Events Team

Greetings POA Family!

Mel Schneider and Sue Gilbert here, your new co-chairs for Fundraising & Events. We are so excited to work with the dedicated and passionate volunteers at POA and look forward to getting to know you all! In the meantime, we thought it might be nice to share a little about ourselves.

Mel: I’ve been a volunteer on POA’s foster team since 2020. My husband and I live in Glastonbury with our two ‘foster fail’ kitties, Captain and Bolt. I work in Cigna’s Global Procurement organization focused on process design and change management. My passion for animals extends across all species, small and large (yes, even insects). Being in nature is my ‘happy place’, so I’m very passionate about conservation. Other hobbies include playing softball and running as a guide for Achilles International.

Sue: I am new to POA, but super excited to start the journey! I grew up in Avon, went to UCONN and have lived in Burlington for the last 25 years. I have two sons, Austin (25) and Matt (23) and an almost 14 year-old Cockapoo, Sparky. I am currently the Head of Talent at Corbin Advisors in Farmington, but have worked for various organizations in Finance and Human Resources. I have always loved animals, and want to be a part of something to make the world a better place for them. Besides watching my boys play sports for the last 20 years, I love to practice yoga and run with my friends. 

As we get organized and lay the groundwork for some fun events (including the return of the Spring Gala in early 2024), we’d like to welcome you all to join us! If you’re reading this it means you felt inspired by one or more of the purposes for the Events Team. Whether you plan to run a campaign for your birthday and casually inform friends and family about POA’s events or help plan large events like the gala, we’d love to have you on the team! Our motto will be, “no one can do everything, but everyone can do something”. There’s no such thing as a contribution too small. 

To join the Events Team, please email: kelly.rossitto@poainc.org and you’ll be added to our email group and receive communication with a cadence to meet/communicate.

With gratitude and appreciation,

Mel & Sue