Woodside Training Academy, Illinois?

The only things I have been able to find out about him are:
1. He says he's been a trainer for over 20 years.
   That would make me want to ask what methods he employs.  Not all of us who have been training that long have switched to positive dog-friendly methods.  Some folks still use a lot of correction-based training.  If you want positive training, be sure to ask.
2. He opposes breed bans.
That's good.  So do I.  But, he is not very articulate in the few articles I was able to find, saying merely that he has trained a lot of Pit Bulls, and they have all turned out to be great dogs.
I have trained a lot of Pits, too, and they don't always turn out great, any more than any other breed.  So, who's kidding whom?
3. In the area Joe Rosen teaches in, there are many so-called trainers who aren't worth diddly, or who are actually training dogs to be aggressive.  Find out if he's one of them or not.
Protection dogs are not made out of pets turned nasty - these dogs need an extremely stable temperament so that they have a reliable "shut off switch", and not all dogs who are presented for training should be trained that way.
 
Many trainers are trained at facilities.  Many are self taught, or apprentice.  I am less concerned with where someone was instructed - I would want to know how they train *now*. 
The Canadian Association of Pet Dog Trainers site should have a list of trainers who train positively.  You could also check some of the clicker training sites.
 
You can ask to audit a class.  If you see leash pops, choke chains, etc., it isn't positive motivational training, it's based on the avoidance of pain.  Both methods work, but my preference is for methods that are easiest on the dog.  What would you rather have - a boss who gives you a bonus when you do well, or one who picks on your mistakes by yelling at you?

I have to say that "non-positive training" as you call it, is not just about correcting the dog. Sure, you can correct the dog with the leash ( and actually I prefer the pinch collar over the choke chain, as the choke collar  could cause problems with the dogs neck/trachea etc), but you also praise the things they do right. With purely positive training, if you're not letting the dog know when they do something wrong, it can be confusing to the dog. Such as clicker training. It's ok to use that to tell the dog when they do something  good/right, but when you ignore the dog's negative behavior instead of correcting it, they're not getting a clear message as to what you are expecting of them. Correct the bad, Praise the good. That's my basic view of dog training, though there are certianly many different methods.

Sorry, I haven't heard of that dog training place, so I can't give you any advice with that.

HI guys! Thanks so much for taking the time to reply. It is much appreciated! I actually didn't see your posts til today (I thought I had the option enabled that e-mails me when i have a reply..guess not!). Anyway....great stuff. Thanks.

clear message as to what you are expecting of them.

 
They "get" after they figure out what you want. A dog sits and you click and treat. In the next trial, the dog stands, but there's no click. That behavior doesn't get him what he wants, so he tries another. You click when you get the sit again. The dog usually, quickly, associates the sit with the click. Seems to me that it gets the message, albeit in a different way.
 

Correct the bad, Praise the good. 

 
I agree to a point, but the correction doesn't need to be a physically uncomfotable one for things like obedience. You can teach a dog to sit and down without touching it.