TRUSTEE MICHELE

About

After returning from Southern California to her native Wisconsin, Michele and Tom Bronsky’s 1st Scottie, Shayna was diagnosed with bladder cancer at the age of 11 in November, 2000. Soon after, Michele began a search to establish connections with other Scottie people in Wisconsin. What began as a small gathering to celebrate our relationships with Scottish Terriers quickly grew into an annual event. Within a few years, the Door County Scottie Rally became a non-profit organization for the purpose of fellowship, education and in its twenty-five year history awarding more than $580,000 for Scottish Terrier health research and rescue.

In 2007, the Bronskys became members of the Scottish Terrier Club of America and Michele became quite active in supporting the Health Trust Fund. In the past decade she was asked to serve on an ad hoc task force investigating “Where Have All the Scotties Gone”. Her presence on that task force ensured the perspective of companion owners. Her fierce advocacy for the health of the Scottish Terrier breed has led to DCSR contributing Scottish Terrier samples to the Dr. Elaine Ostrander NIH genome project for Transitional Cell Carcinoma and establishing annual affordable bladder cancer screenings and collection of blood samples for research, which have served as the model for the HTF funded health screening clinics

In 2018, Michele, Tom and the Door County Scottie Rally were awarded The Antonella Visconti di Modrone Health Advocate Award for the demonstration of outstanding dedication to and achievement in the area of Scottish Terrier health.

In 2020 Michele became a Trustee on the Health Trust Fund of the STCA and actively educates Scottie owners on the importance of breeder interviewing, health testing and the role of the HTF DNA bank repository in health research and breed preservation. Her 45 years of clinical practice, the majority as a direct patient care provider and leader within several organizations and passion for all things she has undertaken makes her role as a HTF Trustee a perfect fit in “retirement”.

In addition to a planned litter of Scottie puppies in 2019, the Geiger-Bronsky home has been blessed by the presence of eight Scotties, four of whom have been rescued. Currently Michele shares walks, conversation, cruciferous vegetables and her bed with Sparky, Katie and Violet.

Degrees & Celebratory Moments

1973: Bachelor’s in Nursing Science, Northern Michigan University

1984: Master’s in Nursing Science, Marquette University

1996: Post Master’s Family Nurse Practitioner Certificate 

2005: Founded Door County Scottie Rally, Inc. (DCSR)

2005: Champion in Women’s Health Award, Wisconsin Women’s Health Foundation

2007-present: STCA Member

2017: Invited member, STCA Ad Hoc Task Force on “Where Have All the Scotties Gone”?

2018: Co-Recipient, with Thomas Bronsky and the Door County Scottie Rally, Inc, of The Antonella Visconti di Modrone Health Advocate Award for the demonstration of outstanding dedication to and achievement in the area of Scottish Terrier health.

2020-present: Trustee, Health Trust Fund of the STCA