CEO, Search Dog Foundation
Joined the SDF Board of Directors in February 2024
Raised in Ventura County, Rhett attended San Diego State University and graduated with a BA in English Literature. He returned to the area and worked in public education and hospitality before joining the Search Dog Foundation staff in 2009 as a Development Manager. Rhett has been an avid animal lover and “dog parent” his entire life. He is passionate about SDF’s mission of strengthening disaster response by enhancing and furthering the human-canine bond and providing high-drive canines with a pathway to thrive.
Throughout his time at SDF, Rhett guided fundraising efforts and strengthened donor engagement by nurturing opportunities to increase the impact of our supporters’ philanthropic objectives. He contributed substantively to developing the capital fundraising campaign to build the facilities and transition SDF to the National Training Center campus. Rhett was also strategically involved in SDF’s program and organizational areas before he assumed the Executive Director role in 2022 and the Chief Executive Officer role in 2024.
As SDF’s CEO, Rhett works closely and effectively with the staff, volunteers, Board of Directors, and other stakeholders to advance SDF’s mission and impact on the working dog and emergency response community. He oversees daily operations, guides financial and strategic planning, advances philanthropic partnerships, and seeks collaborative and innovative ways to honor SDF’s legacy and further its work.