Chris Nelson named new president & CEO of Freedom Service Dogs

After a lengthy and thorough nationwide executive search, Chris Nelson has been selected as the next president & CEO of Freedom Service Dogs and will start in his new role on Nov. 7, 2022.

Chris comes to FSD from Boulder-based nonprofit organization TGTHR, where he has served as CEO since 2018. During his 14 years at TGTHR, Chris’s expertise in financial, operational, and program planning and management was instrumental in the success of the organization’s mission to end youth homelessness. His background in leadership, mission-oriented growth, development, facilities expansion, and donor cultivation make him uniquely qualified to lead FSD into the future.

“I am incredibly excited to be joining an organization that is truly passionate about their mission,” says Chris. “I am inspired by the mission of FSD because I have spent my entire adult life contributing to the improvement of circumstances for people in their daily lives. A service dog greatly enhances life for someone in need, and importantly, beyond that service is the lifelong relationship that a dog and human partnership fosters.”

Adds Chris, “Everyone I have met at Freedom Service Dogs demonstrates friendly and capable professionalism with a rock-solid commitment to ensuring that FSD’s clients come first. I know my life will be enriched by helping to fulfill FSD’s mission through working with an amazing group of people and dogs. Also, it’s hard to have a bad day with puppies around!”