VOLUNTEER BOARD OF DIRECTORS
JOHN COPENHAVER
President, Board of Directors
In 2019, John joined the GA Pet Coalition’s all volunteer board where he currently serves as president. He is also the chairman of the Companion Animal Executive Committee formed by Gary Black, the GA Commissioner of Agriculture. He is an executive on the board of the Animal Protection Society and Canine Cellmates. He was on the advisory board for Angels Among Us prior to that.
After graduating from Brown University in 1975, he received his law degree from the U of GA. After graduating from law school in 1979, John clerked for the GA Court of Appeals from 1980-1981.
After having served for many years in the private sector, with positions at AT&T, Bellsouth and IBM, John left IBM to be appointed by Pres. Clinton to the position of Regional Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Region Four which includes eight southeastern states. He also served as Chairman and CEO of the Disaster Recovery Institute in Washington, DC.
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John’s love for animals goes back to his childhood and he now shares his home with Gatsby, his 5 pound Maltese. He believes deeply in the mission of the GA Pet Coalition and is proud to be a part of the animal welfare movement that is constantly improving the quality of life for companion animals in GA.
JOHN P. TYLER
Vice President, Board of Directors
Legal Counsel
John is Counsel in the Tax Practice of Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP. Mr. Tyler is an attorney as well as a certified public accountant who focuses in the areas of tax planning and controversy.
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Mr. Tyler graduated from Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania in 1968 with a B.A. in economics and subsequently served as an officer in the U.S. Navy. He received the J.D. from Emory University School of Law.
After graduating from Emory, Mr. Tyler joined the accounting firm of Arthur Andersen & Co. where he practiced tax planning. He is a member of the American Bar Association (section on taxation) and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
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John has worked with several animal protection not for profit organizations including Friends of Duncan which he co-founded. He lobbied successfully to make animal cruelty a felony in Georgia and to strengthen the dog fighting laws.
He supported the new Georgia Pet Foundation license plate which is increasing funding for Spay and Neuter in Georgia.
CHERYL M. BRIDGES
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CEO, Board of Directors
Cheryl is (almost) a native of Georgia and has spent many years advocating for animals in Georgia as well as internationally. She served as Vice President of Media with the Georgia Legal Professionals for Animals and as a board member of the Douglas County Humane Society. In 2014, she co-founded the GA Pet Coalition (GPC) to fight for our pets at the state level.
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Currently she serves on the board of GPC and Helping Animals Living Overseas, an international organization.
After spending her junior year at the University of the Andes in Bogota, Colombia, Cheryl graduated with a B.A. degree in Spanish from Florida Atlantic University, in Boca Raton, Florida. After teaching high school for several years in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, she moved back to Georgia. In Atlanta, she was employed by Southern Bell as an account executive in the small business arena. Being a marketing and sales person at heart, Cheryl eventually became involved in the land and timber business and created her own residential real estate company in Douglasville GA. She maintains a broker’s license today.
Now that her husband, Dick, and her dog, Bear, are deceased, she lives with three rescued cats.
PEGGY MCCARTHEY
Member, Board of Directors
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VICTORIA STILWELL
Member, Board of Directors
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www.positively.com
Victoria is committed to helping the cause of animal rescue and rehabilitation and is heavily involved organizations around the world to increase awareness of puppy mills, dogfighting, animal abuse, pet overpopulation, dog bite prevention and other animal-related causes.
She is the Executive Director of the Victoria Stilwell Foundation - a non-profit charitable organization committed to providing financial assistance and dog training expertise to small rescue shelters and assistance dog organizations who practice positive training methods.
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As co-founder of the national Dog Bite Prevention conference series, Stilwell is a National Ambassador for the American Humane Association and is a member of its ‘No Animals Were Harmed’ Committee.
She also serves on the Advisory Boards for DogTV, Dognition, The Grey Muzzle Organization, RedRover, and Canine Assistants, and she is a member of the US Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT) and the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC).
TED JACKSON
Member, Board of Directors
Ted Jackson was elected Sheriff of Fulton County in 2008, 2012, 2016 and served until 2020. He was also interim Sheriff of Fulton County in 2004.During his time in office, he instituted the Canine Cellmates Program co-managed by Susan Jacobs Meadows. This program took dogs from the shelter and positioned them to live with, and be trained by, non-violent inmates. An off-site building was renovated by the county and the dogs and inmates were housed there permanently. After an eight week program, the dogs were adopted out, one even became part of a Disaster team, and the inmates got jobs. In the words of former Sheriff Jackson, "the inmates changed their attitude about life and the dogs got their forever homes".
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Ted Jackson is a former accomplished senior executive of the FBI, who has a broad range of experience in management, budget, policy, international affairs and national programs. He also served as Special agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Atlanta, Georgia, from 1999 - 2003 and, as such, he provided oversight of significant crime, public corruption, and violent crime matters. In total, Ted was an FBI agent for 33 years.
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He and his wife have two grown daughters, who, in turn, have three schnauzers who are affectionately referred to as "grand dogs". The Jacksons frequently dog sit and vacation with these beloved grand dogs.
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GLORIA J. DORSEY
Member, Board of Directors
Gloria J Dorsey is a native of Jacksonville, FL and is formerly a member of leadership at the Atlanta Humane Society for 10 of her 27-year tenure. She was the Vice President of Community Outreach and Advocacy at the time of retirement from the organization. She was previously the Vice President of Medical Services for more than 18 years and fulfilled medical, surgical, and administrative duties in that capacity. A graduate of Tuskegee University in Alabama, Dr. Dorsey received a B.S. Degree in Animal and Poultry Sciences and a Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine. Upon completion of her Doctorate Degree, she completed a Master’s Degree in Public Health – Epidemiology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Dr. Dorsey is also a member of St. Paul AME Church where she serves as the Sunday School Superintendent. She and her husband currently have no pets, having lost our 18-year-old cat, ‘Rocky’ during the early days of COVID in 2020. However, we occasionally pet sit for our friends.
Gloria currently sits on the Steering Committee for Paws Between Homes, Board of Directors of Planned Pethood and a State Representative for the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Alliance as an animal advocate.
MARA MORRISON
Member, Board of Directors
Dr. Mara Morrison is a native Texan, but has called Atlanta home for over twenty years. Receiving her bachelor's degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Mara remained at UNC for medical school. She completed her residency at Northwestern University in Chicago, IL and is board certified in Anatomic Pathology.
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Mara has had a passion for helping animals since she was a young child. Caring for injured animals in her neighborhood and picking up stray dogs was a common occurrence. Mara still picks up every stray dog she comes across, but has put her love for animals into focus in more meaningful ways. She has been fostering dogs for over ten years, taking in injured, critically ill, and emaciated dogs, as well as pregnant and nursing moms and their litters. She still continues to foster to this day.
She served on the advisory board for Angel’s Among Us Pet Rescue and has also been very active with other charities as well. She was a past chair of the Arthritis Foundation Crystal Ball and has worked for almost a decade to support the Red Clay Ranch Equine Rescue. She also is very active with the Atlanta Ronald McDonald Charities and supports a school for impoverished children in Kigali, Rwanda known as The Faith Foundation. Mara is also the past president of the Mount Paran Woods Garden Club.
In addition to her charitable activities, Mara also runs a foundation in her late husband’s memory - The Thomas J. Morrison, III Foundation. The foundation presents a memorial golf tournament which donates all profits to different charities ever year.
In her free time, Mara enjoys being with her two college aged daughters Mary Grace and Elle, and her 5 rescue dogs Piper, Patch, Belle, Coco and Gracie, who Mara brought home from the Turks & Caicos.
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WARREN HARPER
Member, Board of Directors
Warren Harper is an international leader and speaker and brings many skills to the GPC board. Some of these skills include strategic and disaster planning and consulting on various subjects with the end goal of stopping the euthanasia of healthy pets.
Warren received a BA in economics and public administration from Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island and a Certificate of Achievement from the Emergency Management Institute, State of Georgia.
Currently Warren is the leader of Marsh’s Global Sports, Events & Leisure Industry Practice, based in Atlanta. In this role, he is responsible for the activities of a global network of risk and insurance professionals focused on the sports and entertainment industry, with centers of excellence located in the United States, United Kingdom, Continental Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Australia.
Besides being a board member of the GPC, Warren is a member of the World Affairs Council of Atlanta, a member of the Corporate Leadership Council of Fernbank Museum and a trustee member of the Atlanta Youth Academy.
Warren and his wife travel frequently for work and pleasure and as soon as the travel requirements lessen, they plan to adopt a pet. Currently they pet sit for friends when their schedule allows.