BCA Officers
Stacy Able
President + Delegate
Stacy Able has been involved with the Barbet since 2004. A founding member of the Barbet Club of America, she was President in 2009-2012, 2014-2016, and Vice President in 2018-2022. Always working for the breed and specifically within the AKC, Stacy was instrumental in the application of the Barbet into the AKC FSS (Foundation Stock Service) program, which laid the groundwork for the breed as it stands in the USA today.
Currently, Stacy is serving as President of the club, and actively shows her Barbet in AKC (American Kennel Club) as well as CKC (Canadian Kennel Club) events - many of her dogs past and present have earned AKC Championships and Canadian Championships. Stacy also enjoys working and training with her dogs outside of conformation. She has competed and titled Barbet in Rally, Fast Cast, Trick Dog, and Therapy Certifications.
Lori Labian
Vice President
“Who knew taking the AKC’s ‘Find the Best Dog Breed for You!’ quiz would start such a grand adventure? I grew up with cats, and as a teenager, pups that were mostly my mom‘s dogs, but then I married a man who is allergic to cats, had three boys, and the only thing missing? Our dog! So I started to hunt for a breed that fit our family, and the Barbet came up as our number one match. In I jumped, and I have never looked back—we have two Barbet, Margot and Jules, and have toed into dock diving, conformation, tricks, and being a good canine citizen. We love hikes in the Texas state and national parks and just vegging together. I feel fortunate that we discovered the Barbet, and I am grateful to all of the people who worked tirelessly to get the breed recognized by the AKC and who formed this club and kept it going over many years. I am honored to serve as Vice President of the Barbet Club of America and have a hard time remembering my life before Barbets. Though I think there was less brushing… definitely a lot less brushing.
Susie Rohr
Treasurer
Susie and her husband live in southern Indiana, where they raised two children and have always enjoyed having dogs in their lives. Susie started training dogs at a young age in the 4-H program. Later her children also showed dogs in 4-H and Susie has been a leader & trainer of the local county club.
In 2016 Susie first discovered and met the Barbet and fell in love. She acquired her first Barbet, Harper, in 2017 and things definitely took off from there. She started showing in performance events, then was bitten by the “dog show bug” and began participating in conformation events. Susie has titled Harper in obedience, rally obedience, CGC, trick dog and championship conformation. She proudly handled Harper to her bronze grand championship in 2021 all as an owner-handler.
She has been a member of the BCA since 2017 and looks forward to working with the club.
Michelle Charters
Secretary
I was a fan of the Barbet for 3-4 years before actually owning one, adoring the rustic look and joyful personality. In September 2020, I brought home Hickory Tavern American League “Reggie” to join the family. He is my first dog with hair, so I had a big learning curve to groom and show him. And I survived the coat transition! We cruised the east coast for competition in the show ring to achieve his championship and meet new friends. While I like to show, I truly enjoy therapy dog work with Reggie being my fourth therapy dog. We have the privilege of visiting East Tennessee Children’s Hospital where is a favorite with staff, parents, and patients.
I have been active in the BCA selecting trophies for our Inaugural BCA Specialty in FL and the second one in Lexington. I also was the BCA newsletter editor for the last couple years. While I am relatively new to the Barbet, I have club experience in several board and committee roles with the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog Club of America and the Chesapeake & Potomac Greater Swiss Mountain Dog Club. I look forward to continuing my Barbet education and serving the club as the secretary.
Sherilyn Smith
Board member at large
Sherilyn and her husband reside in upstate New York with their Barbet. She has been involved in the breed since 2012 with her Barbet Haven. Their kennel name is Blue Spruce.
She was club secretary for her local Kennel Club, North Country Kennel Club. She actively shows and finishes several of her Barbet.
She has been a club member since 2019, and we are happy to have her on our board!