelky
Ali’s love for dogs began early on when she was gifted an Alaskan husky who couldn’t run with a team. He struggled with home life, and ended up needing professional obedience training. This was Ali’s first exposure to what dog training could do. Later on Ali got her first dog, Clementine. Clementine was a very fearful dog and this is when Ali’s desire to help dogs be more confident, happy companions drove her to attend Starmark Academy for Professional Dog Trainers Inc. After graduating from the academy, Ali returned to Starmark as an apprentice before being hired on as a trainer. This is where Ali began her sports journey with her dogs, working on disk, bite work, nose work and more!
