About Washoe County K9 Partners
K9 Partners in Washoe County is a Nevada Non-Profit organization formed to provide financial assistance for the Washoe County Sheriff’s Department K9s in order to ensure they have protective equipment, training and necessary gear to do their jobs. Our purpose extends to assistance in purchasing dogs when necessary, but does not replace the Sheriff’s Office budget for K9s.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
K9 Partners is a volunteer organization. All Board of Directors members are volunteers and take no compensation from the organization.
PRESIDENT – DIANA LEE
Diana Lee has over 20 years of experience as a Pilates instructor and values the flexibility her profession provides, allowing her to dedicate significant time to volunteering and serving the community. She has been a resident of the Northern Nevada area for more than 45 years.
Diana brings extensive nonprofit leadership and community involvement to Washoe County K9 Partners. She currently serves as a Director for Hot August Nights, is a Board Member for Secret Witness, and is an Honorary Deputy with the Washoe County Honorary Deputy Sheriff Association. She is also a member of the Western States Police Canine Association and the American Police Canine Association. Her past experience includes serving as a Board Member for TIP (Trauma Intervention Prevention) of Northern Nevada, as well as Chair for JTNN (Join Together of Northern Nevada) and Chair for Domestic Violence, formerly known as the Committee to Aid Abused Women.
Diana says, “Being a huge animal lover is what brought me to Washoe County K9 Partners. I have immensely enjoyed working with this wonderful nonprofit by helping where help is needed for these beautiful K9s, whether assisting with fundraising for essential equipment or supporting the purchase of a new K9.”
A devoted University of Nevada Wolf Pack fan, Diana enjoys attending basketball and football games with family and friends and actively supports fundraisers that benefit the local community. She is beyond thrilled and grateful to be a part of Washoe County K9 Partners.
VICE-PRESIDENT – STEPHANIE CLINE
A native of Reno, Nevada, Stephanie says she can’t imagine a more beautiful place to live. As the owner of two small businesses, she is responsible for managing the financial affairs, including budget, bookkeeping, and investments. She brings her extensive skills to K9 Partners as treasurer.
Her interest in K9s started with a litter of German Shepard puppies Lucy, the family dog, had when Stephanie was nine. Some of the puppies ended up as K9s for the Nevada Highway Patrol. She is honored to be part of this organization.
SECRETARY – KAREN TAYLOR-PICKENS
TREASURER – LINNEA ACEVES
Linnea is a proud wife and mother who has spent the past 25 years building a life rooted in family, service, and the northern Nevada lifestyle she loves. She works as a civilian with the Reno Police Department, supporting the community alongside her husband, who serves as a Detective with the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office.
Their two kids are both attending UNR, and while they’re busy with college life, their golden retriever, Thor, keeps them company at home.
Outside of work and family, she is a Pilates enthusiast who loves golfing, camping, hiking, and exploring the beautiful outdoors that make northern Nevada such a special place to call home.
MEDIA DIRECTOR – JJ
JJ rounds out the board as the person responsible for all media presented by K-9 Partners. While her direct efforts are on Facebook, she coordinates with Diana, who handles Twitter and Instagram, and Rene, who is the website guru.
WEB GURU – RENE AVERETT
A resident of Reno, Nevada since 1977, Rene worked as a computer operator, supervisor, trainer, and documentation specialist for First Interstate Bank in data processing, then International Game Technology (IGT) in progressive games. She built and maintained the department web pages while also working on website designs for other clients.
Upon retirement, she resumed her interest in writing and has published several novels. She designed the original K9 Partners website, which was then redesigned by another person, and has now returned to the position of webmaster. She also has done the layout for several calendars, including five for K9 Partners.
VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR – JANETTE OHAIR
Janette Ohair has lived in Reno for over 50 years as her family settled here after her dad retired from the military. When her husband passed away at 44, she devoted her life to raising them. Now they’ve moved out of state, so she has the time to follow her interests. She does accounting for the FallLine Corporation and loves her job.
She volunteers with the Reno Rodeo Association, UNR Football Alumni, Sierra School for Performing Arts, Nevada Gay Men’s Chorus, Reno Wind Symphony, Step 1, Hot August Nights and Washoe County K9 Partners. She is a firm believer in giving back to the community. She is excited to join the K9 Partners Board of Directors and is looking forward to meeting new people.
BOARD MEMBER – PATRICIA KELLY (Patti)
Patricia worked for Harrah’s Casino and First Interstate Bank of Nevada in their Computer Centers. In 1987, she began working for Washoe County Sheriff’s Office administrative services where she supervised six units with a $1.5 million budget. While there, she developed an interest in the K9 units.
She began fundraising for the Washoe County K9 Unit in 1995. Although Washoe County K9 Partners was started in 1997, it didn’t become a 501C3 charity until 2016.
Patti’s goal is to make all residents within Washoe County aware of how wonderful these valiant K9s are and what a valuable asset the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office K9 Unit is to our community.
BOARD MEMBER – LORI BLACK
Lori has proudly called Northern Nevada home for over ten years, where she lives with her husband of more than 25 years. She currently works as a Staff Accountant with Chase International Realty, bringing dedication, organization, and attention to detail to everything she does.
She is the proud parent of four grown children and a devoted dog mom to her German Shepherd, Hank, who holds a special place in her heart. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling, playing golf, and spending time with my family.
Before beginning her professional career, Lori served in the military and was also a collegiate gymnast—experiences that shaped her strong work ethic, discipline, and teamwork mindset.