Administrative Staff
Our Administrative Staff is here to help you with your questions, paperwork, and payments. We look forward to working with you!
David Burry: Managing Director
David Burry gained his love for animals and the outdoors at an early age, enjoying long walks with his pet dog in nearby Tyler Arboretum in Delaware County, PA. For David, it brought inner peace just watching his dog play together with other dogs and observing the way they communicated with each other with their eyes, their ears, their tails, and their posture. And when teaching a new cue and observing his dog work-to-please, it was so rewarding to eventually see them figure out exactly what he wanted them to do.
Much later in life, after two children, two businesses, and several other pet dogs and assorted animals, David was introduced to a non-profit committed to the belief that their assistance dogs change the world one person at a time.
Having the opportunity to work with children and adults with disabilities, seeing them interact and respond with their trained service dogs and knowing from first-hand experience how these dogs enrich their lives and brighten their day, all of this is an experience that David knew to be a life-changing path in knowing that he would have a part in making a difference and helping others. In addition to David's work with Compass Key, he is a co-founder of Atlas Assistance Dogs - a nonprofit organization working towards teaching and certifying service dog trainers and providing funding for training non-specified disability groups with privately owned dogs.
David lives on a small farm in pastoral Lancaster County Pennsylvania with his two Golden Retrievers, and a Labrador Retriever (retired service dog), and is surrounded by an abundance of wildlife.
Beth Bridger: Director of Client & Trainer Services
As a Coast Guard kid, Beth Bridger moved around her entire childhood and has not stopped since. No matter the location, there was and always still is a four legged friend waiting at home. Beth has been working in different professional environments for the past 12 years. Most recently she did event planning and administrative work for a non-profit service dog organization, where she learned about and loved the idea of helping others through Assistance Dogs. She is excited to help Compass Key in their venture to help others as the Director of Client and Trainer Services. Beth resides in southeastern Wisconsin and is dog mom to a rescue, pit-lab mix Ecko.
Alice Smith: Client Services Coordinator
Alice Smith was born and raised in Hampton Roads Virginia and there was always a dog in her home growing up. She credits her parents for her love of dogs because they believed in treating them as family members. When she was old enough, Alice helped with training the family pets.
Several years ago, Alice apprenticed with a local dog trainer and felt she had found her dream job. She was able to combine her love of dogs with her wish to help others. Unfortunately, the apprenticeship didn’t last due to the owner going out of business.
In February of 2016 Alice began working with one of the Compass Key (then PAWS Training Centers) trainers and loved working with dogs again. When Compass Key had a part-time administrative position open up, she applied and was hired. Alice is now thrilled to communicate with all new potential clients as the national Client Services Coordinator for Compass Key.
Alice earned her Associates of Arts in Human Services Management in 2010 and plans to continue her education. She currently resides in sunny central Florida.
Lindsey Balser: Client Services Coordinator
Lindsey grew up in NJ and moved to Florida for college. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminology and then became a Certified Case Manager helping everyone from babies to the elderly for nearly ten years. Her kindness and desire to help people has always guided her career path. Her love of animals has also been a dominant theme in her life. She has rescued several dogs and cats and has tried to give them happy, adventurous lives. Lindsey met her husband while in Florida and they have three children together, along with one fur baby. She currently lives in rural New Hampshire where she loves taking in the beautiful scenery on hikes and adventures.
Mia Zongor: Client Services Coordinator
As a child, Mia’s family had German shepherds and a deep sense of respect for animals. As she grew up Mia gained a sense of dogs’ innate ability to deal with each individual family member on a level that reflected each different person’s appreciation for them. She was drawn to their spirit, their intricate forms of communication, and especially their desire to learn and interact with the world around them.
Later, as Mia found she couldn’t conceive of not sharing her life with dogs, she unexpectedly ended up with four working dogs – like others here have mentioned in their bios, she was unable to find anyone suitable who would take on training her pack (which was full of that spirit she so admired, and verging on dangerously out of control) – so she decided to study to become a trainer herself. Each of those dogs lived out a long and happy life in the same pack, and also as fulfilled individuals, and Mia found her most gratifying work in life.
Now Mia continues to seek out everything she can to augment her knowledge in order to enrich her practice of ethical and least-invasive training, and she is excited at the prospect to apply this knowledgemin assisting differently-abled people with their individual needs. Mia has lived in Pennsylvania and is now in Delaware, where she and her husband enjoy life with their foundling dog, Ginger, and a rescue dog, Loki.
Justine Olson: Administrative Support Specialist & Bookkeeper
Justine currently resides in southern Wisconsin where she recently became a full-time stay at home mom while her husband works as a veterinarian technician. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and plans on going back to school to become a licensed professional counselor when their child is older. She has worked in a variety of customer service and finance roles and most recently worked as a substitute teacher. She believes her passion for helping others combined with her educational, work, and life experiences have cleverly prepared her for her role at Compass Key. She is excited to keep learning, developing new skills, and to get to know all of you! Her little family includes a cat named Josie and they hope to adopt an Old English Sheepdog one day.