Board of Directors Members

Ryan Macaluso - President

My involvement with PAWS started in 2015 when I began volunteering at the front desk. Since then, I've been a dedicated foster parent for both dogs and cats and contributed to PAWS development, serving on the Facilities and Strategic Planning Committees. Currently, I hold a position on the Finance and Executive Committee, solidifying my commitment to the PAWS mission.

My professional background spans various fields including operations, finance, human resources, real estate, and project management. With a bachelor’s degree in finance and a master’s in business administration from Penn State University, I bring a diverse skill set to support PAWS in numerous capacities. Presently, I work as the Plant Controller at Cook Medical, building upon my prior experiences at Amazon, Service Access & Management, and ALDI.

Our family at home consists of three dogs and a cat, two of which we gratefully adopted from PAWS. This close bond with the organization embodies our deep connection. For me, being a part of PAWS is not only an honor but also a constant source of joy and fulfillment.

Ginny Newman - Vice President

In 2016 I began volunteering at PAWS doing weekly cat care. Currently I serve as a Co-Shift Leader and mentor new volunteers. I have served on numerous committees including Executive Director Search, Strategic Planning, Nominating, Facilities, Education, and the Executive Committee in my role as Vice President of the Board of Directors. Professionally I have worked as a government official, a nonprofit executive director, and a higher education administrator. My main expertise lies in program development and management, but I also have experience in fundraising and marketing. As a retiree I am fortunate to be able to volunteer both at the facility on a regular basis and in a leadership role on the Board. I am continually impressed with PAWS’ reputation in the community, am immensely proud to be a part of this fine organization and both of my kitties are PAWS rescues. 

Andrea Carlson - Treasurer

I started volunteering with PAWS as a dog care volunteer in 2015. I thought it would be a great way to combine my love of animals and give back to the community. I found it to be a great organization and have been an active volunteer ever since. I am a member of the dog behavior team, a dog care shift leader, have fostered many dogs, and recently fostered cats also. I joined the finance committee last year, hoping to use my professional background to help the organization in a new way. I have 20 years of accounting experience from serving in a variety of roles. I live in State College, (actually within a short distance of PAWS,) with my husband, Eric, and our lab mix Missy, who was a foster fail from PAWS.

Melinda Ampthor
 

My life’s work has been to help others realize and obtain their best selves, on all levels of the systems within which I worked. The PAWS values of compassion and generosity specifically resonate with me and are descriptive of my way of being in all that I do. My professional experience includes a 34-year career with the Central Intelligence Agency where I developed and delivered comprehensive leadership and tradecraft development instruction, and facilitation services for numerous cadres of officers across the organization. Currently I serve as an Associate with COPIA providing leadership coaching and consulting to their contract clients. I love to work with individuals and teams that are ready for change and transformation. I am passionate about serving PAWS as an organization, staff, and a host of volunteers and would be honored and privileged to serve as a member of the Board of Directors.

Maureen Brown

A PAWS volunteer since 2008, I have watched PAWS become an integral part of the community. Starting as a Cat Care Volunteer in 2008 and joining the Cat Medical Team shortly afterwards, I have spent Sundays at PAWS as part of the Medical Team to evaluate and treat sick animals and provide routine preventive care. I establish medical protocols, offer training sessions, inventory and order medical supplies, serve on the Cat Euthanasia team and assist with intakes. While working at Metzgers, I established the HART Fund to assist clients with medical care payments. I would be able to utilize this experience with fundraising at PAWS with events such as the Furball, Bingo, etc. I have established relationships with local vets.

Dr. Sima Bruggeman

I have been volunteering as a veterinarian at PAWS since 2018 and currently work as a Clinical Veterinarian at Penn State. One of the greatest pleasures in my life is seeing dogs and cats (and all animals!) live healthy and fulfilling lives. I enjoy watching animals at PAWS get their second chance at life and experience the love and compassionate care that each and every one of them deserves. I feel lucky to work alongside such a selfless and caring team of volunteers and to see and hear of so many animals finding homes because of the work that they do. The community that PAWS has fostered is one of the best things about the Centre region and I hope to continue to support PAWS in my role as a board member. I live in State College with my partner, Tim, our window-well rescue kitten, Finnegan, and our English Setter, Pippin.

Mike Chilcot

It’s been my pleasure to serve on the PAWS Board of Directors since 2019. I’m also a member of the personnel committee. Even though I’ve only been involved with PAWS for a short time, I’ve been a lifelong lover of our animal friends; cuddly, and not so cuddly included! I was born and raised in central Pennsylvania and received my undergraduate degree from Penn State in Chemical Engineering. After a career as a professional poker player, I obtained my Juris Doctorate from Pitt. While at Pitt I expanded my ability and love of giving back to the community. I am currently an attorney with Leech Tishman in State College; focusing on Family law. My unique background and skillset helps me contribute to PAWS and the board of directors and hopefully will for years to come! I reside in State College with my wife, daughter, and our two lab mixes (one of which is a PAWS rescue).

Steven Chichester

Linda Friend

Animals have always been an important part of my life, particularly dogs, both breed and mixed breed. About 14 years ago I started to work the Friday night sift in the cat wing and have had that assignment ever since. I assisted with the first and second PAWS strategic plans, served on the Boards Nominating Committee for several years, and am becoming a regular sponsor of PAWS activities including the Tennis Ball Tosses and the Trivia Nights at Axemann Brewery. Before my retirement from Penn State Libraries I had increasingly responsible positions, mostly in technology, spending the last 8 years as co-head of Library Scholarly Publishing. I was responsible for the departmental budget, strategic planning, and chaired and served on numerous library and university committees. I’ve been a witness to the ways PAWS has grown and flourished over its history and I’ve appreciated being able to see and participate in the growth.

Virginia Ishler

I have been an active PAWS volunteer for almost 2 decades. During that time, I have worked as a dog handler on the Sunday dog showings, adoption counselor, foster program coordinator and in the last few years a board member. I was on the search committee for the Executive Director position. I have participated in the Fur Ball and personnel committee. I am currently serving on the Governance committee. It has been a fantastic experience being involved in a proactive organization that keeps raising the bar in how PAWs can help animals. It has been rewarding to be part of the process to advance the care of rescue animals both medically and behaviorally. I adopted my first PAWs dog in 2005. I adopted our second dog in January 2021. Using resources from PAWS, I was able to work with Layla to overcome separation anxiety, anxious behavior, and leash reactivity. With the education PAWS provided I have a completely different dog from the one I brought home over a year ago. I would like to continue as a board member to support and promote PAWS mission to help animals overcome their challenges and provide the community with resources to improve animal care.

Jenny Miska

I love that my career has spanned the educational, nonprofit, and private sectors, allowing me to explore diverse experiences and passions in meaningful ways. From recruiting international students at a top liberal arts college to coordinating a writing program at a premier film school, counseling students in a top Computer Science and Engineering department and raising funds for one of the world’s leading environmental organizations—I have been fortunate to build a career in Development that ties all of these experiences together.

Currently, I work in Development and Alumni Relations for Penn State’s Eberly College of Science, where I help foster connections that support education, research, and innovation. 

Beyond my professional work, my lifelong passion is animals. In addition to being the mom to many dogs and cats, I have volunteered at several animal welfare organizations, including Centre County PAWS, where I currently serve as a shift leader on the cat side. Previously, I volunteered at a humane society in Los Angeles and PAWS of Lynnwood, WA. Dedicated to animal rescue, I have also partnered locally to help spay and neuter nearly 100 stray cats in our community. Centre County PAWS exemplifies compassionate, hands-on care for animals and those who love them. For me, being on PAWS board and making a difference is about teamwork, a positive attitude, and the desire to give back.

Daniel Nelson

I have heard it said that the real measure of a society-the true test of its moral compass-is how that society chooses to care (or not) for the most vulnerable within that society. An animal who finds its way to a shelter, for any variety of reasons, is among the most vulnerable within our society. Ballpark Frank was one such animal. We made the right call going to PAWS. Today, Frank is living his best life, and Kelly and I could not be more grateful to have him with us. I serve as a partner and attorney-at-law with the Law Firm of Mason and Nelson in Philipsburg. I bring prior Board experience, much of that has been focused on not-for-profit and non-profit organizations. My sincere hope is that-between my previous experience, professional background, and love of the PAWS mission-I can bring a new, helpful voice to the Board members already working to guide PAWS in its mission.

Sara Rosenberger-Blose

My family and I have been fostering at Centre County PAWS since 2020, and I have also been volunteering as a photographer. However, my passion for animal rights and advocacy has been with me for as long as I can remember. My journey into rescue work truly began in 2015 when my family adopted our pit mix, Sunny, from a shelter in Pittsburgh. Bringing Sunny into our lives sparked a deep appreciation for the challenges that shelter animals face and fueled my desire to make a difference.

After moving to Happy Valley and discovering PAWS, I felt an immediate connection to their mission. I was thrilled to realize that I had a skill to offer that could help these animals find their forever homes. As a professional photographer for over 15 years, capturing the unique spirit of PAWS’ animals and working with the marketing team has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my career.

Fostering and volunteering at PAWS has brought me immense joy. I’ve cherished every moment spent caring for animals in need and getting to know the incredible community of volunteers and staff who make PAWS such a special place. It’s truly inspiring to see the dedication and love that go into every adoption story, and I am grateful to play a part in helping these animals find the happy, loving homes they deserve.