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 NEADS/Dogs for Deaf and Disabled Americans
Announces New CEO
Princeton, MA, August 25, 2009 — NEADS/Dogs for Deaf and Disabled Americans
announced today that Richard C. “Dick” Beeman has been appointed Chief Executive
Officer, effective immediately. As a board member, serving terms as Secretary and
Treasurer, Beeman continues a 12-year leadership role with NEADS.
Beeman replaces Sheila O’Brien who has served NEADS since 1978 in various roles,
including Hearing Dog Instructor, Executive Director and most recently as Chief
Executive Officer.
“The Board, our Clients and employees of NEADS are grateful to Sheila O’Brien for her
tenure of leadership, passion, and numerous contributions,” said Anita Migday, D.V.M.,
President of the Board of Directors for NEADS. “Sheila was a catalyst for NEADS to
become one of the leading providers of assistance dogs in the U.S., with the
development of pioneering programs to train different types of dogs, such as walker
dogs, balance dogs, and canines for wounded combat veterans. She launched in 1998 the
Prison Pup Partnership Program, in which selected inmates train puppies.”
As the new Chief Executive Officer for NEADS, Beeman brings the expertise and skill
set of a leader that will build on the organization’s mission and steady growth. In
addition to his terms on NEADS’s Board of Directors, Beeman’s career with IBM as a
senior systems engineer was a profession devoted to leading teams in search of practical
business solutions.
“I am honored to have this opportunity to help advance NEADS’s mission in
partnership with our clients and with so many caring supporters,” said Dick Beeman.
“The groundwork of innovation has been and will always be possible because of our
collaboration with donors, sponsors, and with the kinds of alliances we have with the
Department of Corrections which makes possible the Prison Pup Partnership Program.
Our team approach works.”
Also new, Beeman appointed John C. Moon to be Chief Communications Officer, a new
position at NEADS. Moon, who has been Director of Communications for the past year
and has over 25 years of experience in relationship management, strategic partnerships,
media and consulting, will lead and expand the organization’s outreach and development
efforts.
About NEADS/Dogs for Deaf and Disabled Americans
NEADS is a non-profit, 501c(3) organization that trains service dogs for people with
disabilities. Since 1976, the organization has trained over 1,300 service dogs and leads the
industry in the expansion of the types of highly trained dogs, including balance dogs,
canines for wounded combat veterans, tether dogs, ministry dogs, service dogs for
classrooms and therapy, and other specialty types. These assistance dogs become an
extension of their owners, providing security, independence and relief from social
isolation. With a mission of providing independence to people who are deaf or physically
disabled through the use of canine assistance, NEADS thrives on the support of
generous donations from individuals, foundations, corporations and the efforts of
hundreds of volunteers across the country. The organization is headquartered in
Princeton, MA, and can be found on the Web at www.neads.org.
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Media Contact
John C. Moon
Chief Communications Officer
NEADS/Dogs for Deaf and Disabled Americans
305 Redemption Rock Trail South
Princeton, MA 01541
www.neads.org
jmoon@neads.org
978-422-9064
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