Board of Directors

2023 Officers 

President - Cade Armstrong, DVM

Cade Armstrong is a veterinarian and Co-Owner of Montgomery Veterinary Associates. He attended the University of Georgia and graduated from Tuskegee University School of Veterinary Medicine in 2003. He has been active in numerous Montgomery Community organizations including the Montgomery Humane Society, Tuskegee University Board of Trustees, and the YMCA soccer board. Cade is the exclusive veterinarian for Service Dogs Alabama, donating thousands of dollars in services each year. Cade is married to Aynsley and has four children, Mary Weldon, Greer, Martha, Harris, plus five dogs. He lives in Montgomery and is an active member of the First United Methodist Church.

Vice President - Jeremy Walker

Jeremy S. Walker is the CEO of the Alabama Association of REALTORS® (AAR) located in Montgomery. Jeremy earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance from the University of Alabama—where he played football and served as a student assistant coach—and a Juris Doctor from the Thomas Goode Jones School of Law. Prior to joining AAR, Jeremy practiced civil and criminal law at a local law firm.

Treasurer - Ira Verbois

Secretary - Marianne McLeod

Marianne founded Jubilee CityFest, a regional music and arts festival whose mission was to enhance quality of life and community development in the River Region. Marianne served as the organization’s Executive Director for 20 years where she led a small staff, worked with a board comprised of top community leaders and hundreds of volunteers to fund, organize and stage the annual event. Prior to her tenure at Jubilee CityFest, she was Vice President of the Convention and Visitors Bureau of the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce for 10 years. She has served on various nonprofit boards and is a graduate of Auburn University. 

James “Bubba” Armstrong, MD 

A long time resident of Montgomery, Bubba grew up in Selma. He graduated from Davidson College in 1966. He attended medical school and completed a four-year Orthopedic Surgeon residency at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He served as an Orthopedic surgeon and Chief of the Division of Orthopedics at Kirkland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, NM before returning to Alabama. For the next 40 years, he was a partner at Southern Orthopedic Surgeons. Bubba is active in community service and has served on the Board of Magic Moments and as River Region Council Chairman. Bubba has served as president of Alabama Orthopedic Society & Southern Orthopedic Society. He has always been passionate about dogs and hunting.

Will Brannon

Will served as President of SCSWORX, an experiential marketing company for a decade before moving into sales management at US Pipe. He is also a real estate investor. 2008-2011 Will received the Gates Scholarship to Auburn and worked with the Gates Foundation as part of a world hunger project. He traveled to Uganda to pass the research to local labs for further study and implementation. Will has also worked with Business by the Book to support business owners spiritually while consulting on strategic challenges. Will is married with two daughters. They are all avid dog lovers.

Corporal Brian Dewberry (retd.)

Chip Garrard, MD

Dr. Ralph “Chip” Garrard is an obstetrician-gynecologist in Montgomery, Alabama and is affiliated with multiple hospitals in the area, including Baptist Medical Center East and Baptist Medical Center South. He graduated from the University of Mississippi in 1977 and the Tulane School of Medicine in 1981 . Dr. Garrard completed his post-graduate training at the Medical University of South Carolina. He has been in practice for more than 20 years. Along with a medical partner, Dr. Garrard started Physicians for Women in 1994. He is a Fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology and is Board Certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Alan Hackel, PhD

Alan grew up in Delaware, Ohio, and studied at Case Western Reserve University (BA and MA) and completed studies for the Ph.D. at Ohio State University. He served as Dean of Continuing Education at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and later at Auburn University at Montgomery from which he retired. He has been actively involved with the River Region United Way and served as the chair of its Community Council. He is a member of the Montgomery Kiwanis Club and, after retiring from AUM, started his own consulting firm. He is married to Joan and they have two daughters, Margo and Julie. Joan and Alan have trained therapy dogs and service dog recipients to work with their dogs. 

Carol Lee

A graduate of the University of Alabama and a business owner for over 12 years, Carol is president of Allegiance Staffing, which covers East Alabama and West Georgia areas. Carol is an active member of United Way Red Hat Society and all Chambers of Commerce where her seven offices are located. Currently, Carol is president of the Alabama Staffing Association, a board member of the Lake Martin Area Economic Development Alliance, past board member of the Alexander City Chamber of Commerce, and a lifetime alumnus of Pillar of Leadership Lake Martin. Carol and her family are members of Duncan Memorial Methodist Church of Alexander City.

Margaret Lowder

A graduate of Auburn University and an owner of Lowder Realty, Margaret Lowder is active in the community and has served on various boards and committees over the years. She is currently on the Endowment Committee of the Family Sunshine Center and is a Board Member & Past President of the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts. She is a lifelong supporter of The Montgomery Humane Society. Margaret is also an author of children’s books about her dog’s (Amos) daily adventures. Margaret lives in Montgomery, Alabama, and is married to Jimmy Lowder; they have three children and six grandchildren.

Guice Slawson, Jr.

Guice Slawson, Jr is a manager at Southeast Forest Products in Montgomery. A 1984 graduate of the University of Alabama, he served in the U.S. Navy before returning to join the family business in 1991. He has served on boards for Trinity Presbyterian School, Montgomery Christian School, The Alabama Forestry Association, and other civic organizations. He and his wife Leah have two adult children, and currently live in Equality, Alabama with their dogs Grizzly and Wally.

Major Lee Stuckey (retd.)

Lee J. Stuckey, a native of Montgomery, Al, is a retired United States Marine Corps Officer with over 22 years as both an Enlisted Infantryman and Logistics Officer. Lee has spent the latter part of his life striving to end veteran suicide through outdoor recreational therapy by giving veterans and first responders a new sense of purpose and pride in belonging. Lee now speaks across the nation to help educate communities and veterans alike. Lee currently serves on the Board of Directors for various nonprofits to include America’s Heroes Enjoying Recreation Outdoors, Central Alabama Prescribed Burn Association, Romanian American Mission, Service Dogs Alabama, and Founded Operation Phoenix.

Colonel Jeff Tuggle

Will Wyker

Will Wyker Is a Financial Advisor with Raymond James. A native of Decatur, AL, Will graduated from The University of Alabama with a major in Finance. He is a member of Redeemer Church of the Shoals as well as an active member of the Florence Rotary Club. When not working, Will loves spending time with his wife Burgess, who is a youth minister, and their two young daughters, Eloise, and Catherine. When not at work or with his family, Will is an avid hunter and fisherman, and enjoys being in the outdoors, as well as playing and attending sporting events. He joined Raymond James in 2019.

Frances McGowin, MA - SDA Founder (Emeritus)

An Alabama native, Frances McGowin lived in New York City and worked with Ralph Lauren in New York from 1978-1982. In 1982, she moved to Atlanta where she worked as a Marketing and Sales Associate with Conde Naste fashion publications. Prior to the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Frances served as the Director of the Georgia Equestrian Training Alliance. She worked with Olympic Equestrian Teams from all over the world for three years leading up to the Centennial Games. 

After returning to Alabama in 1997, Frances worked for 14 years with the Alabama Department of Youth Services, Tutwiler and Kilby prisons, the Alabama Department of Human Resources, and the Alabama Department of Postsecondary Education to develop therapeutic and educational programs for at-risk and incarcerated youth, children with special needs, Foster Care children and incarcerated adults.

Frances founded the Dogs On Call Therapy Dog program in 2008 and served as the director of Dogs On Call and K-9s 4 Kids Service Dogs for seven years until Service Dogs Alabama separated from Easter Seals Alabama in 2015 to create its own 501(c)(3).

Frances is an avid animal lover and has trained dogs and horses most of her life. She holds a Master degree in Counseling and is also an artist and writer. 

Laura Harmon (Emeritus)

Laura lives in Montgomery and is married to Barrie Harmon. Laura serves as a member and past board chair of the Jackson Hospital Foundation, is a current board member of the Central Alabama Community Foundation, and co-founded Dogs on Call, a River Region Therapy Dog program. She has served as a Trustee on the Board of Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts. Laura and Barrie were awarded the Tocqueville Society Award for their philanthropic leadership. Laura graduated from Wesleyan College.

Guice Slawson, Sr. (Emeritus)

Guice is President and CEO of Southeast Wood Treating, Inc. He has served on the Alabama Governor’s Task Force on Education Improvement (K-12) and the State Alcoholic Beverage Control Board and as Director in 2003. Slawson attended the University of Alabama from 1955-1959. He is a member of the Trinity Presbyterian Church and is married with three children and ten grandchildren. In honor of his incredible generosity, dedication and spirited service to Service Dogs Alabama, the organization's headquarters and training facility in Hope Hull is named for Guice.