Our Staff Bios

Many people devote their time, talent and energies to make possible the production of a new issue of PandEcats.com 24 times a year. Authors, photographers, researchers and editors begin the process that results in a new article. Graphics designers, web designers and layout artists then complete the recipe to produce an online magazine. While many of our contributors are freelancers and independent contractors, below is a listing of the individuals who are the bedrock upon which PandEcats.com is built . . .

Lee Harper
Mockingbird Persians and Exotics

Founding & Contributing Editor

Lee Harper is a Graduate of the University of Guelph with an Honors BSc in Zoology and of Fanshawe College with an advanced degree in Fine Arts Photography. As a professional photographer, Lee was the 17th woman in history to be awarded the title of Master of Photographic Arts by the Professional Photographers of Canada and has her work in the Professional Photographers of America permanent loan collection.

An award winning writer and producer, she began showing Bi-color Persians in 1995, campaigned a cream and white Persian to CFA's #2 Cat in Championship in 1997, and introduced Exotics into her breeding program in 1999. In July 2000 she founded PandEcats.com, the first online breed magazine on the web, followed 6 months later by ShowCatsOnline.com, an ezine devoted to all breeds of pedigreed cat.

She is the lead author of two books about cats, "The Complete Illustrated Encyclopedia of Cats" and "How to Choose and Care for Your Cat" (Flame Tree Publishing).

Besides acting as contributing editor to both ezines, Lee also designs a wide range of websites for cattery owners and business people. Hon BSc, BFAA, CPA, MPA, Member Cat Writers' Association.

Kathy Durdick
Ristokat Himalayans

Associate Editor & Himalayan Consultant

Kathy Durdick is an Honors graduate of Portland State University, with a BS in computer science.

In 1994, Kathy and husband Jon began Ristokat Himalayans. While maintaining a very small breeding program, they have enjoyed considerable success, with over 30 grands so far, 13 regional winners, and 3 DMs.  She is also a licensed clerk, and volunteers for many regional duties, including 3 stints as co-chair of the Region 2 Awards Banquet.

In 1997, Kathy combined her computer expertise with her artistic talents and began Ristokat Web Designs. In addition to designing and maintaining a number of personal cattery sites, she also volunteers her time and expertise to create and maintain sites such as The Atlantic Himalayan Club, the Persian Breed Council, the Somali Breed Council, and CFA's Northwest Region website.   In November 2005, she also began a labor of love called HimalayanCatsOnline.com - a site to showcase the history, photos, pedigrees, and show results of the Himalayan breed.

Kathy's programming talents have come into play on PandEcats & ShowCatsOnline especially with keeping the indexes and gallery up-to-date, as well as the database programming necessary to the CatPedigrees.com databases.

Kathy is the current webmaster of the CFA website.

Margaret Peppler
Peppurrz Himalayans and Exotics

Proof-Reader Extraordinaire

Marg Peppler was the first woman to graduate in Mechanical Engineering Technology from Mohawk College in Hamilton Ontario.  Along with a challenging career in management and project management, Marg was also a former breeder and exhibitor of Peppurrz Himalayans and Exotics. 

Marg proof-reads every article we publish, scoping out all the errors that have slipped through the cracks. Her nickname is "Eagle Eyes".

She keeps involved with the cat fancy by working with her good friend, Christine Arnold of Karabel Himalayans and Exotics. Marg also keeps busy with her beloved Persians, 15 year old Robin, red tabby CPC Scarlett, her son Buster and the charming BooBoo.

Hellery Spear

Artistic Director

Hellery is an award-winning artist, writer, entrepreneur, and philosopher.

After college she traveled extensively in Europe and Africa before returning home to begin a career in magazine layout and design.

Recently she has turned her interests to the burgeoning possibilities that the world wide web offers for creative design work.

Hellery shares her home with a white Persian named Rave.

Dr. Leah Montgomery
Shaughnessy Animal Hospital

Veterinary Consultant

Dr. Leah attended the University of British Columbia, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, then suffered four harsh winters in Saskatoon at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine. She managed not to get frost bitten (although her car did freeze completely for three days!) and moved back to the beautiful West Coast in 1995.

Dr. Leah began practice at the Granville Island Veterinary Hospital then moved to Coquitlam, BC and began practice at the Shaughnessy Veterinary Hospital. In April 2001 she purchased the practice.

Between spaying cats and vaccinating dogs, Dr. Leah manages to find time to snowboard in the winter and rip up the trails on her mountain bike year-round and compete in triathalons.

Lawrence D. Hawke

Contributing Writer

Larry Hawke BA, BS, MBA is a modern renaissance man with many talents and interests. While not a cat breeder, he shares his home and family with a large white Persian named George and George's less hairy "younger" brother, an Exotic named Washington (no relation).

Larry is a handsome fella and keeps all the female hearts at PandEcats all a-flutter.

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Dave Howard
Strategic Human Resources Group

Web Consultant

Dave's interest in communication began more than twenty-five years ago when he attended Ryerson Polytechnic University, graduating with a Bachelor of Applied Arts - Radio & Television.

In 1986 Dave returned to his native British Columbia and started Strategic Video Productions. Strategic Video has produced educational and promotional videos for large and small organizations. Dave taught video production and computer graphics at The Centres for Digital Imaging and Sound and has been active in local industry associations.

Dave is, sadly, allergic to felines :-(.

Tracy Fasciana
Abayomi Abyssinians

Photographer

Tracy Fasciana is a graphic design graduate who attended Emily Carr, Capilano and Kwantlen College.

Married to her husband Guy in 1993, she worked as a graphic designer until after their second child was born when she decided to stay home and raise her family.

With the love for animals and meeting her very first Abyssinian while working at a veterinary clinic many years earlier, she decided to get her very first Aby. It wasn't long before she expanded her fur family and started her breeding program.  

Photography was something she always enjoyed and started photographing kittens for their new owners every couple of weeks, honing her feline photographic skills .

Mary Dickerson
SACCARELLO Persians

Spanish Translator

Mary always liked animals, but felines were her undeniable favorite. After getting married, she lived about three years without having a cat. Then her husband presented her with her first Persian cat - a cute male named Charles. Mary quickly became a member of TICA (The International Cat Association) and joined the Allegro Cat Club. Her feline family began slowly growing with the addition of two new beautiful Persian kitties, DuKaian Paprika, a red tabby female and LeMiau Madonna, a black and white bicolor girl.

Mary now lives in Los Lunas, New Mexico, USA with her young son, Howard.

Geoff, The Code-Man

Programmer

Geoff is a secretive sort of fella... I think that makes him sort of an enigma. He prefers to email rather than to talk. He has requested that we not include any details of his life in his bio . . .

Sh-sh-sh-sh . . .

We love you anyway, Geoff!