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.
Special Olympics Vermont is part of a global movement that works year round
to foster acceptance and inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities
by using the power of sport to showcasing their gifts and abilities. In
Vermont, 1,600 athletes and partners train and compete in 12 Olympic type
sports. Through successful experiences in sports, SOVT athletes gain
confidence and build positive self-images, which follow them into their
homes, classrooms, jobs, and communities.