Seminar Instructors
HRD INSTRUCTORS
Piper Scholfield has been a search and rescue handler for over 12 years with operational and instructional experience in land and water recovery of human remains, as well as historic human remains detection. Her current and third partner is K9 Pig Pen, a six-year-old Dutch Shepherd. Piper is active with FIRST Detection K9, specializing in historic remains recovery, as well as active with Washington County Search and Rescue. Currently serving as an Assistant Instructor at the Forensic Anthropology Center at Texas State University, Piper is responsible for integrating field detection practices with academic instruction. She has experience in search management, evidence recovery, and K9 deployment for human remains detection operations.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Assistant Instructor
Forensic Anthropology Center, Texas State University | 2019– Present
• Support academic and field-based instruction in human remains recovery and forensic search operations.
• Assist in coordinating applied research and field exercises related to forensic anthropology and recovery techniques.
• Provide instructional support to students and their K9s ensuring their success.
Search and Rescue Team Member
Washington County Search and Rescue | Washington County, Arkansas | 2024 – Present
Conduct land and water recovery operations in partnership with law enforcement and fire departments.
Deploy and handle K9 units for human remains detection (HRD) across multiple terrain types and aquatic environments.
Serve as a NASAR Evaluator for HRD Land and Water teams, overseeing certification standards and candidate assessment.
Instruct water search and recovery seminars at regional and national levels, focusing on operational safety and search efficiency.
Participate in Historic Human Remains searches for private sector clients and government agencies, ensuring compliance with recovery protocols and cultural sensitivity.
CERTIFICATIONS
• SARTECH II, National Association for Search and Rescue (NASAR)
• NASAR Evaluator, Human Remains Detection (HRD) – Land and Water
• AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) Evaluator, American Kennel Club
EDUCATION
Master of Science (M.S.)
University of Kansas
Bachelor of Science (B.S.)
University of Kansas
SPECIALIZED SKILLS
• Land & water search and recovery operations
• K9 human remains detection (HRD) – land and water
• Search management and mission coordination
• Training and evaluation of SAR personnel
• Multi-agency operations and field leadership
• Evidence recovery and forensic documentation
• Public safety instruction and operational planning
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PIPER SCHOLFIELD
Nadine Conner has been on board for 35 years as a professional dog trainer and has been involved in EMS for over 30 years. In 2011 Nadine acquired her first SAR K9 and is presently working her 6th (Gizzy-certified HR land/open water/shoreline) and 7th (Ggee-certified livefind 160 acre) And the new devil, Tango.
All 3 of these K9s are Belgian Malinois. Nadine has been involved in many searches nationwide over the last 10 years including the disastrous Blanco Floods of 2015 and 3 deployments to the Texas Hill Country flood of 2025. She is a founding member and the training director for GPSK9s Inc. in Wichita, KS while managing her own dog training facility and president of a UKC dog club. Nadine has been an evaluator for NASAR livefind, HR land and water, article scent detection, Wilderness First Aid and SARTEC II along with AMPWDA Livefind and HR.
She has attended FACTS first as a student in 2015, then as a wrangler moving into the instructor role having only missed 3 seminars out of the dozens since 2015.
As a member of AMPWDA, NASAR, CSAR, First Detection K9 and Code 3 she has taught seminars throughout the US under their auspices and has been invited to work with AWDA and NSDA teaching.
Some summers she drives between CA and NC to serve as an instructor with stops in IN and most often at FACTS.
Having taught special education students, adult swim lessons and dog handling she is able to easily adjust to the students/ dogs needs and requirements.
NADINE CONNER
MANTRAILING INSTRUCTOR
Angela has an immense passion for K9 teams. Angela has spent the last 25 years handling, training, and teaching various canines.
Angela's career began in 1999 handling a Giant Schnauzer for bite and tracking in the realm of Schutzhund. After the 9/11 attacks on New York, her trajectory changed, forever.
The unfortunate events laid Search and Rescue at her feet, and she began training for saving lives.
Angela holds numerous certifications in law enforcement, search and rescue, and emergency management. She has been the recipient of many local, state, regional, and national awards. Her most treasured awards are for lives saved and the President of the United States Community Service Award.
Additionally, Angela holds a Bachelor and Master's Degree in Criminal Justice. She has trained and instructed dog teams, law enforcement, SAR, and EMA in several states who have gone on to save lives and track many violent offenses. Her passion lies in teaching others so that those who are lost or missing may be found and so offenders may face justice.
ANGELA FLETCHER
BEGINNER ODOR IMPRINTING
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18 years in SAR,
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Over 200 searches
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over 40 recoveries,
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3 successful manhunts using his trailing Bloodhound Gabe
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31 K-9 certifications in HRD Land and Water, Trailing, Tracking and Area Search
Joe is currently training 5 HRD, 2 Trailing, 2 Article Search, 1 Area Search and 1 Explosive Detection Dog
JOE MARSILLO
