Heather Degan- President and Chief Dog-Lover

Photo by Julie Edwards

Heather Degan is the president and founder of DowntownDogLover.com. In 2008 her life was changed with the adoption of miniature Dachsunds Ruby and Guiness. At that time she recognized that there was no definitive resource for locating dog-friendly businesses, events and locations. So the tiny duo inspired a unexpected career change. In December 2008 she stepped aside from her career in Health Care and Technology sales to start DowntownDogLover.com. She held to a simple goal of making it easier for dog owners, like her, to spend their days with their pets by providing access to dog-friendly resources.

Heather, a California transplant, is an active young professional, who has served on the board of the Junior League of San Diego in 2004 and was named in Metropolitan's "Who's Who Under 40". She currently lives in her Southern California home with her husband, John, and the two dogs that launched a thousand business calls – Ruby and Guinness.

Heather loves to hear from other dog people. If you have a question or comment about DowntownDogLover.com, she can be reached at heather@downtowndoglover.com

Ron Kittle- Chief Web Technology Officer

Ron Kittle, DDL's chief web operations officer, has been working with computers since 1200 baud modems were considered fast. He put his tech skills to use for Hewlett Packard for 20 years and currently enjoys developing web sites with the latest technologies. When not sitting at his computer, you can find Ron hiking, biking, playing poker or watching baseball and independent films. While allergies prevent Ron from being a pet owner himself, he does enjoy playing "Uncle Ron" to many of his friends' dogs.

Greg Frank- Database Technology

As Director of Database Technology, Greg Frank designs the internal database infrastructure for DDL. Greg started producing web sites professionally in 1996 and focuses now on serious application, database, and backend functionality programming. Policies in his current residential community restrict pets but that doesn't stop him from spending time with his mom's Maltese, Cameo.

Nancy Hallahan- Writer/ Editor

Nancy Hallahan looks forward to writing and editing web content for DDL. Nancy has more than a decade of marketing and public relations experience, including most recently Account Supervisor at one of St. Louis's largest full-service advertising agencies. She is also an active member of several industry associations, and a board member of the National Agri-Marketing Association. Nancy is a graduate of the University of Mississippi, where she majored in English and Broadcast Journalism, with an emphasis on Public Relations. She shares her home with Sasha, a rescue Chihuahua, and Rebel, a cat she found hungry and roaming the streets of St. Louis one cold winter's day.

Sally Menes- Creative Director

Sally Menes comes to us with more than 10 years of design and leadership experience in advertising, media, and publication design. In her award-winning career she has worked on accounts such as Motorola, Hershey's, and Sargento. As Creative Director, Sally sets direction and tone for the company's branding, advertising and website graphics. She currently lives in Houston with her husband Dan and two beautiful children – Bridgette and Peter.

Alexis Armour- Graphic Designer

As co-owner of a successful Southern California agency called "The Creative Slant", Alexis Armour volunteers her graphic desgin services for DowntownDogLover.com.

Stephanie Goodrich- Marketing Strategist

Stephanie Goodrich has more than a decade of experience in the wireless industry, and currently put her product marketing and business strategy knowledge to good use for InCode Wireless. She received her undergraduate degree from Stanford University, followed by an Executive MBA from Duke University. For DDL, she will assist with marketing and investment strategies. Stephanie enjoys a rousing game of fetch with Vivianne, her orange cat, who shares her attention with tortie cat Penelope and a tiny foster kitten who answers to Eliza Doolittle.

Our AMAZING Team of Marketing Interns

Photo by Julie Edwards

• Ashley Gordert Garcia
• A. Cassie McCoy
• Gina Vlosky
• Kamila Faeghy
• Kim Smeenk
• Morgan Woodrow
• Rachel James
• Rachel Smith
• Sarah Almquist