Deborah Osborn

• President

• Joined 9/2/2013

Deborah became involved with GRRA after adopting her first rescue golden, Dakota. Since that time she has volunteered as an Adoption Consultant, Home Checker, Treiver Taxi, Intake and foster. Her first foster was an injured golden whose family couldn't care for her. That was in 2011. She still stays in touch with the forever family. After that she was hooked on fostering and she and her husband, Steve, have spent many hours traveling around Georgia transporting dogs and having meets and greets for foster dogs. Deborah and Steve live in the Northeast Georgia mountains where they moved after retiring in Florida. They currently live with four dogs, Dakota, Bryce and Sugar who are GRRA dogs and Saphira, who came to them after being abandon in the woods as a puppy. Deborah enjoys traveling, knitting, reading and hiking in the woods with Bryce. The other dogs would rather wait on the deck.

Carolyn Waters

• Director, Volunteer Recruitment

• Joined 1/18/2018

Retired from Real Estate in 2017 after 27 years. Married 35 years, one adult son who is also a dog lover. 12 years experience in Golden Retriever Rescue with another rescue, doing pretty much every job, including several years as an Intake Coordinator. Came to GRRA Nov 2017. I have fostered over 35 dogs in the past, and currently have two Golden Retrievers who were my former fosters. Member of GRCA. Hobbies are tennis and travel.

Cory Deppen

• Webmaster ∼ Director, Technology

• Joined 2/1/2011

Cory joined GRRA in 2011 after reading about the need for a volunteer to fill the Webmaster role in the newsletter. Eager to play a part in helping with website updates, Cory jumped right in and was recognized as Volunteer of the Month for June 2011. Since then, Cory relaunched the website for the organization and stays busy maintaining and adding new features to it as the needs of the group change.

In his current role, Cory is leveraging his passion for technology by developing and maintaining the website that offers many benefits to both volunteers and visitors to grra.com. Additionally, Cory works closely with other volunteers in the various roles within GRRA to understand their reporting and communication needs and ensures data in the current CRM system is accurate to aid in the decision making and communication processes across the organization.

Cory lives in Acworth, GA with his wife Christine, golden retriever Jessie, and five cats Maggie, Molly, Mama, Four, and Five. Outside of GRRA, Cory enjoys bicycling if he can be torn away from a computer.

Dan Williams

• Treasurer

• Joined 10/20/2016

Dan is the owner of an accounting firm, Padgett Business Services, in Marietta, GA and a CPA with over 25 years of private and public accounting experience. He is a graduate of the University of Georgia. He and his wife Sharie are active members of NorthStar Church in Kennesaw. Dan is also on the Board of Directors of Camp Gideon, a non-profit, Christian camp and retreat facility for children. He and his wife, Sharie became involved in GRRA in the fall of 2014 when they searched and found the perfect golden retriever named Bear. Bear is a significant part of their family and is also an office greeter and chief marketing officer for their accounting firm. They have two "other" children Daniel and Karly.

Hal Schlenger

• Director, Marketing

• Joined 5/1/2013

Hal, his wife Alison and son Zak have been involved with GRRA since shortly after they adopted Beau in 1999 in an effort to have a quality family activity. The family has been a foster family (over 65 dogs to date), done home checks, headed the publicity committee, walked in several Chick-fil-A bowl parades and helped with the annual Rescue Romp. Hal served as president several years ago and returned to this role in 2012.

Hal knows that GRRA succeeds because of its wonderful volunteers. That’s what started the group; that’s what makes fostering, adoption consulting and intake work possible. He sees GRRA leadership’s role as supporting the volunteers, so that the volunteers in turn make the dog rescues a reality. With the strong pack of volunteers, Hal looks forward to contributing to a fun and stress free environment so that being involved with GRRA is as much fun as it is a labor of love.

Hal and Alison live in East Cobb with Sarah, a GRRA rescue. Hal enjoys sailing, running and of course, dog rescue, is active in the Technology Association of GA, and pays the bills leading a digital marketing solutions agency that does websites, Search Engine optimization and marketing strategy (www.nichelabs.com).

Lori Podolski

• Director, Rescue Operations

• Joined 12/4/2014

Lori has had Golden family members for the last 25 years. “I loved the breed so much I wanted to do something for them and with them,” Lori found a way to do just that and started volunteering for Golden Retrievers in Need (GRIN) in Cleveland, OH, with a focus on fund-raising.

Lori’s position with Novelis moved the family to the Atlanta area, where she continued her journey donating her time to GRRA in November 2014.

“I was drawn to GRRA because of the passion their volunteers have in rescuing these wonderful dogs and I’m proud to be a part of this great organization” In May of 2016, Lori was made Volunteer of the Month. The first role that Lori tackled for the organization was becoming an Adoption Consultant (AC). “I’ve always liked matchmaking for humans, but I’ve had better success rates for retrievers and families” She has been involved in fostering and home checks ever since. Lori and her husband, Ed, reside in Woodstock, GA with their 4 year old Pyrenees rescue, Ollie, and 8 year old Golden rescue, Mya.

Mary Martin

• Vice President

• Joined 1/2/2017

Melinda Lahmers

• Director, Placement

• Joined 10/5/2015

Melinda has owned 9 Goldens over the past 30 years. She began her journey with GRRA as an adoption consultant, and continues to help applicants find their new pups, as well as volunteering as the Adoption Consultant Coordinator and Director of Placement. Her hobbies include baking, walking, reading and playing with her dogs. Melinda, her husband, Scott, and their Goldens, 2 yo Gibbs and 4 yo Cooper, reside in Dallas, GA.

Steve Martin

• Vice President

• Joined 10/20/2016

Summer Keatley

• Director, Fundraising

• Joined 8/20/2016

Summer and her beloved golden, Pebbles, first became involved with GRRA by joining the Paws on the Path hikes. She volunteered as an Adoption Consultant (AC) before coordinating fundraising activities for GRRA. Summer enjoys traveling with her husband, spending time with family and friends, and interacting with any golden that crosses her path.