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Get to Know

VETERANS

Get to Know

our board

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Sharon Lowe

Sharon is the Founder and CEO of K-9 Line.  She started the organization as a way to serve the Warriors and community that she loves. 

 

As both an Army mom and her experience with those that are contractors who serve oversees, she saw a need to assist the Warriors as they returned home. 

 

Her long-term vision for the organization includes creating a network of relationships for Warriors and the community.  She envisions a volunteer family that gives and receives; to create an exponential pay-it-forward community. 

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The strength of the organization motivates her resolve to reach those that need assistance.  Her heart and passion for the K-9 Line mission is endless, and she has a message for you:  “You Are Not Alone.  Reach out to our family.”

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Maggie Beckerman

Maggie Beckerman is the President of K-9 Line.  She served the Army for seven years as a Supply Sergeant.  Maggie was deployed three times to the Middle East.  

 

Her last deployment ended when her husband, Michael, was killed on a mission while they were both in Afghanistan. Maggie ended that deployment escorting him back to the United States.

 

After such a devastating life change and with many obstacles to overcome, she had to depart the Army.  In her transition back to civilian life she felt a strong need to serve other Veterans.  

 

As both a Graduate of the K-9 Line program with her Companion Gunther, and a Gold Star Wife, Maggie serves Warriors with unending energy and drive. 

 

She embodies our K-9 Line family.  Connect with Maggie, you will quickly learn You Are Not Alone.

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Morgan Lowe

Morgan Lowe serves as the Vice President of K-9 Line.  He served the Army in the 82nd Airborne as a combat engineer 12B. 

 

Since 2015 Morgan and his current Army National Guard Unit are responsible for survivability and sustainability enroute, searching for IEDs that are meant to harm our troops and civilians.  

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While conducting an Airborne Operation, Morgan survived a jump after the main parachute did not release.  After being a towed-jumper behind the C-17, still attached the static line, the drogue parachute released.  Unconscious, he landed and survived.  He now suffers with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).

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Currently Morgan is attending Marine, Mechanics Institute, in Orlando FL.  

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Pauline Mcduffie

Pauline McDuffie is the K-9 Line Treasurer.

 

Hailing from Georgia, Pauline McDuffie is a 30 year area resident. After earning her Bachelors degree in Accounting, she aimed her focus on the real estate industry, specializing in real estate transactions, including sales, property management, long and short term rentals, and Association Bookkeeping.

 

Along with her husband and two children, Pauline has enjoyed watching the area thrive and continue to enjoy life by the coast.


As an Accountant, her experience in Association Management, Rental Properties and Real Estate Sales transactions has allowed her to provide a high level of real estate related expertise, integrity, and good accounting practices.  Pauline would like you to know You Are Not Alone.

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Crystal Cooper

Crystal serves as the Chief of Staff for K-9 Line.  She brings her background and a desire to teach, mentor, and serve others in the K-9 Line family. 

 

From 1989-1997 she served as an Aviation Electrician in the U.S. Navy where she fixed electrical systems on various aircraft in the fleet. She was stationed in Washington, DC, Miramar, CA and Dallas, TX. At each of these duty stations, she would deploy with her squadron to complete missions and maintain readiness. 

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Since 2011 she works for the FDIC as an Instructional Systems Designer. She has spent thousands of hours of fundraising, leading projects, and initiatives for those she serves and continues to message “Welcome to the K-9 Line family:  You are not alone.”

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Jackie Ramos

Jackie Ramos is the Director of Public Relations.  She is a Navy Veteran and more widely known as Taco's mom. 

 

Jackie served our nation May of 2004 to May 2010 as a Master at Arms.  She served overseas in Iraq, the Ceremonial Guard in Washington, DC, Naval Air Station Jacksonville and Mayport HSL-40.

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Jackie and Taco are Warriors of K-9 Line.  Jackie and her husband Alex are in the process of establishing a registered 501(c)(3) the Ramos-Boaz Foundation that serves veterans with health care plans outside of the VA system at no cost to them. 

 

She has walked her road to healing with Taco by her side and she wants you to know "You Are Not Alone."  

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Ron Allen

As a retired police officer, then as President and CEO of American Detection Technologies, Inc. (AMDETECH) he has more than 45 years of experience in law enforcement and detector dog training.  He was a government contractor for explosive detector dogs, and explosive detection K9 teams in Afghanistan.

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While a police officer in Massachusetts, he served as a member of the Massachusetts Criminal Justice Training Council K-9 Training Minimum Standards Task Force and was chosen to be their first Director of K9 Training.  

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MA offered the first statewide K-9 minimum standards certification program in the U.S. Ron provided assistance  to the Minimum Standards Task Forces of New York, Florida and Ohio.

He was also a K-9 Judge, Expert Witness, Administrator, Consultant, Program Developer, Trainer and Handler and Supervisor at various police departments in Massachusetts, Florida and Louisiana. 

 

As a participant with Project Harmony, he was the first American police officer to teach detector dog training at the K9 police academy in Petrozavodsk, Karelia, Russia in 1994-1995 and Ukraine in 1997.

 

He is an internationally recognized expert in his field.  Ron will continue to travel the world relaying to our Warriors "You Are Not Alone."

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Kip Schultz

Kip is currently serving as a member of the Board of Directors.  Mr. Schultz is an internationally recognized expert in the selection, training, and use of working dogs.
 

He has more than 30 years of experience in training and handling dogs for military, governmental, local
law enforcement and corporate organizations. He spent 8 years as a military working dog (MWD)
handler and trainer in the U.S. Marines. He honorably served in combat operations as an explosives dog handler and Kennel Master for US Marines during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.

 

As one of the first two handlers deployed during the ground war in Kuwait, Mr. Schultz was subject to
enemy fire and led searches of urban combat terrain for enemy troops, explosive devices, and hidden caches of arms and explosives.

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Mr. Schultz went on to train civilian law enforcement canines and pioneered the validation of remote scent trapping system with canines. He served as a consultant to the South African government for five years in a humanitarian demining supporting role training trace
detection canines and conventional searching landmine detection dogs. This work called for  several thousands of REST Filters for trace contamination.

 

During his tenure he made numerous deployments into mined areas. He personally selected, trained and successfully deployed 119
mine detection dogs in support of United Nations operations.

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View some of Kip's work.

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Leamon Viveros

Originally from Texas, Leamon grew up overseas in Micronesia, North Africa and Europe. After graduating from high school in Spain, he returned to Texas to attend university and graduate as a Medical Technologist.

 

Shortly afterward he obtained a pilot’s license and purchased a small airplane. Once while giving a ride to an Air Force Col, he was encouraged to join the USAF.
After 6 years in the Reserves, he volunteered to go active duty during Desert Storm. After several assignments he was encouraged to move to active duty by senior leadership in his field. This led to 18 more years of active duty service.


His last assignment as a Program Manager for a synthetic biology group at the Air Force Research Laboratory where he helped orchestrate a grand challenge for an engineering conference which included remote tracking of IED detection canines that work without a handler. It was here that he met fellow board member Ron Allen and a founder of K-9 Line.


After 24 years in the USAF, he retired and became the science advisor for K9Logops, a canine research company that performed research for the Army and Air Force. K9Logops was the company that spun off K9Line.
He was a good choice for a position as a Director for K9Line.

 

This significant mission allows him to continue to support his brothers in arms

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