David Locklin
Chief Program Officer
David Locklin joined the Leader Dog team in 2014 and held the roles of class coordinator and director of programs before being promoted to chief program officer in January 2022. In his time at Leader Dog, David has developed curriculum for guide dog mobility instructor apprentices, expanded Leader Dog’s service provision giving clients more training options to choose from and has led Leader Dog through the pandemic allowing the organization to continue to serve clients safely.
David has more than 20 years of experience working in the guide dog industry beginning with his work at Guide Dogs in the UK where he became a guide dog mobility instructor and later led teams to ensure the consistent delivery of core services that enable adults, children, and young people with sight loss gain independence on their own terms. Before joining Leader Dog, David also worked for Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind where he was the acting operations manager.
David received his DipHed in Guide Dog Mobility (canine assistance studies) from the University of Southampton. He also serves on the Membership and North America Candidate Review committees for assistance dogs international and leads the Leader Dog team to ensure we exceed International Guide Dog Federation standards.
