MAGDUI Board of Directors

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President: Cecilia Warren

Cecilia is the President of MAGDUi.  She resides in Anne Arundel County.  Cecilia holds an AAS degree in Emergency Medical Services from Anne Arundel Community College, and a BS degree in Fire Science from UMUC.  Prior to losing her vision, she was a career officer in the fire department and emergency management.  Cecilia attended Guiding Eyes for the Blind in New York to receive her guide dog, Gardenia.  Cecilia describes Gardenia as, “brilliant, intuitive, and dependable.”  Gardenia was raised in Westminster, Maryland.  Cecilia credits Gardenia’s puppy raiser for teaching her such outstanding house manners.

Vice President: Joann Kucic

Treasurer: Terri Nettles

Secretary: Charles H. Crawford

Charles H. Crawford serves as the secretary.  He was appointed as the National Program Director of VA Blind Rehabilitation Service.  The announcement was made by the Rehabilitation Strategic Health Care Group, Office of Patient Care Services, on May 24, 2004.  He assumed his new position on June 1, but he retired from that position due to medical issues.

Crawford served as the Executive Director of the American Council of the Blind in Washington, DC, for five years, where he collaborated with BVA on a number of projects and initiatives for the blind.  Prior to moving to the Nation’s Capital, he was the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Commissioner for the Blind from 1984 to 1998.  He also worked on anti-attack legislation.

He is an active volunteer and advocate for the blind and disabled, and has received numerous awards in the area of technology development for the blind and visually impaired.  Crawford has served as the President of the National Council of State Agencies for the Blind. Charlie is a long term guide dog user.   He is currently partnered with Mason, a yellow Labrador retriever.

Denna Lambert

Denna Lambert currently resides in Greenbelt, MD, a suburb of Prince George’s County.  Over the past four years, she has been working in a federal position with NASA Goddard Space Flight Center as an equal opportunity specialist.  Her duties include coordinating student programs, providing assistance during grievance or complaint processes, and is the liaison for education programs.  Previously, she is a recent graduate of the University of Arkansas’ Walton College of Business.

She is currently working her second guide dog, named Denver, who was trained by the Seeing Eye. He is currently 6.6 years old and is serving as a great guide and companion.

Denna’s involvement with disability and blindness related programs began early on with her involvement with the National Council on Disability Youth Advisory Committee.  In addition, she has participated in student related activities with both the National Association of Blind Students and the National Alliance of Blind Students.

Denna is currently pursuing her master’s degree in public administration from the George Washington University.

Terry Cohen

Terry lives in Derwood, Maryland with his wife Marcie Cynamon. He grew up in Baltimore, MD and graduated University of Baltimore in 1976 with a B.S. degree in Business/Computer Science.  His 21 year old daughter, Monica attends Salisbury University on the Eastern Shore. He is President of Total Business Systems Support Incorporated, a computer consulting company that specializes in providing customized computer services to small businesses. Terry, a lifelong dog lover, and his family have been puppy raisers for Guiding Eyes for the Blind since 2003 and are currently raising their fifth dog. Terry enjoys taking his jacketed puppies into the community to strengthen their socialization skills.  He and his business partner maintain the Montgomery County, Maryland Puppy Raisers web site for Guiding Eyes for the Blind, as well as the web site for MAGDU.

Jena Cochrane

My love of working dogs started in 1990. I was one of 200 volunteers that combed the woods to find Austin Sorchik in Plumsted County, NJ.  He was a 2 year old toddler that had wondered away from his parents wooded home around 4PM on a chilly December day when the temperatures dipped bellow freezing.  He was found in good condition the next morning around 10AM by a dog-team that had been driven in for the search and rescue mission.  This was the first time that I was exposed to how amazing dogs can be and how valuable they are to our lives; thus started my love affair with working dogs.

I went on to obtain a Bachelors degree from Rutgers University in Criminal Justice. I even interned in the US Customs Department, in Newark NJ in hopes that it would be a stepping-stone to becoming a dog handler.  Eventually my career took me in a different direction; however the idea of doing something with dogs was always in the back of my mind.  After leaving school I worked with AT&T Wireless in many capacities from 1995 through 2002. My jobs included everything from being an investigator with the Fraud Department to Business Sales where I became a Business Care Manager assigned to AT&T’s largest multi-million dollar Government account US Postal Service in DC.  After 9/11 I left my job to become a stay-at-home-mom. I had the good fortune to be introduced to the Bay Region for Guiding Eyes for the Blind (GEB) in Maryland soon after leaving work.  I was delighted to get the chance to finally work in some capacity with working dogs and make a difference.  Between 2002 and 2006 my family and I raised 3 dogs for Guiding Eyes.  Our first dog Jefferson is a working guide in Alan Town, Pennsylvania.  Our last dog Sadie was raised during the year that I went back to work for Verizon Wireless as a Data Consultant. As an employee of Verizon Wireless I was responsible for educating 900 Retail Sales Representatives in the Washington and Virginia area on data devices and running Marketing and PR events.  Unfortunately, during this time, Sadie was released from Guiding Eyes for medical reasons, but has made a very active life for herself as an ambassador for GEB as well as Pets on Wheels.

Currently, I am a 36 year old devoted mother and wife to my 3 darling pups (I mean children). Even though I am not currently raising a dog for GEB, I am grateful that I have had the chance to get involved in so many Dog related PR events.  My top 3 events are as follows: Sadie and I represented GEB for the Anne Arundel Disabilities conference for 2 years in a row and had our picture taken with former Governor Ehrlich. We also had the good fortune to participate with MAGDU in their Baltimore Conference and meet many of the other working dog organizations within Maryland; Nevertheless, my favorite outreach program was my recent visit with Sadie to Ronald McDonald house in 2007. Not only did we bring awareness regarding working dogs but we brought comfort to countless children.  It does not get much better then that.  Seventeen years later, I am still impassioned and love working dogs.

Last President: Gary Norman

I am an attorney licensed in Ohio and Maryland.  I am a mediator and author.  In fall of 2000, I moved from my native state of Ohio, to Baltimore, Maryland.  This fellowship was created by President Carter in the late 1970s to enable young professional talent to serve the public by employment with federal departments and agencies.  I moved in order to commence my employment with the prestigious two-year fellowship that is now known as Presidential Management Fellowship, but was formerly known as the Presidential Management Internship.  I graduated this prestigious fellowship in 2002.  I have been employed with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services since 2002 in various positions, and have served for the previous three years with the Office of the Attorney Advisor.  I founded the Maryland Area Guide Dog Users, Inc., as a non-stock corporation and IRS approved Section 501c3 public charity in order to perform community and pro bono service to persons with disabilities who utilize assistance dogs.  I am also the handler of a guide dog named Langer.  We are proud graduates of Guide Dogs for the Blind, which is located in San Francisco, California.  I serve on several boards, including, as a director and counselor to the American Council of the Blind of Maryland, and as a director and legal chair to the National Council for Support of Disability Issues.  I am a graduate of Cleveland-Marshall College of Law and Wright State University.  I obtained a black belt in martial arts when I was a freshman in high school in Medina County, Ohio.  I also won the National Soap Box Derby in its division for children/students with disabilities.  My ambition is to run for political office in the future.  I was betrothed in April of 2006, and enjoy sharing my free time with my wife and dog, and reading and writing.