Meet the 2024 ElderPet Board

Michael Cicchese (Chairperson) - Mike works for the Dover Police Department and is a communications specialist by training. He and his wife Holly are were registered Pet Partners with BoomBoom (now passed) a retired racing Greyhound. Mike and BoomBoom visited Wentworth Douglass Hospital.  Mike is one of our licensed Pet Partners Evaluators and our Facebook Administrator.

Marsha Barden (Vice Chairperson)- Marsha is a former trainer of Standardbred horses and a retired wildlife biologist for USDA, Wildlife Services. She currently runs a small boarding stable for retired horses.  She has been a Pet Partners Handler with two English setters, Rosa and Mister Grover (now passed). She and her dogs did R.E.A.D. visits at the libraries in Stratham and Madbury and visited at Exeter Hospital's Cancer Center and inpatient units, as well as and The Pines of Newmarket assisted living facility. Marsha is one of our Licensed Pet Partners Evaluators and is membership coordinator.

Jerilee Zezula, D.V.M. (Treasurer) - Jeri is a retired professor of Applied Animal Science at the Thompson School at UNH. She has been a Pet Partners Handler since 1997 first with Abby, a German shepherd dog (now passed) and later with Lily, a mixed breed (now passed).  Jeri is a Licensed Pet Partners Instructor, ElderPet Service Coordinator, and has taught an on-line Animal Assisted Therapy course through UNH Professional Development and Training.

Doris Irwin - Doris is retired from UNH. She has been a Pet Partners Handler since 2001 with her English Cockers, Sebastian (now passed) and Tango (now passed) and Fletcher (now retired). They have visited at nursing homes, classes and library events at UNH and Wentworth Douglass Hospital. They have also been active in the "Read With Me" program at the Durham Public Library.  Doris volunteers at Pet Partner Evaluations and often brought Tango to serve as a neutral dog team.

Sue Walsh - Sue is a dog obedience instructor and former board member with Piscataqua Obedience Club in Kittery, ME. She and her cocker spaniels Livy and Autumn are dedicated Pet Partners teams primarily involved with the "Read With Me" program in the Acton, ME schools. Sue's background as a trainer and her knowledge of dog behavior and horses are very valuable assets to our board.

Joanne Fatur - Joanne has been a Pet Partners handler with her little Shih Tsu Lexie (now retired). She and Lexie visited Parkland Hospital's Lahey Oncology and Behavior Health Unit and did "Read With Me" at Grinnell Elementary School. She comes to the board with many business related skills and talents.

Jennie Dapice, O.T. - Jennie is an occupational therapist who has worked in adult and pediatric acute care settings, skilled nursing facilities, and schools. She has researched, and taught AAT and AAA. She has volunteered for Canine Companions for Independence for 18 years, was a Pet Partners volunteer handler for 4 years. Jennie has volunteerd to consult with facilities wishing to establish robust animal assisted therapy programs.

Advisory Board

Allison Powers - Allison is former instructor at the Thompson School Companion Animal Care Program and has been involved in various professional and volunteer aspects of companion animal care for over twenty-five years. Her professional specialties are companion animal behavior and grooming. She volunteers her time with ElderPet to promote and support mutually healthy, human-animal relationships.