BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Rebecca Golian
Chief Executive Officer
Rebecca grew up in Frederick County, Maryland and found her passion for working with animals at a young age. She competed as an equestrian athlete for over 15 years and ran a successful equestrian training and sales business in Maryland and Northern Virginia.
Rebecca started professionally training dogs in college. While attending the University of Maryland, Rebecca offered a variety of dog training services in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Rebecca also raised and trained German Shepherds for The Seeing Eye, a Guide Dog school based in Morristown, NJ. In 2010, Rebecca graduated with honors, receiving her B.S. degree in Psychology with a minor in Animal Science. In 2012 Rebecca decided to pursue working with dogs full time and moved to New York City to start a professional dog training company.
In 2015 Rebecca was offered a rare opportunity to enter an apprenticeship program to become a Qualified Guide Dog Mobility Instructor (GDMI) at Guide Dogs for the Blind. A GDMI trains guide dogs for people who are blind or visually impaired, matches trained guide dogs with clients, conducts client training and O&M support, and offers follow up services for guide dog users throughout the United States and Canada. In addition to her work at Guide Dogs for the Blind, Rebecca started offering private service dog training, and in her five years living out West, she trained and placed over 100 service and guide dog teams.
In 2019 Rebecca moved back to the east coast and started Love in the Lead Canine Training, LLC in Charlotte, NC. In just four years she has built a successful seven figure dog training company that offers a variety of dog training services, and her business has grown to be one of the top dog training companies in the area. Rebecca and her team also train service dogs and guide dogs for organizations in the US and abroad. Rebecca began working with Project 2 Heal in 2020 and accepted the position of Executive Director in January 2024.
JOHN BAIST
BOARD CHAIR
John is an accomplish executive with broad CPG experience specializing in building branded or private branded sales. From start-up to turnaround or post-acquisition scenarios, John has demonstrated throughout his career the strong ability to drive revenue across all CPG channels. (Dollar, Drug, Convenience, Military, Grocery, Mass & Club.)
Leading North American sales teams for Lindy’s, Shearer’s Foods, Lance, Mission, and Barilla over the course of his career, John has been responsible for customer P&L’s ranging up to $700M. Additionally, his early career included sales management roles with Van Den Bergh Foods, Pillsbury, and General Mills leading direct or broker sales teams.
John’s intangible sense of initiative and ability to bring out the best in a team make him an incredibly effective leader at Project 2 Heal. Utilizing his passion for organizational development and service to others, John is excited to play a major role in shaping the future of Project 2 Heal.
CHUCK CURTIS
BOARD VICE CHAIR
Chuck is a Sr. Account Executive for ePlus Technology, inc. With over 30 years of experience in sales and sales management, Chuck is responsible for helping clients leverage technology to drive competitive advantage. As a customer advocate, Chuck prides himself on understanding clients’ challenges, identifying the right solution to solve the problem, and fostering a team approach to implementing technologies to achieve the desired outcomes.
Chuck met his wife, Lisa, at Bowling Green State University on Valentine’s Day 1991 and they’ve been happily married for nearly 30 years. They are blessed with three wonderful children, Jason, Craig, and Seth, and proud “parents” of two incredible dogs, Teddy and Murphy. Murphy is a Project 2 Heal pup, now 5 years old!
Chuck has previously served as a past board member for Mira Via (formerly Room At the Inn), including President for two years. During his tenure on the board, Mira Via completed a successful capital campaign leading to building a new residential facility for single pregnant women and their children. Chuck has also served as a member of the pastoral council at St. Matthew Catholic Church, and he continues to serve as sacristan and pastoral care minister bringing Holy Communion to the residents of White Oak nursing home in Waxhaw.
JOHN MULLER
BOARD SECRETARY
John Muller is a securities and corporate governance attorney with a deep understanding of banking, capital markets, laws and regulation. His expertise also includes governance, risk, and compliance. John is currently a senior lawyer with USAA and is responsible for supporting the Chief Financial Officer organization including the Treasury function. He is also involved in diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Prior to USAA, John was a senior lawyer with both Wells Fargo and Bank of America and held a variety of roles over his tenure at those companies.
John and his wife Karen are originally from St. Louis, Missouri where John attended Washington University School of Law. After graduating law school John worked in private practice at a law firm in Chicago, Illinois and he and his family moved to Charlotte in 2007.
John’s community work includes serving on the board of Justice Initiatives, a non-profit devoted to education and advocacy related to the court system. He is also involved in pro bono activities including Wills for Warriors. John and his wife Karen have two children, Jack (25) and Kate (22), and two dogs, Foster and Colton. John is an avid hockey fan and he and his son play in local adult hockey leagues.
BILL SHRIVER
BOARD TREASURER
Bill was born and raised in South Buffalo, NY in a large Catholic family and educated in a parochial grammar school and high school steeped in the traditional Franciscan tradition. He obtained a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from the Rochester Institute of Technology, completed coursework towards a Master of Science in Manufacturing Systems Engineering at State University of New York at Buffalo, has a Master of Business Administration from Duke University, Fuqua School of Business, and attended the Northwestern University J. L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management Executive Development Program.
Bill began his career as an executive with General Motors and is an alumnus Partner of Ernst & Young Consulting LLP and Capgemini Consulting and is a former co-founder of Spectrum Supply Chain Solutions, Spectrum Security Solutions and Blue Ridge of the Carolinas, a real estate investment and services firm. He currently has the honor of serving as CEO of Setech Supply Chain Solutions consistently delivering innovation and significant annual return on investment to his clients. The Setech team is proud to partner with many veterans’ support organizations including Project 2 Heal. Serving the Project 2 Heal mission aligns perfectly with his love for English labs and passion for helping others in need.
Bill and his best friend and wife of over 30 years, Maureen, have a son, Matt and are long time parishioners at St. Gabriel Catholic Church. They are also blessed Project 2 Heal chaperone parents of rock stars Josie and Winnie.
SEAN DELLER
chair, Strategic Planning / PROGRAM & OPERATIONS
Sean a 25-year Army veteran with deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, Kosovo, Egypt, Israel, Korea and Panama. He started his career as an aviator, piloting both the UH-1 “Huey” and the UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters, and served in a variety of leadership positions such as Company Commander, Flight Operations Officer, Battalion Logistics Officer, and Analysis Branch Chief, where he led analytical efforts to shape the future Army. Sean earned his Masters and Doctoral degrees in Engineering Management from Old Dominion University.
Following his transition from active duty, he led analytical efforts in the defense industry supporting the development of future military capabilities. Sean currently works in a biotech company where he directs the manufacture and distribution of a novel therapy in a clinical trial for a rare, and lethal, pediatric neurodegenerative condition. He and Pam recently moved to Waxhaw along with their two sons, Brendan and Thomas, and two labradoodles, Maxwell Smart and Agent 99. Sean has experienced the tragic loss of fellow veterans and believes deeply in the mission of Project 2 Heal.
JOE COLUCCI
MEMBER, PROGRAM & OPERATIONS
Joe is a Senior Project Manager and Group Leader at The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company. He has 19 years of experience in Commercial Construction with a wide range of clients from Office, Hotels, Industrial, Manufacturing, and Mission Critical Construction. He is local to the Charlotte Office in Ballantyne and is responsible for the planning, design, and construction of all of his projects. Joe has a “customer delight” driven attitude, and has been able to serve the Charlotte area for the last 13 years. He acts as the company’s Southeast Recruiting Lead as well as the Southeast’s Mission Critical coordinator.
He met his wife, Kara, in Greensboro, and they have been happily married for 12 years in Charlotte. They have been blessed with 5 children: Joey, Annabeth, Ali, Jude, and Kobe. The family enjoys being outdoors, playing soccer & golf, horseback riding, and playing with our Project 2 Heal dog, Cypress! They attend Hickory Grove Baptist Church and serve in the children’s ministry.
Joe has been involved at Project 2 Heal ever since he attended the Putts for Pups event several years ago as a guest. Joe has always lead a service-driven life, and immediately resonated with the mission that Project 2 Heal strives for. Seeing how this organization can change and save a life is something that Joe and his family are very passionate about and felt very convinced to jump in with both feet. Annabeth, Joe’s eldest daughter, has been Project 2 Heal’s biggest advocate, walking our Project 2 Heal dog in the neighborhood and seeking out neighbors to discuss the Project 2 Heal mission. For all of her hard work, Charlie has made Annabeth an official Junior Board Member!
Joe and his family look forward to reaching neighbors both locally and in a wider area to further advance the mission of Project 2 Heal.
MELVINA LEE
MEMBER, GOVERNANCE
Melvina Lee is a Relationship Manager with the Corporate Properties Group at Wells Fargo. With over 35 years of corporate experience, Melvina is a trusted advisor and strategic partner to line-of-business partners optimizing infrastructure costs and accommodating shifting corporate needs.
Melvina graduated from Pace University in New York with a Bachelor of Science, completed her MBA at Queens University in Charlotte, NC, and a Doctorate of Education from North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC. Melvina is married and they have one son, Patrick, a senior in High School, 2 Labrador Retrievers—Harley, a black lab, 12 years old, and Piper, a yellow lab, 8 years old.
She strongly believes in Project 2 Heal’s mission to reduce the cost and time it takes to place a service dog with a person in need and hope to make a great impact in the local community with her passion with the School Outreach Program.
BOB SAVAGE
MEMBER, COMMUNITY & RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Bob is the Senior Vice-President, Sales for the Walmart Division of On-Shelf Marketing based in Matthews, NC. Bob has spent the last 35 years of his professional career in the consumer products industry focused on developing companies, brands, and teams. You will find that Bob has a unique blend of creativity coupled with a depth in analytics and communication. He has worked on several start-ups, including De Wafelbakkers where he spent the past 13 years developing a national retail business before being part of the company sale process. He has a BBA in Marketing from Texas Tech University.
Although having not served in the armed forces, Bob has a passion for helping and honoring the men and women that have served our country. Bob was previously one of the founding Board members of FISH (Food Industry Serving Heroes) a non-profit organization dedicated to providing financial support, life assistance (service dogs, mobility scooters) and creating awareness of the needs of current and retired military members.
Bob and his wife Kindra have two adult children, a granddaughter and an eleven-year-old rescue Black Lab named Penny. Having worked on pet brands and being a lifelong pet owner, Bob understands the enrichment and joy that comes from a relationship with a dog. On weekends and time away from the office, you will find Bob enjoying time with his family, participating in the shooting sports, and playing a very bad game of golf.