WHO IS SD4V?
An opportunity to serve alongside Veterans and their dogs was put on Tom’s path and he was very eager to be a part of impactful change in the community by making a significant difference in the lives of those the organization serves.Tom was born in North Carolina into a Marine Corps family. He graduated from high school in Seoul, Korea, then after three years of college in Virginia, Tom enlisted in the Army for two years as an Infantryman. He was stationed in Germany and was honorably discharged as an E-4. Earning his Bachelor of Science in Marketing from the University of Maryland, he applied and was accepted into the United States Marine Corps’ Officer Candidate School. Tom was commissioned a Second Lieutenant and spent 18 years on Active Duty with the Marine Corps as a Logistics Officer. He completed 8 deployments and finished his Master’s in Business Administration through the GI Bill. Tom was honorably discharged in 2009, retiring at the rank of Major.Tom then worked in a program manager role for eight years with a defense contractor supporting the Marine Corps mission in the Middle East. Entering the private sector, Tom was an Operations Manager with Tractor Supply Company then as a Technical Project Manager with a gearing company supporting a US Navy contract. In 2023 Tom successfully earned the Project Management Professional certification. Tom was the program lead for a nonprofit program serving active military service personnel and veterans in need through fly fishing. Tom is currently a volunteer mentor with Hire Heroes USA, a nonprofit helping veterans in transition to a successful career path. He has two rescue dogs, Rocco, a mix of Coonhound and Retriever and Tyler, a Labrador Retriever, and a rescue barn cat, Hunter. Tom personally trained Tyler to be a hunting dog for upland game birds. Tom is married to the former Catherine Druffel and has three children, Christina, William, and Analina.
KC developed a love for animals at a young age. She also deeply appreciates our nation’s military, as she grew up in an Army family. When a position opened at SD4V, she knew it would be a fantastic opportunity to combine these passions into a career.Prior to joining the SD4V team, KC was a Business Director at a local nonprofit. She also previously worked in commercial trucking insurance as an underwriter and at a local animal hospital. She recently graduated from Purdue University with a master’s in Management and Leadership and a focus in Project Management.In her role at SD4V, KC will support volunteers, assist in managing events, coordinate visitors to the Training Center, and handle other operational processes. She lives in the Upstate with their two cats, Sheba and Tigger, and their dog, Stella. KC is honored to be a part of the SD4V team.
Cassidy found her passion for dog training in 2016 when she volunteered to foster and train a rescue dog for Service Dogs for Veterans (SD4V) as part of her senior project at Greer Middle College Charter High School. She then worked at Dog Trainers Workshop (DTW) as Kennel Manager while learning under Connie Cleveland, a nationally recognized competitive obedience and service dog trainer. Cassidy acquired a wealth of knowledge about best practices using incentive-based obedience training and service dog training for individuals with special needs. She was promoted to Trainer and then to Training Manager at DTW. As Training Manager, her role included doing private and group training classes while also training service dogs for the Service Dog Institute. Over the years she gained experience working with clients to achieve their goals of working through aggression, foundation work, off-leash control, and all levels of dog obedience. She also had the satisfaction of seeing how service dogs make an incredible difference in the lives of special needs children and adults. While working at DTW as Training Manager, she also worked part-time in the evenings as an instructor with SD4V learning the special skills needed to work with veterans to train their own future service dogs. Cassidy’s next career step was taking a job as a trainer with Say It Once Dog Training in Wilmington, NC. There she furthered her skills in solving problem dog behaviors while learning from many different experienced trainers and working in a variety of settings. For Cassidy, watching a dog and its owner become a team is the most rewarding part of being a dog trainer. She is fascinated by the challenge of developing a dog’s desire to love learning and seeing the joy dogs have when they have a sense of purpose. She found her Border Collie, Peaches, at 1-1/2 years old, and has given Peaches training in competitive obedience, herding, agility, and scent work. Cassidy is excited to return to Greenville to join the SD4V team as Lead Trainer. She’s missed the joy of working with our veterans, helping them and their dogs write a new chapter of hope by becoming ADA-compliant service dog teams. She believes it’s a terrific opportunity and is looking forward to helping the organization grow. Cassidy is an AKC-approved Canine Good Citizen Evaluator as well as a professional-level member of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers. She is studying to take the Certification Council of Professional Dog Trainers exam.
James served 22 years in the U.S. Army. When James was going through the program he really appreciated the bond with other veterans in his classes. That encouraged him so much that now as a graduate, he wants to volunteer to give other veterans the same great experience he had.James has a natural ability to connect with our students. Combined with the dog training knowledge he’s acquired, he now contributes in a big way in many of our classes – as a training assistant in some, and as a trainer in others.James is a certified A.K.C Canine Good Citizen Evaluator, a professional-level member in the APDT, and studying to become a certified dog trainer. He also generously gives his time to being a veteran advocate in all phases of the program and in the Spartanburg meet-up group. He’s definitely found a new calling, and our students benefit by having James by their side. And oh yes, dear Elsa is by his side with all this and has learned not to be too jealous of all the attention James gives to other dogs.
Kristen reached out to Service Dogs for Veterans (SD4V) to volunteer to foster recently adopted shelter dogs because she understood how a trained dog could heal a soldier’s heart, and give them greater normalcy living with their PTSD. By opening her heart and home to help these dogs, they experience the joy of living with a loving family and learn a daily routine. In addition, by being a training foster, Kristen also takes the dog she’s fostering through the SD4V Beginner Obedience class. Now the dog, regardless of its life prior to being rescued by SD4V, will have everything it needs to easily move into its forever home and attend further training with its Veteran.In the past, Kristen has volunteered with Dogs for Autism, fostering and training service dogs for children with special needs. Her heart has always been about advocating for and helping children. This is why she enjoys seeing those service dogs play such an important role in a family with a special needs child. Kristen and her husband also felt called to adopt their two youngest children from China years ago. Through the adoption process and raising her family, she has seen how a dog’s love can help children through the difficult struggles of growing up. She says: “On our worst days, we know we have dogs waiting at home to run up to us and make us feel like we are the most important person on Earth – they always bring us joy!”Kristen has earned a bachelor’s in psychology and an associate degree in nursing. She is married to her high school sweetheart Chris, and they co-own a family business, Blue Ridge Heating and Air. They have four children. Her oldest daughter Riley is an undergraduate student at Clemson. Matthew, Violet, and Jonah are attending Eastside High School. She feels blessed to have been surrounded by dogs her entire life and knows they are a gift from God. Her two dogs are a German Shepherd, Synergy (Syn’y for short), and her rescue dog, Flynn.
Suzy is excited to join the SD4V family to help in the growth or our various programs as a Program Coordinator. She has a servant’s heart with a passion for animals and helping our veterans. Suzy has a Bachelor of Science in Information Systems from the University of South Carolina and has completed courses toward her Master of Business Administration through the Clemson at Furman MBA Program.She brings 30 years working in the Information Technology field including Programing, Business Systems Analysis, and Project Management. Her busy professional life is matched with her active community involvement including in the Make A Wish Trailblaze Challenge with a 28.3 mile, 12hr. Appalachian Trail hike in one day! She has also helped raise money and awareness for the Greenville Humane Society.She is married to a wonderful man and blessed with two beautiful, amazing grown children and a sweet dog named Bonnie.
After retiring from a long career in Human Resources management, Pat developed a passion for caring for shelter dogs and helping them find forever homes.While volunteering at Concerned Citizens for Animals, one of the residents, Lab mix ‘Rex’ the Wonder Dog, was discovered by SD4V and adopted for a Veteran in need of a dog. Pat saw the instant connection and benefit of the bond between humans and canines and wanted to volunteer at an organization that made that connection possible.Pat certainly is doing that in many ways critical to SD4V’s growth: she is the lead in grant writing, showing the tenacity & persistence so vital to her success in this role; she brings her years of experience in Human Resources to help develop SD4V’s Workforce Development Program; and, attending many classes she has developed the skill of capturing those precious bonding moments between veterans and their dogs with her pictures. And at team graduations, Pat uses her gifts to interview veterans on their thoughts about their SD4V training journey. This becomes their testimony that helps future applicants read and see the hope that’s available through their dog and the training.She wants to bring her experience in the field of Human Resources to SD4V as this organization moves forward with its Workforce Development Program. Pat will also play a big role in grant writing to assist the organization in reaching its fundraising goals.
Dean’s diverse talents and availability to serve have been a huge help to SD4V. It’s hard to find any area of operation that he hasn’t contributed to and made it better! That along with his passionate support of the mission of pairing rescue dogs with Veterans, and the joy he takes seeing veterans reclaim their lives by graduating as ADA compliant service dog teams, makes Dean one very special volunteer in the SD4V family.Dean worked as a Dimensional Quality and Process Improvement Specialist for 22 years, at BMW Manufacturing, retiring in 2016. Since then, Dean’s passion for helping shelter dogs inspired him to volunteer at local shelters Concerned Citizens for Animals, Greenville County Animal Care, and Greenville Humane Society’s Healing Place. He has also fostered dogs in his home prior to their adoptions.He started volunteering with SD4V after participating in the basic obedience training classes at Dog Trainers Workshop with a rescue he affectionately named ‘Rex the Wonder Dog’, where he was introduced to Bill and SD4V.
Cherie Mascis-CPDT-KA (Certified Professional Dog Trainer-Knowledge Assessed), PPG (Pet Professional Guild) Multiple Species Training Professional & Licensed Pet Dog Ambassador Instructor, AKC Canine Good Citizen Evaluator, Association of Professional Dog Trainers Canine Life and Social Skills Trainer/ Evaluator, has been working with dogs, horses, parrots, and exotic animals for over 40 years.She attended Moorpark College’s Exotic Animal Training and Management Program, was a Bird Show Presenter and Trainer at Busch Gardens; a Vet tech and Curator of Birds at Marine World/Africa USA and the Curator of Animal Programs at Turtle Bay Exploration Park in Redding, CA. (non-releasable, native Californian raptors, small mammals, and reptiles).During those times, she also provided in-home behavior consulting for pet behavior issues, using positive reinforcement, science-based training to help clients build a better relationship with their animals.Cherie started at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in 2012. Within a year, she became Lead Dog Trainer and shortly after that was promoted to Dogtown Manager. Her primary goals were to ensure exemplary care of the dogs at Best Friends and to educate their visitors and volunteers, staff, and shelter and rescue personnel about positive reinforcement-based, cutting edge animal behavior and training methods to help reduce the number of pets being euthanized in shelters and to empower the caregivers to help the sanctuary dogs become more adoptable.Although she felt she was doing worthwhile work, she decided to get back to her roots, helping people keep their animals in their homes, so they don’t end up in shelters. Cherie is presently the founder of AllPets Training & Behavior Solutions, LLC. Providing in-home and remote behavior consultations for pet guardians and their dogs, cats, and other pets. She specializes in cat behavior issues, dog aggression cases, and “teenage” dogs with impulse control issues but really enjoys her worthwhile work with Service Dogs for Veterans. She loves helping Veterans and their Service Dogs in Training troubleshoot any training or behavior issues that are holding them back from reaching their full potential and becoming a happy, working team.
In 2015 ‘Meg’ joined her friends Linda and Ann in various dog rescue projects, assisting them with fund-raising and community events. It did not take long for their passion to help our Veterans to rub off. The first time Meg met a Service Dog Team from K9s For Warriors, the emotional impact of the Veteran/dog bond reinforced her commitment to helping our Veterans.Meg has worked with various upstate Animal Rescue Groups for the past 17 years, spending three of those years as the Adoptions Director with our shelter partner Concerned Citizens for Animals.In 2017 she began volunteering with SD4V. Meg retired from Michelin North America in May 2018 and has channeled her efforts into community outreach, fundraising, and grant writing for SD4V. Meg’s ability to manage and coordinate multiple projects, and her attention to the many details of SD4V operations, is amazing. Her contributions to the SD4V mission can not be overstated!
Sharon Rose is the daughter of a career U.S. Army officer. While stationed in Japan and Germany, post-WWII, “The Colonel”, as he was affectionately called, saw a great need to help local citizens heal suffering caused by war. He inspired his family and the troops in his command to help rebuild lives and provide fully supplied housing for those qualifying for assistance. Thus Sharon developed a passion to aide others which crosses over to animals.For the past eight years, she has been the office coordinator and an adoption staff member at Foothills Humane Society in North Carolina. There, she became acquainted with Ann Goodheart and Linda Williams, active members of the SD4V team. With “The Colonel” in mind, Sharon was inspired to assist with their mission and became “the eyes” at the shelter, tagging dogs as possible candidates to be rescued and partnered with applicable qualifying Veterans.Also passionate about writing, Sharon provides compositions as needed with the hope that her words and those of training program graduates might inspire other Veterans to grab the opportunity for a life-changing experience and reclaim the normalcy in their troubled lives. “As a nation, we must make every effort to save them, dogs and humans, one life at a time.”
Susie’s love of dogs combined with deep respect and appreciation for our nation’s Veterans drew her to the SD4V website in January 2022. She was immediately intrigued by SD4V’s unique approach to training where Veterans and their dogs go through school together. As she watched these teams move through each level of training, she especially enjoyed seeing the deep bond and advanced skills develop between the dogs and Veterans. She describes it as a beautiful experience to witness and support. Through class and event participation, Susie has formed relationships with many students, graduates, volunteers, and, of course, all of the dogs.A native of the Upstate, Susie embraces the opportunity to not only serve area Veterans but also help with providing purpose and homes for shelter dogs in the region. She says, “All this confirms submitting the volunteer application on the SD4V website was the right move for her!”Susie is excited to help the SD4V mission as Development Volunteer creating the quarterly newsletter, assisting with new volunteers, and public events, and assisting in other areas as needed.As a graduate of Wofford College in Spartanburg, Susie has a degree in accounting. She retired after a decades-long career as a Senior Budget Analyst at the University of South Carolina in Columbia.
Julie loves volunteering for an organization that helps both our veterans and shelter dogs! Her role is primarily managing the SD4V Facebook page; and also helps with documentation in the updating of microchip information of the shelter dogs, to the veteran, once they have graduated from the program, basic research, and whatever else may be needed.Julie brings experience as a medical technologist in a large teaching hospital and taught medical technology students. Then worked for medical device companies where her responsibilities spanned setting up the laboratory in a start-up medical device company to becoming a regulatory affairs professional preparing documentation on the safety and performance of devices to the FDA for sale to consumers.She moved to Greenville in 2019 and in addition to volunteering with SD4v, has become certified as an animal communicator and pet behavioral specialist to help behavioral issues in our animal companions.
Janet is a semi-retired Speech Pathologist with public schools in Spartanburg and married to a 20-year Navy Veteran. She has two grown daughters and I’ve been involved in raising puppies for Guide Dogs for the Blind. Seeing the incredible help this charity is to both Veterans and their dogs is the reason that drives her love for SD4V and her role in helping with SD4V event planning.
Alora has always been an animal lover. She acquired her first dog (a mutt named Sugar) at the age of 6 and in her adult lifenhas had several animals including dogs, cats, a fish, a turtle, and currently, a bearded dragon named Miso. After the passing of her last dog in 2013 she decided to foster for a while. Life eventually took her down a path where she was able to return to college to complete her degree so fostering had to be put on the back burner as she worked full time and maneuvered around college classes. Crossing paths with Pat Tuleibitz one day and noticing the SD4V logo on her shirt, a conversation about the program commenced. Alora’s love of dogs and desire to help Veterans had her volunteering her photography services to capture the Veteran and Service Dogs journey during their training classes. This is where she would get her “Dog Fix” for the week. You will find her lying on the floor or tucked into a corner to capture those moments during training that show the bond that develops between the Veteran and their Service Dog. Alora’s mother and father were both Marines and her step father was Army so she has a high respect for all branch’s of the military. Alora is the parent of 2 grown sons, has a daughter-in-law, a granddaughter and a grandson. She graduated in May 2024 from Converse University with a Studio Art Degree, works full time as a café manage and is setting up her art studio to create and photograph wonderful things!
Rick is super passionate about serving Veterans and growing the SD4V program. He recently retired from both Executive Director of the NEXT High School with campuses in Greenville SC and Salem SC, and as Principal of NEXT High School in Greenville SC.Rick retired as Colonel in the U.S. Army having served thirty years as an Armor Officer. His assignments include troop-leading positions in West Germany with the 1st Armored Division during the Cold War; Tank Company Commander with the 24th Infantry Division during Operation Desert Storm; Battalion Operations Officer, Executive Officer, and Brigade Executive Officer with the 4th Infantry Division. In 2003, he served as Tank Battalion Commander with the 3rd Infantry Division during Operation Iraqi Freedom.Rick and his wife Nancy have been married for 36 years, and have two adult-age children both serving in the U.S. Army and has two grandchildren.
Cy serves on the SD4V board as our Treasurer. He also serves on other boards in the Upstate, including the Upcountry History Museum and the Boys Scouts of America.He focuses on audits of a variety of entities, including multinational and multi-state operations as well as real estate developers, investment funds, and property managers.With more than 30 years of experience, he has served closely held companies, financial services companies, real estate developers and partnerships, as well as manufacturers. Prior to joining Elliott Davis, he worked for two international accounting firms, KPMG and Arthur Andersen, as well as for Insignia Financial Group, Inc., a national real estate company.
Wes is joining the SD4V Board with a keen interest in how service dogs can help change lives. His daughter’s Girl Scout troop sponsored one for a neighbor in need, and his son saw the impact of a service dog in a veteran’s life while doing an Eagle Scout project. Wes is appreciative of the opportunity to serve local veterans and bring his years of experience in wealth management and military service to the leadership of SD4V.Wes served 21 years as a commissioned officer and naval aviator piloting a CH-46 Sea Knight tandem rotor transport helicopter. He saw active duty with multiple deployments to combat zones in the Middle East. He then had the honor of being selected to serve in the White House Military Office. After being discharged and starting his civilian career as a financial professional, he became a naval reserve officer and was mobilized multiple times until retiring with the rank of Commander.Wes currently works for CAPTRUST as a Certified Financial Planner, Principal & Financial Advisor. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the United States Naval Academy and a Master of Science degree in business and finance from Johns Hopkins University. Wes enjoys family time, personal fitness, as well as being active in his church. Community service is also important as are the various organizations of which he is a part, including the Greenville Estate Planning Council.
Bill began rehabilitating dogs in Pennsylvania in 2005 with the PA Humane League. After moving to Greenville, SC in 2013 he founded Service Dogs for Veterans in 2014 with training partner Connie Cleveland, owner of Dog Trainer’s Workshop. This made it possible for Upstate & Western North Carolina, & Georgia Veterans to obtain a service dog locally.After his 4-year enlistment in the US Navy, Bill was discharged as an E-5 and went on to earn a BSME degree on the GI Bill. He then spent 27 years with a Fortune 500 company as a licensed Professional Engineer. He then started two successful small businesses specializing in water purification technology.Bill has retired after serving 10 years as Executive Director and now serves on the SD4V Board. He has earned the Certified Professional Dog Trainer – Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA) credential. He is a Member, International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants, the Association of Professional Dog Trainers and is an approved AKC Canine Good Citizen Evaluator.
These men and women are SD4V Graduates who have returned to 'Pay it forward' as Veteran Advocates and other important roles. Their encouragement and camaraderie have proven vital to our student’s success. A Veteran Advocate is a mentor and support to our students in class.
(In alphabetical order)
WHO IS SD4V?
WHO IS SD4V?
