Susanne DelGrosso
Chair
Originally from Ohio, Susanne worked for Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company for 24 years as a credit analyst and later in community relations, managing $2.4M in corporate charitable donations. Then, at the United Way of Summit County, coordinating grant requests and leading the Corporate Volunteer Council. She moved to Surf City, NC, in 2008 and is the Director of Administrative Services for Plantation Village.
Matt Mylott
Vice-Chair
Matt is the Vice President for Signal Fire Media, a company that he and his veteran friends started in 2020. He’s a west coast transplant and a veteran of the US Marine Corps. Matt received his bachelor’s degree and MBA from UNC Wilmington. He’s a passionate girl dad, dog lover, and ocean enthusiast. Matt’s excited to leverage his talents to support the advancement of Canines for Service.
Cara Arrans
Treasurer
Cara is the Accounting Director for Plantation Village, a Life Plan Community. She graduated from Western Michigan University with a Bachelor of Business Administration. Before moving to Wilmington in 2015, she spent seven years in Chicago working in the trading industry as a Financial Analyst. Cara is a lover of animals, especially her two rescue pups, Miles and Wrigley. She is both the daughter of and sister to Marine Corps Veterans.
Susan Lantz
Secretary
Susan holds a B.S. in Nursing from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. She is retired from a career as an operating room nurse, which included military service with the 312th Evacuation Hospital during Desert Storm. Susan is a champion for Veterans assistance programs and for rescuing dogs.
Kirk Pugh
Kirk is a 25-year hospitality executive turned real estate investor, general broker, and co-owner of KBT Realty Group – Keller Williams INNOVATE. Originally from Kentucky, Kirk’s hospitality career has taken him around the country. He has lived in Wilmington for 18 years and is active in the nonprofit community. He and his wife, Janine, have two sons and a daughter.
Jim Scapellato
Jim Scapellato worked for the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration as their Southeast Regional Trial Counsel and as the Director of Regulations and Research for interstate Motor Carrier Operations in Washington D.C. After retiring from federal service, Jim formed Scapellato & Company and provides safety compliance and enforcement services to large trucking companies. Also, Jim will represent and defend motor carriers before government agencies and also testifies as a trucking safety expert in truck accident cases in federal and state courts nationwide.
Dr. Christian Bolz
Christian received his Bachelor of Science degree from North Carolina State University and his veterinary degree from Tuskegee University. After several years of gaining experience as an associate small animal veterinarian in New Jersey and Massachusetts, Dr. Bolz moved to North Carolina. For over three years, he practiced at Animal Emergency and Trauma Hospital in Wilmington, broadening his skills before opening Myrtle Grove Animal Hospital in 2009.
Dr. Kurt Ehlert
Kurt Ehlert, MD, is a retired orthopaedic surgeon with over 35 years of experience in the medical field. He began his medical career with the U.S. Air Force Medical Corps in 1993 in Arizona and worked in practices as both a practitioner and a leader in Wisconsin and North Carolina.
David Barr
David Barr is a retired Marine Gunnery Sergeant with 20 years of active service. David completed multiple active combat deployments to Iraq & Afghanistan, as well as numerous other deployments across the globe. David holds a BS in Psychology from Campbell and is currently undertaking a Master’s program in psychology while working as a realtor for the Castro Real Estate Team. He is a Scottish immigrant, husband, father and currently resides in Coastal NC.
Caulin Collier
Caulin Collier is a US Navy Veteran who served as a Surface Warfare Officer. A native of Duluth, GA he now resides in Castle Hayne, NC with his wife, daughter and rottweiler, Georgia. Now a Portfolio Analyst for Live Oak Bank, Caulin was looking for a way to serve his community and was introduced to CFS through the Veteran Business Collective
Amy Taft
Amy has been associated with the military her entire life and loves serving the community. As the currrent Cheif Growth Officer for the COMMIT Foundation, Amy brings with her knowledge of the nonprofit space, fundraising, and programmatic metrics and measurement. Amy was drawn to serve with Canines for Service because of the deep love and appreciation she has gained for the value of service animals after her family gained the assistance of a service animal for her husband. Amy watched the world become accessible to her husband and how the path was paved for years of family memories to be created with the help of his dog.