Sera Nelson serves as the Executive Director for the “Charity That Cleveland Grew”, Working Animals Giving Service for Kids and the founder and Executive Director of The WAGS 4 Kids Foundation. A graduate of Gilmour Academy and Ohio University, she received her degree in Communications, with a focus on Marketing & Promotions. Sera was a founding Trustee and Board Member in 2004, shaping and supporting the W.A.G.S. 4 Kids mission of training and placing Service Dogs exclusively to children with disabilities in the Northeast Ohio area. At an early age, Sera’s own diagnosis of epilepsy fueled her passion and drive from a personal understanding of all the abilities that can exist in the life of a child faced with the challenges of disability.

Sera spent her early career working in non-profit development, brand management, & technology for Higher Education, joining WAGS 4 Kids full-time in 2012 as the Director of Development & Special Events. Her success in building relationships, creating awareness and support, statistically doubled W.A.G.S. 4 Kids financial stability and paw print on the community within 2 years. In 2013, she created the W.A.G.S. 4 Kids Youth Empowerment Program, “Kids Who Can!” Relationships were built through 4-H clubs, The Boy Scouts of America, High School and Middle School groups, and the nationally recognized “Magnified Giving” organization. Sera’s program teaches today’s youth to participate and do the things they love in such a way that will lead to the betterment of another child with developmental disabilities who needs their help.

As Executive Director she now oversees all training aspects of the W.A.G.S. 4 Kids programs including in home interviews with applicant families, puppy selections, inmate training instruction and evaluations and transition training of specific dogs into each partner family. She is a Provider Member of the International Association of Assistance Dog Partners (IAADP), and a proud graduate of Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses, cohort 16. In 2020 Sera founded the Working Animals Giving Service for Kids Foundation with the mission of ensuring WAGS' legacy and family success against any crisis. It is under Sera’s direction that W.A.G.S. 4 Kids continues its legacy of growing possibilities, one child at a time.

Sera continues to stay involved in her community in other ways having volunteered with 100+ Women Who Care - Cleveland, City Dogs Cleveland, United Way’s Youth Opportunities Unlimited, Cleveland Young Professional Senate, and The Epilepsy Association.

Certified by the National School for Dog Trainers' Master Training Course, Lisa has been a professional dog trainer since 1995. Lisa came to her role as Senior Trainer at Working Animals Giving Service for Kids through her work raising and breeding golden retriever puppies with Misty Meadows Kennels. Many of her puppies have graduated the W.A.G.S. 4 Kids training program and have gone on to serve the needs of children with disabilities and families across Northeast Ohio.

Lisa has previously served as Director of Programming for Working Animals Giving Service for Kids and overseen W.A.G.S.' programs since 2005, leading W.A.G.S.' service dog training program at North Central Correctional Facility in Marion, OH, Grafton Correctional Institution in Grafton, OH and Mansfield Correctional Institution in Mansfield, OH. In addition to training service animals with W.A.G.S. 4 Kids, Lisa also serves the NE Ohio animal community with her business Dog Watch of Cleveland - Hidden Fences. Her greatest accomplishment, however, is her daughter, Madison.