Search results for 'staff spotlight' (20)
When Manager of Landlord Engagement Ashlie Young joined the Coalition in October 2019, the Landlord Engagement team was a new venture for our organization. It didn’t take long for this team to grow into a powerhouse thanks to Ashlie’s strong leadership and hard-working attitude. Thanks in large part to Ashlie, Houston is paving the way for landlord engagement programs across the country. Learn more about Ashlie and the work she does at the Coalition in this month’s staff spotlight!
When the Coalition announced the $65 million Community COVID Housing Program (CCHP) in July 2020, securing these unprecedented funds was just one step of many that accompany such a massive undertaking. Since that time, our finance team, including Director of Finance Cynthia Thomas, has worked diligently to track and manage the many public and private monies that fund the Coalition and other partners as part of this complex program. Now more than ever, Cynthia’s expertise is needed to keep our system funded and running smoothly. We invite you to learn more about valued team member Cynthia!
Development Specialist Emily Learned joined the Coalition in September 2020. Along with the rest of the Development team, she works to engage with our donors who help keep the mission of the Coalition alive. Her good-natured spirit and hard-working attitude make her an invaluable member of the team. We invite you to get to know Emily!
Many of our partners across The Way Home Continuum of Care recognize Data System Specialist Lindsey Grubbs as their instructor for Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) training. Get to know a little more about valued Coalition staff member Lindsey in this month’s Staff Spotlight! Q: Where are you from originally? A: Cypress, TX Q: What do you love most about Houston? A: I have lived in the Houston area my entire life! Houston is home to me and will forever have my heart. I could not imagine living anywhere else. Q: What made you want to work in the area of homelessness? A: I was an agriculture major in college and had always planned on working in agriculture. When I was about to graduate college, I was on the hunt for a job, and a temporary assistant position at the Coalition kind of just feel into my lap. Now, four and a half years later and three position changes I am still here and absolutely LOVE it! Q: Can you tell me a little about your role at the Coalition and what it entails? A: I am one of the Data System Specialists for the Coalition. In this role, I am responsible for all provider facing, customer service-oriented duties including agency and user performance, troubleshooting, and help-desk maintenance as it relates to the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS). I assist with help desk management with a thorough understanding of the HMIS product (Client Track) and the CFTH policies and procedures for the system’s usage. I also conduct HMIS Trainings for HMIS users and review and update existing training modules and materials. Q: Are there any specific projects you are working on right now? A: Right now, we are currently trying to finish up with site visits to all participating agencies. They are very time consuming, but very important. Site visits are done for all NOFA (Notice of Funding Availability) participating agencies. During the site visit, the HMIS Representative will document information on checklists based on HMIS requirements. The information gathered will serve as a basis for the site visit summary report. At the end of the site visit, we will conduct an exit interview to discuss any preliminary findings or concerns. From that report, they receive a score that goes towards their NOFA.
Born and raised in Houston, Chief Operating Officer Lynn Lohr (second from left with fellow Coalition team members) has dedicated much of her life to improving the lives of those in our community. Read more about Lynn's incredible life and the inspirational work she has done with the Coalition since 2009 in this month's staff spotlight.
Michael (Mike) Nichols, Interim CEO/President of the Coalition for the Homeless, joined the organization in January of this year. Born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama, Mike moved to Atlanta, Georgia to attend law school and eventually served as a Georgia State Representative. He then made his way to Houston in 1981 to serve as General Counsel for the Sysco Corporation. Abbie: What made you interested in fulfilling the role as Interim CEO for the Coalition? Mike: First, I saw an opportunity to help an extremely important organization (the Coalition) solve one of Houston’s most significant social issues. Second, I saw an opportunity to help improve the government’s approach on the issue of homelessness. The Coalition is in many ways a private/public partnership, and it concerned me that sometimes philanthropy can mask bad government. There is an opportunity to help government and philanthropy work in partnership more effectively. And third, my youngest daughter is a case worker in Seattle, also working in the homeless service system there. Abbie: Have you always worked for nonprofits? If not, what made you decide to enter the nonprofit world? Mike: This will actually be my second time working at a nonprofit; I also served as Interim CEO at the Houston Parks Board. Through my career, I have also been able to volunteer for a number of nonprofits. I served as Chairman of the Board of the Houston Food Bank, Chairman of the Board of Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast, and as an officer of Congregation Beth Israel. I am also currently a board member of the American Jewish Committee. Abbie: Since you started at the Coalition, what has been your favorite thing about working here and what has been your greatest challenge? Mike: I would have to say my favorite thing has been the ability to meet the incredible people who are committed to helping our most vulnerable populations.My greatest challenge is understanding a very complex system of homeless solutions, an even more complex system of funding these solutions, and trying to make these systems work as effectively as possible. Abbie: What are your goals for the future of this organization? Mike: I really want to help strengthen the organization’s financial position and its reporting so it can grow to support the number of current and future projects that it’s responsible for leading. I also want to work towards improving relationships with our service providers and our funders. And lastly, I would really like to help our employees and their partners work together as seamlessly as possible. Abbie: Now for the fun questions! What is one thing you would like to mark off your bucket list? Mike: I’m a swimmer and I would really like to swim from our cabin on Lake Livingston to Pine Island and back, which is about 4 miles! Abbie: What is one fun fact about yourself? Mike: I really love to write down memories and short stories. Some stories I have written about include growing up in Birmingham and then a more fictional one about a magical ability to re-do your life.
Concetta Scerbo, Senior Manager of Grants & Compliance, has been with the Coalition for the Homeless for almost five years. A native Houstonian, Concetta attended Texas A&M University in College Station, where she received a Bachelors of Business Administration in Finance and went on to pursue a Masters of Business Administration from Southeast Missouri State University. Abbie: Tell me a little about your role at the Coalition and what it entails? Concetta: As the Senior Manager of Grants & Compliance, I manage all of the public grants that the Coalition receives, and perform all of the procurement activities performed by community partners. I also coordinate local grant competitions, such as HUD NOFA & TDHCA*, and I support all of the HMIS and Project Team staff by tracking the activities they perform and the grants they are funded by. Abbie: What made you decide to go into this type of work? Concetta: I really enjoy having a pulse on the activities happening in my community, and with something as visible as homelessness, I thought there was no better agency to work with than the Coalition. I previously worked in the Air Force, and I enjoyed being able to ensure the safety of the war-fighter with the projects I managed. Abbie: What would you say you favorite thing about working for the Coalition is? Concetta: I would honestly have to say it’s the people I get to work with. From the vast number of partner agencies I get to work with, to the diverse staff members at these different agencies, and of course Coalition staff, it really is my favorite part of my job. Abbie: Are there any specific projects you are working on right now? Concetta: My biggest projects right now are Rapid Re-housing grant management, Coalition grant management, and coordinating some other changes we are making in our organization to better manage all of our contracts. Abbie: If there was one thing you’d like to mark off your bucket list, what would it be? Concetta: I would really love to hike Machu Picchu one day in Peru and hang out with some llamas. It’s something that would be so outside of my comfort zone and that’s why I want to do it! Abbie: Tell us one fun fact about yourself! Concetta: I find the most satisfaction in volunteering within my community and one of my commitments is on the Special Children’s Committee for the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo (HLSR). It’s really fun to be involved with children, as well as adults, who have disabilities and be able to introduce them to HLSR! *HUD NOFA is the Notice of Funding Availability which is a notice published each year in Grants.gov for HUD’s Discretionary Funding Programs. The TDHCHA is the Texas Department of Housing & Community Affairs.
Michael Fraley, Project Manager with the Coalition for the Homeless, has been with the organization for two years in February. Originally from a suburb of Detroit in Columbus Township, Michigan, Michael moved to Houston to be closer to family in 2017. Abbie: Where were you living and working before you moved to Texas in 2017? Michael: After I graduated from Grand Valley State University, I pursued a master’s degree from Ball State University in Student Affairs and Higher Education. From there I moved to Vermont where I lived for 10 years and worked at the University of Vermont. I was eventually hired as a property manager for low-income housing and that’s how I kind of entered this world. I also worked at a homeless nonprofit agency doing short-term Rapid Re-housing. Abbie: Tell me about your role at the Coalition and what it entails? Michael: Right now I am a Project Manager. Originally I was brought into the organization to work with youth/young adult programs, but my role since then has changed. Now I concentrate more on program compliance, making sure our subrecipients ’ work align with grant requirements. Abbie: What made you go into this type of work? Michael: I really enjoy running a functional system to help individuals get into housing. Even though the Coalition is an administrative agency and I am further removed from direct service, the reward of seeing someone get those keys and get into a home of their own is such a joy. Abbie: What would you say your favorite thing about working for the Coalition is? Michael: I really like the autonomy that the Coalition gives. I love that we are creating a system to end homelessness in our Continuum of Care and I can be a part of the work that is done daily. I also enjoy working with other homeless service providers and partners of The Way Home to address homelessness as a community. Abbie: Are there any projects you are working on right now? Michael: I actually just finished coordinating the Community Conversation so there will definitely be ongoing work with the findings from that event. I’m really focusing on my new compliance role and putting structure together for subrecipients, auditing where it’s needed, and making sure all the necessary boxes are getting checked. Abbie: What would you tell someone who was unfamiliar with The Way Home homeless service system? Michael: I think the work we do goes largely unseen because it’s not always noticeable. Also, I wish more people knew that it only takes one major life event to become homeless and it can happen to anyone, at any time. Abbie: Tell us one fun fact about yourself! Michael: While living in Vermont, I owned and operated my own artisan jam business for six years called the Green Jam Man. I made over 120 flavors of homemade jam and marmalade and even won a Good Food Award!
Andreia Thomas, Grants Accountant with the Coalition for the Homeless, started with the organization in 2017 after previously working in the nonprofit sector. Originally from Bahia, Brazil, Andreia moved to Houston in 2006 for – in her words – “all things marriage and love.” Abbie: Where did you grow up and what brought you to Houston? Andreia: I’m originally from the Northeast area of Brazil, known as the State of Bahia. I lived there my entire life until I moved to Houston in 2006 for marriage, love, and other family plans. Abbie: How long have you worked for the Coalition? Andreia: It’ll be a year next month. I was laid off last year, in June, and I used to work for a company that also provided help. Whenever I lost that job I knew I wanted to stay in this sector and started searching for positions available in nonprofits, and that’s how I found myself here. Abbie: Tell me a little about your role with the Coalition and what your day-to-day looks like? Andreia: As a Grants Accountant, our day-to-day is reviewing and submitting reimbursement requests for the funders. And then we also process a large number of other requests for other recipients. Abbie: What made you decide to go into this type of work? Andreia: Well I have always like numbers and like that numbers can tell a story. You can figure out different issues and situations from the numbers. You can also learn about the story of the company and where it started to where it is now. Those type of things are really interesting to me. I received my Bachelors in Business Administration from a college in Brazil and am currently working on my Bachelors of Accounting from the University of Minnesota online; I have about a year and a half left for that one. Abbie: Are these any projects you are currently working on? Andreia: Right now my main project is learning as much as I can about grants, I was just recently put into this role. Especially learning about the regulations, what is required so we can comply, and how we can decrease the amount of findings or errors we have. Abbie: What would you say your favorite thing about your job is? Andreia: I really enjoy the reporting part of it. It’s funny to some people, also may be a little weird, but I love forms and filling them out correctly. Or even filtering out what is not correct on certain forms is fun to me. Abbie: Do you have any hobbies outside of work? Andreia: It has nothing to do with accounting! But I absolutely love fashion and sewing. I am currently starting my own brand of skirts called ‘Rosa Camara’ which is Portuguese and means Cool Rose in English. I have completed the project of starting an online store and am now working on the legal part with trademarks and everything else. I also want to eventually invest into finishing school and pursue a CMA (Certified Management Accountant) certification so I can mingle business and accounting. Abbie: Tell us one fun fact about yourself! Andreia: I’m a big Star Wars girl. So, I love Yoda. And I also love comics! Mostly Marvel and X-men. When I was a kid I used to collect comic books. My dad would take my sister and I to the booth in our neighborhood and we would buy Superman and X-men comics.
Nancy Heintz, Project Manager for Montgomery County with the Coalition, started with the organization in August of 2016. Originally from Conroe, Texas, Nancy said her experience volunteering with, and becoming President of the Montgomery County Homeless Coalition, is what led her to the role she’s in today. Abbie: Can you tell me about your role as Montgomery County Project Manager and what it entails? Nancy: As the Montgomery County Project Manager, I help people in Montgomery County understand the work being done with and through The Way Home. Montgomery County didn’t join The Way Home until 2016 – way after Harris and Fort Bend County had already been working together. So, most of my time is spent bringing groups together for conversation in Montgomery County and getting them up-to-speed. I also help facilitate conversations for peer support for best practices and how to model the work being done, you know kind of connecting the dots for folks and what is available for them – both organizations and people experiencing homelessness alike. Abbie: What made you decide to work in the homeless service system? Nancy: I had prior experience volunteering for the Montgomery County Homeless Coalition as part of outreach for my ministry and was President for them as well. I had worked for the church for 30 years and my job there was ending. I think it was kind of a God thing because my job there ended on a Monday, and I was hired on at the Coalition for the Homeless by Friday. At the time Eva (Vice President of Programs for the Coalition) wanted to create a staff position for someone who actually lives in Montgomery County as a way to connect agencies with the work of The Way Home, and it ended up working out! Abbie: Are there any projects you are currently working on? Nancy: Right now, the regional team is working with school districts and their data sharing when it comes to the annual Homeless Count & Survey. We’re also focusing on this new connection with the justice system and some of their issues they may have when it comes to criminal activity and homelessness, and how it all relates. Abbie: What would you say your favorite thing about working for the Coalition is? Nancy: I think it’s been a new learning curve for me which has made me want to work longer. I also really just enjoy the atmosphere here and being able to see what happening and what is going to happen in the homeless service system. Abbie: What has been your favorite project you’ve been a part of so far? Nancy: I think I would have to say the Coordinated Access Assessment of chronically homeless individuals which has resulted in them being housed with Volunteers of America (VOA). Those are the kind of results that will add a lot of weight to our conversation and can show the change that can have a great impact. Abbie: Now for a more light-hearted question, if you could meet anyone, living or dead, who would it be and why? Nancy: I think I would have to say Martin Luther King Jr. He was such a peaceful change-maker. I would have loved to have some sort of engagement with him or even hear him speak in person. To be at his “I Have A Dream” Speech in Washington D.C. would have just been incredible. Abbie: Tell us one fun fact about yourself! Nancy: Well my grandkids are kind of the fun thing about me right now! Being able to be a Nan for them. I have three and they’re all little, their ages are about one and a half to five years old.
Sara Brown, Senior Manager of External Affairs and Special Projects with Coalition for the Homeless, started with the organization in 2013. Originally from the small town of Farmington, West Virginia, Sara moved to Houston in August of 2007 through a year-long volunteer program with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. Abbie: Can you tell me a little about your background before starting at the Coalition? Sara: I’m from a very tiny town in West Virginia, there’s only one stop sign and 300 people. I went to Wheeling Jesuit University in Wheeling, West Virginia where I graduated with a BA in History in 2007. I moved to Houston in August 2007 through a volunteer program with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. It’s similar to AmeriCorps but with a spiritual twist to it. I applied to the southern region with hopes of getting placed in New Orleans originally. But when I got the placement list, an opportunity with Bering Omega Community Services (an HIV/AIDS service organization) in Houston spoke to me. So that’s where I ended up applying to and that’s how I ended up here! Abbie: What is your role at the Coalition and what does the day-to-day look like for you? Sara: I am the Senior Manager of External Affairs and Special Projects. Basically if it has to do with communications it runs through me and my team. Anything from external communication with partner agencies or the public, to internal communications and things like the website, newsletters, media inquiries, messaging, etc. The unique thing about my current position is the special projects part. When I first joined this organization, my role was two-fold as I was special assistant to the CEO, so part of my job then was communications and part was office administration. We realized we really needed two people for those jobs, so I shifted more to communications and we hired someone to help with office management. Now; however, I am back to helping on the administration side again in a different capacity, working on office operations, implementing systems, and making the office run more efficiently and effectively. I really enjoy my job because it always keeps me busy and is challenging. I can utilize my creative side and have fun with the communications part of it. And I can also utilize my analytical side and be really logical with the special projects part. It’s nice to be able to feed both of those desires and you don’t always get that in a job. Abbie: So what made you go into this line of work? Sara: Honestly, my time spent at Wheeling Jesuit University made me realize I wanted more than just a job that paid the bills. They really focused on educating students for life. It was more than just an academic education because you learned how to be a person for other people. I wanted to do something I could be proud of, where I could look back and say I have tried to make this world a better place. And now I have been working in nonprofits for over 11 years. Abbie: What would you say your favorite thing about working for the Coalition is? Sara: I think my favorite thing, and it’s something I’ve been impressed by since I got here, is that no day is ever the same. I’m never bored here. And I don’t think I will ever get the chance to work at a place like this again. What we’ve accomplished as a community and the Coalition’s role in that is a once-in-a-lifetime kind of thing. Going from a system that was so segmented and broken, to where we are today is incredible. We all work together collaboratively now, with no challenge every being too big. We tackle some really complex issues and it’s been really cool to be a part of that transformation! Abbie: What has been your favorite project to-date? Sara: I would have to say being a part of creating both the original Action Plan for The Way Home and the new Action Plan update. I probably wouldn’t have named those as my favorites at the time they were being worked on, because they were massive and complex projects, but I am really proud of the finished projects because both of those plans encompass so much of the history and the amount of work we’ve been able to accomplish. That was also my first very large graphic design project and it was a sense of accomplishment having it look as clean and polished as it did at the end. Abbie: What are your current hobbies outside of work? Sara: I love to do New York Times crosswords, I do one every day. I also like to knit and crochet, I’m currently working on blanket. I spin in my free time as well and I’m a super huge fan of trashy reality TV. DVR-ing and catching up on my housewives is high on my priority list and helps me escape for just a little bit. I’ve also always been a big reader and re-reader of books; I read my favorite book “East of Eden” once a year, and I’ve read the Harry Potter series through at least 10 times – if not more! Abbie: What is one fun fact about yourself? Sara: Honestly, I’m a super huge nerd at heart. Not only was a mathlete from elementary school through high school, I was a die-hard ‘BOOK IT!’ kid through Pizza Hut back in the 1990s. I credit ‘BOOK IT!’ for fueling my love for reading and pizza so much that I now have a pizza tattoo!
James Gonzalez, Senior Project Manager with Coalition for the Homeless, started with the organization in 2016 after working in the homeless system previously. Originally from San Antonio, Texas, James moved to Houston to complete his graduate program in social work from the University of Houston and never turned back. Abbie: Can you tell me about your role with the Coalition and what it entails? James: I’m a project manager so my day-to-day is lots of meetings, e-mails and phone calls. What is really nice about my role is that I can stay closely connected with clients in order to figure out what’s happening on a system level. I work a lot with case managers, but also with their supervisors discussing funding issues, staffing issues or even talking about data. My main focus is on Rapid Rehousing (RRH) and Domestic Violence (DV). I don’t lead the work, but I work closely with an agency similar to the Coalition in the DV world called HCDVCC (Harris County Domestic Violence Coordinating Council). Abbie: What made you want to go into this type of work? James: I love the social justice aspect of social work. There are so many obstacles people face throughout life and imagine trying to better yourself without having a place to live. It would be impossible. I started at SEARCH Homeless Services, Inc. and was the team lead of a Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) project. I was also always really interested in the macro-systems work. Abbie: What kind of projects are you working on right now? James: Right now I’m working on family RRH, as well as helping DV providers with coordinated access. Abbie: What would you say your favorite thing is about working for the Coalition? James: I’m really just a big nerd so it’s perfect for me. I get access to all of this system data through HMIS and I’m able to facilitate changes with that. I’m also a case manager at heart so being able to work closely with other case managers is really valuable to me. Abbie: What has been your favorite project to-date? James: When we are able to get RRH Plus vouchers it’s really meaningful to me. And being able to share that with our RRH and DV teams is so great. There’s not as much subsidy access for those groups because it will usually go to individuals who may be experiencing chronic homelessness. I love being able to help RRH families stabilize and give them a permanent opportunity. Abbie: If Hollywood made a movie about your life, who would you like to see cast as you? James: I mean there’s a difference between who I would like it to be versus who it would be. I’d love to see Jake Gyllenhaal play me but lets be real, it’d probably end up being someone like Kevin James. Abbie: What is a fun fact about yourself? James: I am truly huge Harry Potter nerd! I’ve read all the books and seen all of the movies. And I am of course a Gryffindor.
Renee Cavazos, Development Coordinator with the Coalition for the Homeless, has been with the organization since September 2016. Originally from Round Rock, TX, Renee went to Texas State University where she studied Mass Communications. Abbie: Can you tell me about your role and what it entails? Renee: I serve as Development Coordinator for the Coalition. My role includes engaging new donor audiences and growing relationships with current donor audiences for the Coalition. A: What made you decide to go into this type of work? R: I always think back to my “why” statement; why do I do what I do? It’s really a calling of being able to give back while still using valuable business skills. It’s also great to know that I am making a difference in my local community. A: What kind of project(s) are you working on right now? R: One project that I am always working on is the Welcome Home Fund. Through the Welcome Home Fund, we provide move-in essentials to people moving into their first housing unit through The Way Home. This fund gives community members a way to relate to people and families experiencing homelessness by seeing their faces and hearing their stories. I think it’s very eyeopening to some people, and reminds them that those experiencing homelessness are not that different from them. A: What would you say your favorite thing is about working for the Coalition? R: My favorite thing would have to be making connections and being able to network with a wide variety of different people. I also like being able to see the impact that we are all making on a daily basis. A: What has been your favorite project or event to-date? R: As challenging as that time was, I really loved working with the Housing For Harvey program. It was so humbling to see everyone come together in such a short time frame. There were so many people, our very own staff included, who stepped up in big ways – even if they had been directly impacted by the storm. A: What animal would you be and why? R: I think I would have to be a tiger. Tigers have a good awareness of their surroundings. They also run in packs and I feel like I have always been a team player. I think I would fit in well with a pack of tigers. A: What’s a fun fact about you that most people might not know? R: I have won an all-boys fantasy football league for going on three years in a row now!
Ana Rausch, Senior Research Project Manager with the Coalition for the Homeless, has been with the organization for five years. Originally from Belém, Brazil, Ana was seven years old when she moved to Houston with her mom and brother. Ana attended the University of Houston where she studied psychology and has been working in the nonprofit sector for over 20 years. Abbie: Can you tell me a little about your role at the Coalition and what it entails? Ana: As the Senior Research Project Manager, I oversee the HMIS (Homeless Management Information System) department which includes things like making sure users are being helped as needed, data is being put in accurately, and tracking data to find trends in what we are doing. I also implemented and now manage The Way Home’s Coordinated Access system and lead the planning for the annual Homeless Count & Survey. Abbie: What made you decide to go into this type of work? Ana: I started in social services and then became more interested in homeless issues because it’s so hard to comprehend the complexity of it sometimes – trying to understand what happens and why someone becomes homeless. And I’ve always been interested in data and used it often in grant writing. Data can be really useful to tell a story. Abbie: What kind of projects are you working on right now? Ana: I am consistently working on ending chronic homelessness and am doing case consultations to make sure people aren’t falling through the cracks. I’m also leading the work to revise The Way Home’s vulnerability measurement tool, which assesses an individual or family experiencing homelessness and matches them to the best permanent housing program to end their homelessness. I lead that work with different workgroups made up of partner agency staff members, and our next step will be to pilot that tool. Abbie: What would you say your favorite thing about the Coalition is? Ana: I would have to say the partners and the people I work with. It is so great to be able to work closely with our partners and I’m proud of the fact that they trust the Coalition enough to know that we know what we are doing. I also really love interpreting HUD (US Department of Housing and Urban Development) regulations and being able to share that knowledge with others. Abbie: What has been your favorite event/project to-date? Ana: I have loved seeing The Way Home’s housing waitlist continue to go down. It is a proud feeling to see people get housed. I also love technology and am really proud that I was able to change our methodology for the Homeless Count from being done on paper to a digital format using new technology. Abbie: What are your hobbies outside of work? Ana: I really love running and have done a lot of 5ks, 10ks, half-marathons, and full marathons. I am also a Disney fanatic! I have done multiple Disney marathons and challenges. We are part of the Disney Vacation Club and go about twice a year. Besides running, I am a huge book worm. I am always reading a new book – right now, it’s “Shelter in Place,” by Nora Roberts. Abbie: What is a fun fact about yourself? Ana: I speak fluent Portuguese and speak it at home. My two kids are fluent in three languages: English, Spanish, and Portuguese. I also love big dogs! We have two at home: one is a Great Dane named Latté, and the other is a German Shepherd named Dexter.