Taking the Lead

On this episode we talk with Jill Gaus is a Leader Dog client and board member. She is a licensed nurse, educator and longtime advocate for individuals who are DeafBlind. 

We talk with Alan Spaulding, a Leader Dog client who first came to Leader Dog during our 50th anniversary back in 1986 and has had a total of 6 Leader Dogs! 

On this episode we talk with volunteer Eric Walters about his volunteer role as a client and puppy driver for Leader Dogs for the Blind.

We talk with team member Beth Dahlke and her father Karl who was a Leader Dog client back in the 1990's. 

We talk with Client Erica Rodman on her journey to Leader, her work with disability awareness and advocacy work in her community.

This week we're sitting down with Dani Landolt, the first-ever Chief Impact Officer at Leader Dogs for the Blind! We talk with her about her new position and the work she's doing at Leader Dog. 

On this episode we talk with a GDMI and client services representative about things to consider if getting a guide dog when going to college. We also somewhat settle an ongoing debate on the podcast. 

On this episode we catch back up with client Stuart McGregor and talk with him about his involvement with Leader Dog and his journey with blindness. 

On this episode we catch up with client Walker Jones while he's in class getting his first Leader Dog. 

On this episode we talk with Stuart McGregor. Stuart's story and accomplishments are truly inspiring. As a Leader Dog client and advocate, Stuart has dedicated his career to improving accessibility. He currently works as a policy analyst for Accessibility Standards Canada, creating standards to make the world more accessible for everyone. But Stuart's impact extends far beyond that. He is a three-...

This week's episode featuring Rod Haneline, a true pioneer in the field of orientation and mobility and guide dog mobility instruction for individuals who are blind and visually impaired. Rod has been an integral part of the Leader Dog team since 1979. For more than two decades, he served as our Chief Operations Officer, earning international recognition for his extensive knowledge in developing a...

In this episode we talk with Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist Kristy Plesscher on our Unmet Needs survey. If you'd like more information about the survey email takingthelead@leaderdog.org. 

On this episode we had the incredible opportunity to speak with Eric Bridges, President and CEO of the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB). With over two decades of experience championing causes that impact people who are blind or have low vision, Eric provided us with fascinating insights into the groundbreaking work being done at AFB.

On this episode we talk with longtime volunteer Mike Toger about why he got involved with Leader Dog and continues to volunteer. 

On this episode we talk with Jeannine Penzone, a mother of two of our Leader Dogs for the Blind clients. She joins us again to share her experience interning at Leader Dogs for the Blind with our Certified Orientation and Mobility team.

On this episode we talked with client Karen Leonetti. She opened up about an obstacle she faced and how she overcame it. Karen shared some great advice for anyone adapting to vision loss.

This episode features Melissa Weisse, the new President and CEO of Leader Dogs for the Blind! Melissa shares her inspirational vision for leading the organization into the future and discusses her goals for this pivotal role. 

On this episode we talk with Sue Daniels about her tenure as President and CEO of Leader Dogs for the Blind. 

This week we learned more about one of the new volunteer puppy raising options called co-raising. The podcast features two Leader Dog team members who have experience co-raising several puppies together. They discussed what co-raising involves and shared why they continue to enjoy volunteering as puppy raisers under this model.

On this episode we talk with Raul Gallegos the president of the the National Association of Guide Dog Users about what the association does for guide dog users. 

We talk with Leader Dog Client Elizabeth Fryseth who has worked with first responders to teach them about how to best respond to incidences involving people who are blind and visually impaired and have guide dogs.

On this episode we talk with client Dr. Jesse Bolinger who shares with us his journey with blindness and advances in accessible technology.

On this episode we talk with Linda Hawkins, wife of Leader Dog client Jeff Hawkins, about her perspective on her husband's vision loss journey and the impact it's had on her life.