We wanted to take a moment to introduce our two newest board members, Reva Laituri and Michelle Spranger.
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Reva Laituri with Bella
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Reva Laituri joined the Michigan Pet Fund Alliance board in March and brings a wealth of humane knowledge and experience. In the early 80s, Reva began volunteering at the Upper Peninsula Animal Welfare Shelter (
UPAWS), formerly the Marquette County Humane Society. She was there every Wednesday night and Saturday, checking animals in and adopting them out, answering phones, vaccinating, worming, and pretty much anything that needed doing. In 1984, she joined the UPAWS board of directors, and over her 20 years on the board, she served as assistant treasurer, recording secretary, corresponding secretary, treasurer, president and on nearly every committee.
During Reva's tenure, she played an active role in moving UPAWS from killing 63% of its animals in 2006 to saving nearly 100%. The
open admission No Kill shelter is one of the best in the state. She has supported the efforts of shelters in North Carolina, Missouri, Illinois, Florida, Alabama - and as far away as Australia - to become No Kill and served on a panel of No Kill shelters at the 2011 No Kill Conference in Washington D.C.
She took on a leadership role in the capital campaign drive to raise $3.7 million dollars to build a new state-of-the-art shelter, which broke ground mid summer.
Reva also serves as an adoption ambassador for
UPAWS and fosters dogs for the shelter. She has successfully fostered 26 so far. She and husband Dave live in Negaunee with their three rescue dogs: Muffin, Bella and Thunder.
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Michelle Spranger with Trucker
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Michelle Spranger is our newest board member, joining in September. Michelle is a multi-media project manager and writer with nearly 25 years experience in business meetings, press conferences, special events, experiential marketing, corporate videos, and original television programming. Michelle's cross-platform success is attributed to her excellent communication and coordination skills that translate well into any environment. In 2010 Michelle earned the designation of Certified Meeting Professional (CMP), the foremost certification of the meetings, conventions and exhibitions industry.
Michelle began volunteering in 2011 for a No Kill shelter with the intention of producing videos of adoptable pets, but after her first day at the shelter, she brought home two neglected pit bull puppies to foster. Michelle went on to produce more than 100 videos for the shelter, manage their social media channels, plan adoption events, and foster three more dogs.
From 2013-2016, Michelle served as Community Relations Director for Detroit Bully Corps, an organization specializing in bully breed rehabilitation, training and education. Michelle managed public relations; coordinated adoption events and fundraisers; scheduled volunteers; and planned canine education classes for K-12 students.
In 2014, Michelle co-founded the Make Michigan Next coalition to pass statewide legislation to prevent breed discrimination in Michigan municipalities. Michelle also serves on the board of Beechview Swim and Tennis Club in Farmington Hills as Social Director.
When Michelle and her husband Scott are not exploring the country in their trailer with their two rescued Rottweilers, Bristol and Trucker, they call Southfield their home base.
Welcome, Reva and Michelle! MPFA is lucky to have two such talented people join our
Board of Directors.
