Leadership

Leadership

Denise Fleck

Executive Director
Email
Personal Website
Denise Fleck was raised by a Great Dane and has spent her life loving animals. As a dog mom to thirteen amazing canines, she feels there is no greater love than can be found in the adoring eyes of a senior dog. Known as the...
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Dana M. Tharp

Director of Grants & Engagement
Email
Dana began her career in Operations Management and Marketing within the financial industry, working with several Fortune 500 companies. However, her passion for animal welfare led her to co-found All Fur One Pet Rescue and Adoptions in 2018. Since then, she has specialized in engagement...
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Nancy Amo

Nancy Amo

Business Finance Manager
Email
Nancy is a nonprofit professional who counsels mission driven organizations in the areas of strategy, finance, operations and compliance. Having adopted and raised many dogs into their senior years, Nancy was excited to begin working with the Grey Muzzle team in 2020. Nancy and her...
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Noël Kiswiney

Administrative Assistant
Email
Noël developed a deep love for animals early on, shaped by time on her grandfather’s farm and her family’s experiences welcoming rescue dogs and pets (including reptiles, birds, and more). Her formal journey into animal welfare began at the start of 2020 as a forever...
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Board of Directors

Board of Directors

Barbara Giannini

Board President
Email
Barbara is a life-long supporter and adopter of older rescue dogs. After working in corporate finance and strategic planning for over 25 years, she now spends her time writing rescue-dog-themed children’s books, contemporary romances, and screenplays. She’s also an editor and writing coach. Through her...
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Marc Zaretsky

Marc Zaretsky

Vice President
Email
Marc and his wife live in Long Island, New York. Marc is a Vice President with a Construction Management Company in New York City and holds a Business degree, Law degree and MBA from Hofstra University in Long Island. Marc and his wife have been...
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Kelli Chickos

Kelli Chickos

Secretary
Email
Kelli Chickos is a life-long animal advocate with a soft spot for seniors. For more than two decades, Kelli has volunteered in various capacities for many shelters/rescues, fostered more than 30 pets, adopted nearly 20, and helped animals after natural disasters. She is a former...
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Jim Pikula

Jim Pikula

Treasurer
Email
Having grown up in a family that has a love for animals and considers dogs to be a part of the family, Jim is excited and honored to serve as a Board Member of Grey Muzzle. He has been fortunate to be around dogs that...
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Ashley Ackley

Ashley Ackley, DVM, MS, cVMA

Board Member
Email
Dr. Ashley Ackley is a small animal veterinarian and a lover of all creatures, especially the stinky, lumpy, crunchy, and grey faces of senior canine companions. She is thankful that her job allows her to witness the strength of the human-animal bond on a daily...
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Tara Hare

Board Member
Email
Tara has spent her life in the South, where the need for animal advocacy is stronger than ever. Her now senior dog inspired her to begin volunteering with rescues and she has never looked back. Tara also serves on the Board of Directors for Alabama...
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Jan Shellhammer

Board Member
Email
Jan started volunteering in the 1990s as an early morning dog-kennel cleaner at the Dumb Friends League’s very large Denver shelter (a memorable, if odorous, experience). She later joined the League’s board of directors and then served for 12 years on staff. As senior writer...
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Alissa Totura

Board Member
Email
Alissa has been passionate about animal welfare from a very young age. She has been adopting senior dogs for the past 10 years, and has volunteered and fostered prior to that. She is honored for the opportunity to serve on the Grey Muzzle board and...
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Advisory Board

Advisory Board
Dr. Becker

Marty Becker, DVM

Personal Website
Dr. Marty Becker, “America’s Veterinarian,” has spent his life working toward better health for pets and the people who love them. He is the founder of Fear Free with the mission to prevent and alleviate fear, anxiety, and stress in pets by inspiring and educating...
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Victoria Stilwell

Victoria Stilwell

Personal Website
Victoria Stilwell is a world-renowned dog trainer best known as the star of the international hit TV series It's Me or the Dog (Animal Planet US) as well as Greatest American Dog on CBS, Dogs Might Fly on Sky TV, Dogs with Extraordinary Jobs for...
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Mikkel Becker

Personal Website
A skilled dog trainer, Mikkel is an honors graduate of the rigorous and prestigious Academy for Dog Trainers at the San Francisco SPCA. Mikkel is also a graduate of the Purdue University DOGS! course and the Karen Pryor Academy. Mikkel is the National Disaster Search...
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Dr. Ernie Ward

Personal Website
Dr. Ernie Ward is an award-winning veterinarian, internationally known speaker, impact entrepreneur, author of several books, columnist, and media personality. A 1992 graduate of the University of Georgia, he was voted Speaker of the Year at both VMX and WVC conferences, the 2018 Veterinary Journalist...
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Dr. Pia Salk

Dr. Pia Salk

Personal Website
Dr. Pia Salk specializes in social justice and the human-animal bond. In both her clinical work and in her writing, Pia addresses topics ranging from the loss of a personal companion animal to the climate of animal welfare as it relates to social justice on...
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Wendy Diamond

Personal Website
Wendy Diamond is Founder/Editorial Director Animal Fair Media and Women’s Entrepreneurship Day, Premier Pet Lifestyle Expert and Animal Advocate, Social entrepreneur, Humanitarian, Best-selling Author, and TV personality. You might recognize her from her appearances on NBC’s Today Show, and as the face of the Chicken...
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Dean Vicksman, DVM

Personal Website
Dr. Dean Vicksman, a Denver native, graduated with honors from Colorado State University School of Veterinary Medicine in 1986. He was then accepted into Angell Memorial Animal Hospital’s internship program in Boston for advanced training in small animal medicine and surgery. He has owned and...
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Dr. Julie Buzby, DVM, CAVCA, CVA

Personal Website
After graduating from veterinary school, Dr. Julie Buzby earned certification by the American Veterinary Chiropractic Association in 1998, and by the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society in 2002. As an integrative veterinarian, Julie seeks to blend the best of Western medicine, alternative therapies, and creative tools...
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Dr. Cooney and pets

Dr. Kathleen Cooney

Personal Website
Kathleen Cooney, DVM, CHPV, CCFP has been practicing advanced end-of-life care since 2006. Dr. Cooney is Senior Director of Medical Education for the Companion Animal Euthanasia Training Academy (CAETA) and a past President of the International Association for Animal Hospice and Palliative Care (IAAHPC) where...
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Julie Dudley

Personal Website
Julie Dudley brings more than 25 years of business knowledge, financial experience and compassion towards people and pets to The Grey Muzzle Organization. After a career that culminated as a program manager for Microsoft, Julie hung up her corporate attire and began dedicating her time...
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Dr. Roark

Dr. Andy Roark

Personal Website
Dr. Andy Roark is a practicing veterinarian, international speaker, author, and media personality. He is the founder of the Uncharted Veterinary Conference and DrAndyRoark.com. He has been an award-winning columnist for DVM360 and his popular Facebook page, website, podcast and YouTube show reach millions of...
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Laura & Coco

Laura T. Coffey

Personal Website
Laura T. Coffey is a self-avowed dog nut and the author of the bestselling non-fiction book My Old Dog: Rescued Pets with Remarkable Second Acts. A journalist with more than 30 years of experience, Laura has written and edited hundreds of high-profile human-interest stories and...
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Steve Dale

Personal Website
Steve Dale, certified animal behavior consultant (CABC), has reached more pet owners over the past few decades than any other pet journalist in America. He is the host of two nationally syndicated radio shows, Steve Dale’s Pet World and The Pet Minute (together heard on...
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Dr. Steven Wolchinsky

Personal Website
Dr. Wolchinsky, a Brooklyn, New York native, has worked at Rocky Gorge Animal Hospital since 1987. He enjoys all aspects of canine and feline medicine but has special interests in internal medicine, cardiology, diagnostic imaging, and many other cutting-edge advances. In 2017, Dr. Wolchinsky received...
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Dr Mary Gardner

Mary Gardner, DVM

Personal Website
Dr. Gardner loves nothing more than a dog with a grey muzzle or skinny old cat! Her professional goal is to increase awareness and medical care for the geriatric veterinary patient and to help make the final life stage as peaceful as possible, filled with...
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Jill Rappaport

Personal Website
Jill Rappaport is an award-winning animal advocate, network journalist and best-selling author. Most recently, she hosted and was a consulting producer for Animal Planet’s inaugural Dog Bowl, an idea she created and championed to highlight older animals in need. Considered a voice for the voiceless...
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Michael Levitt

Personal Website
An Emmy nominated showman who specializes in unforgettable, innovative, 'appointment' television, Michael Levitt has emerged as one of the industry's most sought-after producers of event TV programming. His Hollywood-based production company, Michael Levitt Productions, has become a tried and true creative factory for prime-time hits...
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Dr. Heidi Lobprise

Personal Website
Dr. Heidi Lobprise graduated from Texas A & M University in 1983 and became a board certified veterinary dentist in 1993. In 2003, she joined the Veterinary Specialty Team of Pfizer Animal Health, and in 2010, she became the Senior Technical Manager for Virbac Corporation...
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