Intergroom information coming soon!
*Last year's info below
Contest Judges
| Friday AM: Rising Star Mentors | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nadia Bongelli | Mackensie Murphy | ||
| Friday AM: Rising Star Judges | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Allison Alexander | Teri DiMarino | Blake Hernandez | |
| Friday PM: World Championships | |
|---|---|
| Sue Zecco | Jay Scruggs |
| Saturday AM: Rising Star Mentors | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Jayne Gallagher | Nadia Bongelli | ||
| Saturday AM: Rising Star Judges | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Olga Zabelinskaya | Blake Hernandez | Joey Villani | |
| Saturday PM: World Championships | |
|---|---|
| Teri DiMarino | Tammy Siert |
| Saturday PM: Abstract Runway | |
|---|---|
| Adriane Pope | Angela Kumpe |
| Sunday AM: Team Challenge | |
|---|---|
| Sue Zecco | Jay Scruggs |
| Sunday PM: Creative Challenge | |
|---|---|
| Angela Kumpe | Adriane Pope |
| Contest Coordinator |
|---|
| Jill Pipino |
Judges and Mentors
Allison Alexander
A student-become-master of purebred dogs, Allison Alexander has honed her skills through hands-on experience with breeders, handlers, and groomers all over the world. She has become the go-to resource for both beginner and advanced Poodle owners, handling everything from basic grooming techniques to planning and executing the most difficult show trims. Allison is known around the world for her unique teaching ability that connects with students on every level. Allison has presented seminars on grooming Poodles, Shetland Sheepdogs, Australian Shepherds, Spaniels, Setters, Afghans, Affenpinschers, Kerry Blue Terriers, and many others all over this planet. She is also the Creative Educational Advisor and Specialist for Chris Christensen Systems. In 2017, she launched Leading Edge Dog Show Academy, the world's first online dog show training and grooming school. LEDSA has won the award for Best Online Education each year since its inception. Her mission is to help mentor a new generation of dog enthusiasts through innovative video-based grooming lessons.
Nadia Bongelli
Nadia Bongelli has been grooming pets since 2009 and competing since 2012. Her accolades include Barkleigh Honors Up and Coming Groomer of the Year in 2016, Best All Around International Groomer at Intergroom 2017, five Rising Star Gold Medals, Rising Star of the Year award at Intergroom 2016, two Canadian BIS awards and had numerous Open Level placements in Canada and several in the United States. Nadia's proudest moment was being awarded Canadian Groomer of the Year at the very first Canadian Grooming Industry Awards. She is a Nationally Certified Master Groomer with the National Dog Groomers Assoc. of America, Inc. and a certifier with the Intellectual Groomers Association. Her ultimate goal is to represent her country on Groom Team Canada with her peers.
Teri DiMarino
An industry veteran, Teri has owned and operated successful salons and mobiles in Florida and California. A winning grooming contest competitor, Teri was a member of three GroomTeam USA Gold Medal teams. A multiple Barkleigh Honors and Cardinal Crystal Award winner, Teri was a regular columnist for Groomer to Groomer Magazine as well as a popular speaker and judge at seminars and trade shows across the United States, Canada, Europe, South America, Korea, Australia and New Zealand.
Jayne Gallagher
Who would have thought that someone who grew up in a "No Pets Allowed" household would end up spearheading some of the most iconic grooms in the country? Jayne graduated from the Jersey Shore Grooming Academy in the year 2000, took courses from the prestigious Nash Academy, and took private lessons from top pet stylists and GroomTeam members from around the globe. She marks herself as a perpetual student, always excited to stay sharp in her craft. She is an award-winning legend who is known far and wide in the grooming community, even being featured as a competitor in the 2021 cultural phenomenon Pooch Perfect on ABC Network. Jayne specializes in creative styling, salon freestyle, Asian fusion, poodles, and bichons.
Blake Hernandez
Blake Hernandez is a NCMG and three-time Barkleigh Honors recipient. He is best known for his online persona and caterwauling lyrics that speak to our industry. Blake has brought innovation and current outside trends to the grooming industry from Personality Marketing to the FoxEye, a phone holding device for the everyday groomer or aspiring influencer. Blake runs Foxy Roxy's Pet Salon in San Diego, CA, in addition to competing in grooming contests and dog shows all over the country. He is the co-creator and founder of GroomSource, an app made for groomers' continued education, as well as creator and producer of many products with Foxy Roxy's Supply Co. Blake was also a feature groomer in Netflix's "DOGS" documentary and a contestant on ABC's Pooch Perfect Season 1.
Angela Kumpe
Internationally renowned creative stylist and instructor, Angela Kumpe has more placements in creative styling than anyone, worldwide. She won the first ever Barkleigh Honors Award for Creative Competitor. She is the author of A Creative Collection, a step-by-step guide to creative styling. Angela's work has been featured on Animal Planet, TLC, The Today Show, Regis and Kelly, and ABC Nightline as well as in The New York Times and on the cover of Groomer to Groomer magazine. Angela is the owner of Angela's Grooming and Pet Spa in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Mackensie Murphy
Mackensie Murphy is a second-generation pet stylist, following in her mother's footsteps and becoming the very first second generation GroomTeam USA. In 2005, Mackensie started her own grooming career at the young age of 18. Mackensie began her competition career in early 2011 and has been awarded multiple Best in Show awards, Best All Around Groomer awards and is a five-time winner of the prestigious Liz Paul Memorial Best Scissored Poodle Award. Mackensie consistently stayed among the top three competitors and earned herself a position on GroomTeam USA in 2012 which she has sustained up to this current year.
Jill Pipino
Jill Pipino started grooming in 2000. She bought a turnkey operation, turning it into a successful business offering her clients everything from daycare to spa services and personality trims to show styles. She began regularly attending seminars and trade shows at the beginning of her career, and started competing in 2007. She has been a regular in the competition circuit ever since. In an effort to further her understanding of pet styling, she has trained privately with top stylists and breeders. She also works with breeders and handlers at dog shows and is looking forward to showing her field spaniel, Brucie.
Adriane Pope
Adriane Pope is an award-winning Pet stylist in Breed Profile and Creative Grooming. Her specialty is extreme creative styling and creative abstract design. Adriane is owner/groomer of Adriane's Groom and Go Mobile Grooming in Conway, SC., and also the owner of Rivertown Bed and Biscuit Luxury Kennel since 2004. She has 24 years of grooming experience, and has been mobile for 22 years. She started competing in breed profile in 1997 and started the creative world in 2004.
Jay Scruggs
Jay and his wife, Michelle, own Here Comes the Groom, a highly successful mobile grooming salon in Germantown, Tennessee. Jay has won multiple Best in Show and Best All-Around Groomer awards and helped GroomTeam USA win the Gold medal in Calgary, Canada, in 2001. Jay was named American Groomer of the Year in 2001, Groomer of the Year Award at Westminster Dog Show in 2002, and Grooming Judge of the Year in 2004. In 2003 Jay won an International Gold and Bronze medal in Barcelona, Spain, helping GroomTeam USA win the silver team medal. Along with Sue Zecco, he teaches seminars and offers a video series under the "Super Styling Sessions" title.
Tammy Siert
Tammy has been grooming and competing for over 24 years and now manages a busy upscale salon in Hinsdale, IL. She made GroomTeam USA in 2008, 2011, 2012, ultimately achieving her goal to travel to every show that was GroomTeam sanctioned for four years, and has been the Secretary for GroomTeam USA since 2013. Tammy has been the National Grooming Consultant for Espree Animal Products and works for Andis Company as a part of their Small Animal Education Team. She received certification from the USA Judges Alliance in 2012 and now judges at shows around the country and internationally. Tammy is certified in Animal CPR and First Aid and is currently working on becoming a Certified Master Groomer.
Joey Villani
In 1998, Joey purchased the Nash Academy in New Jersey which he owned and operated until 2008. Now a well-known pet industry speaker and judge, Joey has been nominated 14 times for the Cardinal Crystal and Barkleigh Honors awards. He has been enthusiastically involved with Intergroom International for 33 years and has been instrumental in expanding the organization's reach into Belgium, Italy, and France. Joey is one of the original members of the International Judges Association and has made many television appearances. Today, Joey continues to innovate and explore new dimensions in the pet care and grooming industry. In early 2009, Joey became part of the Animal Radio on-air staff where he is known as "The Dogfather".
Olga Zabelinskaya
Olga is a Certified Master Groomer and owns two grooming salons, Elite Pet Spa & Boutique in Madison, NJ and Grooming Gallery in Morris Plains, NJ. She has multiple BIS and Best All-Around Groomer wins as well as two prestigious Winners Circle Champion titles. Olga is 2009 and 2010 American Groomer of the Year by Cardinal Pet, and was awarded the Lynne Carver Memorial Award as Best All Around Stylist 2009. Olga was born in Russia where she had a Master Degree in Engineering and finished law school. Olga was a GroomTeam USA member 2008-2012 and won the Silver medal in Belgium, 2011 as a part of the traveling team. Olga co-hosts many pet fundraising events.
Sue Zecco
Sue is a 2011 Barkleigh Honors Award winner. She is a Certified Master Groomer with both the National Dog Groomers Association (NDGAA) and the International Professional Groomers (IPG). She has been grooming for over 30 years. She has won multiple grooming awards, including her biggest show accomplishments: 1998 International Groomer of the Year and 1999 Oster Invitational Tournaments Grand Champion. Sue has been a member of GroomTeam USA since 1997 and broke all records in 1999, earning 113 points. She is also a Wahl Clipper Corporation spokesperson. With Jay Scruggs, she conducts a series of full-day seminars called Super Styling Sessions. Sue breeds Standard Poodles under the "Dreamcatcher" prefix.