International Hearing Dog, Inc.
Training Other Ears To Hear
Board of Directors
Samuel Cheris Chairman of the Board
Sam became Chairman of the Board in 2008 and thirty years of
involvement with IHDI. Sam was one of the first people invited
to join the IHDI Board of Directors in 1979. When the co-
founders decided to formalize the Hearing Dog program with
incorporation and non-profit status, they chose a law firm to help
with their incorporation and Sam was the attorney that assisted.
When the Board of Directors was organized, the co-founders
knew they needed the expertise of people outside their
organization to guide them and Sam had made such a positive
impression that it was natural to have him serve on the Board.
In addition to serving on IHDI’s Board, Sam has a long list of philanthropic organizations for which he volunteers. His professional resume boasts 28 years at the same law firm, where he was Chief Financial Officer. After leaving the firm, he worked as General Council for both an internet data company and a geophysical company. In the non-profit world, Sam has held positions on the Boards and volunteered for the Leukemia Society of Denver, the Multiple Sclerosis Society and the U.S. Fencing Association, among others. His work over the years with the U.S. Fencing Association has taken him to 38 different countries and five Olympic Games.
“As with any non-profit organization, funding is our biggest and most important challenge. An organization’s loftiest and most significant goals will not see fruition without funding. IHDI has managed to build over the past 30 years a strong base that includes support from private foundations, service organizations and individuals.”
Valerie Foss-Brugger President
Please read under Staff Bios
Robert J. Cooley Secretary
Please read under Staff Bios
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J.Emlynn Wood Treasurer
Emlynn is part of the original co-founders of IHDI. It was a childhood dream of Emylnn’s to own a boarding kennels so she jumped at the chance to work on the original Hearing
Dog program. She had more than fifteen years of Nursing experience, including management, and a love of animals, which made her the ideal candidate for for kennel manager when IHDI opened its doors for business in 1979. Over the years, Emlynn served as the Senior Vice President of IHDI, with primary fiscal control and responsibility. Since her retirement in 2005, Emylnn still serves on the Board and is a dedicated volunteer for events with IHDI. IHDI is grateful for her unwavering dedication to the Hearing Dog program since the very beginning.
Sharon Beckfield Board Member
“I am a retired nurse, and have always been dedicated
to helping others. I have been affiliated with Lions
Clubs International for over thirty five years. I
remember when four wonderful women organized
IHDI, and with their hard work and dedication, made
it into this great organization of today. Four years ago,
I was honored in being asked to serve on the IHDI
Board, and continue to promote their agenda to assist
the hearing impaired population. My Lion husband and
I have been married for 52 years, being blessed with four wonderful children, five super grandchildren, and seven fantastic great-grandchildren.”
Carol Hickman Board Member
“I am pleased to be writing in support of IHDI. I joined the
Board of Directors three years ago as a way to provide support
and participation of a truly unique and highly needed service to
our hearing impaired population.
IHDI is run very effectively under the expertise of Valerie Foss-Brugger. She is constantly looking for ways to best manage the organization in the non-profit world of limited resources.
IHDI is not only a unique organization in what they do by providing service dogs to the hearing impaired, but the way they approach it. By accepting dogs through shelters, they are giving both the dog and the recipient a new opportunity in life - the dog, by adding value to someone who is hearing impaired, and by giving the hearing impaired recipient additional tools to manage their life.
I look forward to work with IHDI for years to come, and would strongly encourage anyone with an interest in supporting the organization to do so in any way they can.”
Dr. Linda Leadbetter Board Member
Dr. Leadbetter owns Leadbetter Small Animal Hospital in Henderson, Colorado. Since her father opened this practice, IHDI has always taken all our Hearing Dogs-in-training for medical care and attention. Dr. Linda Leadbetter has played an important role in helping our non-profit get competitive rates on the many medical needs our dogs require to stay in tip-top shape. Many thanks to Dr. Leadbetter for her long-time support of our canine helpers!
Dr. Margaret Montana Board Member
“It is a pleasure that I am writing to encourage your support of IHDI.
As a Board Member for over 10 years, I rank my participation and support of IHDI as one of the truly rewarding and ‘good things’ I do. I have watched Martha Foss, Valerie Foss-Brugger, and the rest of the Board and staff weather the ups and downs of a non-profit organization with grace, skill, and dedication, never losing sight of the mission to provide hearing service dogs to the hearing impaired to enhance the recipient’s quality of life.
I began my involvement with IHDI as a ‘dog person,’ wanting to support a group that could save the lives of shelter dogs, and by the way, make a difference in someone’s life. As the years have gone on, I truly appreciate what a difference the Hearing Dog makes in so many lives.
As a proud ‘Silent Sponsor,’ I have sponsored over 15 dogs thus far. The letters I receive from recipients relating how the dogs have changed someone’s life from offering companionship, confidence to expand their horizons with additional schooling or progress in the work place, or allowing a mother to feel more comfortable for the safety and care of her children makes every penny contributed seem very well spent indeed. It’s a collection of letters and pictures that I treasure with my family albums...
I look forward to continuing my involvement and support of IHDI and would strongly encourage your consideration as well. It’s a very good organization with very good people doing a very good and remarkable thing every day.”
Ed Stammel Board Member
Ed Stammel is Senior Vice President of ISU Insurance Service of Colorado and has been a very important asset in IHDI’s financial advisement.
Statement from the Chairman of the Board:
IHDI’s Board of Directors consists of professionals in veterinary medicine, law, medicine, insurance and business. Board members provide funding for the program through individual monetary and in-kind donations, Hearing Dog sponsorships, reduced professional service fees and personal time. Several members have served the organization since the program’s inception and others have joined within the last year.
This year, IHDI celebrates its 30th anniversary and the placement of its 1,100th hearing dog. The program is known worldwide for its successful training methods, and works with other similar programs in the United States on a referral basis to better serve the deaf community. Individuals from Australia, Japan and Norway have been trained at IHDI’s facility in order for similar programs to be created in other countries. Actress June Lockhart, best remembered for her roles in television’s “Lassie” and “Lost in Space,” has served as IHDI’s national spokesperson for more than 27 years.
Through careful attention to budget and fundraising, the organization has built an endowment that has grown substantially, with a goal of $1,000,000. This board-directed endowment was started more than ten years ago with money received from an inheritance. The endowment has helped the organization by providing income distributions to the operating fund, covering the costs of special programs and making up deficits in years when fund-raising has not met annual goals.
As with any non-profit organization, funding is our biggest and most important challenge. An organization’s loftiest and most significant goals will not see fruition without funding. IHDI has had many challenges and successes in the area of funding, but has managed to build, over the past 30 years, a strong base that includes support from private foundations, service organizations and individuals. Through direct contact with supporting organizations and individuals, we continue to add to a nation-wide network of contributors and ambassadors for our organization; people who speak for us, hearing dog teams who travel to deaf and hearing-impaired meetings to spread the word about how hearing dogs help people with hearing loss, and service organization representatives, such as Lions Clubs’ Hearing Dog Chairmen, who make presentations to clubs in their regions of the country to educate people about Hearing Dogs.
IHDI Staff Bios:
Ms. Valerie Foss-Brugger, Executive Director
Valerie Foss-Brugger has literally grown up with the Hearing Dog
program, helping her mother, Hearing Dog program founder
Martha Foss, train dogs at International Hearing Dog, Inc. when
she was just a child. A graduate of Thornton High School
(Colorado), she attended Front Range Community College
majoring in accounting. She officially joined the program in 1988 as
the director of training. In addition to her responsibilities with
applicant screening, daily training and hearing dog placements, she
developed International Hearing Dog’s training manual that
documents training procedures and policies.
Mrs. Foss-Brugger has coordinated the training of individuals from Japan and Norway, so that similar programs could be started in those countries. In 1996, she traveled to Japan and spoke to several Lions Club and other groups to explain the role of the Hearing Dog and its service to the deaf community to assist Shigeru Onishi in developing Japan’s first hearing dog program. In 2007 she received the “Woman of the Year” award from St. Mary’s Episcopal Church for her work at International Hearing Dog, Inc.
Mrs. Foss-Brugger is currently the President and Executive Director of International Hearing Dog. She is responsible for the daily operations of the program and reports to its Board of Directors. She works closely with the training department to ensure that IHDI’s Hearing Dogs achieve a high standard of excellence that also meets the needs of the recipients. Under Foss-Brugger’s direction, in 2007 International Hearing Dog surpassed the 1,000 mark in hearing dog placements. Foss-Brugger is also responsible for IHDI’s fund-raising efforts and educational awareness activities.
Mr. Robert Cooley, Asst. Director & Field Representative
With a Bachelor of Arts in Radio Communications and 10-plus
years of experience working in veterinary clinics across Colorado,
Bob was an obvious choice for IHDI. In his 16th year, his diverse
background has enabled him to take on a variety of
responsibilities at IHDI. In addition to his work as a placement
counselor, bringing hearing dogs to their new owners, he is also
the primary spokesperson for the organization. Bob and his
demonstration dog, ”Cami,” travel to many demonstrations and
conventions across the country each year to speak about IHDI
and show individuals, both hearing-impaired and IHDI
supporters, how and what Hearing Dogs do for those with hearing
loss.
Ms. Lisa Brady, Admin. Assistant and Development
Lisa joined IHDI April 2009. She received her Master’s from the University of Denver in Human Rights, with specialization in non-profit management. Originally from Florida, Lisa enjoys being a resident of Colorado with her non-Hearing Dog, TigerTiger. She is responsible for assisting the Executive and Asst. Director, office management, development, fund-raising, special events, media relations, Web site management, donor and recipient relations, and volunteer coordination.
Ms. Andrea Paul, Veterinary Technician & Head Trainer
Andrea Paul joined IHDI in 1997 as a certified vet tech. She received
her Associates Degree from Denver’s own Bel-Rea Institute of
Animal Technology. She is now responsible or the health and
behavior of 50-60 hearing dogs in training each year, dog selection
and daily training, which includes sound response, general
obedience, socialization and custom training. She is the proud parent
of three dogs and two cats.
Mrs. Cindy Horn, Kennel Tech. Assistant
Cindy has been with IHDI for five years and has the wonderful
responsibility of caring for every Hearing Dog-in-training.
She also assists Andrea with training sessions and ensures the
kennel is maintained and all the resources needed to care and
train the dogs is available at all times. She is the proud mother
of teen, Destiny and American Bulldog, Milo.
Ms. Terry Lilak, Grant Writer
Mr. Larry Norby, Accountant
Larry handles all the financial reports, pays the bills
and prepares the annual audit. Larry has been with IHDI for
4.5 years and is the proud owner of “Asia,” a Hearing Dog.
Administration & Financial Information:
Non-Discrimination Policy - International Hearing Dog, Inc. (IHDI), does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, disability, age, gender or sexual orientation, applicable to IHDI’s paid and volunteer staff, applicable to membership on the governing board and applicable to persons served by International Hearing Dog.
Privacy Policy - International Hearing Dog, Inc. (IHDI), respects and values the privacy and holds in confidence any and all personal information given to the organization in the process of executing the daily activities of the organization.
Any information provided to IHDI will be secured by standard administrative, physical, and technical measures to protect unauthorized access or use. IHDI does not share names, addresses, phone numbers, contact information or other personal information with any outside sources, businesses, individuals or organizations, without the express permission of the person in question.
IHDI does keep a mailing list for the purposes of distributing information about IHDI to patrons, supporters and clients, and to organizations that serve people with hearing loss or other disabilities, in order that information about the services IHDI provides are widely known and current information is available about IHDI’s hearing dog training program. IHDI may use your email to send you messages, updates or e-newsletters, but guarantees that your information will not be shared with or sold to any outside organization or third party.
If you would like to contact IHDI regarding any information collected about you, please e-mail us at ihdi@aol.com.
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International Hearing Dog, Inc.
Training Other Ears To Hear