Chief Investigator Michael Melchionne
Chief Animal Control Officer and Animal Cruelty Investigator

Chief Investigator Melchionne started his career 1975.  He has been an animal control officer for over36 years. He attended the first Animal Control Officers class in 1983 as well as the first Animal Cruelty Investigators Course in 2001. In 1985 he founded and was the first President of the New Jersey Certified Animal Control Officers Association and currently serves as their Executive Board Advisor/Spoke Person. Chief Melchionne attended and graduated from the Passaic County Police Academy as a Class II Special Police Officer. Investigator Melchionne attended John Hopkins University and holds a certificate for "Non-Profit Business and Management". He served as the Director of Animal Welfare Services for St Hubert’s Giralda. Investigator Melchionne then designed, implemented, and managed the Gloucester County Animal Control Program and Animal Shelter Operations. He presently serves as Chief Animal Control Officer/Animal Cruelty Investigator for Stafford Township managing a staff of three full time and three part time ACO’s covering 5 local jurisdictions. Chief Melchionne has been appointed by two New Jersey Governors to serve on two State councils/task forces. Among his numerous NJ State certifications he is a certified Police Academy Instructor under the NJ Police Training Commission. Chief Melchionne volunteered and spent 10 days in Louisiana after Katrina rescuing animals left by their owners. Investigator Melchionne sits on several boards of directors including as an advisor to the NJ Animal Welfare Federation. Chief Melchionne owns several cats, a Brittany spaniel (all rescue's); and owns a working organic farm in Pennsylvania with numerous rescued animals. Chief Investigator Melchionne is considered the "GO TO" person for NJ Animal Control Officer and Animal Cruelty Investigator Issues.

Colin T. Campbell, D.V.M, C.P.M.
New Jersey State Senior Public Health Veterinarian

Dr. Colin Campbell graduated from the University of Illinois, College of Veterinary Medicine in 1984 after three years of undergraduate study at Bradley University.  After practicing in a mixed-animal, “all creatures great and small” veterinary practice, he joined the Mid-Atlantic Equine medical Center in central New Jersey.  Dr. Campbell worked for the New Jersey Department of Agriculture for several years and in 1999 he completed the Fairleigh Dickinson University Certified Public Managers Program. 

Dr. Campbell lectures on issues of rabies and zoonotic diseases in animals and people, as well as their control and prevention.  His four cats allow him and his wife to stay in their house in southern New Jersey.

Heather Cammisa. CAWA
President St. Hubert’s Giralda

Ms. Cammisa is a New Jersey native. She is currently the President & CEO of St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center with shelters in Madison and North Branch, New Jersey. Prior to joining St. Hubert’s in May of 2010, Ms. Cammisa worked for the Humane Society of the United States where she held several roles, most notably she was responsible for research, development and implementation of a spay & neuter campaign along with shelter outreach and targeted infrastructure investments in Louisiana and Mississippi, partnering with other national organizations and foundations. Prior to joining the HSUS, Ms. Cammisa was the Executive Director of the Jersey Shore Animal Center for five years and led the design, fundraising and completion of its new shelter and implemented cruelty investigations and other programmatic initiatives.

Ms. Cammisa is a certified NJ Animal Control Officer and Cruelty Investigator. She teaches a portion of NJ’s ACO certification course. She holds a Master’s Degree in Economics from Rutgers University. She has served on the boards of Jersey Shore Animal Center in Brick, New Jersey, the Marine Mammal Stranding Center in Brigantine, New Jersey and the Animal Welfare Federation of New Jersey. She is currently serves as an advisory member of the Animal Welfare Federation of New Jersey and is a board member of the National Federation of Humane Societies. She recently achieved the signature designation of Certified Animal Welfare Administrator. Her dog, “Sammy” ( a foster failure) was the Honda dog at the 2009 International Auto Show in New York City, debuting the new Dog Friendly Honda Element. For that, Honda made a donation that enabled the creation of SpayNJ’s customized advertisements in use to effectively message spay & neuter across the state. Heather and Sammy live in Somerset County.

Marjorie Ford
New Jersey Wildlife Rehabilitator (retired)

Marjorie Ford was a licensed New Jersey wildlife rehabilitator for 19 years. From 1997 to 2006, Margie was the founder and Director of Brookview Wildlife Center, a registered 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization located in Boonton Twp., NJ. The Center provided care to native NJ mammals and offered a variety of education programs to the public (adult and children), veterinarians and Police Departments. Margie participated in St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center’s Pet Assisted Therapy program for many years and served on their board of Directors for eight years. In addition, Margie was part of a team that conducted a trial immunocontraception program on White-tailed deer at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum from 1997 through 2001 in cooperation with the Morris County Park Commission and the Humane Society of the United States. She is a past president of the New Jersey Association of Wildlife Rehabilitators, and a member of the National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association. Margie was the 2006 recipient of the Animal Welfare Federation of NJ (AWFNJ) “Hero to Animals” award. She has given seminar presentations for St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare and AWFNJ, in addition to teaching the wildlife section of the Animal Control Officer Certification course at several New Jersey colleges. She is currently working for a garden center and offers programs on humane solutions to dealing with wildlife and gardening.

Margie and her husband Bill live with two shelter adopted English bulldogs (Bertha & Klaus) and two cats, Sam & Gracie.  The Fords own and operate Brookview Farm, and sell Christmas trees during the Holidays.

 Investigator Willie Cirone
Chief Animal Control Officer and Animal Cruelty Investigator

Officer Cirone has been the chief Animal Control Officer and Animal Cruelty Investigator for 27 years in Mount Olive Township. He is a past president and regional director of the Animal Control Officers Association. Officer Cirone has spent 36 years as a structure firefighter and 37 years as a wildlife firefighter (annually responding to major fires across the US and in New Jersey…Edison 2010 wildfire being the most recent). He has spent 18 years as a First Aid Squad responder and is Deputy Fire Coordinator for Morris County. Officer Cirone is a member of the New Jersey Incident Management Team and the Humane Society of the United States Disaster Team (responded to Katrina, Ivan, Francis, and Charley). He teaches incident command in four states. Officer Cirone is a published fire photographer (assisted with evacuations & photography at the World Trade Center disaster and was involved with two congressional investigations into the WTC disaster). He has received numerous awards, appeared on television, been called upon as an “expert” witness, and teaches animal control in Puerto Rico.

That Willie is a humble man, can be summed up by a quote from him….“I feel very fortunate to have been chosen to respond to disasters; and, to be afforded the opportunity to not only help; but, share my experiences with other people.”

Timoteo (Tim) Vazquez
NJ Division of Criminal Justice Investigator (retired)

Timoteo (Tim) Vazquez is the founder and chief instructor of Aikido Centers of New Jersey (ACNJ) Manasquan; and, is also the founder of DT Pro - Defensive Tactics for Professionals. Tim has studied a variety of martial arts and compliance systems. He has over 20 years of law enforcement experience and 30 years of martial arts experience. Tim is retired as a State Investigator for New Jersey. Some of Tim’s extensive law enforcement expertise includes:

Belle

Belle is a 7 year old golden retriever who is a nationally recognized therapy dog and Pet First Aid instructor. Belle has received recognition from the American Kennel Club as well as the New Jersey Veterinary Medical Association for her work with children, senior citizens, and nursing home patients. Belle has achieved certifications as a Canine Good Citizen and AKC Therapy dog. Belle has also been featured on a statewide television program, Aging in Middlesex County.

                                                         
 John C. Saccenti
President, Founder and Chief Educator for CDI

Mr. Saccenti attended Fordham University where he received his Bachelors in Education, Masters in Education and Political Science as well as his Educational Specialist Degree. After service as an Army officer and special assignments with the FBI, Mr. Saccenti served as a teacher and administrator before working with the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice. Before his retirement from that agency, his primary responsibility was the development of all Basic Law Enforcement Training. His work included the design and writing of the Basic Course for Investigators, the redesign and writing of the Basic Course for Police Officers and other major basic and advanced law enforcement courses. Mr. Saccenti served as President of the National Association of Local Boards of Health and advised the US Surgeon General and the White House on public health policy. He has served as a consultant to the Office of the Attorney General, Office of Counter-Terrorism. He currently serves as a consultant to the United States Department of Justice, Office of Victims of Crime. Mr. Saccenti is also available as a consultant to eligible organizations through grants offered by the Department of Justice. Mr. Saccenti is a nationally known speaker on public health, law enforcement and training development and management. Mr. Saccenti is the author of many articles on both law enforcement training and public health and served as an adjunct professor at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and Bergen County College. Mr. Saccenti is an advisory board member of the Animal Federation of New Jersey (AWFNJ).