Meet the C4C Leadership Team

---

Lisa and her family started their journey with Canines 4 Comfort in December 2018 as a puppy raiser/host family. In July 2019, Lisa joined the C4C board and remains an active host family for dogs in training. Lisa serves as our volunteer coordinator. 

She is a Recruiting Manager at Kelly, supporting the Centralized Engineering Recruiting Team. Before joining Kelly in 1996, she was a Case Manager at Lamb’s Farm in Libertyville, working with developmentally disabled adults. Lisa received her degree in Sociology from Loyola University of Chicago and resides in Grayslake.

Jayme is one of the co-founders of Canines 4 Comfort. Jayme owns and operates a small business in Crystal Lake that serves Lake and McHenry counties. She also manages an area pet boutique. As a businessperson, she knows the needs of the local business establishments with whom we look to form a partnership. 

Jayme and her husband reside in McHenry County with three German Shepherds she breeds and shows. She is the proud mother of three grown children and eight grandchildren. 

Becky and her family have served as puppy raisers since October 2019. Since then, they have raised eight puppies for Canines 4 Comfort and counting. Becky is a speech-language pathologist with bilingual special education approval who has worked for several area school districts over her 21-year career. She has a master's degree in communication sciences and disorders from Rush University, with post-graduate school leadership work, allowing her to obtain an endorsement for Director of Special Education and Speech-Language Pathology Supervision.  

Becky, along with her husband Tim and their children Nolan and Rhianne are proud volunteers of the Canines 4 Comfort organization.  Along with being an active puppy raiser and host family, Becky serves as the School District Liaison for C4C. 

In a fortunate turn of events, Maren’s youngest son received a psychiatric service dog named Ella from Canines 4 Comfort in December 2019, just before the challenges of the Covid pandemic unfolded. Since then, Maren and her family have enjoyed volunteering with Canines 4 Comfort, hoping to extend the same warmth and support to other recipients that their family received.  

For the Okrzynski family, Canines 4 Comfort goes beyond a charity; it’s a supportive family that has played a pivotal role in their lives. With a lifelong love for dogs and a deep appreciation for their therapeutic power, Maren was thrilled to join the Canines 4 Comfort board in November 2023.

Maren grew up in the Twin Cities, MN, enjoys trips back to her hometown and has had many travel adventures abroad. During the day, she is a Senior Paralegal and Product Regulatory Compliance Manager, and in the evenings, she serves as Treasurer and Board Member of the Glenbrook High School Foundation. A monumental movie fan, Maren enjoys predicting the winners on Oscar night. 

Chris is one of the co-founders of Canines 4 Comfort. She has worked with dogs her entire life. Her experiences in showing, competing, training, and teaching others about dogs span over 35 years. Chris has trained in conformation, German conformation, obedience, search and rescue (ARDA), agility, and Schutzund (tracking, obedience, protection) with audiences such as 4H, private, and classroom. She is an AKC evaluator certified for Canine Good Citizen (CGC), Temperament Testing (TT), and Trick Dog (TK). 

Chris serves as our Executive Director of Training. She teaches classes and trains dogs for Tops in Dog Training in Grayslake, offers private training sessions, breeds German Shepherds under Olsonhaus Kennel, and shows dogs professionally. She resides in western Lake County with her family dogs. 

Sonny is a Marine Corps veteran and the first recipient of a psychiatric service dog from Canines 4 Comfort. He is a devoted member of this organization. In July 2019, he was asked to serve as a Military Liaison to help transition future veterans in obtaining and training a psychiatric service dog through C4C. Sonny is also very involved in his church. 

Since retiring from the Marine Corps, Sonny has been deeply involved in his community. For many years, he was the Lake County Rugby Club president, where he inspired his teammates to become interested in the community by volunteering at local festivals, fairs, and other engagements.

In his spare time, Sonny enjoys spending time with his son Camden, brewing beer, going on adventures with his wife Michelle, and other activities to keep himself busy. Since receiving his psychiatric service dog, Salty, he has been able to venture out more and attend events that he would otherwise avoid. 

Daria is one of our founding members. She trained her service dog and regularly volunteers and fosters for local rescues and breeders. Hence, it is no surprise that she serves as our Service Dog Ambassador. 

Daria is co-owner of Dashagold Golden Retrievers and recently launched a pet care service. She is a graduate of Antioch High School, works for a local veterinarian, and is the proud owner of Belle, her Psychiatric Service Dog, and Riker. 

Daria is pursuing a future in the animal medical field. 

Lisa is one of the co-founders of Canines 4 Comfort. A retired management consultant and former strategic sourcing manager, she serves as Executive Director of Operations. 

Lisa is no stranger to philanthropic endeavors. She served two years as president of an employee resource group for foster and adoptive parents, chaired an annual gala for a local school for twelve years, and coordinated and hosted a golf outing benefiting suicide prevention for sixteen years. 

Lisa received her degree in business management from Illinois State University. She achieved her lifetime certifications for Applied Purchasing Practitioner (A.P.P.) and Certified Purchasing Manager (C.P.M.), as well as her Six Sigma Black Belt designation. She resides in northern Lake County with her husband, Keith, their two daughters, and several family pets.