We always run a special Thanksgiving week article, and it’s one of my favorite features to write all year. For the 2024 edition, your intrepid editorial staff settled on the following question to ask INTIX members:
Who helped you this past year in some work capacity that you would like to single out and say, "Thank you!" to in this article?
Margo Malone
The answers were as varied as our association’s great membership, starting with those ticketing and live event pros who opted to single out an individual for particular praise. Margo Malone, Senior Manager, Season Ticket Memberships and Special Projects for the San Francisco Giants, wanted to send a heartfelt “thank you” to Donna Dal Bozzo, Senior Processor in the San Francisco Giants Ticket Office.
Malone says, “In 2024, it seems like I received a higher than usual number of special requests from season ticket members for complex ticket exchanges, seat relocations, changes to installment plans and accounting assistance. Anytime I sent an email to Donna requesting help with these back-end ticket transactions, her response was lightning fast. Once a task has been completed, Donna emailed back with confirmation, adding her signature smiley face emoji to the note. This colleague contributed to my success this year, enabling me to provide gold glove service to clients!”
David Winn, Box Office Manager for the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO), expressed his thanks for the BSO’s Senior Director of Patron Experience, Amy Aldrich: “If you ever have a bad day, you need to just call Amy. If you ever mess up, you just need to sort it out with Amy. When your head is exploding because you are under extreme pressure, deflate it with Amy. Amy Aldrich is a rock and a joy to work with and for. We currently have the best ticketing staff I’ve ever worked with. That is completely attributed to Amy. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
While Winn singled out his boss, Jeff Hecker, Vice President of Ticket Operations for the New York Jets had heartfelt gratitude for his “partner in crime” and “number two,” Michele Spadavecchia. He states, “I am extremely lucky and thankful to have her working for me as is the organization itself. I could go on about product and industry knowledge, but most of all she cares about always doing what’s best for the department and the organization. That’s something that cannot be taught. I hope she knows how thankful I am ... every day!”
Some interviewees were brief in their praise for certain colleagues. David Damerell, Assistant Director, Ticket Services for the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts, says, “I’d like to say ‘thank you’ to [INTIX board member] Richard Powers. He has always been an amazing resource for me if I had any questions.” And Derek Palmer, Chief Revenue Officer for Project Admission, beamed about Kayla Schine and her ASM Global team: “They challenged us to help ASM transform their premium business, and we have built an amazing partnership that continues to grow from strength to strength.”
Palmer himself was singled out for kudos from Stay22’s Lucille Pickering. She says, "A huge ‘thank you’ to Derek Palmer for all the support this past year! Your guidance and insights have been such a big help in my career growth and understanding of the industry. I truly appreciate everything you’ve done to support me. You’ve helped me through a challenging year to build a platform for future success!"
Rebecca Bloom
Rebecca Bloom, Senior Revenue and Ticketing Analyst for Cirque du Soleil and the Blue Man Group, couldn’t settle on just one colleague to thank. So, she picked three: Cody Gambino, Sarah Hayes and Courtney Brown.
Bloom says, “We all work in the Revenue Management and Ticketing Department, and I could not have made it through this year without all of them. As a group, we have been working together for about 15 months. And starting right after INTIX in January, our company went through a lot of changes; a new corporate structure, absent managers, returning managers, new managers, new department structures, new employees, new systems, and new processes but the constant for me was these three fabulous cohorts. They kept me sane when the work and the changes felt overwhelming. They did not hesitate to jump in and help when I needed it and most of the time I didn’t even need to ask. Most importantly, they kept me laughing. I just hope they feel I support them as much as they do me! A colossal ‘thank you’ to Cody, Sarah and Courtney!”
Others thanked INTIX colleagues who they have worked with on association matters. Among them was Anwar Nasir, Executive Director of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, who says, “I want to specifically shout out Simone Hogan of the Dallas Mavericks. She's my co-chair of the INTIX IDEA Committee. She has been a fearless champion for advancing this work in our community. By nature, the work does not have a roadmap or blueprint but she advances our group with such care and thoughtfulness.”
We even hit up a Canadian during America’s Thanksgiving week (Canada celebrates its Thanksgiving in October each year). Christina Allen, Senior Manager, Box Office for both the Ottawa Senators and the Canadian Tire Centre, laughs, “I’ll jump on your Thanksgiving bandwagon! I’m thankful for Emily Opalach, the Chair for the Professional Development Grant Committee. She has done a fantastic job this year working with the committee and always keeping everyone up to date.”
Harmony McGivney, Box Office Manager for Cape Playhouse at Hunter College, chimed in: “Sometimes in life things just come together. I first met Dawn Zappitello on an INTIX Member Connections Committee Zoom meeting. She expressed interest in wanting to be more involved with INTIX and as they say, the rest is history. Dawn is not only my co-chair on the Member Connections Committee, but she has become a professional guiding light and confidant. We had so much fun collaborating/working together during the 2024 INTIX Conference. I admire her impeccable attention to detail and flawless strategic planning skills. I am thankful to have Dawn by my side as a co-chair because she motivates me to work harder and constantly think ‘how can I make this better?’”
Anthony Esposito
And then there’s Anthony Esposito, Senior Vice President of Ticket Operations for the Atlanta Braves. Always regarded as an “outside-the-box” thinker, he went out of the small box of a question we asked to say, “Mine is a little non-traditional, but since my home life and work life blend together I need to give thanks to my neighbor’s brother, Anesti, who is a plumber and has fixed the three different pipes that have leaked in our basement this year! Who knew that a pinhole in the pipe could flood a basement in such a short period of time? Just like us in the live entertainment industry, he is always available whether it’s at night, on the weekend or anytime in between. He has definitely been a lifesaver and helped to make my work life a lot less stressful with getting the repairs done right away.”
Some INTIX members couldn’t decide on a single individual to thank, so they went big. Case in point, Kacy Woody, Theatre Box Office Manager for the City of High Point, N.C.: “This year, I am so thankful for the amazing group of people who made up the Programming and Education Committee. They came together on a three-week marathon, vetting over 70 submissions. We quite literally couldn’t have put together the fantastic slate of educational sessions for the INTIX 2025 conference without each and every one of them!”
Laura Zehe
Then there is Laura Zehe, Senior Director of Operations for True Tickets. She says, “I am thankful to be able to work with an incredible team at True Tickets that continually puts the client's needs first and has created an unparalleled secure digital customer experience!”
Zehe herself got thanked by Jennifer Aprea, currently an independent contractor and Chargeback Specialist with Etix: “I am SO thankful for Mandi Grimm and Laura Zehe who have become more than colleagues over the past year--they're true friends. They've helped me both personally and professionally and I can't thank them both enough for freely sharing their industry knowledge and for their unending support. Thanks, ladies!”
Justin Foo, Associate Director of Sales and Customer Engagement for the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, remarks, “I want to say thanks to all of those who participate in INTIX’s Wednesday Wisdom [calls]. I’m grateful for all insights and expertise that you all share each week.”
Chris Stasiuk, Head Treasurer of the historic St. James Theatre in Manhattan, gave an answer that went right for the feels: “I am generally always grateful and thankful for my family, my friends and for the health and joy of those I care for. But in times of reflection, we all should consider our work family. We often spend more time with them than our flesh and blood. When you work in arts, entertainment and sports ticketing, you miss family gatherings and dinners and all sorts of events because we are working when others are not. We should be grateful for the patience of those that we often say, ‘I’m sorry — I can’t attend — I need to work. I have a show. I have a game, etc.’ We should be grateful for our staffs, our assistants, even our bosses. I am truly blessed with an absolutely wonderful staff who I consider one of the best on Broadway.”
Aren Murray
Aren Murray, Operations Manager — U.S. for Tixly, was the broadest in her praise. When asked who in her professional she is most thankful for, her reply: “INTIX! I want to say thank you to INTIX for their constant uplifting, informing, encouraging, growth and spirit. INTIX is each and every one of you who show up at Wednesday Wisdom and share your experiences and knowledge. INTIX is the board that is always looking for the best way to serve the ticketing community. INTIX is Tiffany Kelham, who is always responsive, kind, generous and willing to lift your spirits. INTIX is Maureen Andersen, who tells it like it is and keeps you from wallowing in an issue. Instead, she points you towards answers.”
She concludes, “INTIX is the reason I have the career I have been blessed to experience. INTIX is worth thanking as who has helped me tremendously this year. Thank you to all you lovely people! Thank you for making INTIX the uplifting source that it is!”
And finally. . .
Last, but certainly not least, there is Tracy Noll, Director of Sales and Development Services at Penn State University. Noll responded via questionnaire for this article, offering up a long-form story of thanks that has been edited and condensed for readability. But, wow, what an amazing story that is everything one could hope for this holiday of gratitude and blessings.
Please read:
“I should thank my director for allowing me to book our first country act in decades in Sam Barber. It turned out to be one of our highest selling events this fall, and 72% of our patrons had never been to our venue. While that was all very exciting, the people I really want to thank is the Hayes family who traveled from Canada for this show.
Four weeks before the event, we received a call from a mother, Stephanie Hayes, who had lost her son in a tragic car accident in September. She said that he was the biggest Sam Barber fan, and that the family was coming to the show as a way to celebrate Ethan, the son and brother they had lost. She was wondering if there was any way to have Sam dedicate a song to Ethan. I reached out to his management and they said they would discuss it. Two weeks later the mother called again to see if there had been any progress. We told her that we had passed the request on and that we wouldn’t know until they got to the venue.
The day before the show the parents and seven brothers ranging in age from eight to 26 years old, including two sets of twins (of which Ethan was one of the sets) left Barrie, Canada, for State College, Pennsylvania. [Stephanie] began texting me and telling me their entire story. I am a major empath, and my heart was just breaking for them. She sent me videos of Ethan singing his favorite Sam Barber song, images of the roadside memorial, information on fundraisers they have done in his honor. I knew I had to do more for this family.
I met the family when they arrived at the venue, and they handed me one of the memorial shirts they were all wearing. They proceeded to the long merchandise line and purchased a huge shopping bag full of clothing. I told the family to meet me by the doors to the star dressing room area at 8 p.m. for a meet and greet. All nine appeared wearing their new Sam merch. Before retrieving them, I asked Samatha, his tour manager, if Sam knew the story. She said she had given him an overview. I decided in that moment to show Sam the video of Ethan singing his favorite song. He was visibly moved. I opened the door and told them to come in, and a few paused knowing I had said that I was pushing the limit having five of them come back there. I waved my arms and told them to all join in. I had our staff photographer there to get pictures of them with Sam. They had him sign every piece of merch they had purchased as well as the memorial shirts.
Sam Barber and the Hayes family.
I heard the second song start from the lobby and realized that it was Ethan’s favorite song he was singing in the video. I didn’t hear a dedication and was hoping Sam didn’t forget. The concert continued and I watched from the back of the house. Sam sang his last song and left the stage. I held my breath hoping he would come back out.
The stage came back up, and Sam came out for the encore. He started by saying, ‘I’d like to take a second to dedicate this last song to a kid named Ethan who was a big fan. His family is here tonight, I met them and they are just the sweetest people who drove from Canada, and I know this kid is looking down from Heaven. I feel it, I swear. This last song is called ‘Dancing in the Sky.’” The crowd erupted with the first lines, “I hope you’re dancing in the sky, I hope you’re singing in the angel’s choir. And I hope them angels know what they have. I’ll bet, it’s so nice up in Heaven since you arrived.” Tears were pouring down my face. What a perfect song for such a wonderful family.
This reminded me what I enjoy about my job and why I’m still here after 36 years. The tour manager, Sam Barber, the entire Hayes family and the rest of the audience made that a night I will never forget and will always be grateful for. I never could have imagined when I booked Sam Barber that it would turn into such a healing experience!”
And the INTIX team would like to express our gratitude and thanks for the opportunity to serve this great community. We are ever reminded of the spirit, kindness, grace, generosity and time that is so freely shared with us and with the membership. Sharing of oneself is the greatest gift and we thank each of you for the past year of sharing your lives and work with us.
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