CENTRAL POINT, OR – On October 18th during Dogs for Better Lives’ (DBL) National Board of Directors’ quarterly meeting, the board unanimously approved new member, Rich Perlman. With this appointment, DBL’s national board includes 17 members. Outside of seven members from across Oregon, the national board includes members residing in seven other states across the country, including California, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina (2), New York, and Washington (2).
“The Board of Directors are pleased to welcome Rich Perlman onto DBL’s National Board of Directors,” stated Board Chairman David Hollingsworth. “Rich and his late wife Cynthia as long-time donors, truly understand DBL’s mission and the critical work the national nonprofit orchestrates. Coming from the shipping and transportation industry, we appreciate Rich’s understanding and expertise in moving precious cargo from one point to another.”
Cynthia and Rich had been annual donors to DBL for nearly 10-years, when Cynthia passed in 2017. In 2019-20, Rich made a significant gift in support of the future Puppy Sensory Park to be located on DBL’s West Coast Campus in Central Point, OR. The now Cynthia Perlman Puppy Sensory Park was dedicated with a ribbon cutting in Spring 2021, and is used regularly in training and presenting various environments to puppies, helping to orientate them to textures, smells, and experiences that they may encounter later on in training and/or with their human.
“As DBL further advances its regional and national reach, community partnerships, strategic transportation, and client experience have been and will continue to be critical to our success,” stated President & CEO Bryan Williams. “From committee participation to philanthropic engagement, Rich will play a crucial role in helping to further advance DBL as a national leader in the Assistance Dog world.”
Rich Perlman
Rich has spent much of his adult life in New York where he currently resides and received his Bachelor of Arts in Computer Sciences from Hunter College in New York City.
For more than seven years, Rich has been working in the commercial shipping industry, as the Claims Department Manager for Charles R. Weber Company. Prior to this, Rich worked for one of the premier tanker owners in the world, OSG Ship Management (NY) where he was AVP of Commercial Operations and managed a team of five commercial operators, coordinating the international movement of 45-50 tankers.
Rich’s first job after college was with Caltex Petroleum Corporation (in NYC) working in the Computer Operations Department where he remained for five years when a position in the Supply & Distribution Department became available. During his tenure with Caltex, the company moved to Dallas, TX and offered Rich an opportunity to relocate. Six months after accepting this opportunity, Rich met his future wife Cynthia Day, a Texas native.
Rich is very active in giving back in his local community, where he is a weekly volunteer at the Gurwin Nursing home (Commack NY), where Cynthia spent the final four weeks of her life.
“My decision to apply for DBL board membership is driven by my desire to be as constructive as I possibly can in aiding those in need of an Assistance Dog,” stated Rich Perlman. “In addition to doing something positive to better another person’s life, it is also clearly beneficial to dogs, and we all know that a dog’s greatest, and really only goal is to please their human. As I quickly came to learn in my volunteer position at Gurwin Nursing / Rehabilitation, the satisfaction that one gets from volunteering is literally priceless, and I am confident that being on the DBL National Board will generate a similar feeling.”
To learn more about DBL’s National Board of Directors and/or with inquiries in joining the board, visit… https://bit.ly/2BrQZfU. You can also visit DBL’s profile on cariclub to learn more.