All Board & Staff

 Lynne Chaimow itz has a BA from the University of Michigan with a  specialization in Environmental Policy, with a significant focus on policy and working to create change through governmental structures. Sh e has 2 dogs, Chaka and Ruby, and belongs to the Canine Social Club of Ann Arbor. With her free time, she serves as the Treasurer, for a local nonprofit, Growing Hope, and is attending school at Eastern Michigan University to obtain her Masters of Science Degree in Accounting.

Jill Howard Church has a master's degree in journalism and has worked for national, state and local animal protection groups since 1987. She is the former senior editor of The Animals' Agenda magazine, and continues to do freelance writing on issues related to animals and the environment.

Petra Pepellashi began her fight for animals at age four with a dispute over which neighborhood child would take home a black and white stray cat. Her friendship with the beloved Mitzen was the first of many life long relationships with companion animals. She currently shares her life and home with two former stray cats, Smoky and Tigger, and two enthusiastic dogs with the deserving names of Bello and Chase. Petra is retired from the advertising industry. She attended the Center for Creative Studies in Detroit as a graphic design major. She founded the graphic design firms Pepellashi & Rae and Pelikan Design, which specialized in creating packaging and promotional materials for the home video industry and Pelikan Pictures, which specialized in high-end computer art and retouching. She was also a member of The Executive Committee a group of 60 CEOs and company presidents which gathered to discuss business issues and learn about innovative business practices. Petra is a former board member of The Association of Sanctuaries and current board member of The Michigan Humane Society. She facilitated the rewrite and expansion of the MHS Beliefs, Principles and Position Statements and is chairperson of the MHS Education Committee. She is an advocate for broad based Humane Education defined as empowering people to make choices that benefit oneself, other people, animals and the environment. She is currently enrolled in the Humane Education program offered by the Institute of Humane Education. Petra is fully committed to advocating for animals and humane education.

Syed Rizvi has been involved in the animal movement since the early 80s, attending most of the AR conferences, marches and seminars. He participated in the two historical events: March for the Animals in Washington DC (1990 and 1996). He also joined US activists in their Animal Rights tour of England in 1996 spearheaded by Kim Stallwood, then the editor in chief of The Animals Agenda magazine. In the mid 80s helped to found the Animal Connection of Texas, an animal rights group in Dallas. In the late 80s and early 90s he lived in Chapel Hill, NC and participated in organizing events for the Culture and Animal Foundation headed Tom and Nancy Regan. Syed introduced the animal rights movement in Pakistan in early 2000 by giving a series of talk shows, lectures, and magazine interviews in Karachi. One such magazine (SOUTHASIA) has since then won two Genesis Awards, the latest of which was the 2007 Brigitte Bardot International Award for Print Media. Syed founded ESAR (Engineers and Scientists for Animal Rights) which confronts the media portrayal of animal rights activists as anti-technology or anti-science. Syed hold an MS in Physics from Northeastern University, Boston MA. Employed in the chip business for over 35 years, he has edited and co-authored technical books, and published and presented numerous papers in that field. In early 2000 he founded Nanotechnology Education and Consulting Services and does consulting and related work from his home office in San Jose where he lives with five cats, all of which were feral.

Kim W. Stallwood has held leadership positions in animal rights organizations for more than three decades. He was executive editor of the highly regarded Animals’ Agenda magazine. In 2002 he founded the Institute for Animals and Society, an animal rights public policy institute and joined with Ken Shapiro to form the Animals and Society Institute. Stallwood is editor of two anthologies of articles from The Animals’ Agenda (Speaking Out for Animals and An Animal Rights Primer both published by Lantern); authored a chapter, “Utopian Visions and Pragmatic Politics: Challenging the Foundations of Speciesism and Misothery,” in Animal Rights: the Changing Debate, edited by Robert Garner (Macmillan, 1996); and a chapter, “The Animal Rights Movement Must Be Politically Pragmatic,” in Animal Rights Opposing Viewpoints edited by Andrew Harnack (Greenhaven Press, 1996). Stallwood now lives in the UK where he serves as the ASI’s European Director. His blog is www.grumpyvegan.com.

Wanda A. Nash was ASI’s first chair and is a founding member of the Animal Law Section, State Bar of Michigan.

John A. Hoyt is president emeritus of The Humane Society of the United States.

Beatrice M. Friedlander is the Managing Director of the Animals and Society Institute at its Ann Arbor office, and previously served on the organization’s Board of Directors. She is a founding and current member of the Animal Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan, and of Michigan Attorneys for Animals. She serves on the Legislative Committee of the Animal Law Section and was active in the multi-year and successful effort to overturn a law allowing mourning dove hunting in Michigan. Ms. Friedlander is a member of the Committee on Legal Issues Pertaining to Animals of the Association of the New York City Bar. She serves on the board of Jazzpurr Society for Animal Protection, Windsor, Ontario; and is a hands-on volunteer at Mosaic Feline Refuge in Ann Arbor and at SASHA Farm, a sanctuary in Manchester, MI, where she can be found periodically (and happily) scooping litter and mucking stalls. Bee received J.D. and B.A. (Sociology) degrees from The Ohio State University, and a Post Baccalaureate Certificate in Non Profit Sector Studies from Wayne State University. She is a member of the Michigan and New York State bars, and describes herself as a “recovering attorney.” She and her husband share their home with cats Mica, Ginger and Blanco.

Kristin L. Stewart, JD, PhD is an attorney in Florida and recently completed her doctorate in cultural geography with an emphasis on animals and society. Kris engages in research devoted to exploring the ethical, legal and social dimensions of human-animal relations. Her current book project is entitled Facing Dolphins: The Joy and Shame of Our Love Affair with Dolphins, which explores the various experiences and relationships that people and dolphins share with one another today. Kris is also an Ethics Advisor for Practical Ethics and the founder of the Ark Ethics Institute. Through these organizations, she serves as an expert and/or consultant to those in the private and public sectors that grapple with the myriad questions associated with contemporary animal-society issues, including questions of animal law, policy and ethics. Kris lives in Pensacola Beach, Florida with her husband, Ben, and two dogs, Mango and Ursa Minor. Kris and Ben have a wise and affectionate white 6-year old cat who recently joined their family. Her name is KC, but Kris often calls her “Teacher.”