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Graham Bloem
Founder, President & Training Director
Graham Bloem was born in Johannesburg, South Africa and has had an affinity with animals all his life, although his true passion is for dogs. At age five, he immigrated to Toronto, Canada with his family, but enjoyed frequent trips back to South Africa. His experiences in wildlife settings instilled a dream of one day […]
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Kyrié Bloem
Co-Founder & Vice President
Kyrié is the Co-Founder and Director or Operations of Specialty Dog Training and Shelter to Soldier™. Working behind the scenes, Kyrié is constantly in motion working in all facets of our organization. She is someone that wears many hats well and is a real asset to each organization. Though she has been an avid animal […]
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Krystyna Holc
Co-Founder - Treasurer - Board Member
Krystyna Holc is the Vice President and CFO of Goodsell and Company CPA firm. She is the financial manager for Specialty Dog Training, Shelter to Soldier™, and Pet Mall America. Krys has a 70-pound male German Shepherd named Cooper that she rescued from Coastal German Shepherd Rescue. Krys is a long time supporter of the […]
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Nicky Moore
Director of Training and Operations
Nicky is our Director of Training and Operations, and a graduate of Animal Behavior College’s Professional Dog Training Certification program. Originally from Cincinnati, OH, Nicky has a Bachelors of Science degree in Business Management. After years of training her own dogs, pet-sitting, and working with animals at a veterinary hospital, she decided in 2016 to […]
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Tommy Moore
Veteran & Community Outreach Representative
Originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, Tommy joined the Navy in 2008. In his role, he brings his passion for helping his brothers and sisters in arms, and the animals he cares so much for. His experience and training in the military and as a sexual assault victim advocate helps him be better prepared to connect with […]
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Lauree Gollner
Kennel Manager
Lauree was born in Oceanside, moved away as a young child, and has returned “home.” She has a BA in Kinesiology and Physical Education. After teaching middle school for more than 20 years, she recently retired, and is fulfilling her lifelong dream of working with dogs. She has a passion for the rescue community, has […]
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Kayla Buford
Dog Trainer
Kayla is originally from Gulf Shores, Alabama, where growing up, her family always had pets and dogs were always her favorite, but Kayla never thought about working with them until recently. Kayla received a masters degree in applied behavioral analysis and initially worked in the field for three years with children who have autism spectrum […]
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Shelby Burdette
Dog Trainer
Shelby began her career as a dog walker/pet sitter for a dog walking company in San Diego and gained experience as a volunteer at the San Diego Humane Society. She has worked around and raised livestock for her FFA program in high school and during college where she found her interest in animal behavior. After […]
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Dawn Aveni
Dog Trainer
Dawn began her career with dogs by training her own dogs in sport work. Dawn has trained many dogs over her career spanning from sport dogs, service dogs, emotional support dogs, scent detection, and puppies. Her passion peaked when she saw how much a relationship between a human and their dog can grow significantly through […]
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Lynne Ramsey
Dog Trainer
Lynne acquired a love of animals at a young age, spending many hours posing with dogs and cats while helping her mother, a professional pet photographer who illustrated dog care and training books. Lynne has volunteered with Shelter to Soldier™ since we began in 2012. She has always enjoyed having an active part in the […]
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Lisa Johnson
Dog Trainer
Lisa is a pure joy to be around, and a favorite among our service dogs in training for her love and cuddles. Lisa Johnson has volunteered with Shelter to Soldier™ since we began in 2012. Though her very busy career is in Computer Science, Lisa undertook the major commitment of completing her certification as a […]
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Dr Liz Grey
Board Member
Dr Grey was born in New York, but her family moved to San Diego when she was 12. While she was growing up, her family did a lot of rescue work with animals. Her father impressed upon her at an early age that once you commit to an animal, you are responsible for providing it […]
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David Moss, LCSW
Mental Health Liaison - Board Member
I am honored to have been asked to serve on the Board of Directors for Shelter to Soldier™. I have followed this organization from its inception and could not be more proud to help support your mission. I am excited to bring my clinical expertise, experience, community contacts, leadership, and overall passion for enhancing the […]
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Michael Ford
Board Member
Michael is a San Diego native passionate about supporting the communities in which we live and work. He has worked with Cox Communications for 14 years now and is a member of their Public Affairs team, specifically focused on Community Relations and corporate giving. He currently oversees the programs and support for the Cox Charities […]
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Brian Lukacz
Board Member
Brian is originally from the east coast but moved to San Diego when he was stationed at Camp Pendleton. Brian flew helicopters in the Marine Corps for 13 years and completed two combat tours in Iraq in ’04-’05. Seeing the ravages of PTSD on his fellow veterans first hand has made him determined to help […]