THE FIDELCO GUIDE DOG FOUNDATION, INC.
103 Old Iron Ore Road, Bloomfield, Conn. 06002
www.fidelco.org
NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
Date: March 25, 2011
Contact: Julie Gamble
860-243-4800
FIDELCO GUIDE DOG FOUNDATION, INC.
ANNOUNCES TWO ADDITIONS
TO ITS EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP TEAM
Bloomfield, Conn.-The Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation, Inc. (Fidelco) has announced that Michael J. Bednar, DVM and Vanessa Giannasi have joined its staff as veterinarian and director of animal services and vice president and director of development, respectively.
Dr. Bednar’s hiring represents the first-ever, on-staff veterinarian at Fidelco. In his new role, Bednar will be responsible for creating a new, unified and best practices Department of Animal Medical Services at Fidelco. He will work with the organization’s veterinarian consultants to develop collegial, best practices and cost effective programs to care for our donors’ significant investment in Fidelco working dogs.
“With the addition of Dr. Bednar’s animal medical expertise, we are creating a new level of professionalism and science-based animal medical care that has not existed previously in-house,” said Elliot D. Russman, CEO and executive director of Fidelco. “Dr. Bednar will be responsible for Fidelco’s animal husbandry program and will work with our Development Department on their funding initiatives.”
Bednar comes to Fidelco having completed three-years of active duty military service as a captain in the United States Army Veterinary Corps. He began his military veterinary service at Fort Monmouth, NJ where he was the officer-in-charge of the veterinary clinic and was responsible for the health and training of 36 Military Working Dogs (MWDs). He eventually served as head veterinarian for three large military installations: the New London Submarine Base in Groton, CT; the Naval Station Newport in Newport, RI; and the Massachusetts Military Reservation in Cape Cod, MA. Under Bednar’s management, the New London Branch received the District Commander’s Award for Most Outstanding Branch a record three consecutive times.
Bednar has received special training in international veterinary medicine and regenerative stem cell therapy, and he is certified in the latter.
He is a member of the international veterinary fraternity, Omega Tau Sigma, the American Association of Human-Animal Bond Veterinarians, Association of Zoos and Aquariums, American Veterinary Medical Association, Connecticut Veterinary Medical Association, Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Association and American MENSA.
Bednar was born and raised in New Jersey. He is a Dean’s List undergraduate of Montclair State University where he received a B.S. degree in Biology. As a Veterinary Technician, he worked in a wide spectrum of disciplines, from general practice to specialties such as emergency medicine, ophthalmology and surgery. He earned his D.V.M., cum laude, from Tuskegee University School of Veterinary Medicine in 2007.
Bednar is married to his high school sweetheart, Leslie Ann. They are the proud parents of a son, Mikey, two dogs and a cat. During his free time, he enjoys the outdoors, tending his koi pond, reading, playing the bass guitar, riding his motorcycle and, above all, spending time with his family.
Vanessa Giannasi
Vanessa Giannasi has been appointed as Fidelco’s Vice President and Director of Development. She is responsible for leading the Development Department’s fundraising initiatives and activities, including preparing and executing annual fundraising plans.
“We are excited to have someone of Vanessa’s caliber to head our development initiatives,” Russman said. “Her standing in the community and her ability to leverage our fundraising outreach will be of vital importance in the near future and for the long term.”
Giannasi comes to Fidelco from the highly-regarded development office of The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts in Hartford, where she worked in a variety of development capacities; including Grants and Government Relations manager. She was appointed associate director at The Bushnell in 2008. Giannasi has served as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Hartford teaching an undergraduate course in fundraising. She also served as a volunteer guest lecturer on the subject of “Fundraising Through Grants” and worked with students in the music management program to increase an awareness and understanding of fundraising as a career path.
Her early years were spent abroad where her father had an international assignment in Saudi Arabia. She attended boarding school in Rome and graduated from Marymount International School with honors. She then returned to the United States to attend the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, where she received a Bachelor of Arts, with Honors, in 1991. Giannasi received a certification for Development Director from the Institute for Nonprofit Management at Portland State University. In 1999, she also earned a Planned Giving Program certificate from the National Planned Giving Institute at The College of William and Mary. She earned her MBA, summa cum laude, in 2008, from the University of Phoenix.
Giannasi lives with her husband, Tom, two cats, Stampy and Cleo, and one recently adopted mixed-breed dog Josie, in Litchfield County, CT. She and Tom are both experienced German Shepherd Dog owners. Besides loving animals, they also both love to cook.
The Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation, Inc., a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization based in Bloomfield, Conn., breeds, trains and places its own, unique type of German shepherd guide dogs with people who have visual disabilities. It pioneered In-community Placement in the United States; a process that allows guide dog users to be trained in the communities where they live and work. Fidelco relies solely on the gifts and the generosity of individuals, foundations, corporations and civic organizations that partner with us to “Share the Vision.”
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