Meet the Team

The Benefit Shop

Foundation Inc.

Paula

Operations

Zoe

Auction Mascot

Heather spent 10 years teaching a combination of middle grade Spanish in Westchester schools, ESL to adults in Chile, and creating curriculum for home-bound high school students. She has a Master of Arts degree in Latin American Studies from NYU and has lived abroad in Chile and Spain. At The Benefit Shop, she loves all things historical and delves into the history of the makers and objects she puts up for auction. Everything has a story - a past to reveal, making the simplest thing much more interesting. She relies on her previous background in framing high end art when lotting; everything from design to cutting mats to glass. Heather continues to learn new words to specify the description and function of items thanks to Pam's expertise and has always given time to help others, from volunteering to help build camps for hurricane victims to building homes with Habitat for Humanity. Future endeavours include publishing children's books, under review by agents. Heather is a published poet.

Paula is a graduate of Mercy college with a bachelors in Behavioral Science. Years of working with to toddlers has prepared her for collectors of all types! She is a vegan and dedicated to animal rights. While she enjoys discovering new antique shops on the weekends if given the choice she’d rather be paddle boarding on the inlet, listening to live music or exploring the outdoors.

Ms. Stone is a Wharton MBA, Wall Street refugee, having spent 22 years in the realm of Investment Banking- the latter 16 years as Senior Managing Partner at Needham & Company. In 2009 She turned her ten-year-old brainchild into a business that not only does good for the community, but thrives amidst a post-recession rebound. Ms. Stone's nonprofit business, The Benefit Shop Foundation, has become known as the "secret source" for some of the best interior designers in Westchester and Fairfield County.

501(c)3 Auction Gallery

Heather

Auction Cataloguer

Melynie

Auction Assistant

Anna is a graduate of SUNY Oneonta with a Bachelors in Computer Art. As a student and as a graduate she has had a number of internships and jobs including an internship at the Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art. Most recently she has been a photo editor and studio assistant in Studio 3×3 in Wappingers Falls, and worked as Visitor Services Staff at Storm King Art Center. Here at the Benefit Shop she is the catalog editor, and assists with the marketing and social media departments.

Anna

Auction Manager

Melynie is a graduate of Pace University with a Bachelor’s degree in English and Communications and a minor in Philosophical and Relgious Studies. She is a writer with several published poems and short stories in literary magazines such as Chantwood Press and Edify Fiction. Her hobbies include tending her garden, cooking, and crafting handmade jewelry.
In her spare time she scours thirft shops and secondhand marketplaces to find antique and unique finds to add to her collections. At The Benefit Shop she has the pleasure of photographing and writing about the exciting items that come through their door.

Leo

Creative Director

Leo is a Mount Kisco native and recent Graduate of SUNY Purchase. He holds a Bachelors Degree in New Media with a minor in Photography. He is The Benefit Shop Auction Gallery’s Creative Director. He is the team liaison with all internet partners, senior photographer, and senior research manager.

Marissa

Auction Cataloguer

Traci

Marketing Consultant

Marissa is a graduate of CUNY Hunter College with a degree in Art History, she is pursuing a Master’s degree in Museum Education at CUNY City College. Marissa has previously held diverse positions at Swann Auctions, The Katonah Museum of Art, Kenise Barnes Fine Art, and was awarded a teaching fellowship at The Bard Graduate Center. She is a passionate museum educator and researcher and loves teaching with objects of all kinds. At the Benefit Shop, Marissa combines her enthusiasm for research and education to catalog one-of-a-kind pieces that come into the gallery. In her free time Marissa enjoys visiting museums, listening to live music, and spending time with her family.

Pam Stone

Founder / President

Traci Lombardo has a rich background as a collector, dealer and expert in antiques and Americana. She has held positions in prestigious galleries, museums and auction houses in New York City including Christie’s and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Currently, Traci is an adjunct professor of art history and art appreciation at Essex County College in New Jersey. She has a master's degree in art history and museum studies from City College of New York, and a B.A. with a certificate in historic preservation from Rutgers University. She is an independent consultant in marketing and artifacts for The Benefit Shop Foundation.

Mr. Elkerson

Door Greeter