Staff Directory

Jean Butler
Executive Director
(646) 520-4865
jbutler@toyindustryfoundation.org

Jean Butler currently holds dual executive positions with the Toy Industry Association: Vice President of Membership and Executive Director of the Toy Industry Foundation.

Under her leadership, total TIA membership has increased by more than 55% and membership revenue by 97%.  She has introduced multiple revenue-generating products and services to benefit the toy industry.   Ms. Butler is responsible for membership acquisition, retention, marketing and product development.

As Executive Director of the Toy Industry Foundation, Ms. Butler has created and launched several national programs including Play Helps, to aid the children of New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina; Play Heals, a national partnership with Ronald McDonald House Charities; a national partnership with My Stuff Bags Foundation to benefit abused and abandoned children; and Play Comforts, the first-ever national toy distribution program to serve every branch of the U.S. military through an exclusive partnership with Boys and Girls Clubs of America.  Additionally, she oversees all aspects of the Toy Industry Foundation including program management, grant making, fundraising, budgeting and communications.  Under her leadership, fundraising has increased by more than 24%.

Prior to joining the Toy Industry Association, Ms. Butler held several management positions within Time Warner Inc., including Director of Sales and Business Development for Time Life Inc. and Director of Partnership Marketing for Time Inc. Consumer Marketing.  She initiated Time Life Inc.’s first direct-to-consumer business unit which included video, music and children’s products.  She was presented with the Award of Excellence for Outstanding Financial Contribution by Time Warner’s Executive Management.  She holds a BA in Economics from the College of the Holy Cross and an MBA in Marketing from the Fordham University Graduate School of Business.  She is currently an adjunct instructor at the Fordham University Graduate School of Business where she teaches an MBA course entitled “Marketing to Young Consumers.” During her childhood, Ms. Butler was most fond of Shrinky Dinks, Lite-Brite, and the game of Battleship.

Marisa Medina
Foundation Manager
(646) 454-5581
mmedina@toyindustryfoundation.org 

Marisa Medina was appointed Foundation Manager of the Toy Industry Foundation in October 2011. At the start of her career, Marisa managed the Kids Division of the Community Food Bank of New Jersey to provide critical school supplies, new clothing, and gifts to over 60,000 disadvantaged and at-risk children annually. Marisa joined the TIF team in 2008, serving nearly two years as Foundation Coordinator and manager of TIF's Toy Bank. She temporarily left TIF to develop and execute fundraising and communication strategies as Director of Development for the New Jersey Blind Citizens Association, after which TIF recruited Marisa to rejoin the team as Foundation Manager.

Marisa holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communication from The College of New Jersey as well as a Master’s degree in the same field from Rutgers University.  She believes in the power of play and that by giving kids a happy childhood, they develop a positive and proactive outlook on life. During her own youth, Marisa loved Connect Four, Guess Who, and playing outdoor games with sidewalk chalk.

Melissa Sorvillo
Foundation Coordinator
(646) 520-4878
msorvillo@toyindustryfoundation.org

Melissa Sorvillo joined the TIF team as Foundation Coordinator in December 2011. In this role, she organizes impactful toy distribution events while managing The Toy Bank, TIF's signature program that annually collects and distributes millions of dollars worth of toys to children in need. Prior to this position, Melissa maintained dual roles as Educator and Web Content Manager for the Science Museum of Long Island for five years. While teaching, she used play as an educational tool, conveying science concepts to children through fun hands-on experiments and exploration. Melissa gained additional experience in a variety of non-profits as she assisted the Development team at the Smithsonian Archives of American Art, provided technical and teaching assistance for Johns Hopkins University, and supported the Public Affairs team at the Tenement Museum.

Melissa holds a Bachelor's degree from Vassar College in Science, Technology & Society and a correlate sequence in Elementary Education. In 2010, Melissa was awarded a Master's degree from Johns Hopkins University in the field of Museum Studies. As a child, Melissa greatly enjoyed playing Barbies, swinging around the monkey bars, and persuading family members to play board games with her for hours at a time.

Paul Vitale
Vice President, Finance & Administration, Toy Industry Association
pvitale@toyassociation.org
646-520-4847

Paul Vitale joined the Toy Industry Association as Vice President, Finance & Administration effective November 5, 2007. Mr. Vitale is a Certified Public Accountant with over 30 years experience. He has held senior financial positions in both for profit and not-for-profit organizations and spent over 10 years in public accounting with Arthur Andersen. Prior to joining the Toy Industry Association, Mr. Vitale was Senior Director of Finance for the Greater New York Chapter of the American Red Cross for almost six years.

Mr. Vitale graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor’s degree in accounting from St. John's University in New York. He is a member of the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and Financial Executives International. Mr. Vitale has been a volunteer director since 1995 and treasurer of North Shore Child & Family Guidance Association, a not-for-profit provider of mental health services to children and their families based on Long Island, NY. He also serves on the Audit and Compliance Committee of Catholic Health Services of Long Island, a not-for-profit integrated health care delivery system.