As National Volunteer Week approaches, from April 20-26 in the United States and April 27-May 3 in Canada, we are proud to celebrate the spirit of service that runs deep within the INTIX community. For many of our members, volunteering is not about checking a box. It is about connection, mentorship and showing up for others. This is achieved in many ways — by sharing professional expertise, lifting up a colleague, helping young professionals grow or simply making someone feel less alone. In a world that can often feel hectic and disconnected, INTIX members remind us that giving back, in any form, can make a lasting difference.
From conference committees to mentorship programs, community kitchens to Girl Scout troops, here are just a few voices from across INTIX who are shaping lives, careers and the future of our industry, all by generously giving of their time and hearts.
Dawn Zappitello, Senior Manager, Park Arrival and Guest Relations at Walt Disney World Resort, volunteers as INTIX Member Connections Committee Co-Chair. Giving back in this way is a natural extension of her long-standing commitment to leadership and mentorship. What inspired her to start volunteering with INTIX?
“I do a lot of volunteering with youth … and I realized there was more I could do to grow myself and my professional network,” she says. “Engaging with like-minded, yet different people across our ticketing industry was a great way for me to give back while also developing myself in new ways.”
Dawn Zappitello at INTIX 2025 in New York City.
At the 2024 conference in Las Vegas, Zappitello co-hosted a wildly successful networking event for INTIX as part of the Member Connections Committee, which helps all industry professionals, including new and long-time members, get the most out of their membership. It is the moment that stands out most from her time as a volunteer.
“We were so afraid that people would not come due to the timing, and so many things to do in Las Vegas, but people started showing up, and showing up and showing up until our room was bursting at the seams,” she recalls. “It was a slightly scary moment logistically, but so exhilarating that we had so many people participating. And as always, we made it work as a community because INTIX is truly a family.”
L-R: Harmony McGivney, Dawn Zappitello, Dave Damerell and Jenna Winters representing the Member Connections and Mentor Committees at INTIX 2024 in Las Vegas.
Outside of INTIX, Zappitello gives over 100 hours a year to Girl Scouts as a troop leader and Service Community Lead. She has been involved with this youth organization since 2013. “Having the opportunity to influence young girls to be confident and courageous and providing different experiences that expose them to things out of their comfort zone is very important to me,” she explains. “I also serve Scouting America as a Troop Committee chairperson, treasurer and merit badge counselor, clocking another 40 to 50 hours a year. In this role, I have the chance to use my experience, professionally and personally, to help both boys and girls learn new skills and become great leaders and citizens.”
Zappitello believes volunteering is a wonderful way to give back in our industry and beyond. She says sharing experiences allows everyone to learn and grow together, uncovering common challenges, discovering new solutions, and broadening perspectives across the industry.
“Role modeling and mentoring are easy ways to share your talent with others, and they do not have to be a large time commitment,” she says. “We can make a difference in the lives of another person when we show them that we care, are listening and willing to engage. Let's all do our part to give someone a boost up or a helping hand.”
For Lindsay Radic, Senior Director of Entertainment Ticketing for Caesars Entertainment, volunteering naturally fits her desire to support others.
“After attending my first INTIX conference in 2017, I was inspired by the incredible community that has been built up over many years and knew I wanted to be a part of it,” she says. “Volunteering was the organic next step in the last few years. I felt fully embraced and comfortable as a valued member of INTIX, [and] I wanted to give back.”
Radic is currently sharing her expertise to help our community as Co-Chair of INTIX 2026, which is returning to Las Vegas in January. Getting on stage at INTIX 2025 in New York to make the announcement alongside Co-Chair Siobhan Steiermann, Vice President of Ticket Operations for the Las Vegas Aviators, stands out as one of Radic’s most memorable volunteering experiences to date. “[Being on stage] is not a natural place for me, but it is always beneficial to try new things and push yourself.”
Lindsay Radic (right) and Siobhan Steiermann, Co-Chairs for INTIX 2026, announcing that the conference will return to Las Vegas in January.
Radic also challenges herself to help outside of INTIX, volunteering for causes within her company and community.
“I volunteer for Caesars Cares, which provides financial assistance for employees who experience unanticipated financial hardships from events outside of their control,” Radic says. “Life is hard and can throw curve balls at anyone. I like this organization because it can provide a light to someone going through a dark time. As a busy professional and mom, I love helping this organization as a case manager because I can assist my co-workers and community within the parameters of my current schedule.”
Radic adds, “I also volunteer as a guest judge for final presentations for a college leadership course a few times a year on Zoom in another area of the country. I think volunteering is usually associated with in-person events or huge commitments, but there are plenty of opportunities to start small and work within the confines of your schedule.”
At some point in their careers, Radic says everyone has experienced being new, seeking guidance, or feeling uncertain about how to learn and grow. “By seasoned professionals proactively giving back [through INTIX], new people in the industry can find a good example both in professional knowledge and experience, but also on how to treat the next generation that will inevitably come up behind them.”
She says, “By far the best part of volunteering at INTIX is making new connections, and stronger connections with colleagues across the country. It has brought a new sense of community outside my home and standard work community.”
Duncan Moss, Director of Ticket Operations at Ravinia, learned the power of volunteering early in his career. He made this discovery thanks to the encouragement of mentors who showed him what was possible through INTIX. Today, he serves on the INTIX Board of Directors after giving back on many committees, including Co-Chair of the Regional Ticketing Group Committee, Vice-Chair of the Member Connections Committee, volunteer with the Professional Development Committee and Co-Chair of the Mentor Committee.
“My true inspiration started when I volunteered for my first committee, although I was scared and doubted my ability to contribute,” he shares. “I was met with the open arms of the organization and could immediately feel I was making an impact. From that moment forward, I was hooked on INTIX!”
The proudest moments for Moss came during the pandemic, when the Mentor Program served as a vital lifeline.
“The years of the pandemic were actually some of the most important for the Mentor Program because it not only connected people going through similar circumstances, but it provided guidance at a time when we all needed it and just needed someone to talk to,” he recalls. “Hearing from multiple people [about] how much of a positive impact these connections were having on their chaotic lives … made me feel like I was making a little bit of a difference in our tiny ticketing world.”
Moss believes that volunteering with INTIX has changed his career trajectory, helping him make important industry connections and create lasting friendships. “Some of the folks that I volunteered with in my very first committees are still good friends to this day, and we text all the time. We are all super busy people, and putting in that little bit of extra time to volunteer can sometimes seem daunting, but let me tell you, it pays off big time because you are making a difference in INTIX, the industry and your very own life,” he says.
L-R: Duncan Moss, Ebony Hattix, Ami Johnson, Jennifer Dobrowolski and Patrick Ventura.
He adds, “This industry is small, and at one time or another, we all know each other in some capacity. Because of the size, we are like atoms constantly bouncing back and forth off of each other and giving back to the very community that you are in helps ensure that we all move this experience forward into the next generation. It is like the big bang of ticketing — we all make ourselves so much better every day and help ourselves create the next big thing.”
Outside of INTIX, Moss volunteers with Connections for the Homeless, where he has organized and prepared community dinners for over 13 years. “I get a group of friends together and cook a big dinner from scratch every other month to give back to my local community. I not only get to feed some of my own passions, including cooking, planning and organizing, but I know I’m helping make a difference in my neighborhood. My favorite thing to do is talk to the people who come to the meal and hear their stories, experiences and of course, how much they like the food.”
For Anja Arvo, Senior Sales Lead at Ferve Tickets, volunteering at INTIX started unexpectedly. It was a gentle nudge from a colleague that led her to the Mentor Committee, where she served as Vice Chair and Co-Chair. “She said it would keep me in the ticketing industry, and she jokingly said, ‘So you can never leave.’ I really didn't know that much about committees prior to joining one,” Arvo says. “But since then, I have also continued participating in the program as an INTIX Mentor … I enjoy helping all of the different types of people that are signing up at different stages in their career. Each mentorship is different and unique in its own way, so I'm [working] with a different individual with different goals and needs. [I enjoy] the uniqueness of each single mentorship.”
Recently, a former mentee shared with Arvo that their mentorship experience came at a pivotal moment in their life, offering reassurance and the powerful reminder that they were not alone. “To hear that I had really helped someone during a mentorship term and that it actually did matter exemplifies what the mentorship program is about,” says Arvo. “It is about giving back to others.”
How has volunteering with INTIX impacted Arvo’s life?
“I think it has given me an invested interest to see others succeed in their life or career. I don't think I had that type of perspective when I wasn't involved in the program in this way, because you meet the people at INTIX, and it was more casual,” reflects Arvo. “To be involved with someone for a term in the mentorship program gives you a deeper involvement with them. I would also say it's not just about my life, but I think it is more about how I can impact someone else's life. I think that should always be the goal of volunteering. You are not doing it for yourself. You're doing it to help others.”
Beyond mentoring ticketing peers through INTIX, Arvo helps lead Greater Niagara Ticketing Professionals (GNTP), the newest and first cross-border regional group. “The reason this is close to my heart is my personal belief [that] you can have the most impact to help people close by,” she says.
GNTP members L-R: Carlos Robayo, Theresa Kennedy, Carrie Paolone, John Randazzo, Daria Symolot, Audrey Arseneau, Ty Murray, Anja Arvo, Rob Harte, Christine Payne, and kneeling for the snapshot, Alison Barry.
Arvo also finds fulfillment in simple, close-to-home acts of kindness, like helping her neighbor without expectation. “I love to do any random acts of kindness. It doesn't have to be volunteering for a certain thing. Maybe it's just in many forms of giving, such as helping out my neighbor, who's always supportive, or doing little things that might matter to people rather than building houses on the weekend, which I could do. I've just never been asked to do that. I think it's more about community, and close by is what's important to me.”
What makes INTIX feel so close-knit, even as a global organization, is the genuine generosity and wholehearted spirit of its members. Whether through mentoring, committee work or quiet acts of service behind the scenes, INTIX volunteers lead with compassion, lifting each other up and creating spaces where everyone feels welcome, seen, supported and empowered. It is this collective care that transforms professional connections into lifelong friendships and reminds us that no matter where we are in the world, we are part of a community that feels just like home.
You May Also Like
Want news like this delivered to your inbox weekly? Subscribe to the Access Weekly newsletter, your ticket to industry excellence.