Board of Directors

L-R: Jennifer Kearney, Patti Hackett, Christina Trammell, Penny Chandler, Jen Wortham, Jill Jones, Leah Muller, Bob Joy. Absent from photo: Clay Price, Michelle Wood, Barry Segal

The Board of Directors is a group of elected volunteers who work to provide and promote the wonderful 5-acre green space for locals, visitors, and their tail-wagging best friends.

Officers

President - Penny Chandler Norris

Vice President - Jill Jones

Secretary - Bob Joy

Treasurer - Clay Price

Directors

Patti Hackett

Jennifer Kearney

Christina Trammell

Michelle Wood

Jen Wortham

Professional Consultants

Attorney - Barry Segal

CPA - Clay Price & Associates

Landscape - Surlaterre Landscape Architecture

Office Assistant - Vivian Tipton

Jim Welles founded the Vero Beach Dog Park in 2014. Sadly, Jim passed away in March 2023. He is held in high regard for his vision and tenacity to get the City to lease this plot of land for our much loved dog park.

Jim worked tirelessly for over a decade to make Vero Beach Dog Park a reality. He became the first Vero Beach Dog Park president and oversaw the initial construction of the park. Many dog park regulars enjoyed getting to know Jim from his twice-daily visits with Duke, Jake, and before leaving Vero Beach, his small dog Emmy.

When we sought approval of the park from the City Council, Jim had the brilliant idea to place petitions at local restaurants and shops to assess local interest. Over 1,700 residents demonstrated their support for the park by signing the petitions, which were delivered to the Council by a certified companion dog. 

One of the greatest joys in his life was our dog park.