Mrs. Borden is the daughter of a disabled Korean War veteran and the mother of a disabled Iraq/Afghanistan veteran.
The events throughout her life prepared her for creating what is now one of the largest service dog organizations in the US. In addition to managing big box stores for several years, she has logged nearly 60 years training dogs to include national competitions, training a dog for a movie, training the #1 Service Dog in the US and the first service dog to ever become the Top American Dog Hero.
Her expertise and accomplishments are acknowledged by numerous national awards from various industries including being named the Corporate Pet Industry Woman of the Year, national awards for her organization’s work under her leadership in mental health and suicide prevention, and the top award from the Department of Labor among others.
Service dogs trained under her college accredited/VA approved curriculums have been accepted to work inside the Pentagon and other DOD facilities for disabled staff members. She is often invited to be a Keynote speaker, she is an industry expert teaching service dog laws to judicial systems, attorneys, businesses, and has been called on multiple times as an expert consultant for service dog bills in multiple states that have passed into law. She has also advised airports such as Tampa International and Gainesville Regional Airport in redesigning their service dog relief areas. She co-authored a research article with Princeton University which was peer reviewed and published. In addition, she has also Founded the Borden Veterinary Hospital and the Borden Institute of Higher Learning.
Chris was born and raised in Texas and holds a degree in Industrial Engineering from Texas A&M University. When he joined the organization, he had more than 20 years of experience in Sales Management in the Pet Industry. He had received multiple awards during his career for Animal Nutrition Education and Sales at both regional and national levels.
Chris has trained dogs alongside of Carol together for 32 years, which included training and titling their personal dogs, as well as obedience classes, working with rescues and behavior rehabilitation. When Carol took it to the next level by starting Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs, he continued to assist in every capacity necessary in the startup and growth of the organization. Today, he oversees all property maintenance and construction projects for our campuses in support of our continued growth.
If you ask Mary Jo Brandt about Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs and its’ success in the service dog industry, she will tell you, “it’s all about the why.” Finding people’s ‘why’ and strategically placing them in roles that drive the organizational mission and vision is what she does… and she does it very well. Industry Era has recently recognized Mary Jo’s strengths as a COO in their Top Ten COOs of 2022 magazine.
As Chief Operating Officer of one of the largest medical service dog organizations in the country, she is the constant force behind the operational functions of the business and leads the implementation of company strategies that are created by the Executive Team, Founder/CEO, and Board of Directors. She leads with a combination of experience, education, and life skills that she has honed over the past two decades.
“Having worked in the fast-paced, constantly changing industry of newspaper advertising and graphic design has been foundational in my extensive career experience,” Brandt stated. She recognizes the importance of strategy and leads the team with the company goals and mission in mind.
Being responsible for the day-to-day operations of the organization and ensuring that all of the systems, resources, and people are in place to achieve the goals is her primary function. If that isn’t enough, let’s talk about growth…Mary Jo also holds a crucial position in the future of the organization as Guardian Angels is expanding to 2 new campuses breaking ground in the next 18 – 24 months, with the potential of 3 more coming in the next 5 – 7 years. The oversight of the construction of those 20 million-dollar campuses will fall within her realm of responsibility. She is up to the challenge and embraces growth as part of her role.
Her foundational experience is enhanced by her education. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from the College of Engineering and Engineering Technology, Northern Illinois University, and her Master of Business Administration from Colorado Technical University. She is also a recipient of the 2023 Patriot Scholarship from Colorado Technical University, enabling her to pursue a doctorate in Change Management. It was her passion for the cause that brought her to the organization in the first place as a volunteer. She grew from that role to eventually become a voting member of the Board of Directors and now sits as the COO.
With the expansion of the Guardian Angels brand to include the Borden Institute of Higher Learning and the Borden Veterinary Hospital, she has her work cut out for her. If there is one thing you can be sure of, Mary Jo will welcome the challenges and drive the mission to success.
