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WinDART EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Joanne Bourbeau (Chair)
Joanne Bourbeau lives in Whitingham and has chaired the WinDART board since its inception in 2015 as a regional team of the statewide Vermont Disaster Animal Response Team (VDART). Joanne also serves as VDART’s board secretary, and was a founding member of the organization. For the past 25 years, she has worked for the Humane Society of the United States as their Northeast Regional Director, and has participated in several national animal response efforts with the HSUS’s Animal Rescue Team. She regularly trains emergency, municipal, and sheltering personnel in emergency animal sheltering issues.
Melissa “Missi” Duff (Vice Chair)
Melissa (Missi) Duff lives in Newfane and is one of WinDART’s founding board members (and board vice chair). She became interested in animal rescue work when she was doing a concentration in Animal Assisted Therapy for her psychology degree. She has been involved with the Windham County Humane Society for many years as a long-term volunteer and two-time former member of the Board of Directors. “I find so much joy and satisfaction being around animals it seemed like a natural progression to further my involvement with animals and animal welfare by joining the WinDART team,” says Missi.
Lisa Jablow (Secretary)
Lisa Jablow lives in Brattleboro and traverses the Northeast as a freelance musician and supertitle operator. She has had a lifelong passion for animals that has taken her on many adventures and made her late for many commitments. In addition to serving as a WinDART board member since 2015, she is also on the board of Protect Our Wildlife Vermont and a volunteer at the Windham County Humane Society, where she offers Reiki to the animals and the occasional human
Dan Hollister (Treasurer)
Dan Hollister lives in Searsburg and has been on the WinDART board since 2015, serving as Treasurer of the organization. Dan is an animal control officer for the towns of Searsburg and Whitingham, and provides logistical support for the team’s volunteers and equipment. He enjoys participating in community outreach and training events—and the occasional cat cuddle.
Board Members
George Adair
George Adair is a local musician from Whitingham who also happens to love animals! He has been volunteering with the Humane Society of the United States for over 20 years, and joined the board of WinDART in 2015. George provides logistical support to the team, and also uses his performing arts background to double as WinDART’s team mascot (a 6-foot tall cat) during tabling events!
Lesley Pollitt
Lesley Pollitt is recently retired, having worked primarily in the field of coaching and education. She joined the board in 2020, and is now happy to be putting her time toward serving animals. “WinDART has an important purpose to help educate people with animals on how to prepare for emergencies and disasters and to help make sure people don’t have to choose between their safety and leaving their pets behind,” says Lesley. She and her partner live on a farm in Halifax with horses, dogs, chickens, cats and sometimes cows.