Board of Directors for MobilityDog
Board Members:
Aiko Tan, Jennifer Chen, Tom Davenport, Gerald Freedman, Barbry Hogue, Holly Miller, Janie Heinrich.
Aiko Tan, Board Member- Vice President, Governance and Public Relations. Aiko is currently the Senior Director of Independence At Home (IAH), the home and community-based services division of SCAN Health Plan. IAH provides seniors and disabled adults with easy access to community-based services that enable them to remain healthy and independent at home. In this role, Aiko leads the department and current programs include Homeless Services, MSSP in CA, Behavioral Health, Digital Literacy, Health and Wellness events and Charitable Giving. Aiko’s early career started as a senior neuroscience research associate at UCLA’s Brain Research and Neuropsychiatric Institutes where she co-authored several peer-reviewed scientific journal articles focused on opioid addiction research. Aiko was a co-founder and board director/officer of the Illumination Foundation, a nonprofit agency focusing on breaking the cycle of homelessness for families and individuals in Orange County. For 8 years, she served as the Board Secretary and Governance Chair. As the Executive Director of Healthcare for IF, Aiko directed strategic initiatives and oversaw the launch and operations of several of the innovation projects at IF focusing on healthcare for the homeless, which included building the Recuperative Care program from a pilot program at one motel site into now one of the largest Recuperative Care programs in the nation. In this role, she also oversaw the Buena Park Community and Mobile clinic and the Access OC Free Surgery program. Aiko then took the helm as Executive Director of HomeAid Los Angeles, a chapter of HomeAid America, dedicated to building homeless housing and facilities throughout LA County. Aiko holds degrees in Biology from UCLA, Biotechnology from CSUSM, and a Healthcare MBA from UC Irvine’s Paul Merage School of Business.
Jennifer Chen, Board Member-Director, Social Media & Public Relations, began her career in finance and accounting after receiving her Bachelor of Arts degree in Business-Economics from the University of California, Los Angeles. Jennifer first began volunteering in high school as a mentor for America On Track, a non-profit organization that creates brighter futures for communities and youth by addressing social inequities and health disparities. In college, Jennifer participated in MoneyThink, a program that empowers under-resourced high school students to achieve college success through providing mentorship and coaching in financial decision-making and improving financial literacy.
Through MobilityDog, Jennifer is able to combine her love for dogs with her hope of building an organization of support, education, and resources for the mobility disabled community.
In her free time, you can find Jennifer painting, listening to music (loves all genres, but especially country!), traveling, watching Broadway musicals, or relaxing with her family. She currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband, daughter, and their Shih-Tzu/Schnauzer mix, Smoggy.
Barbry Hogue, Board Secretary and Special Projects, Barbry has demonstrated her commitment to contributing to a variety of non-profit and educational organizations. She was born and raised in the
Bay Area in California. Since graduating from college she has lived in Oregon, California, South Carolina, Washington, and Colorado. After working for ten years as a travel agent, she enjoyed being an at-home mom for a number of years, raising her two children while being an active volunteer in their classrooms and for their schools. She served on the governing board for Summit Middle Charter School in Boulder, CO, the first charter school in the Boulder Valley School District. Her additional work history includes being the registrar for Peak to Peak K-12 Charter School in Lafayette, CO, for three years and several years as office manager for a Highland Magnet School in Bend, OR. Community commitments include volunteering at local public libraries; helping behind the scenes doing animal care at High Desert Museum in Bend, OR; socializing feral and stray cats for Longmont Friends of Feral & Abandoned Cats; organizing clothing donations for a clothing bank hosted at Central Oregon Community College; and volunteering for the SMART reading program (Start Making A Reader Today) at elementary schools in Bend, OR, where she currently lives.
She received her Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from Pomona College. She has been active in the Pomona College Alumni Association for many years, working on planning for several class reunions, interviewing prospective applicants, organizing local alumni events, and holding several positions on the Pomona College Alumni Board, including serving a year as president of the Alumni Board.
When not volunteering, she enjoys time with her adult children and three young granddaughters, traveling to be with them when she can. She enjoys exploring the beauty of Central Oregon and the Oregon Coast as well as other travels, spends a good bit of time square dancing, and regularly plays mahjong. She treasures the companionship of her Siamese mix cat, Sunny.
Holly Miller, Board Treasurer and Special Projects, brings 40 years of bookkeeping experience and many years of volunteer work with various non-profit organizations to the Mobility Service Dog board.
At one time, she owned the largest pirate-themed retail store in the U.S., where she handled all the accounting, purchasing, merchandising, sales, and e-commerce responsibilities.
Holly has had a lifelong love of all animals. She and her daughter currently care for dogs, cats, birds, reptiles, fish, a pig, and a rabbit at their Southern California home. They also board a horse nearby and have rehabilitated wild birds, rabbits, and squirrels.
In her spare time, Holly listens to various genres of music, frequents museums, researches her family tree, and is an amateur astronomer.
Gerald Freedman, Board Member, Treasurer, and Special Projects, bringing his experience selling Rolls Royce, Bentley, and Maserati in Pasadena after directing positions at New Medico Rehabilitation Group overseeing 45 hospitals and specialty units in 18 states responsible for up to 700 people negotiations and implementation of strategic planning and operations. After many years of providing both individual and group counseling, Gerry is embracing using his skills and lifetime of experience interacting and working with people. Gerry and his wife have volunteered for MobilityDog for 18 months before being asked to join the Board of Directors. He brings his expertise to assist in creating a positive journey for all our SDiT and SD Teams.
Gerry and his wife Mary-Ann live with their two mini poodle rescues and the current Standard Poodle. They teach manners and expose the newest dog to many adventures, lots of snuggles, and home life on Mt. Washington in Los Angeles, CA.
Janie Lynn Heinrich, Founder, Board Member-President, MobilityDog’s Executive Director, has a rich background in volunteerism and FUNctional independence. Janie grew up in a family confectionary business; magical. She embraced raising four children into adulthood, all of whom are responsible, educated, and kindhearted contributing members of society. “NeNe” delights loving up the next generation of grandchildren. Since the 1980s, Janie has been a community and school volunteer as an Art Docent, Great Books Leader, PTA and Board member, Art Council, Science Exploration Program Leader, Museum Docent, Elementary Programming Instructor, and High School Art & Theatre Advisory Board member. In the 2000s, Janie developed and taught "Villages of the Ancient Civilizations," a Project: Hands-On-History program for students that connected arts, history, traditions, and food in a hands-on learning approach for 6th graders. In 2010, after suffering a neurodegenerative spinal cord injury, Janie studied at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition school in New York City to become an AADP-certified health coach. Janie has since teamed with individuals to help them incorporate healthy food choices, movement modalities, and meditation (with their medical team onboard) as they regain their dreams and wellness. Since 2016, Janie has been an active Advocate for People with Disabilities.
In January 2018, she founded MobilityDog.Org, creating the PAWS & WAG educational workshops while overseeing the puppy raisers, handlers, and volunteers. She earned her SD Training Certification and wrote the first MobilityDog’s SD & SDiT manual. In July 2018, Janie became an active International Association of Canine Professionals (IACP) professional member, joining the Service Dog Committee and becoming the project lead for the IACP SD Educational Workshops. The educational workshops are led by SD Handlers, who share essential information regarding best practices for all who attend. In 2022, she earned the title of Commissioner Heinrich, serving the City of Pasadena’s Accessibility & Disability Commission, District 6. In 2023, Janie joined the Tournament of Roses Membership, hoping to bring her lived experiences to another platform for change and basic civil rights for all. In 2024, under Janie’s leadership, MobilityDog moved into the Western Justice Non-Profit Bungalows’s office space and MobilityDog is an Assistant Dog International (ADI) Candidate Program. The vision for 2024 continues to find a property to create the Center of Excellence & Wellness Gardens as a place for all people with disabilities to launch their dreams.
Janie enjoys life with Bob and Beckett in Pasadena or on the road exploring the National and State Parks with her grandchildren and children. Her first service dog, Phoebe, was the inspiration for this incredible community, which is MobilityDog.Org!
Tom Davenport, Board Member, Strategic Planning and MobilityDog Blog, retired a few years ago after a business career of more than four decades, 32 years of which were with a global HR consulting firm. His clients included companies large and small, across industries as diverse as financial services, technology, mining, and retail. Tom earned a B.A., magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, from the University of California, Los Angeles. He also earned an M.B.A. from the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley (Beta Gamma Sigma), as well as a master’s degree in journalism from Berkeley.
Through an array of articles and books, he has cataloged his experience and documented his ideas about new and better ways of working. Check out his website (www.worklodes.com) to read his business writing. Tom is also a poet, specializing in (what he believes is) humorous verse about the cultural phenomena that make our collective work experience both absurd and ironic. The result, his poetry book (entitled Get The Hell To Work: Humorous Verse About Work and Life) was published in 2020 by Kelsay Books.
Tom has continued his writing efforts by composing blogs for the MobilityDog website. Doing so enables him to keep his typing skills sharp while contributing to the overlapping worlds of canine and human well-being. Tom lives in Pasadena with his supernaturally patient wife, Sue, and his elegant Husky/German Shepherd rescue, Gracie.
Advisory Chairs and Assistant Chairs
Anna Gilnets, Morgance Ellis-Anthony, Denise Chalnick Marquez, Pam Allen, Bobbie Abdallah, Jennifer Yeager.
Anna Gilnets, Advisory Chair Lead Service Dog Trainer and Director of Service Dogs, began training dogs of all ages and breeds; after earning her AA in Liberal arts and BS in business administration, Anna worked as an administrative assistant for several years before finding her passion for dogs. Anna is a Certified Service Dog Trainer, a Certified Canine Good Citizen Evaluator, and a Certified Public Access Test Evaluator. Anna is an Engineer of Service Dog Team Placement.
As a dog trainer, Anna's career began in 2000 when she began puppy raising for a nonprofit service dog organization. After learning basic training skills, Anna wanted to learn more. She studied advanced task training and behavior modification under several great trainers. She studied different techniques because not all dogs are the same, and there is more than one way to train dogs. Her passion for dog training became a new career. Anna’s expertise is training Service Dogs which she is both compassionate and passionate about as she experiences the life changes that Service Dogs give. Service dogs allow people to be independent. As part of a Service Dog Team, it offers people with disabilities freedom and purpose.
Since that time, Anna has worked with several nonprofit organizations as an obedience dog trainer, service dog trainer, and consultant. She owns her own small business, AG Dog Training, and K9 Concierge, where she offers personal dog training and board training.
Anna is certified through the American Kennel Club as an AKC Evaluator a member of APDT, The Association of Professional Dog Trainers. Anna joined MSD-WCP in April 2019 as a Service Dog Trainer; she enjoys working with Mobility Service Dogs West Coast Project because it allows doing what she loves for a wonderful organization. She brings many years of training, skill set, and experience, as well as her love for dogs.
Bobbie Abdallah, Advisory Chair Blog and Business Network. It all started with a deep and undeniable passion to create and operate the first mobile doggie daycare service in Denver at the end of 2001 after 13 years in the corporate world! Along with her two rescued dogs, Taz, the yellow lab with ridiculously long legs, and Jet-Jet, a black lab cuddle-buddy, Bobbie and her pack were a common sight around Denver’s off-leash dog parks as they hiked, swam, and played as only dogs can.
It wasn’t long before Bobbie earned the nickname of “Piped Piper” because of the loyal members of the “pack de jour” who never left her side. It was a great life … happy clients with tired, content dogs who couldn’t wait to jump into her SUV for their next adventure!
Taz and his friend Jet-Jet have long since gone over the Rainbow Bridge along with Bobbie’s first Great Dane, Moose. But her heart and home now belong to Dublin, the Harlequin Great Dane, and his impish gal pal, Bella (the black Great Dane/lab) in beautiful Lake Tahoe, her dream location. But it was also time to reinvent herself with a new challenge.
So, combining her degrees in Journalism and graphic design skills, Bobbie founded Cold Noses News as a testament to her passion for dogs! She absolutely loves helping dog professionals - and their dog parent clients know - and do - better for their beloved K9 companions. Over the past seven years, Cold Nose News has won both recognition and awards for their engaging, science-based content (in the forms of monthly newsletters and blog posts) which includes:
2021 Local Main Street Mentor, Alignable
2021 Local Businessperson of the Year, Zephyr Cove, NV, Alignable
2020 LUXlife Magazine Winner: Best Dog Care Business Marketing Provider, USA
2019 LUXlife Magazine Winner: Best Pet Professional Marketing Blog
2018 Top-Rated Pet Blog, Wag!
Top 100 Pet Blog, Feedspot
Denise Chalnick Marquez, Service Dog Training, began her training journey with family pets and service dogs. She is a Canine Good Citizen certified dog trainer Denise is a Founding Advisory Chair for MSD-WCP. Today, Denise is a Certified Service Dog Trainer, Certified Canine Good Citizen Evaluator with a SATS Perception Modification certification, and a Certified Public Access Test Evaluator.
Denise began her career in pet sitting, child care, and then teaching. She has spent time tutoring and teaching Montessori to school-aged children. She has a Master's Degree in special education and has worked with children and adults with physical and cognitive challenges.
Denise volunteers and consults at 4 Paws 4 Patriots, where she works as a Senior Dog Trainer. There, she teaches and guides veterans to train their dogs in obedience, directional training, task training, and community/public access training so they can become ADA-Compliant Certified Service Dogs.
Jackie Yeager, Chair of Newsletter and Volunteer Projects, underwent brain surgery to remove an arteriovenous malformation (AVM) in 2018 as it was causing her extreme jaw pain on the left side of her face. She had a bleed in the brain during this surgery. Unfortunately, while she was recovering and about one month after her surgery, she was given a double dose of blood thinners, and she had to have another surgery, suffering from a brainstem stroke because of the double dose. This stroke led to a host of complications, 16 more surgeries, and a full year in the hospital. Jackie is a 31-year-old attorney who loves to read (especially psychological thrillers, memoirs, and historical fiction), eat, and hang out with her cat Maggie. She goes to therapy four times a week and is working very hard to get back to where she was before the surgeries. She started volunteering with Mobility Dog in 2022.
Morgance Ellis-Anthony, Advisory Chair ADA Coordinator TA and Service Dog Trainer, is the sole owner and trainer of Lead With Your Heart Dog Training and K9 Wings, specializing in service dogs in the USA and internationally. Her services include the training, education, evaluation, and testing, of service dog candidates, service dogs in training, fully trained service dogs, handlers, dog trainers, and puppy raisers. She presents at workshops, events, and conferences. Is hired as an expert witness and consults in all sectors of life, such as businesses, both private and public, employers, government entities, housing providers, ground, sea, and air transportation, educational institutions, and religious entities, on civil rights, disability laws, and reasonable accommodations. Morgance was born with severe dyslexia and mobility challenges. She worked through a debilitating automobile accident that left her temporarily unable to walk, which launched her into a career change from a professional digital computer graphic designer and photographer to working with animals and people suffering from disabilities. Her life includes years of working, training, raising, and showing horses, training dogs, assistant part-time veterinarian tech, and many hours volunteering at animal shelters and rescues. Morgances’ disabilities and those of animals she has owned with disabilities led her to advocate, help, rehabilitate, and train animals with disabilities such as deafness, visual impairment, mobility challenges, and issues caused by neglect and abuse.
Morgance has always trained her own service dogs to assist her. Ellie, a rescued golden retriever, and german shepherd mix is her current service dog of eight years. She became deeply involved with organizations, service dog trainers, handlers, government civil rights disability laws, and The Americans with Disability Rights Act. From this involvement, she became an ADA National Network Certified Coordinator, where she continues to add certifications under their tutelage and offerings.
Morgance continues to learn from various instructors, attend conferences and workshops, study educational materials and laws both domestically and internationally, and obtain certifications. Her humanitarian advocacy work focuses on helping others transform their awareness to more profound compassion for all beings by developing their eyes and heart to embrace the boundless possibilities of equality for all.
Pam Allen, Chair of Policy & Procedures, Raiser & Handler Manual, Service Dog Committee, and Special Projects, has always had a passion for education: she established and ran two tutoring programs in college, one for underperforming students and one for gifted students in local public and Catholic schools; she was an Assistant Dean of Admissions for Pomona College; she brought the Junior Great Books Program and Odyssey of the Mind to her children’s public school district and was a leader and coach in both for four years; she has taught 3rd/4th grade, conflict resolution workshops to adults working with children, and French at the high school and college level; she ran the volunteer tutoring program at Boulder High School for four years; and she was a private tutor for 17 years. She maintained a varied tutoring practice that changed with the seasons: during the summer, she worked intensively with rising seniors on preparing for their SAT and ACT tests and did some college essay coaching; and during the school year, she tutored a range of subjects, including middle and high school math, study skills for students who don’t perform well on class tests, strategic reading of textbooks, and French. Each year, she was also a coach for a handful of high school and college students with ADHD and other executive functioning issues, as well as general academic overwhelm. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in French Literature from Pomona College and her Master of Arts degree in French Civilization from the University of California. She is an original member of Boulder Educational Services and a founding member of Indie Ed, a collaborative community of Independent Educators.
She and her husband have two wonderful adult sons and a daughter-in-law, all of whom are settled and working in the western U.S. Since retiring from her tutoring practice six years ago, Pam spends time creating with fiber and volunteering with Habitat for Humanity's Disaster Corps and Mobility Service Dogs West Coast Project and tutoring a few students. She lives in Boulder, Colorado with her husband and wonderful hiking and backpacking dog companion, Gus.
Pam served on the Board of Directors for six years as a Founding Board Member as Secretary, treasurer, Special Projects Policy & Procedures, and continues working with MobilityDog, working with Special Projects, Policy & Procedures, and Puppy & Handler Manuals. We are extremely grateful for her time and energy -Thank you!
Board of Directors Memorial Funds
Board Member gone too soon, Gifford Myers and Lonnie Saeger
The Lonnie Saeger Memorial Fund is supporting Lonnie’s Puppies. October 30, 1953 - August 4, 2024.
Our energetic, dog-loving, kindest-hearted human with a deep desire to help the mobility-impaired community as a board member and friend made an incredible impact in the Service Dog World with his understanding of canines and humans. Lonnie changed many lives, one dog at a time; we are honored to have worked side-by-side with Lonnie on many projects with MobilityDog as he taught each of us how to live and laugh more with his can-do, child-like energy we all embraced! We will carry his energy, love, joy, and gratitude for all of life forever in our hearts. We bow in appreciation and gratitude for Lonnie’s time and energy, and we appreciate how every one of our service dogs and service dogs-in-training would wiggle and waggle whenever he was near! Our handlers, volunteers, and board members love Lonnie and appreciate how he always meets everyone where they are and gives them the confidence that they are a Stellar Service Dog Team. Lonnie was a treasured gift to the MobilityDog community, and we are honored that his wonderful, loving wife, Marcey, will continue being part of the MobilityDog community. Marcey has requested donations be made in his memory to MobilityDog. So, in his memory and spirit, we have established The Lonnie Saeger Memorial Fund to continue funding the work he was so passionate about. His name will be on the MobilityDog’s Center of Excellence one day.
Lonnie Saeger, Board Member- Puppy Raisers’ Manager, Business Development and Special Projects, is semi-retired as a Sourcing Director for Harbor Freight Tools. Lonnie has spent 30 years working with companies and vendors in Asia to bring quality product lines to the US market. He has spent the last ten years at Harbor Freight, where his team expanded business operations while vastly improving product quality. Lonnie was instrumental in creating a very successful line of automotive jacks and off-road winches. He is known for having an eye for opportunities and executing and finishing those opportunities in a timely manner.
In retirement, Lonnie wanted to give back in some way. His love for dogs pointed him in a direction that landed him with a wonderful charity, MobilityDog, that does amazing things for people with disabilities through the use of dogs. Lonnie joined MobilityDog as a Puppy Raiser, and in 2022, the Board of Directors asked him to join the board with his gifts of raising a service dog-in-training and business background! Lonnie is our Puppy Manager overseeing the Service Dogs-in-Training, playdates with all the Service Dog Teams, and dog sitting or organizing dog sitting. His wit and living with kindness makes him a favorite; every service dog wiggles and waggles to see Uncle Lonnie!
In his spare time, Lonnie loves being in the great outdoors. He spends much time paddle boarding, biking, and raising SDiT Jake! He and his wife, Marcey, make their home in Southern California.
Lonnie hopes to bring his quirky sense of humor and some business sense to the organization to make a difference in the future of Mobility Service Dogs-West Coast Project DBA MoblityDog. October 30, 1953 - August 4, 2024. The Lonnie Saeger Memorial Fund is supporting Lonnie’s Puppies. October 30, 1953 - August 4, 2024.
Our darling Board Member and friend Gifford Myers passed away on March 11, 2019, and we will miss his zest for life. His genius, artistry, and ability to think outside the box have made a lasting impact on those services by Mobility Service Dogs-West Coast Project. Gifford’s family asked us to create an Arts to Educate fund for Gifford. We are deeply grateful for Giffords's time, energy, and creativity on the board. Thank you, Gifford, I miss your witty comments, command of the English language, your artistic brain, and showing up!
Click on the links below:Gifford Myers Memorial Fund 11/30/1948-03/11/2019.Gifford Myers Obituary
Retired Board of Directors & Advisory Chairs
We are grateful for their time, energy, and contributions! Thank you.
Lonnie Saeger, Robert Heinrich, Lindsay Valenzuela, Jessica Larson, Joel Heinrich, Gifford Myers, Ruth Miille, Jody Anderson, Ayami Hiroshige, Amie Chapman, Michelle Hill, Amanda Roberts, Mei Tang, Brittany Jarabek, and Vanessa Lopez
Retired- Brittany Jarabek, Chief Grant Writer Chair and Special Projects, is a San Francisco based, non-profit professional with a rich background in grant writing, juvenile justice, printmaking, art history, yoga and meditation, travel, and the great outdoors. As a grant writing professional and non-profit consultant, Brittany specializes in providing creative solutions, grant writing services, freelance writing, and program metrics management for non-profit agencies. Brittany obtained her Masters of Art from McGill University in Montreal in Art History with an emphasis in early modern print culture. She is a printmaker, photographer, travel lover, and Francophile. Brittany is involved with many nonprofit organizations in the health and wellness, juvenile justice, education, and arts sectors. She has been an animal lover since the tender age of two when she met her first canine pal, a Collie lovingly named Princess Dumbo Dog. Brittany now calls the Sunset District of San Francisco home along with her two poodles, Sawyer Blue and Maya Coco. Brittany served for 5 years as a Founding Board Member, Treasurer, Fundraising Development, and Special Projects; we appreciated Brittany’s service, 2018-2022 on the Board of Directors for MobilityDog! Deep bows of gratitude for all you give to shape this amazing organization! We are glad you remain as our Chief Grant Writer Chair. Thank you! On September 9, 2024, Brittany resigned from her volunteer position with MobilityDog; we wish her all the best on her next amazing adventures.
RIP- Lonnie Saeger, Board Member- Puppy Raisers’ Manager, Business Development and Special Projects, is semi-retired as a Sourcing Director for Harbor Freight Tools. Lonnie has spent 30 years working with companies and vendors in Asia to bring quality product lines to the US market. He has spent the last ten years at Harbor Freight, where his team expanded business operations while vastly improving product quality. Lonnie was instrumental in creating a very successful line of automotive jacks and off-road winches. He is known for having an eye for opportunities and executing and finishing those opportunities in a timely manner.
In retirement, Lonnie wanted to give back in some way. His love for dogs pointed him in a direction that landed him with a wonderful charity, MobilityDog, that does amazing things for people with disabilities through the use of dogs. Lonnie joined MobilityDog as a Puppy Raiser, and in 2022, the Board of Directors asked him to join the board with his gifts of raising a service dog-in-training and business background! Lonnie is our Puppy Manager overseeing the Service Dogs-in-Training, playdates with all the Service Dog Teams, and dog sitting or organizing dog sitting. His wit and living with kindness makes him a favorite; every service dog wiggles and waggles to see Uncle Lonnie!
In his spare time, Lonnie loves being in the great outdoors. He spends much time paddle boarding, biking, and raising SDiT Jake! He and his wife, Marcey, make their home in Southern California.
Lonnie hopes to bring his quirky sense of humor and some business sense to the organization to make a difference in the future of Mobility Service Dogs-West Coast Project DBA MoblityDog. October 30, 1953 - August 4, 2024.The Lonnie Saeger Memorial Fund is supporting Lonnie’s Puppies. October 30, 1953 - August 4, 2024.
Retired- Robert Heinrich, CPA, Advisory Chair Finances, is a Certified Public Accountant who has been in private practice since 1980. Robert primarily works with healthcare professionals, community clinics, long-term care facilities, and non-profit organizations. He was active on the boards of 21 non-profit organizations from 2005 to 2024. Robert has worked extensively with setting up, organizing, and obtaining IRS approval of nonprofit organizations. The NPOs he works with focus on at-risk youth, arts and music education, healthcare and nutrition, and homelessness.
While this work addresses the technical skills related to the setting up and operating of an NPO, Robert’s life experience related to disability, pain management, and healing through the use of meditation, biofeedback therapy, yoga, acupuncture, nutrition, and alternative healing methods is the higher motivation to be involved with this project.
Robert began retiring in 2024 and loves to work with Janie and the Board on special projects for MobilityDog.org! He also enjoys traveling, reading, cooking, and spending time with his children and grandchildren hiking and exploring. He lives with his wife, Janie, and her service dog, Beckett, in Pasadena and is a Founding Advisory Chair for MobilityDog. Bob has actively guided MobilityDog for the first six years and has retired but will continue being active in the community, volunteering and being present at monthly events. Active January 2018 to August 30, 2024. He will always be present to assist in any capacity, as he is passionate and loves this organization!
Retired- Mei Tang, Board Member, Chair of Policy & Procedures, is a pharmacist and a certified yoga instructor, who began her pharmacy career over 20 years ago and started her yoga and meditation practice in 2015. Her love of yoga and time of reflection at the yoga studio helped her through a difficult time in her life. Always a lifelong student, she aspired to gain more knowledge about yoga and became a certified yoga teacher through CorePower’s teacher training program.
As a pharmacist and healthcare provider, she firmly believes in the many health benefits of yoga and meditation. In 2017, she founded Two Trees Wellness (twotreeswellness.org) with the mission to help people, especially under-served populations-children and older adults- improve mental and physical health through meditation and yoga.
Mei holds a medical degree in pharmacy from the University of Colorado and an MBA from the University of California, Irvine. She lives with her two teenage children and enjoys travel, reading, sports, outdoor activities, and spending time with family and friends. Served MSD-WCP February 9, 2018- November 15, 2021, as a Founding Board of Director’s Member. Thank you for all your hard work and time donated landing the foundation for the Policy & Procedure Manual. Grateful!
Retired- Vanessa Lopez, Assistant Chair Office and Merchandise is a student at the University of California, Los Angeles completing her B.S. in Psychobiology with a minor in Disability Studies she began volunteering with MobilityDog keeping our online office filed and up to date! Vanessa also assisted with merchandise orders. She will be continuing her volunteering with us as she works on her Master Thesis which begins in fall of 2022! Vanessa began volunteering with MobilityDog in 2020 because of her desire to learn more about creating pathways and equality for all people. Vannessa left in 2023 as she is busy working on her doctrine degree and still does small projects for us. Good Luck, Vannessa!
RIP- Gifford Myers, Board Member, and Artist & Creative Designs is not one of your old-school potters. Trained initially as an architect and operating ostensibly as a ceramist since the early 1970s, he has created work that has encompassed painting, public art, and sculpture. Stylistically, his art runs a restless gamut from fetish minimalism to cartoonish funk.
Gifford studied at and graduated from UC Berkeley and UC Irvine. At UC Irvine he was Professor Emeritus of Art Sculpture, Ceramic Sculpture, Painting, and Drawing. He has shown his work using lead, wood, bronze, aluminum, fiberglass, industrial tiles, and found objects infused with clay that can be found in Public Collections around the globe, with three large-scale public art murals in Pasadena. Gifford has shown in Solo and Group Exhibitions throughout the world.
Gifford combines his love of canines and their natural love of him with creative and experimental engagements with clay. He will bring an amazing layer to MSD-WCPs. Gifford lives with his rescue dog, Jackson. He served on our board from March 5, 2018, to March 12, 2019.
Retired- Amanda Roberts, Chair of Basic Dog Training, Games, and Field Trips, has several training certifications. She is certified through the leading internationally recognized certifying organization for dog training, The Certification Counsel of Professional Dog Trainers. She is knowledge assessed, which requires a minimum of 300 hours of training experience and passing an exam on learning theory, ethology, husbandry, and more. She has completed world-renowned Micheal Shikashio’s Master Course in Dog Aggression. And she is a Fear Free Certified Professional through Fear Free, whose mission is to prevent and alleviate fear, anxiety, and stress in pets by inspiring and educating the people who care for them. She has mentored under the wonderful trainer Janine Pierce, CPDT-KA. And she has studied material from resources provided by other dog experts, scientists, and doctors, including Karen Pryor, Ian Dunbar, Sophia Yin, Grisha Stewart, Victoria Stilwell, Patricia McConnell, Emily Larlham, Denise Fenzi, Michael Shikashio, Chris Pachel, Chirag Patel, and Kathy Sdao to name some. She is part of organizations and groups committed to expanding dog training knowledge and skills.
Amanda has always had an inquisitiveness and passion for animals since childhood. She has been studying dog training methods since the early 2000s and was initially turned off from the industry due to the inhumane approach commonly taken with methods such as compulsion training. Her interest in dog training was rekindled while learning more about evidence-backed positive-based dog training methods in 2014 while training her dog to an advanced level of basic training, tricks, and some service dog tasks to mitigate a disability she struggled with at the time. She became very interested in learning the most compassionate yet effective ways to teach and modify dog behavior. Once becoming a professional dog trainer and having seen so much conflicting and misleading advice floating around pertaining to dog training, and having once known what it’s like not to know where to turn in a completely unregulated industry, she decided she wanted to help others by creating a dog training company. With the help of her spouse and friends, Intailigent was formed. Having a soft spot for the miraculous work of service dogs, she also volunteers for Mobility Service Dogs - West Coast Project. Amanda left MobilityDog Puppy Meet-Up Lead in 2023 to focus on aggressive and high-maintenance dog training. Best of luck, Amanda!
Retired- Jody Anderson, RN -the Advisory Chair Human’s Health & Wellness, is a Registered Nurse and Integrative Health and Nutrition Coach. She serves as the Community Nurse Activator in Algoma, WI, a small rural community of approximately 3,100 people. Jody also owns a private health coaching business, Succeed Health, LLC. With 25 years of nursing experience, Jody brings a broad skill set to her community and health care organization, spanning from acute care, chronic disease management, lifestyle medicine to population health management. She received her BSN from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh and is also trained through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, University of Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine- Integrative Health and Lifestyles Program, and Wellcoaches® program. Her passion for promoting health and well-being has taken her outside the walls of the clinic and hospital settings to working side by side with fellow community members, urging them to “take back their health! ”
Jody serves as a team leader within the Live Algoma Coalition, which was awarded the 2017 RWJF Culture of Health Prize. Through community activation and organizing, Jody leads the Healthy Individuals team in her community, a cross-sectoral group of community members who focus on promoting and supporting healthy lifestyles to improve health outcomes. Jody has gained knowledge and lived-experience for her work as a member of 100 Million Healthier Lives and SCALE 1.0 initiatives. Beyond the role of nursing, her work has involved the engagement of diverse stakeholders, promotion of health equity, and incorporation of improvement science into coaching individuals and small groups.
Most importantly, Jody is a wife, mother of 6 children, and a loving companion to her dog Huck, a 3-year-old labradoodle. Served MSD-WCP 2018. Thank you, Jody! She continues to be available for consultations.
Retired- Joel Heinrich, Advisory Chair Mobility Service Dog Basics, Education, and MSDiT Sitter, is passionate about the arts, gardening, and animals. Joel is a Los Angeles based singer-songwriter currently leading the band Rubaiyat. Joel’s other projects include Little Brown Kitty, Black Ass Humans of the Neon Future, RatRios, and The Oarsmen. Outside of music, Joel is an academically trained actor and director making his directorial debut in San Francisco with the production The Sister, which he co-wrote with Hunter Noack of Pink Martini. Joel lives in Highland Park and enjoys woodworking, gardening, and shooting mini-films. He has a well-trained canine pal Runt and rodent friends Marcy and Doc. Served MSD-WCP 2018. Thank you, Joel! Continues doing advisory.
Retired- Ayami Hiroshige, Advisory Board Advocate Chair, is a Pasadena, CA native who enjoys yoga, reading, visiting museums, and finding new parks to explore. With an extensive background in business and her former work with the Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce, Ayami combines her passions of supporting small businesses and helping the community. She has a BA in Organizational Management from the University of La Verne. Ayami is the founder of LA Yoga Addicts, an organization of like-minded yoga enthusiasts that supports the local community. When she is not working, she enjoys spending time with her boyfriend (and husband), their kids, and two dogs. Served MSD-WCP 2018 & 2019. Thank you, Ayami!
Retired- Jessica Larson, the Advisory Chair Poodle Palooza 2020, studies World Languages and Cultures as well as Event Planning and Experience Management at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. She is passionate about working with people to create experiences that make lasting impressions, connections that spark joy, and memories that bring smiles. She has had experience with philanthropic work and customer service, especially working and volunteering with nonprofits including Orange County United Way and HomeAid Orange County. In the future, she would love to combine her passion for learning languages, specifically Spanish and French, with her passion for working with people and planning events to work and communicate with people around the world, learning and experiencing different cultures and ways of life, while spreading the joy she has found within hers.
In her free time, she loves to explore the outdoors, especially at the beach, and loves spending time and laughing with her family and friends.
Retired- Ruth Miille, Board Member and MSD-WCP's First Puppy Raiser is retired and lives in Prescott Valley, Arizona for only the last six months. She just finished RV traveling the entire United States and into Canada during the previous four years. Ruth says the U.S. is an awesome country, and that she enjoyed visiting all Presidential Libraries and most State Capitals. She was so glad for the unique opportunity to complete a life dream.
Before that, Ruth raised three children of her own and now has four grandchildren that she visits in Nevada where she lived for over 20 years. She also worked during those years in the accounting field.
Ruth loves all animals and has worked with and trained many Therapy Dogs, all belonging to her. She was registered with each of her partners either through Delta Society (now Pet Partners) or ITA (International Therapy Dogs) and is still a member of the national R.E.A.D. The program, Pets Helping People, in Utah. Ruth shared her pets (both dogs and a cat) with nursing homes, hospitals, Veterans Homes, and children in schools and libraries, mostly in Colorado and Kansas where she lived. She was also a puppy raiser for KSDS in Kansas and had a successful graduate dog (a Labrador) that now works in a school with a Counselor and with Autism children. Ruth has had the opportunity to visit the school and watch the dog work with the staff and children, a very heartwarming experience.
Ruth, MSD-WCP’s first puppy raiser, (Jan-Dec. 2018) puppy raising Sir Baldwin, MSD-WCP’s first puppy. . There are numerous postings on Sir Baldwin's adventures and travels available for reading and generating laughter. Ruth lives in with Karl, and a kitty named Oreo. Served MSD-WCP February 9, 2018- January 17, 2019. Thank you, Ruth! She continues interacting with the puppy raisers as a mentor and friend.
Retired- Lindsay Valenzuela, Board Member, has always had a passion for helping people and Animals. Since 2014, Lindsay has worked as a Physical Therapist Assistant in the Inland Empire. Her focus is on empowering geriatric patients to heal and improve their health through physical rehabilitation and lifestyle choices. Every six weeks, Lindsay travels to Mexicali to help a local orphanage cook and feed the children lunch. Biannually, she travels to Mexicali and Tijuana with Wheels for Humanity to get disabled children and adults into much-needed wheelchairs. Lindsay is an avid traveler with a passion for photography and activism. She is active in the LGBTQ community and works to open the eyes of the Seventh Day Adventist church towards embracing rather than condemning LGBTQ individuals. Lindsay lives in Highland with her roommate and her three canine pals Noodles, Storm, and Rogue. Served MSD-WCP February 9, 2018 - January 5, 2020. Thank you, Lindsay! Best with your education and future pathways. She is actively volunteering with MobilityDog creating Powerpoints for our educational programs, outreach, and fundraisers. Grateful for Lindsay!
Retired- Amie Chapman, Dog Health & Wellness and Board Member, has had a passion for dogs since she was 9 years old and is inseparable from her Tibetan Terrier named Samantha. After college, she became a registered veterinary technician and has been saving animals ever since. Amie started service dog puppy raising in August 2002 and has raised 17 puppies since then. She is the Co-founder as well as the host of Growing Up Guide Pup which is a web series that raises awareness about service dog puppy raising. Rescue work is also a passion of hers, especially when it comes to orphan puppies and kittens. Over the last 20 years, Amie has fostered over 40 kittens and 15 puppies that were under the age of 8 weeks old and separated from their mothers.
Amie strives to learn something new with each and every puppy that she raises and hopes that she can inspire others to do the same and demonstrate the importance of giving back. She is always trying to better her communication and understanding of canine language, and returning that knowledge to the community is very important to her.
When Amie is not running GUGP, working as an RVT, or working with a service puppy in training, she likes to spend time with her husband Matt and her two dogs: Ricki, a career-changed guide dog, and Ozzy, a rescue terrier mix that she saved from parvo. Served MSD-WCP February 10, 2018 - March 15, 2019, and is full-time supporting her and her husband’s fabulous organization GUGP.ORG! Wishing you all the best, thank you, Amie!