Jennifer Hecker

Personnel Director - CMG

Jennifer has always had an enormous love for animals.  She started her career in the animal industry at age 11 by loitering in a pet store until the owner offered her a ‘job’.  Unfortunately for her parents, Jennifer brought home a great number and variety of animals, birds and fish during her years working there.  In her younger years, she worked with horses at a barn where both Western Pleasure and Hunter/Jumper horses were trained.  Jennifer became involved in the polo industry in 1990 and spent winters in West Palm Beach, Florida while working for a major polo barn. 

Jennifer’s first dog was a Giant Schnauzer with which she competed at a high level in French Ring Sport.  Shortly after getting seriously involved with dogs, Jennifer decided to go to grooming school. She chose the Paragon School of Pet Grooming and graduated in 1996.  Jennifer started Custom Canine Styling, a mobile grooming business and worked closely with Four Paws Mobile Grooming to get started.

After finishing her Bachelor of Arts at Aquinas College, Jennifer moved to Lansing, Michigan in 2000 to study Animal Science at Michigan State University.  She worked at both a Warmblood horse farm and 100-dog boarding facility.  She groomed at the boarding facility until she left MSU to take a job at Millbrook Tack & Trailer in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  Jennifer really wanted to get back in the pet industry.  She was offered a position by Melissa Verplank and made the move to Paragon where she works as the Personnel Director.  Jennifer completed her Certified Master Groomer title with the IPG in December 2006.  She has competed successfully with an English Cocker and a Kerry Blue Terrier in the ‘B’ division in 2007.

Jennifer shares her home with Baxter, a Giant Schnauzer, Fivel, a Dandie Dinmont Terrier and and an English Cocker Spaniel.  She also has kitties: Iris, Daisy and Posey, and a Fuzzy Lop rabbit named Desmond.  Jennifer also spends time with Topper, a registered Paint gelding that she has raised from a foal.  She loves to read, garden, travel and train and compete with her dogs.