Administrative Team

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 an inner peace just watching his dog play together with other dogs and observe 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.

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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.

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Having the opportunity to work with children and adults with disabilities, seeing them interact and respond with their trained service dogs and knowing from a 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.

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David lives on a small farm in pastoral Lancaster County Pennsylvania with his Golden Retriever and surrounded with an abundance of wildlife.

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 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.

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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.

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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.

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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 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.

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.