Sylee Gibson, our new Human Resources/Development Director at Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs, joined our organization in January and works remotely from Cleveland, TN, where she lives with her husband, Jerry, and their 4-year-old daughter, Gabriella.
Sylee’s Journey to Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs
In December 2020, Sylee retired from the Collier County Sheriff’s Office in Naples, FL, after a 20-year career as a professional law enforcement officer.
During her tenure there, she spent 10-plus years as a community policing deputy, where her job consisted of serving as a liaison between the community and the Sheriff’s Office, organizing community events, and educating the community on topics such as crime prevention, hurricane preparedness, and CPR.
Sylee served as an on-call victim’s advocate and mental health team member and has extensive training in conflict resolution and crisis intervention.
After leaving the Sheriff’s Office, she and her family moved to Tennessee and worked at the Counseling Center at Lee University (LUCC). While at LUCC, she managed the office staff and handled all administrative duties, such as addressing HR issues, creating in-house policies, leading meetings, and developing staff training. She also assisted with any mental health crisis situations.
Sylee is currently working on her Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership at Union University, which will be completed at the end of this year. She plans to pursue her master’s degree in leadership in 2024.
“I have known about Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs for years and have attended several events while I worked for the Sheriff’s Office. I have actually sung the National Anthem at several of their Bark-a-que events in Naples. I have watched the organization grow throughout the years, and it has always been a dream of mine to be able to work for them,” Sylee said.
Sylee’s “Why” for Working with Guardian Angels
“Not only do I believe in Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs’ vision and mission, my ‘why’ is a personal one because my family is filled with veterans, active duty military, and first responders. My husband is a retired law enforcement officer of 26 years and is also a disabled veteran. I have a son who is currently active duty in the Army,” Sylee said.
Sylee also has multiple extended family members who are veterans and first responders. “I know the amazing help that GAMSD dogs can provide to a recipient, and working for GAMSD allows me to serve and give back to those who have sacrificed so much,” Sylee said.
Want to learn more about Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs? Visit our website today!
Mrs. Borden’s expertise and accomplishments are acknowledged by numerous national awards from various industries and agencies including the 2018 Corporate Pet Industry Woman of the Year and multiple awards for her organization’s work in mental health and suicide prevention.
She is frequently requested as a Keynote Speaker, and as an Industry Consultant to teach service dog laws to judicial systems, attorneys, and businesses, and to assist in service dog bills in multiple states that were passed into law. In 2020, she started an Institute for Higher Learning and the Borden Veterinary Hospital. Additionally, she has written and teaches college-accredited/VA-approved apprenticeship courses on dog training and service dog training.
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