Gina M. DiNardo has been appointed AKC President & CEO, and Sheila Goffe named Executive Secretary, both effective April 1, 2025.
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New York, NY– The American Kennel Club (AKC) Board of Directors is pleased to announce the appointment of Gina M. DiNardo as AKC President and CEO, effective April 1, 2025. DiNardo will step into this leadership role following Dennis Sprung, ensuring a seamless transition as the organization continues its mission to advocate for purebred dogs and responsible dog ownership.
“We are deeply grateful for Dennis Sprung’s decades of contributions to the AKC and wish him success,” said Dr. Thomas Davies, Chairman of the AKC Board of Directors. “We are also confident that Gina will provide steady leadership and uphold the values that have made the AKC the trusted authority on breeds and all things dog.”
DiNardo brings a wealth of knowledge and leadership to the AKC, with over 50 years of experience in the sport of purebred dogs as both a breeder and owner-handler.”
Hired in 1995 by Sprung, DiNardo joined the AKC’s Event Plans department and has since held various roles across the Publications, Communications, Planning and Development, and Executive Secretary departments. In 2008, she was appointed Vice President and Assistant Executive Secretary. Since 2017, the AKC Board of Directors has annually elected her as Executive Secretary, an Officer of the Company.
She currently oversees several key departments, including AKC Meet the Breeds, Communications, Government Relations, Publications, Education, Marketing, and Media and Sponsorship. She also serves on the AKC National Championship Show Committee and is a spokesperson and on-air talent for AKC.
Gina holds a bachelor’s degree in English and Philosophy from Skidmore College, completed master’s level coursework in Genetics, and graduated from Wharton’s Advanced Management Program. She is a member of the Doberman Pinscher Club of America, the Pharaoh Hound Club of America, the Greenwich Kennel Club, and the Morris & Essex Kennel Club. Gina and her husband, Peter Gwynne, own a Rhodesian Ridgeback, a Pharaoh Hound, a Glen of Imaal Terrier, an English Toy Spaniel, and a Toy Manchester Terrier.
Sheila Goffe, Vice President of Government Relations has been appointed to the position of Executive Secretary effective April 1, 2025.
She will continue to lead the AKC’s public policy efforts, focusing on protecting and advocating for the rights of all dog owners, promoting responsible dog ownership, and advancing appreciation for purebred dog ownership. She spearheads AKC legislative policy strategy and AKC outreach at the federal, state, and local levels. She also serves as Secretary on the AKC PAC Board of Directors, and as staff lead for the AKC Detection Dog Task Force.
Goffe joined AKC in 2006 and was promoted to Vice President of Government Relations in 2016. Prior to working for the American Kennel Club, she was a Senior Legislative Analyst/Editor and Deputy Director of Editorial Product Development for Congressional Quarterly in Washington, DC. Previous experience includes federal legislative staffing and advocacy, work as an editor and analyst for The Economist Intelligence Unit, and serving as an adjunct in Political Science/Comparative Politics at the State University of New York/Stony Brook.
She has completed Ph.D. coursework and research in American Politics/Public Policy, earned a Masters of Philosophy in American Politics and a MA in International Political Economy and Development at Fordham University, a certificate in Advanced Management from Yale School of Management, and is a former Fulbright Scholar, studying Political Economy and Development in Sri Lanka.
Goffe owns, breeds and shows Siberian Huskies, having finished numerous champions from the Bred-By Exhibitor class. She is a member of the Siberian Husky Club of America and various specialty and all-breed kennel clubs.
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Founded in 1884, the American Kennel Club is a not-for-profit organization which maintains the largest registry of purebred dogs in the world and oversees the sport of purebred dogs in the United States. The AKC is dedicated to upholding the integrity of its registry, promoting the sport of purebred dogs and breeding for type and function. Along with its more than 5,000 licensed and member clubs and its affiliated organizations, the AKC advocates for the purebred dog as a family companion, advances canine health and well-being, works to protect the rights of all dog owners, and promotes responsible dog ownership. More than 26,000 competitions for AKC-registered purebred and mixed breed dogs are held under AKC rules and regulations each year including conformation, agility, obedience, rally, tracking, herding, lure coursing, coonhound events, scent work, hunt tests, field and earthdog tests.
Affiliate AKC organizations include the AKC Humane Fund, AKC Canine Health Foundation, AKC Reunite, the AKC Museum of the Dog, and the AKC Purebred Preservation Bank. For more information, visit www.akc.org.
AKC, American Kennel Club, the American Kennel Club seal and design, and all associated marks and logos are trademarks, registered trademarks and service marks of The American Kennel Club, Inc.
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American Kennel Club (AKC)
