The Special Olympics Vermont staff grew with the addition of a new Events Manager, Sasha Fisher of Burlington. The organization also welcomed four new Board members since the beginning of 2016.
Sasha Fished joined the SOVT team as the Events Manager in October, 2015. She brings with her a wealth of event management experience, having worked for the Avon Walk in California and Camp
T-Kum Ta in Vermont. In her first months with SOVT, Sasha orchestrated the most successful Penguin Plunge event in the organization’s history, raising more than $477,000 and recruiting 1,140 people to jump into the freezing waters of Lake Champlain. Sasha holds a B.A. in Sport Sciences from the University of the Pacific where she was a member of the Division I tennis team.
About her work with Special Olympics Vermont, Sasha says, “I greatly enjoyed playing competitive tennis in college. I wanted to be a part of bringing the positive, life-changing experiences I gathered through competitive sport to people with intellectual disabilities. SOVT does just that and I am excited to be part of the team helping to provide these rewarding experiences.”
Wendy LaPine Kenny, formerly part-time Finance Manager has been named Director of Finance and Human Resources, a full time position with the organization. Daniel Favand also became full time staff in his role as Operations Manager.
Jim Godfrey of Killington is a Partner with the accounting firm Tyler, Simms, & St. Sauveur in Lebanon, NH where he specializes in not-for-profit organizations. Jim was raised in Killington along with an older brother with intellectual disabilities, and attended the University of Vermont. He is hopeful that his professional and personal experiences will allow him to contribute meaningful input to the Special Olympics Vermont Board and help the organization achieve its mission.
Kyle Nicholls of South Burlington first joined the SOVT team as a volunteer member of the Board of Directors Golf Tournament committee. “I was hooked on SOVT after helping with the annual golf tournament and spending the day with all of the amazing athletes and staff,” he reports. After graduating from the University of South Carolina, Kyle spent several years in the golf industry and then the restaurant and hospitality business. He is now an investment consultant with Northfield Investment Services.
Ashley Sandy of Burlington joined the Special Olympics Vermont Board in December of 2015. She is the Principal and Head Creative at LONDONmiddlebury, a Burlington-based brand management firm. Having worked across a variety of industries, Ashley brings a wealth of experience in creating strategies to build brand awareness.
Andy Weinberg of Pittsford is a professor in the Health and Human Performance Department at Castleton University where he teaches Adaptive PE to the next generation of Physical Education teachers. In addition to his work at Castleton, Andy is the co-owner of the Endurance society has been directing endurance events for more than fifteen years.