Our Governing Board and Officers

Melissa Christian
Chief Executive Officer and Board Member
Melissa Christian is the surviving spouse of Buddy Christian and the founder of the Buddy Christian Foundation.  She and Buddy were high school sweethearts and were married February of 1996.  She is the proud mother of two beautiful children. She has always had a love for animals especially horses.  She is a registered veterinary technician and worked at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine in the large animal department for eleven and a half years.  After much deliberation, she has decided that God has called her to use her experiences from this tragic time in her life to help others who may be going through similar situations.  Her ambition is to keep Buddy’s memory alive and continue his passion of helping others.   An officer who is remembered lives forever.

Elmer “Bud” Christian, II
Board Member
Bud Christian is the surviving father of Buddy Christian. He is a life-long resident of Georgia. He is a direct descendent of Turner Hunt Christian a captain in the Revolutionary War and Charles Woodson Christian a Georgia State Senator and a Justice of the Inferior Court of Elbert County Georgia. He is a graduate of Cedar Shoals High School and has studied at the Athens Technical College and the Christian College of Georgia. He began his career in 1976 with Baldor Electric (an industrial electric motor manufacturer) and is currently a Mechanical Design Engineer. He has been happily married to his wife Carolyn since 1975. Bud and Carolyn have one additional son, Jason Allen Christian whose wife is named Kayla.

Courtney Gale
Corporate Secretary and Board Member
Courtney Gale is a Management Analyst in charge of accreditation and training at the Athens-Clarke County Police Department and former Board Member of the American Red Cross.  Ms. Gale holds an MPA from the University of Georgia.

 

 

David Griffeth
Chief Financial Officer and Board Member
David Griffeth is the senior crime analyst at the Athens-Clarke County Police Department where he has been responsible for overseeing the agency’s tactical, strategic and operational analysis since November of 2004. Mr. Griffeth is also the CEO of Neatoware, a boutique information technology consulting firm that secures and protects information technology assets and develops intelligence driven software systems. Mr. Griffeth holds a BBA in Finance from the University of Georgia. You can contact David at (443) 424-2370.

John Tragiai
Board Member
John Tragiai was born and raised in St. Paul, Minnesota.  In 1990 he traveled to St. Cloud, Minnesota where he attended St. Cloud State University and received his Bachelor’s degree in Communications.  While in college he worked for the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office and later moved to the St. Cloud Police Department where he served as a police officer and K9 handler.  In 2000, he retired from law enforcement, married Wendy Klinefelter and became President of KEEPRS, a Minnesota based supplier of law enforcement uniforms and equipment.  He is also serving as a Board Member for the Brian Klinefelter Memorial Foundation.  This foundation was formed shortly after Brian Klinefelter was shot and killed in the line of duty in 1996.  Mr. Tragiai spends part of his time in Athens, Georgia managing KEEPRS – Athens, one of three KEEPRS retail stores.  You can contact John at john@keeprs.com.