Dakin Humane Society has named Samantha Novak associate director of marketing, according to Director of Development and Marketing Molly Biechele. 

Novak will provide overall marketing, communications, and public relations strategy for the organization, with a specific emphasis on fostering and stewarding corporate and local partnerships. She will implement vision, priorities, and standards for all marketing activity, ensuring alignment across content, digital, design, public relations, and development efforts. In addition, she will be responsible for translating organizational goals into integrated, measurable marketing strategies that elevate brand awareness, community engagement, partnerships, and revenue.

"Sam brings an exceptional combination of strategic marketing expertise, relationship-building skills and passion for mission-driven work to Dakin Humane Society,” noted Biechele. “We are thrilled to welcome her to the Dakin team." 

Prior to joining Dakin, Novak was a senior marketing automation manager for Blackbaud, where she developed targeted nurture engagement programs for fundraising, grantmaking, and data intelligence product audiences, shaped marketing strategy, and executed campaigns.

She also served as a marketing specialist for Performance Food Group of Springfield, MA, where she led negotiations with broker/vendor representatives and managed the end-to-end fulfillment process and implemented campaigns.

Novak has a certificate of Nonprofit Board Education for Corporate Employees and is a Root Cause Analysis Practitioner. She earned a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Marketing from Bay Path College.

Dakin Humane Society, located in Springfield, MA, is a 501 (c) (3) organization that delivers effective, innovative services that improve the lives of animals in need and the people who care about them. Since its inception in 1969, Dakin has become one of the most recognized nonprofit organizations in western Massachusetts, and a national leader in animal welfare. In a typical year, the organization shelters, treats and fosters more than 20,000 animals and has performed over 144,000 spay/neuter surgeries since 2009, making it one of New England’s largest spay/neuter providers. Dakin’s Pet Health Center, a non-emergency veterinary resource for pet dogs and cats, has conducted more than 16,000 patient visits since it opened in 2022. Dakin is a local non-profit organization that relies solely on contributions from individuals and businesses that care about animals to bring its services to the community. For more information, visit www.dakinhumane.org.