Our Directors and Staff
(Page Currently Under Re-Construction) 

Frank is an eight-year U.S. Marine Corps veteran.  He served two tours of duty in Vietnam. He is a recipient of the Purple Heart Medal.  

Since the inception Frank has guided the philosophy for VPFL and now HPFL.   Frank is a Certified Advanced Canine Training Professional and Certified Canine Training and Behavior Specialist.

 

Frank is married to his wife, Therese, close to fifty years. They have two grown children and one grandson. Frank is retired after twenty-eight years in the insurance industry as a trainer for a large national company.  Frank also received a Graduate of Theology degree from Baptist Bible College West Denver. Perhaps this helped in the motivation of “Helping to Heal Wounded Souls…One Puppy at a Time!”

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His Service Dog, Maximus Amicus Bodidlius "Bo", was the first puppy to complete the training program.  They have been together for over six years.

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Franc is a U.S. Army Vietnam Combat Veteran.,  He retired from the US Postal Service in 2015 where we was a letter carrier for more than twenty years.   Prior to the Postal Service  Franc was a Territory Staff Manager for Thom McAn shoe company.  He is now I am a full-time grandfather to five grandchildren. 

 

Sasha was the second puppy to graduate as a Service Dog from Veteran's Puppy for Life.  They have been together for over five years.  "She has actually been a life saver for me.  I can't imagine what my life would be without her."

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"I believe Hero's Puppy for Life is a very important organization because of the change it made in my life.  I have seen first hand how much of a difference the puppies have made in the life of other veterans.  One in particular veteran suffering from  PTSD he stuttered so bad he couldn't finish a complete sentence before he received his puppy.  His wife had to drive him everywhere.  After having his puppy for about ten months he was smiling, talking with people and able to drive himself and his puppy from Colorado Springs to Denver for training.  My goal is to help VPFL continue its valuable mission in helping those who served and are living with PTSD." 

As a dog lover and supporter of Veterans, he is a great addition to our Board of Directors with a sincere desire to see our organization grow into a premier PTSD Service Dog training program.

 

Todd lives in Denver, Colorado with his wife Jill and their three sons. An active member of the community, he has volunteered for many organizations including Junior Achievement and is the Chairman of the Denver Lambda Chi Alpha Alumni Association. He has a passion for positive coaching and has volunteered as a youth sports coach for 15 years through organizations from the YMCA to the Arapahoe Youth League, South East Denver Baseball, and the Catholic School Athletic League.

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He is President of Huettner Capital, a residential real estate mortgage lender located here in Denver. An active member of the business community, he is a member of many local business organizations. As a nationally recognized real estate and personal finance expert, he is frequently quoted in the business press and conducts financial wellness workshops for various groups and employers both public and private.

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Prior to moving to Denver in 2000, Todd grew up in Oklahoma. He graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a BA in Economics and an MBA.

 

Todd's focus is on recruiting human, technical, and financial capital to establish our remote training program to significantly increase the reach of our services to Veterans across the state.

Jodie earned the title of animal whisperer at a very young age. She grew up training dogs and rehabilitating many animals and witnessed how easy it is when you have a special bond with them. This has driven her core values into the work that she still does today.

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Jodie began working with individuals with special needs and related fields over 15 years ago and has a lot in common with her clients. She earned her Masters of Science from Penn State University in Special Education, research methods, and Applied Behavior Analysis. Here she brought her love of dog training to her world of assisting others by writing an original thesis on clicker training for service dogs – which closely relates to the style of training that is used at HPFL. Most of her client base even knows and loves her dog Leo for coming to help them on the job as well. She even has a client who has since acquired a service dog puppy of their own with her continued support.

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“There is nowhere else in the country I would rather be training dogs – I’ve looked. The values of HPFL allow the owners and dogs to bond immediately and grow and learn together. The dogs are set up for success to use their deep-rooted drive based on respect, instincts and incredible sensory capabilities – in union with a research-based training curriculum. I have a deep respect for what humans and dogs are capable of when you allow their full potential to develop; and one of the only marvels that makes me happier than witnessing that evolution unfold is experiencing the love and trust I have with my own dog Leo.”