Dr. Scarlett Magda is a veterinarian with a passion for raising awareness about the interconnectedness of human and animal health and tackling the root causes of zoonotic disease transmission and animal welfare issues. She has over 10 years of international experience working with organizations ranging from the Thai Elephant Conservation Center, Foundation for AIDS Orphaned Children in Uganda, Elephant Family, UK,  the Belize Zoo and the Ministry of Environment in Costa Rica. She had sat on the board of directors for Veterinarians Without Borders Canada for five years prior to moving to the United States. Her involvement in international veterinary medicine started in 2007 while she was a veterinary student designing an elephant saddle project investigating skin wounds in Thailand and India. This project honored her with the Ballard Award for Wildlife from Morris Animal Foundation and is the only work on the topic that has been published in the scientific literature to date. She later participated in a goat health project in Mbarara Uganda which demonstrated to her the clear link between human and animal health through brucellosis prevention work. After graduating from the Ontario Veterinary College in 2009 she moved to New York City to understand how the veterinary profession was engaging in global health issues.

Spending years researching she realized there was a need to unite the strengths of the United States into a single network of veterinary health professionals which could provoke and support a national and global health platform for change. With a passion for raising awareness through multiple platforms, emphasizing collaboration, and a strong belief in “not reinventing the wheel” Dr. Magda wanted to create an organization that emphasizes enhancement of sound international animal projects that lack funding, training and support thus in 2014 Veterinarians International was created.

Dr. Magda also practices emergency veterinary medicine in numerous specialty hospitals across New York State.

Elisabetta Bartoloni is a partner in the Financial Services Practice and Sector Leader of the Americas Global Markets Practice for Heidrick & Struggles based in the firm’s New York office. Elisabetta’s portfolio of executive search and advisory work over the last 20 years has spanned from Managing Directors (M&A, Restructuring, and Coverage) to functional roles, including CEO and Board positions, across investment & corporate banking, global and capital markets, and asset management. In addition to working with large financial institutions, Elisabetta has worked extensively with boutique and middle market investment banks. She is frequently quoted in news and business publications on topics such as: diversity on Wall Street and state of the talent market and executive compensation. Elisabetta also is an expert on the topic of global talent management. Elisabetta is active in diversity initiatives, she co-chairs the Women Employee Resources Group for Heidrick & Struggles in the Americas and is a member of the National Association of Professional Women. Elisabetta was promoted to her current role after having led the Investment and Corporate Banking practice for Heidrick. Before joining the firm, Elisabetta was a Managing Director at Westwood Partners focusing on Investment Banking and Asset Management in the Americas and responsible for the firm’s Latin America executive search practice. Prior to joining Westwood, Elisabetta was a Director at J.H. McCann & Company, a boutique executive search firm exclusively serving the financial services industry. Prior to J.H. McCann & Company, Elisabetta was a Senior Associate in the Global Financial Services Practice of Korn/Ferry International. Elisabetta began her career in the financial services industry, having worked as a Data Research Analyst in Investment Banking at Goldman Sachs before joining Korn/Ferry. Elisabetta received Bachelor of Arts and Masters degrees, both in Economics, from the University of Florence in Italy. The recipient of two meritorious scholarships, she spent her sophomore and junior years studying Economics at the University of Reading in the United Kingdom and Finance at New York University. Elisabetta is also on the advisory board of Girls with Impact and Italian Business and Investment Initiatives.

Haley Herb is an accounting and finance professional from Portland, Oregon. She earned her B.S. in Accounting from Portland State University and has been working in private/public accounting and finance for the past 5 years. She is also currently studying Taxation at the graduate level and gradually progressing towards the CPA license.

In the rare moments she is not working, Haley is an outdoor enthusiast who loves hiking, camping, biking, and snowboarding among the abundance of activities in the beautiful PNW. Haley also operates a small textile upcycling business where she takes pre-loved or outdated clothing from thrift stores and repurposes them into wearable, trending clothing. The negative effects of the fast fashion industry on the climate and community inspired her to encourage and participate in consuming secondhand.

Haley is known to her friends and family as “the cat lady” and has an impressive collection of cat memorabilia. Her love for animals does not stop at felines, as she continues to devote more of her professional time to animal welfare causes.

Kenneth is a wealth manager at Stifel with over two decades of combined trading, financial advisory and mentoring experience. He started his investment services career at RBC Wealth Management/Tucker Anthony before becoming a portfolio manager and managing director at Bear Stearns and later Morgan Stanley. Kenneth has been developing relationships with high-net-worth individuals, tech entrepreneurs and business owners ever since.

Philanthropy holds a special place in Kenneth’s heart as he has worked closely with numerous charities over the years. He also believes that “Philanthrocapitalism” is making positive, disruptive changes within the charitable universe.

As part of his practice at Stifel Kenneth has three major initiatives. The first involves the maintenance of a Nordic/Scandinavian professional business network aimed at primarily supporting entrepreneurial Swedish, Finnish, and Norwegian ex-pats whom live in the US. The second entails the promotion of diversity and inclusion in wealth management related to servicing women & minority-owned start-up businesses across the U.S. Finally, Kenneth structures diversified portfolios geared toward generating risk-adjusted financial returns while supporting positive environmental and social impact objectives.

Bonnie S. Klapper is Veterinarians International’s counsel. Bonnie earned her B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1979, graduating magna cum laude. She received her law degree from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law, in 1982. After working for several years as a law clerk to a federal judge and at a law firm, Bonnie joined the United States Attorney’s Office. For 25 years, Bonnie was a federal prosecutor, first in Los Angeles and Brooklyn, specializing in international drug trafficking and money laundering cases. She retired from federal service in 2012 and opened a law practice specializing in the defense of extraditables. Bonnie is a committed vegan who spends over 50% of her time doing pro bono work for non-profit organizations devoted to the protection of animals and advancing the cause of animal rights.

Tiffany Wagner is a Senior Vice President at Civic Entertainment Group. She joined Civic in 2012 with over 15 years in creative marketing. She works across a range of integrated services including experiential marketing, partnerships, sponsorships, and high-profiled, curated events.  Prior to Civic, she was Vice President at Initiative, a media, marketing and digital agency where she produced award winning work with the Innovations department. She was responsible for developing and executing marketing campaigns infused with the latest in media innovation.

She resides in New York City with her beloved dog, Ranger and is originally from Los Angeles, CA. She is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley and serves as Secretary to the Board of Directors, as well as co-chair of the Events Committee at Veterinarians International.

Elisabetta Bartoloni is a partner in the Financial Services Practice and Sector Leader of the Americas Global Markets Practice for Heidrick & Struggles based in the firm’s New York office. Elisabetta’s portfolio of executive search and advisory work over the last 20 years has spanned from Managing Directors (M&A, Restructuring, and Coverage) to functional roles, including CEO and Board positions, across investment & corporate banking, global and capital markets, and asset management. In addition to working with large financial institutions, Elisabetta has worked extensively with boutique and middle market investment banks. She is frequently quoted in news and business publications on topics such as: diversity on Wall Street and state of the talent market and executive compensation. Elisabetta also is an expert on the topic of global talent management. Elisabetta is active in diversity initiatives, she co-chairs the Women Employee Resources Group for Heidrick & Struggles in the Americas and is a member of the National Association of Professional Women. Elisabetta was promoted to her current role after having led the Investment and Corporate Banking practice for Heidrick. Before joining the firm, Elisabetta was a Managing Director at Westwood Partners focusing on Investment Banking and Asset Management in the Americas and responsible for the firm’s Latin America executive search practice. Prior to joining Westwood, Elisabetta was a Director at J.H. McCann & Company, a boutique executive search firm exclusively serving the financial services industry. Prior to J.H. McCann & Company, Elisabetta was a Senior Associate in the Global Financial Services Practice of Korn/Ferry International. Elisabetta began her career in the financial services industry, having worked as a Data Research Analyst in Investment Banking at Goldman Sachs before joining Korn/Ferry. Elisabetta received Bachelor of Arts and Masters degrees, both in Economics, from the University of Florence in Italy. The recipient of two meritorious scholarships, she spent her sophomore and junior years studying Economics at the University of Reading in the United Kingdom and Finance at New York University. Elisabetta is also on the advisory board of Girls with Impact and Italian Business and Investment Initiatives.

Consuelo Vanderbilt Costin, seventh generation descendant of shipping and railroad tycoon, Cornelius Vanderbilt, is an American singer, composer, songwriter, designer, actress, philanthropist and entrepreneur.

At a young age, Consuelo studied with famous singing teachers such as Ron Anderson and Seth Riggs and went to Italy and studied music in Fiesole and began performing in cafes and restaurants around Florence. At age 21 she signed her first record deal in London, and after many years of touring around the globe, in regions including Germany, France, and Australia, she launched her own record label, C&R Productions, and found herself in the top 20 Billboard Dance Charts with her top 10 hit singles. Consuelo’s debut single “Naked” spent 16 weeks on the charts, while her follow-up “Feel So Alive” earned her Billboard’s #2 Breakout Artist honor. Her latest hit “Body Needs” broke Billboard’s Top 5.

To further her entrepreneurial spirit, Consuelo released a jewelry collection inspired by the Vanderbilt family heirlooms on HSN in 2015. The Homage line pays tribute to the prestigious family history.

In addition to her successful music career and jewelry line, Consuelo is co-founder of SohoMuse, a member-driven social networking platform for creative professionals. The platform launched in 2017, as a solution for creative professionals across the globe, to have the ability to network and collaborate across various creative industries. Since its introduction to the creative world, the platform has garnered thousands of memberships from globally renowned designers, artists, musicians, and directors to dancers, makeup artists and more, who have collaborated on projects ranging from New York and London Fashion Week experiences to television and film productions, photoshoots and more.

Recently, the platform launched its Virtual Entertainment Series, “SohoMuse Presents VOICES,” where creatives from various industries can hold powerful discussions and live performances around important issues our country is facing – from women’s rights, to diversity and more. To date, the entertainment series has partnered with artists including Linda Perry, Ja Rule, Doug E. Fresh, Vin Rock, NBA icon Isiah Thomas and many other influential personalities.

Consuelo is on the board of the Vanderbilt Museum, the Ovarian Cancer Coalition of Greater California, and works closely with the American Heart Association. She has been featured in Vogue, Town & Country, Prestige, PAPER and Raine Magazine for her many accomplishments.

Michael Davies is the Founder and President of Embassy Row. A five time Emmy award winning producer and television executive who has worked across Disney, ABC, and now Sony, Davies has been has been responsible for dozens of hit shows and franchises including Bill Nye The Science Guy, Win Ben Stein’s Money, The Man Show, Whose Line Is It Anyway, Wife Swap, Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, Talking Dead, Talking Bad, Beyond Stranger Things, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, Good Morning Football, Men in Blazers and Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.

In addition to television, Davies has served as executive producer for a number of documentary sports films, including the Academy Award shortlisted The Tillman Story, and for ESPN, Once in a Lifetime: The Extraordinary Story of the New York Cosmos and I Scored a Goal in the World Cup Final. He is also a successful podcast host and now a New York Times Best Selling Author with the release of his 2018 book Men in Blazers Present Encyclopedia Blazertannica: A Suboptimal Guide to Soccer, America’s “Sport of the Future” Since 1972.

Niels Schuurmans is a 28-year veteran of ViacomCBS, where he served as the Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Creative Officer for the PARAMOUNT NETWORK as well as World Wide Creative Director for NICKELODEON and Chief Creative officer for VIACOM VELOCITY.  He currently works as Chief Marketing Officer for 101 Studios, the independent film and television studio, and producers of YELLOWSTONE  (the #1 rated series on cable).

Arthi has joined our team as Director of Strategy and Project Management. She is also an operations executive at a real estate start-up where she oversees over 20 people across three different teams. She has her MBA from Chicago Booth, is a licensed CPA, and has ten years of experience helping external and internal stakeholders drive value across a variety of industries. She is well-versed in identifying and implementing strategy and process improvements and enjoys motivating teams to to achieve common goals.  Arthi also has a deep passion for wildlife and its conservation and has volunteered as a caretaker of hippos and rhinos, among other beautiful species.  She recently authored an article in an academic journal detailing how the private sector can contribute to sustainable practices that will aid conservation efforts

Dr. Scarlett Magda is a veterinarian with a passion for raising awareness about the interconnectedness of human and animal health and tackling the root causes of zoonotic disease transmission and animal welfare issues. She has over 10 years of international experience working with organizations ranging from the Thai Elephant Conservation Center, Foundation for AIDS Orphaned Children in Uganda, Elephant Family, UK,  the Belize Zoo and the Ministry of Environment in Costa Rica. She had sat on the board of directors for Veterinarians Without Borders Canada for five years prior to moving to the United States. Her involvement in international veterinary medicine started in 2007 while she was a veterinary student designing an elephant saddle project investigating skin wounds in Thailand and India. This project honored her with the Ballard Award for Wildlife from Morris Animal Foundation and is the only work on the topic that has been published in the scientific literature to date. She later participated in a goat health project in Mbarara Uganda which demonstrated to her the clear link between human and animal health through brucellosis prevention work. After graduating from the Ontario Veterinary College in 2009 she moved to New York City to understand how the veterinary profession was engaging in global health issues.

Spending years researching she realized there was a need to unite the strengths of the United States into a single network of veterinary health professionals which could provoke and support a national and global health platform for change. With a passion for raising awareness through multiple platforms, emphasizing collaboration, and a strong belief in “not reinventing the wheel” Dr. Magda wanted to create an organization that emphasizes enhancement of sound international animal projects that lack funding, training and support thus in 2014 Veterinarians International was created.

Dr. Magda also practices emergency veterinary medicine in numerous specialty hospitals across New York State.

Erin Ivory is a world-renown behaviorist that specializes in the care, welfare, and conservation of Asian and African elephants. Her unique ability to understand elephants has made her one of the premier elephant specialists globally. She shares her knowledge of elephant behavior and how to modify behavior through positive methods with range country mahouts, veterinarians, and researchers. Over the years she has taught hundreds of elephants and their caregivers how to work together based on a foundation of trust-based relationships, positive reinforcement operant conditioning, and applied behavior analysis to ensure the health and wellbeing of elephants.

She recently graduated with Distinction from the University of Exeter with a degree in Anthrozoology which studies how humans view animals, human-animal interactions and connectivity. Combining the study of humans and how they perceive elephants with her knowledge of modifying elephant and human behavior, Erin is charting new techniques to mitigate Human-Elephant conflict. Her inclusive methods for analyzing the environment in which human and elephant conflict behavior occurs, and then finding strategies to change both human and elephant behavior will revolutionize conflict mitigation globally.

Dr. Beth Miller is a veterinarian with 22 years of experience integrating animal health and social empowerment in international development. A graduate of Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine in the USA, Dr. Miller has owned and operated a small-scale goat dairy, and a mobile private veterinary practice in the USA. For 10 years, she served as Director of Gender Equity for Heifer International, which uses livestock as an entry point for sustainable community development.

Dr. Miller started Miller Agricultural Consulting Inc. in 2002, to provide project planning, training, research and evaluation services to a variety of clients, including World Bank, USAID, FAO, IFAD, ILRI, IFPRI, Heifer International, IGA, Land O’Lakes, and the Gates Foundation. She is committed to a future where the livestock value chain provides sustainable livelihoods for small-scale farmers and herders, supported by sound agricultural policies.

Dr. Grace Angeline Watene is a veterinarian and post-graduate student undertaking MSc in Veterinary Public Health at the University Of Nairobi, and a MSc in Veterinary Epidemiology at the University Of London; Royal veterinary College (UK).

She has been a Graduate research Fellow at ILRI involved in Coxiella burnetii-sero-prevalence work, in the Horn project as a pioneer grant holder in an Antimicrobial Resistance multidisciplinary research project to be conducted in Oloitoktok, Kenya, and in a number of volunteer projects: USAID one Health programme in Kajiado; where they assessed the one Health needs of the Maasai community in 2017, and has been part of the veterinary team that leads the Laikipia Rabies Vaccination campaign at Mpala research Centre (Nanyuki) since 2016.

 She is now the Kenya Representative at Veterinarians International, where she is part of our community based team; Sauti Moja, in Marsabit (Northern Kenya) where she renders professional support to the indigenous agro-pastoralists living in the area, aids in community needs prioritization, and actively monitors project implementation and progress.

She is a disciplined public health enthusiast and an avid epidemiologist with a One Health focus. Dr. Watene aspires to take on a leadership role in confronting the socio-economic elements that determine the health and wellbeing of both animal and human populations.

Nicole Teitler is an award-winning journalist and animal rights activist from New York. Professionally known as Nikki On The Daily, she is a wordsmith and brand strategist with a love of all things fitness, food, and travel, while being dedicated to living an eco-conscious life.

It was her love of animals that led her to work with Veterinarians International. For years she has been involved with many non-profit organizations that support like causes. In 2016 she began volunteering for Southampton Animal Shelter, later joining the Junior Committee for its annual gala. She has organized events for the foundation, including “Pints for Paws,” a month-long collaboration with Montauk Brewing Company. Nicole is a firm believer in the “Adopt-Don’t-Shop” mantra when it comes to pet adoptions and fights for the rights of all animals.

Nicole is also an avid traveler, setting foot in destinations across the globe including the Australian Daintree rainforest and Negev Desert in Israel. She finds adventure in all of her excursions– horseback riding through Spain, snorkeling in Belize, visiting an ice hotel in Canada– exploring local cuisine along the way. During her travels, which also include the New York tri-state area, she enjoys hiking and surrounding herself by nature.

Nicole graduated from Hofstra University with a degree in Journalism in 2011. Since that time, she has reported for numerous publications but mostly remembered by her work for Long Island’s Newsday and The Independent Newspaper. At The Independent Newspaper, Nicole was part of the core editorial team that won major journalism awards including 2019 Newspaper of the Year and the Stuart C. Dorman Award for Editorial Excellence from the New York Press Association.

Nicole has years of experience in public relations and event management in Manhattan and on Long Island. She has been a guest speaker at Long Island University’s CW Post and St. Johns University. She was included as an expert in the panel discussion “The Future of TV Media” alongside top media names Chuck Scarborough, Rosanna Scotto, Bill McCuddy and Neil Rosen. She has also worked as a video journalist for The Spur, an innovation hub and workspace on the East End of Long Island.

Her goal as a journalist has always been to be “a voice for the voiceless, for those who cannot find their words.”

Nicole is currently working as a professional copywriter. She is inspired to make a change through the power of interconnectedness through global and local communities.

Pulkit has a Masters Degree in Computer Science from IUPUI and has interests in Software Development & Testing. In his spare time he enjoys playing video games, watching sports like Football & Tennis. He loves listening to music and Taylor Swift, Coldplay, Maroon 5 & Selena Gomez are some of his all time favorites. He is passionate towards causes related to animals and is a dog person.

Holly Byrd is a professional animal trainer with over 15 years of experience training exotic and domestic animals and is committed to advancing animal welfare and education. She earned her B.S. in Psychology with an emphasis in Behavior Analysis from West Virginia University. Holly has trained over 20 species in 6 top zoological facilities, working with a wide variety of species from killer whales and elephants, to birds of prey and small mammals. As a Senior Animal Trainer, Holly developed and implemented animal behavior plans for a variety of functional purposes, including husbandry behaviors, play and enrichment focused behaviors, and behaviors used to assist in research studies. Much of her focus was also directed towards mentoring and teaching staff on behavior principles and practical applications.

Holly has also worked with pets and families as both a private Animal Behavior Consultant and an Obedience Instructor in group canine classes and has trained under some of the top experts in those fields. She has provided scientifically-validated behavioral therapy to help families in need of intensive behavior modification for behavior problems with their pets, including (but not limited to) aggression, fearful behavior, destruction, house-training difficulties, and other excessive behavior.

In addition to her animal background, Holly is also an experienced executive assistant. She has aided top executives at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government in both the Alumni Relations and Resource Development department and the Office of Financial Services coordinating with high-profile donors, managing international travel, and planning events. She also supported the Global Experience Office at the Harvard Business School where she helped send over 900 students around the world for a new immersive learning program.

Holly currently lives in Buffalo, NY with her family where she operates her dog training business, Positive Start Dog Training, whose mission is to not only train well-mannered dogs through humane, ethical, and scientifically-based training methods, but to also equip owners with the tools and knowledge to continue their dogs behavioral learning at home. By building a positive foundation of proper manners through positive reinforcement, we can keep dogs with preventable problem behaviors out of the shelters and at home with their families, right where they belong.

In her downtime, Holly loves to be outside with her family in the garden growing delicious heirloom tomatoes, hiking beautiful Western NY, and skiing. She also likes to refurbish furniture, upcycle anything, sew, and learn a new skill (which is currently the piano).

Dr. Maria Brömme is a graduate of the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies located in Edinburgh, Scotland. After graduation, seeking warmer weather, she completed a rotating internship at California Veterinary Specialists in Ontario, CA. She now works as a general practitioner at Alicia Pet Care Center in Mission Viejo, CA.

Dr. Brömme has always enjoyed traveling and learning about other cultures. Feeling the frustrations of watching stray dogs and cats with no access to veterinary care during her travels, she sought to get involved with the international veterinary community. During her travels in Costa Rica, she watched with fascination how a spay/neuter clinic was efficiently run in a gymnasium. As a veterinary student, she volunteered in Cyprus performing spays, neuters and providing basic medical care to dogs and cats. At home in Southern California, she is fortunate to work with numerous animal rescue organizations through her job in general practice.

The rabies prevention initiative in Todos Santos, Guatemala was Dr. Brömme’s first project with Veterinarians International. She quickly fell in love with the community and its dogs and cats. She looks forward to many more international projects and bringing together passionate and motivated people to help communities in need.

In her free time, Dr. Brömme enjoys hiking with her dog, trail running, and relaxing at the beach.

Jim Desmond is founder of both Liberia Chimpanzee Rescue & Protection in West Africa and Partners in Animal Protection and Conservation in the U.S.  Jim grew up in Portland, Maine and after receiving a BA in Chemistry from the College of the Holy Cross, worked in the pharmaceutical industry for several years as an analytical chemist, before switching to a career in wildlife conservation. Jim attended Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine where he completed his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree and Masters in Comparative Biomedical Sciences. Since graduating as a DVM, MS, Dr. Desmond has worked as a wildlife veterinarian and a consultant specializing in emerging infectious diseases and wildlife trade.  He has consulted for several international NGO’s including EcoHealth Alliance, Smithsonian Institution, Jane Goodall Institute, and the Pan African Sanctuary Alliance (PASA) and worked in many countries across the globe, leading diverse projects focused on zoonotic disease, wildlife conservation and biodiversity preservation. His veterinary specialty is in great ape care and welfare.

Jim currently resides in Liberia with his wife where they established and run Liberia Chimpanzee Rescue & Protection’s Sanctuary and Conservation Center whose aim is to provide refuge for chimpanzees orphaned by the bushmeat and live pet trades and drive broad based conservation strategies locally, regionally and globally.

IMPORTANT NOTE: **Chimpanzees are not and should not be pets or forced to live with humans.** The chimpanzee orphans at LCRP’s sanctuary in West Africa are victims of the bushmeat and illegal pet trade. Their mothers were tragically killed by poachers and require around the clock care. Thanks to the dedicated caregivers and staff, the orphans are being rehabilitated so that they will be able to thrive with others in a natural and safe environment when they’re older.  Please support LCRP’s efforts to rescue chimpanzees in need to keep wild chimps wild.

Jenny Desmond is Founder of both Liberia Chimpanzee Rescue and Protection in West Africa and Partners in Animal Welfare and Protection in the U.S. Jenny has played leadership roles in multiple funding, marketing and project management programs; created strategic business development plans; established and improved numerous animal care protocols; collaborated on diverse wildlife crime fighting initiatives; and managed the rehabilitation of a diverse number of wildlife species, for a multitude of animal protection and conservation organizations throughout the world, with an emphasis on great apes. An animal welfare and conservation consultant, Jenny also provides guidance and support in a variety of capacities to international private and not for profit organizations. She has worked a diverse collection of organizations included the Jane Goodall Institute, Pan African Sanctuary Alliance, Smithsonian Institute, EcoHealth Alliance and numerous other local and global wildlife rescue, rehabilitation, protection and conservation organizations.

Jenny currently resides in Liberia with her husband where they established and run Liberia Chimpanzee Rescue & Protection’s Sanctuary and Conservation Center whose aim is to provide refuge for chimpanzees orphaned by the bushmeat and live pet trades and drive broad based conservation strategies locally, regionally and globally.

IMPORTANT NOTE: **Chimpanzees are not and should not be pets or forced to live with humans.** The chimpanzee orphans at LCRP’s sanctuary in West Africa are victims of the bushmeat and illegal pet trade. Their mothers were tragically killed by poachers and require around the clock care. Thanks to the dedicated caregivers and staff, the orphans are being rehabilitated so that they will be able to thrive with others in a natural and safe environment when they’re older.  Please support LCRP’s efforts to rescue chimpanzees in need to keep wild chimps wild.

Elena was born and raised in Canada, moving to Chile for family and professional reasons in 2009. She has a doctor of veterinary medicine from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon, Canada and a Master’s degree in International Animal Health from the University of Edinburgh. Elena began her career working with wildlife and domestic animals in Canada. From there, she developed a passionate interest in disease ecology, public health, and interactions between humans and animal communities. As the program director and co-founder of the Global Alliance for Animals and People, she has developed a special interest in the issues surrounding free-roaming domestic dogs and their impacts on people, livestock and wildlife. In 2014, the Global Alliance for Animals and People partnered with Veterinarians International to lead the Healthy Pets Program in Chile and Guatemala with goals to improve the health and welfare of companion animals such as dogs, cats and horses.

Dr. Gardsbane love of children, animals, medicine and travel has inspired her to want to do more to help our planet. As a veterinarian she opened a small animal veterinary hospital in Maryland, and watched as her dream of a caring compassionate veterinary hospital took wing. Her animal hospital, Animal Place Veterinary Hospital is now celebrating its 20^th year.

As a mother, Dr. Gardsbane was fascinated by the interaction of children and animals.  During various trips overseas, Dr. Gardsbane observed children and animals interacting, she starting reading more and more about teaching empathy to children and the effect it could have on people’s lives.

Traveling with Heifer Project International she saw the care of livestock, but realized that dogs and cats were not seen as being as valuable.  Then in 2009 Dr. Gardsbane was invited by the Vice President of Liberia, West Africa to do an assessment of the veterinary needs of the country. At that time, she was able to put a spot light on the benefits of improving the health and lives of the dogs and cats for human health benefits.

Dr. Gardsbane is passionate about improving pet health as she feels it will have a direct positive benefit to the community and especially for the children. Teaching children around the world that small animals lives are important she feels will increase empathy towards people in the future.

Dr. Beth Miller is a veterinarian with 22 years of experience integrating animal health and social empowerment in international development. A graduate of Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine in the USA, Dr. Miller has owned and operated a small-scale goat dairy, and a mobile private veterinary practice in the USA. For 10 years, she served as Director of Gender Equity for Heifer International, which uses livestock as an entry point for sustainable community development.

Dr. Miller started Miller Agricultural Consulting Inc. in 2002, to provide project planning, training, research and evaluation services to a variety of clients, including World Bank, USAID, FAO, IFAD, ILRI, IFPRI, Heifer International, IGA, Land O’Lakes, and the Gates Foundation. She is committed to a future where the livestock value chain provides sustainable livelihoods for small-scale farmers and herders, supported by sound agricultural policies.

Guillermo Perez was born and raised in Chile up to the age of 18 when his family immigrated to Canada. He began his professional career in 1993 right after becoming a Forestry Technician, then went on to getting a degree in Natural Resource Science from Thompson’s River’s University, Canada and a Master’s in Science degree from University of Saskatchewan, also in Canada. In 2009, he moved back to Chile to work on the mitigation of conflicts between animals and people in marginalized communities in Latin America. In 2014, he co-founded the NGO The Global Alliance for Animals and People (he GAAP) whose mission is to improve quality of life of animals and people. The same year, an as part of their strategic planning, the GAAP formed a partnership with Veterinarians International, which is getting stronger year-after-year. Guillermo has worked on animal, land management and bird conservation issues in Canada, Mexico, Guatemala, and Chile.

Dr. Dawn Zimmerman is the Director of Wildlife Health for the Global Health Program, where she focuses on using a One Health approach for wildlife health issues and for the conservation of endangered species. Zimmerman has worked in the field of zoological and wildlife medicine for more than 15 years. She completed her Master of Science at San Diego State University and her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine at Ross University. Her master’s degree research focused on the development of techniques for reproductive assistance in exotic canids, and she has a particular interest in the conservation of African carnivores.

Zimmerman’s field experience includes conservation medicine and capacity building around the globe, but with a focus on East Africa. Zimmerman was the global lead for the USAID Emerging Pandemic Threats PREDICT program in Kenya, working to detect pathogens of pandemic potential by investigating the animals most likely to harbor them.

She is an appointed assistant professor adjunct of epidemiology at Yale School of Public Health, and holds affiliate faculty positions at George Mason University, University of Nairobi (Kenya), and Addis Ababa University (Ethiopia). She is also an associate editor for the Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine, chair of the American Association of Zoo Veterinarians’ Development Committee, member of the National Science and Technology Council’s Pandemic Prediction and Forecasting Science & Technology working group, scientific adviser for the Gorilla Doctors at the University of California, Davis, and veterinary adviser for the Tapiridae Taxon Advisory Group and Species Survival Programs, and the Tapir Specialist Group.

Her primary research interests include applying a One Health approach to the conservation of critically endangered wildlife species and the mitigation of emerging infectious diseases at the wildlife-human interface. Dr. Zimmerman is helping Veterinarians International with planning of the elephant hospital and wildlife rehabuliation center at the Elephant Transit Home in Sri Lanka, as well as overseeing veterinary training needs.

Dr. Janine L. Brown is a Research Physiologist with over 25 years of experience conducting wildlife research. She obtained her M.S. in 1978 and Ph.D. in 1984 in Animal Sciences at Washington State University, and joined the National Zoological Park (NZP) in 1991. She now heads the Endocrine Research Laboratory at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) in Front Royal, Virginia, and works towards increasing knowledge that will lead to better management and conservation of endangered species. She oversaw the development of techniques to measure hormones and other biomarkers in serum, plasma, urine, feces, hair and saliva of dozens of species, and in doing so has amassed an extensive database demonstrating the incredible diversity of reproductive, health and stress response mechanisms that exist in the natural world. She is a world authority on elephants, and as the Reproductive Advisor to the Elephant Taxon Advisory Group, her laboratory plays a key role in ex situ management plans for Asian and African elephants in the United States. She also conducts collaborative research on reproduction, health and welfare of elephants in range countries, including Thailand, Sri Lanka, Laos and Myanmar, and provides advice and direct research assistance to improving management of captive elephants around the globe. She coordinates training workshops in endocrine techniques as part of university courses in the U.S., and technology transfer efforts in Asian range countries, where she has established endocrinology laboratories that conduct studies on local wildlife of national importance. She is an Emeritus and co-founding member of the International Society for Wildlife Endocrinology (ISWE), a co-founder of the Asian Captive Elephant Working Group (ACEWG), and serves on the Editorial Boards of Zoo Biology, Animal Reproduction Science and Domestic Animal Endocrinology. She has over 300 peer-reviewed publications, and practices capacity building through training of graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, and interns to carry on this multidisciplinary work.

Ellen S. Dierenfeld, PhD, received her PhD and MS in Animal Science from Cornell University, and a BS in Animal Science from Iowa State University. She is a founding member of both the American Zoo and Aquarium Association’s Nutrition Advisory Group and the Comparative Nutrition Society, where she currently serves as President, and is an Advisor to the online Handrearing Resource Center. She served >10 years a Nutrition Advisor to the AZA Elephant SSP, and is a member of the IUCS/SSC Asian Elephant Specialist Group, with over 30 years’ professional experience in applied and basic animal nutrition research. Previous positions include: Director of Wildlife Nutrition (Wildlife Conservation Society/Bronx Zoo), Director of Nutrition and Research (Oxbow Animal Health), Staff Nutritionist (Saint Louis Zoo), and Manager of Africa R&D and Global Sustainability Programs (Novus International, Inc.). Present activity includes roles as Honorary Professor, School of Animal, Rural & Environmental Sciences at Nottingham Trent University in the UK, Editorial Boards for Zoo Biology and Dairy Science, Veterinary & Animal Husbandry and Animals scientific journals, as well as Consulting Nutritionist for several zoos, private facilities/individuals, and feed manufacturers. Ellen has conducted field work on six continents with a variety of both wildlife and livestock species, focusing on native/local feed ingredient composition and animal utilization. She has mentored >200 students/interns in aspects of comparative nutrition, and currently co-supervises graduate student activities in the UK and Australia, working with multiple species and nutrients. Ellen has published more than 250 peer-reviewed articles, co-authored the book, ‘Comparative Animal Nutrition and Metabolism’, and developed Zootrition records keeping and nutritional analysis software.

A veterinarian and conservation biologist, with more than thirty years of experience at academic, research and administrative positions. Recipient of various research grants, fellowsips and scholarships. Specially trained for elephant management, elephant breeding, conservation medicine and biology. Extensive work experience in Southeast Asian countries as a consultant Veterinarian.

Dr. Valliyatte is an experienced veterinary surgeon and has worked in the field of animal welfare and shelter medicine for the past 12 years. He is also associated with national and international organizations. In 2002 he graduated from Hyderabad Veterinary College of India and in 2009 completed his post-graduate diploma in wildlife management from the Wildlife Institute of India. In 2014 he obtained his US veterinary license through the Education Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduate Certificate program from the AVMA .

Dr Valliyatte has extensive experience in the field of captive elephant welfare and disease management. He has been instrumental in building networks between various government departments, veterinarians, elephant owners and mahouts for improving the welfare standards of captive elephants. He was bestowed the “Eco Warrior Award “ by Hon. Vice President of India in 2008. He received the Wildlife Conservation Award from WORLD (Wing of Research in Local Development), Rajasthan, India in 2008 and the Certificate of Excellence from Elephant Family U.K in 2005.
As a shelter veterinarian, Dr. Valliyatte has considerable experience in disease management in shelter conditions. He is an experienced spay and neuter surgeon and trained many veterinarians to attain this skill.

Dr. Valliyatte is the author and contributor to many papers on healthcare and management of captive Asian elephants. He has presented many papers in international symposiums on animal welfare.

Dr. Willem Schaftenaar has over 40 years of experience as a general veterinary clinician, including 29 years in zoological medicine and research. He is currently a researcher and advisor for EEHV-research at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Ultrecht (NL) and an associate researcher for Elephant Care International. He has authored or coauthored 31 peer-reviewed scientific papers, and 40 conference proceedings, presenting at conferences in Europe, the U.S., and Asia.

Dr. Karesh is the the Executive Vice President for Health and Policy for EcoHealth Alliance and serves as the Technical Director for the USAID Emerging Pandemic Threats PREDICT program. He is President of the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) Working Group on Wildlife, and chairs the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Species Survival Commission’s Wildlife Health Specialist Group, a network of hundreds of wildlife and health experts around the world.

Dr. Karesh has pioneered initiatives that focus attention and resources on solving problems caused by the interactions among wildlife, people, and domestic animals. He coined the term “One Health,” and created the “One World—One Health” initiative to encourage connections among public health-, agricultural-, and environmental health agencies and organizations worldwide. He has led programs and projects in over 60 countries, from Argentina to Zambia. In addition to his work in the private sector, Dr. Karesh has also worked for the USDA, DOD, DOI, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the U.N. He is recognized internationally as an authority on animal and human health linkages and wildlife. He has published over 160 scientific papers and numerous book chapters, and written for journals such as Foreign Affairs. Dr. Karesh is also the author of Appointment at the Ends of the World: Memoirs of a Wildlife Veterinarian, published by Warner Books.

Dr. Frederick (Ted) Leighton was the founding Executive Director of the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative (CWHC), a unique national partnership among academic veterinary medicine, government agencies responsible for wildlife conservation and for animal and human health, private businesses and other non-government groups that now leads and coordinates wildlife health management in Canada. Through ever-widening circles of recognition and engagement, Dr. Leighton guided the evolution of the CWHC from an initial program of wildlife disease surveillance to a broad national program of research, training, investigation, risk assessment, response planning and policy advise that now is a firm component of Canada’s national conservation and health management infrastructures. Designation of the CWHC as a Collaborating Centre of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) brought an international dimension to the CWHC program; Dr. Leighton served as the national focal point for wildlife for Canada’s Delegate to the OIE and developed and delivered a series of three 2-day training workshops on aspects of wildlife health assessment and management, each presented at five locations around the world for the wildlife focal points of the 180 OIE member countries.

Dr. Leighton studied theatre arts at Cornell University, taught school in rural Newfoundland, earned a DVM degree from the University of Saskatchewan, a PhD from Cornell, is a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists,was elected a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences and received an honorary Doctor of Science degree from the University of Guelph. His broad perspective on the place of wildlife, animal health and veterinary medicine in the 21st Century has resulted in invitations to present the Schofield Lecture at the Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, the Albert Franzmann Memorial Lecture of the American Association of Wildlife Veterinarians (AAWV) and to serve as the inaugural K.V.F. Jubb Visiting Fellow at the University of Melbourne. He has received the Ed Addison Distinguished Service Award of the Wildlife Disease Association (WDA) and the Tom Thorne and Elizabeth Williams Award made jointly by the WDA and AAWV. As a research scientist, Dr. Leighton did pioneering work on the toxicity of crude petroleum oil to marine birds, and has managed large-scale research programs on Chronic Wasting Disease, West Nile virus, avian influenza, epidemic diseases in double-crested cormorants, and white-nose syndrome of bats. His proudest professional achievement is the cadre of students he has influenced, in one way or another, to contribute to wildlife conservation and global health issues.

Currently, Dr. Leighton is professor emeritus at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan. He is an active member of the Working Group for Wildlife of the OIE and is co-director of Wildlife-Human Health Net, a research and development program in Sri Lanka to enhance capacity in wildlife health management. He is an adjunct professor at Université Sainte-Anne in Nova Scotia, a contributor to conservation research at the Mersey-Tobeatic Research Institute and an associate of the CWHC-Atlantic Region.

Ms. Turk’s career has spanned thirty-five years as Foreign Service Officer and Civil Service employee with the U.S. Agency for International Development with focused experience in agricultural and livestock program management. She joined USAID in 1980 following her service as a livestock advisor in the US Peace Corps, Philippine Islands then enjoyed three years in the former Sudan overseeing a multilaterally funded agricultural research project that built livestock research stations and trained staff in North and South Kordofan and Darfur states. She has developed and supervised global livestock production, health and research projects, managed multidisciplinary teams of scientific researchers in the United States and developing countries, and negotiated and resolved problems in project design and implementation.

Her responsibilities have included managing a multimillion dollar portfolio of livestock projects and the implementation of research activities and teams, analyzing the feasibility of technical proposals and negotiating terms of reference, evaluating international research programs, coordinating strategic portfolio planning, and organizing and chairing international and domestic symposia on global livestock production and trade. She has conducted technical analyses for policy and program development related to livestock production and health worldwide. In addition, she assists partners in developing potential market opportunities for U.S. trade in collaboration with livestock industry representatives, and advises developing country governments on strategies for livestock production, health and marketing.

Her international consultancies have included:TheWellcome Trust, United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), European Union (EU), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and USAID livestock programs in Armenia, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Caribbean Islands (Antigua, Barbados, Jamaica, Martinique, St. Lucia, Trinidad, and Tobago), Costa Rica, East Timor, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Israel, Kenya, Mali, Mexico, Morocco, Nepal, Niger, Peru, Republic of Georgia, Republic of Macedonia, Rwanda, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Uganda, the West Bank, and Zimbabwe.

Ms. Turk attained a BS in Animal Science from The Ohio State University and an MS in Animal Science (ruminant nutrition) from Cornell University. She is a multi-year recipient of U.S.A.I.D.’s Meritorious Performance Awards and is listed in Who’s Who of American Women.

David Waltner-Toews was founding president of Veterinarians without Borders/ Vétérinaires sans Frontières – Canada (www.vwb-vsf.ca). A University Professor Emeritus at the University of Guelph, he is also a founding member of Communities of Practice for Ecosystem Approaches to Health in Canada (www.copeh-canada.org) and internationally. He has worked on every continent except Antarctica on ecosystem approaches to health. In 2010, in London, England, the International Association for Ecology and Health presented him with the inaugural award for contributions to ecosystem approaches to health, and was a speaker in the “Speakers of Renown” series that celebrated the 40th anniversary of Canada’s International Development Research Centre.

Dr. Waltner-Toews is the author or coauthor of more than 100 peer-reviewed papers, as well as 17 books of poetry, fiction (including a murder mystery – Fear of Landing – set in Indonesia and starring a veterinarian), textbooks on health, ecosystems and sustainability, and popular science. His most recent book of popular nonfiction is The Origin of Feces: what excrement tells us about evolution, ecology and a sustainable society. Previous books include The Chickens Fight Back: Pandemic Panics and Deadly Diseases that Jump from Animals to People, which is a natural and cultural history of zoonoses, and Food, Sex and Salmonella: Why our Food is Making us Sick, which explores the ecological and cultural context for foodborne diseases.

Carl Safina is best known for lyrical non-fiction writing. His work explores how we are changing the natural world and what the changes mean for human and non-human beings. Carl sees that the durability of human dignity and survival of the natural world will depend on each other; we cannot preserve the wild unless we preserve human dignity, and we cannot conserve human dignity while continuing to degrade nature. His work fuses scientific understanding, emotional connection, and a moral call to action.

Safina was born to parents whose Brooklyn apartment was filled with singing canaries—his father’s hobby. Trips to New York’s zoos, aquarium, American Museum of Natural History, and his uncles’ boat lit a city kid’s early fascination with animals. He began raising homing pigeons at age seven, and spent his teen years training hawks and owls, and immersed in fishing, bird-banding, and camping. Soon these passions took him on adventures in Kenya, Nepal, Greenland, and Arctic Canada and beyond.

Carl Safina’s seven books include “Song for the Blue Ocean,” “The View From Lazy Point; A Natural Year in an Unnatural World,” “A Sea in Flames; The Deepwater Horizon Oil Blowout,” “Beyond Words; What Animals Think and Feel,” and others. He hosted the 10-part PBS television series Saving the Ocean (which can be viewed at PBS.org). Carl contributes frequently to CNN.com, National Geographic, The New York Times, Audubon, The Huffington Post and others. His most recent TED Talk received a million views in its first month.
Audubon magazine named Carl Safina among its “100 Notable Conservationists of the 20th Century.” In 2011, Utne Reader listed him among “25 Visionaries Changing the World.” His work has won the Lannan Literary Award, Orion Book Award, National Academies’ Science Communication Award; the John Burroughs, James Beard, and George Rabb medals; Pew and Guggenheim fellowships, and a MacArthur “genius” fellowship.

Safina’s seabird studies earned him a Rutgers University PhD, then for a decade he worked on overhauling fishing policies, helping restore ocean wildlife. In the 1990s he helped lead campaigns to ban high-seas driftnets, overhaul U. S. fisheries law, improve international management of fisheries targeting tunas and sharks, achieve passage of a United Nations global fisheries treaty, and reduce albatross and sea turtle drownings on commercial fishing lines. Along the way, he became a leading voice for conservation, widening his interests from what is at stake in the natural world to who is at stake among the non-human beings who share this astonishing planet.

He is the endowed professor for Nature and Humanity at Stony Brook University and is founding president of the not-for-profit Safina Center. He has honorary doctorates from Drexel and Long Island Universities and the State University of New York.

Safina has been profiled in the New York Times, Rolling Stone, and on Nightline, and has been featured on National Public Radio; Bill Moyers’ special Earth on Edge; on on TV shows ranging from The Martha Stewart Show to The Colbert Report.

His latest bestselling book, Beyond Words; What Animals Think and Feel, affirms his role as one of today’s leading voices for nature. In The New York Review of Books, Tim Flannery wrote: “Beyond Words is gloriously written… Along with Darwin’sOrigin and Richard Dawkins’s Selfish Gene, Beyond Words has the potential to change our relationship with the natural world.” (More at CarlSafina.org, SafinaCenter.org.)

Jane Goodall was born on April 3, 1934, in London, England. From earliest childhood, she was fascinated by animals and the Africa she discovered in the storybooks of Tarzan and Dr. Doolittle.

In 1957, she traveled to the Kenyan farm of a friend’s parents and met the famed anthropologist and paleontologist Dr. Louis Leakey. In 1960, at his invitation, she began her landmark study of chimpanzee behavior in what is now Tanzania. Her field research at what was then called Gombe Stream Chimpanzee Reserve – most notably, her discovery that chimpanzees make and use tools – revolutionized the world of primatology and redefined the relationship between humans and animals.

In 1977, Dr. Goodall established the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) to advance her vision and work around the world and for generations to come. JGI continues to work at Gombe Stream Research Center and is a global leader in the effort to protect chimpanzees and their habitats. It is widely recognized for building on Dr. Goodall’s groundbreaking community-centered approach to conservation and development programs in Africa, and for Roots & Shoots, the global environmental and humanitarian youth program.

Dr. Goodall founded Roots & Shoots in 1991 with a group of Tanzanian students. The youth program connects more than 150,000 young people in nearly 100 countries, equipping them to take action to make the world a better place for people, animals, and the environment.

Today, she travels an average 300 days per year, speaking about the threats facing chimpanzees, other environmental crises, and her reasons for hope. In her speeches and books, she emphasizes the interconnectedness of all living things and the collective power of individual action, urging her audiences to recognize their personal responsibility and ability to effect change. “Every individual matters,” she says. “Every individual has a role to play. Every individual makes a difference.”

Her eloquent ability to raise public awareness and understanding has become instrumental in her work to save chimpanzees from extinction. She is the author of numerous books that have engaged an international readership in her life with chimpanzees. Her life and work are the subject of numerous television documentaries, as well as the 2002 film Jane Goodall’s Wild Chimpanzees, and the 2010 documentary, Jane’s Journey. Discovery Channel’s Animal Planet has produced a number of features on Dr. Goodall, including Jane Goodall’s Return to Gombe, Jane Goodall’s State of the Great Ape, When Animals Talk, Jane Goodall’s Heroes, and Almost Human.

Dr. Goodall is the recipient of many honors, including the Medal of Tanzania, the National Geographic Society’s Hubbard Medal, Japan’s prestigious Kyoto Prize, the Benjamin Franklin Medal in Life Science, the UNESCO 60th Anniversary Medal, and the Gandhi/King Award for Nonviolence. In April 2002, Secretary General Kofi Annan named Dr. Goodall a United Nations Messenger of Peace. In a 2004 ceremony at Buckingham Palace, she became a Dame Commander of the British Empire. In 2006, she received France’s highest recognition, the Legion of Honor.

For more information, please visit www.janegoodall.org.

Cornelia Guest has been passionate about animals and nature since she was a child. Her passion is reflected in every aspect of her life including her philanthropy, animal activism and business enterprises.

In 2009 she founded Cornelia Guest Events and Cornelia Guest Cookies, catering high-end charity and entertainment events with healthy, vegan dishes. Her mission is to encourage and inspire people to be conscious of the dietary
choices they make in their daily lives.

Cornelia has a line of cruelty-free bags, which she won the Fashion Group’s prestigious Rising Star Award for. Her bags are available on her website and in boutiques around the country. Her first book, “Simple Pleasures”
(Weinstein Company) is on stands and includes original recipes, decorating and party tips, and photos from throughout her life. She participated inthe Food Network’s hit show, Rachel v Guy and does correspondent work for EXTRA and Town & Country.

Cornelia has been able to use her media attention and professional contacts to support Humane Society of New York, and was named by Donna Karan as one of the Women Who Inspire. She was the face of PETA’s I’d Rather Go Naked
campaign, advocating against wearing fur. She was named Project Gravitas’s “Women of the Month” and helped designed a line of cruelty-free leather jackets and most recently partnered with Fabulous Furs to create a line of faux fur jackets. She also founded the Artemis Farm Rescue in 2016.

In 2017 she made the transition into acting and founded Cornelia Guest Productions. She can currently be seen in the Showtime series “Twin Peaks.”

Based in Sag Harbor NY Penni Ludwig spends much of her time weaving through the back roads, avoiding much of the summer Hamptons traffic hunting down hurt animals for the Evelyn Alexander Wildlife Rescue Center as one of their many on call volunteers. Her huge love for animals and conservation has grown across the globe. Working with African Parks for the largest translocation of African Elephants through Malawi. Sponsoring the first lions to return to Rwanda since their population was wiped out post-genocide, they have since had cubs of their own and the lion population in Rwanda is growing. Building fresh water wells in Sierra Leone to working with the World Heritage Foundation in India to maintain the UNESCO sites. Most recently Penni has been working with the passionate and dynamic team from Veterinarians International to establish the first mobile veterinary elephant clinic to serve the elephants in Surin, Thailand as a tremendous first step towards improving the lives of all the elephants and their mahout caretakers across Thailand. When not traveling with different charities and organizations or searching through brush for an injured turkey you can find her in her gold-smithing studio making jewelry.

Christie Brinkley has appeared on more than 500 magazine covers worldwide. She is also an artist, writer, photographer, designer, actress, philanthropist & environmentalist.

As a passionate humanitarian, Christie, along with her model daughter, Sailor Brinkley-Cook, traveled to South Africa and Kenya in 2013, in support of The First Lady of Kenya’s “Hands Off Our Elephant” Campaign and Anti- Elephant and Rhino Poaching Campaigns of The United States and South Africa. Christie was also one of the leaders in the worlds first International March for Elephants in New York City of October 2013.

She has also received many honors for her work protecting our health and the environment. She sits on the Board of Directors of The Global Security Institute and Radiation and Public Health Project, whose aim is to promote security thru the elimination of nuclear weapons and nuclear power plants. She has spoken on their behalf at both the United Nations, and the U.S. Senate. She wants all kids to get an education and to that end, has created a Scholarship Fund at Ross School in EH, NY.

Richard Lair has lived and worked with Asian elephants, and has been a member of the IUCN/SSC AsESG, the UN’s Asian Elephant Specialist Group for over 30 years. He wrote the first scientific paper on the numbers and status of Thai domesticated elephants, and in 1997 wrote Gone Astray: The Care and Management of the Asian Elephant in Domesticity, for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. He is working on a review of Thai law on both wild and domesticated elephants. Richard Lair has been interviewed on many television shows (BBC, Animal Planet, National Geographic, The Daily Show) and his work has been featured in TIME magazine, the New York Times, and others

Andy Sabin is a passionate environmentalist and dedicated philanthropist. As president and CEO of Sabin Metal Corporation and founder of Sabin Commodities, Andy has used his business acumen to fund important environmental projects throughout the world and most especially on the East End of Long Island where he is a substantial supporter of the YMCA in East Hampton.

Andy’s passion to preserve our air, water, flora and fauna earned him the title of “Salamander Commander” when he was the first to document the endangered Eastern Tiger Salamander on Long Island. Two frogs have been named for Andy: Centrolene sabini also known as the Sabin Glass Frog and Aphantophryne sabini, a frog species endemic to Papua New Guinea. A recently discovered Rhampholean sabinii pigmy chameleon will be named for Andy in 2015.

In 1988, Andy created the South Fork Natural History Museum and Nature Center our of his concern for the area’s fragile ecosystem, to increase public awareness of this issue and to share the joy of learning about and exploring nature.

As a trustee and treasurer of the Evan Frankel Foundation, Andy made grants in excess of $18 million for the humanities and the environment. He realized Evan Frankel’s vision to create a cemetery connected to the Jewish Center of the Hamptons that is a quiet place of spirituality and natural beauty.

In 2008 with the goal of making his philanthropy more impactful, Andy established the Andrew Sabin Family Foundation inspiring his family to become more involved in philanthropy. Each year the ASFF makes more than 200 grants that focus on the environment and preservation of amphibian and reptilian species and their habitats.

Andy’s philanthropy is extensive and includes funding cancer research at MD Anderson Cancer Center and genetic research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. In addition the ASFF has funded the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia University, the Emmet Center in Climate Change at UCLA School of Law, The Yale Center for Business and Environment with an annual $25,000 prize for the most promising sustainable related start-up and a significant number of scholarships at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Science to international graduate students who commit to continue their work back in their home countries.

Andy is a great friend of Veterinarians International where his loyal support has been integral to our continued success.

Gerald Barad is a second generation hotelier, co-owner of the Triumph Hotels brand and has been an active investor in commercial and multifamily residential real estate in New York City for over 20 years.

In February 2014, with his business partner Shimmie Horn, Barad united seven iconic boutique properties to form the Triumph Hotels brand: The Iroquois New York in Midtown, Hotel Chandler in the Flatiron District, Hotel Belleclaire on the Upper West Side, the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Tribeca, The Evelyn Hotel in NoMad, The Hotel Edison in Times Square and the Washington Jefferson Hotel in the Theater District.

In addition to his prominent role in New York City hotels, Barad is the founder of Generations Against Genocide, a non-profit organization that draws upon the lessons of the Holocaust to bring attention to the plight of genocide victims worldwide.

In Sept 2014 Barad opened Castillo Rojo, an iconic local mansion converted into a boutique hotel in Santiago, Chile. While in Chile he noticed the plight of free roaming dogs and felt compelled to try to make a difference. After meeting Dr. Magda, Barad decided to become one of the founding members and supporters of VI. His contribution enabled VI to fund the salaries of 2 veterinarians, and purchase $8000 of medical supplies for our Chilean partner, the Global Alliance for Animals and People in 2015.

Barad received a Bachelor of Arts in English from Emory University and a graduate degree in social work from the University of Southern California.

Christine Evangelista stars as the female lead in E!’s newest scripted series “The Arrangement”. The series, which is written and executive produced by Jonathan Abrahams, has already been picked up for Season 2.

Most recently on the big screen, Christine took a starring turn opposite Miles Teller in the critically acclaimed biopic BLEED FOR THIS, which premiered at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival. She can also be seen opposite Jeffrey Dean Morgan in her recurring role on AMC’s “The Walking Dead.” Through her portrayal of these different characters, Christine displays a layered, dynamic, natural warmth and grace, which is always rooted in strength.

Born in Staten Island, New York, Christine’s ability to transform and her absolute love for telling the stories of others has been influenced by her background. She studied at the Herbert Berghof School of Acting and upon her graduation, she immediately began performing in several off-Broadway shows which eventually led to several guest appearances in film and television. She also has a home in Hampton Bays.

Off screen, Christine is an avid supporter of animals and is involved with a NYC based rescue group, Zani’s Furry Friends (ZFF). ZFF is a non-profit organization committed to rescuing companion animals from New York City shelters where, unfortunately, they are at significant risk for euthanasia due to overcrowding.

Christine is a proud ambassador of Veterinarians International and recently participated in the launch of our two mobile clinics in Thailand.

Dwayne Hill is an Emmy Award® nominated and Gemini Award winning voice actor, photographer, television series writer, stand-up comedian and activist.

His work playing the title role of Cat for PBS in their animated smash series Peg + Cat is what first caught the attention of Academy jurists in 2015. Despite Hill’s remarkable talents in the recording studio with multiple credits on over 100 series and countless thousands of commercials, including his work doing numerous voices on the upcoming animated feature Nut Job 2, Hill is perhaps best recognized in person for his early career on-camera work as the cautionary Coach Carr in Paramount Pictures iconic film Mean Girls. Hill can be heard regularly as the voice of Business News Network (BNN), amongst many other national and international campaigns for the world’s largest brands.

Hill’s selected writing credits include award-winning work on the series Billable Hours recognized by the Gemini Awards and Producing Parker.

Born in Toronto (Canada), Hill presently calls Manhattan home. He has interests in global renewable energies and is currently developing, among many projects, a new dramatic television series centered on counter-poaching efforts in Africa with producers Don Carmody and David Cormican along with wildlife heavyweight and veterinarian, William “Billy” Karesh, D.V.M. As a proud philanthropist, Hill works closely with Nola Safe Haven Animal Rescue and is an ambassador for Veterinarians International and through his work with Golden Renewable Energy and the Thai Royal Family, he is helping to fund our programs.

Missy is a European born model, actress, producer, and animal activist. Protesting the dolphin slaughter in Taijii, Japan (subject of the Academy Award winning documentary The Cove) with The Sea Shepherds, she was the first person to successfully gain access and film the captive albino dolphin, Baby. The video of the abuse was widely circulated and was covered by CNN.

She also participates in emergency rescue having been deployed to New Orleans for Hurricane Katrina, the Iowa floods, Hurricane Sandy, and Hurricane Matthew. Certified by FEMA and The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, she works with The Wildlife Rescue of The Hamptons and serves on their Board of Directors. She is active with The ASPCA, The Animal Rescue Fund of The Hamptons, Much Love Animal Rescue, The Southampton Animal Center, Kindred Circle Animal Rescue, and many other organizations. Her animal rescue efforts have been discussed on The Howard Stern Show, in The New York Post, and she has been a guest lecturer at UCLA.

As an actress, Missy has performed on stage in New York and Los Angeles, acted in television, films, and commercials. As a producer, she has helmed seven productions on both coasts. She adapted the book SEX: Real People Talk About What They Really Do for the stage. In addition, she helped produce the feature length film Happy New Year about returning Iraqi veterans, which was included in 13 film festivals (including SouthxSouthWest and Hamptons), screened on The Intrepid, and nominated for a VOICE award. Show Business Magazine described her as a “talent to watch” and The New York Observer featured her in “The Moment of Missy.”

She also hosted animal segments on Plum TV’s Morning, Noon, and Night Show.

Ms. Hargraves was also an international cover model representing Valentino, Krizia, Etro, Ponds, Clairol, Hue, Jacques Dessange, Fila, and many others in their international ad campaigns as well as working with designers such as Giorgio Armani, Calvin Klein, Bill Blass, Jil Sander, and Vera Wang. She regularly participated in the fashion shows in New York, Paris, Milan, Tokyo, and Rome. She graced the pages of Vogue, Elle, Marie Claire, Town & Country, Harper’s Bazaar, New York Magazine, and Glamour, to name a few.

Missy’s current projects include a solo stage show, producing a documentary The Cat Rescuers, and a study of as yet unidentified structures on Easter Island. She also sits on The Board of Directors of The Barrow Group Theatre Company in NYC. She is a certified yoga instructor and has studied at Trinity University and UCLA.

Missy currently lives between New York City and Watermill, NY. She is a passionate supporter of Veterinarians International and recently participated in the launch of our two mobile elephant clinics next week in Surin, Thailand.

Creative conservationist Asher Jay is a National Geographic Explorer, designer, artist, writer, and activist who uses creative concepts and design to advance animal rights, sustainable development, and humanitarian causes. Her art, sculpture, design installations, films, and advocacy advertising campaigns bring attention to everything from oil spills and dolphin slaughters to shrinking lion populations. Much of her best known work spotlights the illegal ivory trade, including a huge animated billboard in Times Square and an ambitious project aimed at China’s ivory-hungry rising middle class. She participated in the Fabergé Big Egg Hunt in New York, where her oval oeuvre went on to raise money for anti-poaching efforts in Amboseli, Kenya. Upcoming projects will tackle biodiversity loss during the Anthropocene and expose threats to the world’s most traded and endangered mega fauna. “The power of art is that it can transcend differences, connect with people on a visceral level, and compel action,” she says. Asher recently joined VI on our last mission to launch our mobile elephant clinics in Surin Province.

Ms. Anna Cley is an internationally recognized mezzo-soprano. She made several appearances in recent years at Carnegie Hall in NYC, and at The Cutler Majestic Theater in Boston. She has also performed for the Lincoln Center in NYC. Her credits include Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, Puccini’s Suor Angelica and Il Tabarro, Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana, Ravel’s L’enfant et les Sortilèges, Rossini’s L’italiana in Algeri, Wagner’s Die Walküre, Mussorgsky’s Boris Godunov, Rubinstein’s The Demon, Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Offenbach’s Les contes d’Hoffmann, and Bizet’s Carmen. Anna Cley’s recordings include “Art & Aesthetics“, “Kovasky | Kollision“, and “Opera en code“. She recorded, wrote and directed the music video “Destinée”.

A native of France, Anna Cley fell into opera singing in her teenage years. An opera singer and a former rocket scientist, Anna’s passion is to explore trance through music, arts and hypnosis. Her evolution into contemporary collaborations allows her to co-create new works, merging opposite universes to give birth to the world of tomorrow. Her unique voice and artistry arouse the greatest emotions and praise in the most unexpected environments. The beauty of those moments in addition to her desire for more creativity pushed her to seek different scenes and singular collaborations. By combining the use of vocal harmonics and drama with other art forms, Anna challenges the boundaries of genres.

After some time volunteering in hospitals for children, Anna founded the nonprofit VOCALISE to instill hope, courage, strength and self-respect into children impacted by trauma. Anna imagined and wrote the forthcoming book “The Journey of the Heart”.

Taking advantage of her career and stage experience, she expands her work as a performance and leadership expert, sharing the art of charisma and the use of breathing and voice to build momentum. Anna is a member of the Association of Transformational Leaders.