Board of Directors

Jill Freeman, President
Term: 2018

Jill joined BSR as a volunteer in February, 2010. She became a foster of a pregnant dog less than two weeks after becoming a volunteer-that experience was "baptism by fire" and she learned a lot about the administrative end (medical expenses, processes, how transport trains were put together etc) at warp speed. She then took on the Regional Coordinator role in North Carolina in May of 2010. Later that year, Jill took on still more responsibility by adding Transportation Coordinator and Communications coordinator roles.

Jill became Executive Director in 2015, and held that position through February 2017. In March 2017, the Board unanimously voted that she take on the role of President of the Board.

In addition to her wide ranging role within BSR, Jill has worked as an English teacher, Project Manager, Volunteer Coordinator for MASC and Baker.

Lynn Jacobs, Treasurer
Term: 2017-2019

Lynn's introduction to Boykin Spaniels was 25-30 years ago via her parents and one of their friends. She and her Mother became involved in BSR in 2005, and she currently serves as a foster and transport volunteer for BSR as well as Treasurer.

Lynn also volunteers as treasurer for her local bicycle club and serve on the BOD of Louisiana Society of Enrolled Agents, having also served on committees for the National Association of Enrolled Agents.

Other interests include bicycling, reading, walking and running with the dogs and working out at the gym. Her household currently includes two Boykin Spaniels, Button (12, inherited from my late mother) and Hope (12-3/4, a BSR rescue), as well as a Sussex Spaniel, Pete (10).

Lynn has vibrant career as an Enrolled Agent (federally authorized tax professional) as well as a Louisiana civil law notary and a U S Tax Court Practitioner.

Joye Ellis, Secretary
Term: 2017-2019

Joye has been a volunteer for BSR for several years. She has 3 Boykins and wanted to become more involved. Joye was approached by Jill and Jeannine in late 2016, asking her to consider throwing her hat in the ring becoming a part of BSR Board of Directors. They wanted to reach out to someone farther West, and have this area become more involved. And of course, she readily agreed. Joye's term as secretary is 2017-2019. In mid to late 2017, she transitioned into the role of Regional Coordinator for West/High Plains. This was a completely new realm for Joye, but she has loved every minute of it. Boykins are becoming more and more popular in the West and Joye has done a great job of getting the message out.

Beth Crocker
Term: 2018-2020

After law school, Beth's reward to herself was to bring home a 9 month old Irish Setter. Jackson was her best friend and after taking a few obedience classes together, some of the local instructors encouraged her to try AKC Rally/Obedience competition. This was in 2005 and since then Beth has expanded her dogs and the classes and types of competition that she participates in.

In 2009, as part of her work with the SC Farm to School program and Agriculture in SC, Beth needed a dog with high train-ability, and a great disposition for working with kids to promote eating more SC Certified Fruits and Vegetables, and she thought that a Boykin as the State Dog of SC would be the perfect "mascot" for doing this. As a result, Beth had the opportunity to bring home Jake, who was available at 5 months old after he returned to his breeder when he wasn't the "right fit". Jake and Beth, however, turned out to be a match made in heaven and continue to work,play and compete together every chance they can.

In addition to competing in various performance sports, including Conformation, Hunt Test, Dock Diving, Lure Coursing, Fast CAT, Obedience, and Trick Dog, Beth also enjoys doing therapy visits with Jake. Outside of the performance venues, she currently serves as the Vice President of the Carolina Irish Setter club, she sits on the Board of the Wateree Spaniel Club and she is a member of the Clemson Kennel Club and the Greenville Kennel Club. She has also recently completed a 3 year term on the Board of Directors for the AKC Boykin Spaniel parent club (Boykin Spaniel Club & Breeders Association of American - BSCBAA).

The opportunity to provide leadership through service on various Boards and as a club member, is important to Beth because she is passionate about providing and increasing opportunities for people to train and competete with their dogs in various activities because its healthy for both the dogs and their owners!!!

Jennifer Griffin
Term: 2016-2018

Jennifer, a native of South Carolina, fell in love with the SC State Dog nearly 30 years ago. She grew up with a Brittany Spaniel and when Gator passed her father suggested looking into this breed he’d heard so much about, the Boykin Spaniel.

Thus, the search began. Back then it was a newspaper add locating the seldom found litter of available puppies right around the corner. So off they went to “look” at the puppies. Everyone knows you don’t look at a puppy, you bring one home. A tiny pup named Brandy Mia launched their love affair with the Boykin Spaniel. Sybil loved to joke that Brandy was their $20k dog because if it could happen, it did. She was worth every penny.

Brandy became Howard’s fishing buddy, Sybil’s cooking partner and Jennifer’s study pal. This little girl was the absolute smartest dog they’d ever encountered. As soon as the boat was hooked up to the truck, Brandy was in it and ready to go. Brandy enjoyed nearly 15 years as their first Boykin and still lives on in tons of fishing tales.

Jennifer and husband Larry reside in Mt. Pleasant, SC where their home is run by two Boykins, Mazi and Zeke. Jennifer graduated from The Citadel with a Master’s Degree in Business Administration and works in the software industry passionately serving our Nations Veteran’s. She currently serves as BSR’s Events and Merchandise Coordinator managing our online ShopBSR and pop-up stores at SEWE and Nationals.

Lynn McNair
Term: 2016-2018

Lynn is a Carolinian with one foot in North Carolina and the other in South Carolina.She was born in North Carolina and grew up in Sumter, SC. Lynn graduated from the University of South Carolina with a Master’s Degree in Education. She taught Elementary school for 6 years, then worked in sales and marketing for Hewlett Packard for 18 years. She currently works at Boone Hall Farms in Mt Pleasant, SC.

Lynn saw her first Boykin Spaniel at SEWE. She watched a young dog, named Flirt, do a retrieving demonstration and was smitten. They bought our first Boykin, a little girlkin named Sassy, from a breeder outside Greensboro, NC. Her next Boykin came soon after- his name was Wilbur. These two Boykins captured her heart. After Sassy and Wilbur, she adopted Abby and Hunter from BSR.

Lynn joined Boykin Spaniel Rescue in the early days after BSR was formed. She has served as an Events Coordinator for SEWE and Nationals and two terms on the BSR Board of Directors.

She is now on my 3rd pair of Boykins, two brothers Oscar and Elvis. They are wonderful companions and do an incredible job greeting guests at SEWE and Nationals each year. They spend most mornings walking Sullivan’s Beach, SC. and love every minute of it.

Andrea Semler
Term: 2017-2019

In December 1994, Andrea was given a Boykin Spaniel puppy as a Christmas present. They were inseparable. Her favorite place in the world was at their house on Lake Moultrie. Sam lived to be just shy of 14, her last two years with lymphoma. In the summer of 1997, she added a second Boykin Spaniel to her life…she was hooked. Sam and Ali were fast friends. Ali lived to be 16, still full of spunk but just old and oh so loved.

In December 2010, Andrea added Sydney and Sullivan to the pack. These two puppies from Illinois and one incredible family introduced Andrea to the field trial and hunt test world of the Boykin Spaniel, a world that she has come to support and enjoy since early 2011. Unfortunately in 2013, they lost Sydney and her fifth Boykin Spaniel came home with her in the fall of 2013. Ada Louise filled every hole in her heart.

In June of 2012, Andrea was asked to be on the Board of Directors of the Carolina Boykin Spaniel Retriever Club. She has served as their treasurer for the past 5 years. Andrea is also actively involved in the Hunting Retriever Club and am a licensed started judge. Being in a field with a dog is definitely her happy place. The friendships developed there are life-long.

When not in a field with her dogs, she works in a lipid research laboratory at the Medical University of South Carolina. She also enjoys photography, mostly of her dogs or close friends.

Peggy Vitolo
Term: 2016-2018

Peggy has been a Boykin Spaniel owner for over 30 years. She and her husband are on our 7th Boykin and their 2 current Boykins are both rescues. Their others died of either old age or cancer. They nursed each of them to their last days, giving them the best possible quality of life, including doggie wheel carts for 2 of them enabling them to retrieve and go on walks literally until a few days before they died. All of their dogs were obedience trained and one was Therapy Dog International certified.They believe a well managed dog makes for a happy, stable one.

After a corporate career, where she served as an Executive Coach and Change consultant, Peggy retired and became a dog trainer in 2008 for Star Dog Charlotte, a dog training center in Charlotte, NC. As a trainer she did home lessons, led obedience/agility classes, taught the Therapy Dog course and worked with dogs going to veterans. Her previous career coaching people served her well as a trainer, since much of dog training is persuading the humans to change how they interact with their dog! Peggy is a certified dog trainer through the International Association of Canine Professionals and a Canine Good Citizen evaluator through the American Kennel Club. Since moving to Nebo, NC Peggy continues to do dog training under her business, Sirius Canine Coaching.

Peggy has worked with rescues for over 14 years. As a volunteer for Charlotte Mecklenburg Animal Care and Control, she was exposed to shelter dogs and the efforts to adopt them out while in a high kill environment. In 2004, she joined BSR as a volunteeer and took over the role of Regional Co-ordinator for Western NC a few years later. Most recently Peggy relinquished my RC duties to spend more time doing phone consultations with BSR fosters, owners and adoptive families on behavior and training issues. Peggy also oversees the writing the biographies for the website to ensure consistency and full disclosure regarding the best forever home environment for our Boykins. Peggy has served on the BSR Board of Directors since 2016.

Margaret Wienges
Term: 2016-2018

Margaret Wienges began her involvement with Boykin Spaniel Rescue, Inc. in September 2014, volunteering to foster Boykins and offer her graphic design services. Two months after receiving her volunteer approval, she was contacted by Regional Coordinator Anne Williams to pull “Buddy Boy” from a shelter in Camden, SC. During this first foster experience, she learned a great deal about the processes of rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming Boykins. She gained experience reporting veterinary finances and filling out appropriate paperwork as well as interviewing Buddy’s adoption applicants. She learned how important volunteering at any level was to such a well organized and cohesive Rescue group. Assisted by her Regional Coordinator, Anne, she was able to participate more and more, conducting home visits, learning from volunteers at event participation, and even interviewing new applicants interestested in adopting and volunteering. Eventually, her attachment to “Buddy Boy” and assuring his needs were met- led to her adoption of him. He completed her home of two boykins now, and ended the possibility of fostering more. Margaret, being unable to foster more, became even more determined to continue to give back to the breed.
Regional Coordinator Anne Williams continued to include Margaret and train her in countless duties of Regional Coordinating. Margaret then became Anne’s assistant as the volume of volunteers and adopters increased. During this time, she learned new database technology being implemented for the Rescue’s record keeping. Margaret attributes her experience as learning from the best in handling all things difficult, Anne Williams.
Over time and many event participations later, Margaret’s involvement grew and incorporated her graphic design skills creating the calendars, print materials and signage as well as social media graphics and end of year campaigns. She has attended hunt tests and field trials learning the value of maximizing the potential of each dog. She met more and more volunteers and has enjoyed each memory in the shared endeavor to give back to such a great breed.

Non-Voting Team Members

Jeannine Culbertson, Executive Director

In 1995, a sad brown dog with haunting amber eyes sat in the local SPCA waiting for the right person to make him theirs. He had already been turned back into the shelter twice for being too attached to his adopters and following them everywhere, and again for being messy at his waterbowl…hardly offenses in Jeannine’s mind! Devoted to her husband, the dog was christened “Shadow” and was never more than a few feet away. It was their veterinarian who told them what a Boykin Spaniel was, while the family preferred to think of Shadow as simply “the greatest dog ever.” When Shadow passed in 2010 at the age of 16, it was firmly decided that a boykin spaniel needed to always be a part of the family, and Jeannine researched rescues, zeroing in on Boykin Spaniel Rescue. A match was not to be had for the 2 years of her first application, and so Rider was purchased from a nearby breeder. A second application was submitted as a renewal and in 2013, BSR #814, Scooter, came to join the family. Neurotic with separation anxiety and crate phobia, getting him settled and secure was a labor of love. At the same time, Jeannine was leaving a career in Architecture and looking for opportunities to use her project management skills for something worthwhile. Boykin Spaniel Rescue just happened to need a Regional Coordinator, and it was settled, Jeannine had gone to the dogs.

Prior to BSR, Jeannine had had a career as a museum facilities specialist and exhibit planner with various architectural firms since graduating University of Virginia with a BS in Architexcture in 1987, and from Virginia Commonwealth University with a MA in museum studies in 1992. Extracirricularly, field hockey had remained a passion of Jeannine’s since her middle school days, and she continued to play in adult leagues around Virginia. During her child-rearing sabbatical from architecture, while also managing a custom reupholstry business, she developed and managed a community program to teach umpiring to young players and provide coverage for the Parks and Rec system games. She also coached goalkeepers at the middle school and high school level, and became a certified umpire for high school, collegiat and US levels of play. Pulling together all the threads of her project management and passion for hockey, Jeannine started and managed a local non-profit organization aimed at cultivating interest in the sport at all levels throughout the area.

Once committed to BSR, Jeannine continued to put her organizational, technical and project management skills to use, not only as a Regional Coordinator, but later as Transport Coordinator, then Intake Coordinator and Assistant Executive Director to Jill Freeman. In 2017 Jeannine accepted the postion of Executive Director of BSR, focusing on the “Dogs and People” side of the organization. Along the way, a third boykin has joined the home, and Rider, Scooter and Ziggy provide daily input to her work helping little brown dogs everywhere, mostly from the couch in her home office!

Eric Grubbs, Outreach Director

Eric joined BSR as a volunteer in 2009. He has been a foster, transporter, as well as having served on the Medical Care Committee, and Executive Director from 2012-2015. He currently serves as Outreach Director.

Eric trains and handles dogs in field competitions, is a HRC AA Judge for all classes. He also took HRCH, UH, MHA Pawley's Island Boy "Paw" to the first ever rescue Boykin Spaniel to receive HRCH and MHA titles, who also was the 2014/15 Upland Dog of the Year for CBSRC and back-to-back Upland Doubles winner in 2016 and 2017. Eric services as President of the Carolina Boykin Spaniel Retriever Club, has a Board seat with the Boykin Spaniel Society and is the BSS Registry Chairman.

Lynne Brown, Director of Operations

Lynne joined BSR as a volunteer and then Regional Coordinator in 2016, after a 25 year career from corporate life as Vice President of International Business at a medical device manufacturer. Her roles throughout her career included sales, marketing, strategy and operations

During her time as Regional Coordinator, she started assisting with some of the Marketing efforts and working with the team to develop ways which BSR could update operational infrastructure and streamline processes. In 2016, Lynne was asked to take on the role of Director of Operations and Marketing. Lynne's responsibilities include oversight of the marketing and operations, including fundraising and website development.

Lynne is a dedicated PFC foster, and spends much of her time with her PFC foster, Nora as well as her 6 year old therapy dog, Tess.