Andrew Kimbrell,Executive Director Rebecca Spector, West Coast Director
Debi Barker, International Program Director Lisa J. Bunin, Ph.D., Organic Policy Coordinator Diana Donlon, Cool Foods Campaign Director Bill Freese, Science Policy Analyst Jaydee Hanson, Senior Policy Analyst Elisabeth Holmes, Staff Attorney George Kimbrell, Senior Attorney Tonja Moore, Operations Manager Colin O’Neil, Regulatory Policy Analyst Christina Stafford, International Program Assistant Paige Tomaselli, Staff Attorney Heather Whitehead, True Food Network Director Sylvia Wu, Legal Fellow
STAFF BIOS: EAST COAST OFFICE
Andrew Kimbrell, Executive Director Andrew Kimbrell is a public interest attorney, activist and author. He has been involved in public interest legal activity in numerous areas of technology, human health and the environment. After working for eight years as the Policy Director at the Foundation for Economic Trends, Kimbrell established the International Center for Technology Assessment (CTA) in 1994 and the Center for Food Safety(CFS) in 1997. Kimbrell has written several books and given numerous public lectures on a variety of issues. He has been featured on radio and television programs across the country, including The Today Show, the CBS Morning Show, Crossfire, Headlines on Trial, and Good Morning America. He has lectured at dozens of universities throughout the country and has testified before congressional and regulatory hearings. In 1994, the Utne Reader named Kimbrell as one of the world’s leading 100 visionaries.
Debi Barker,International Program Director Ms. Barker formerly served as the co-director of the International Forum on Globalization (IFG), a think tank that analyses and critiques forms of economic globalization, where she worked from 1996 to 2008. She recently authored The Predictable Rise and Fall of Global Industrial Agriculture, which highlights international policies causing ecological and social harm, and provides alternative strategies to the current food system. She was on the international committee of authors for the United Nation’s major report released in 2008-the International Assessment of Agricultural Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD), and co-authored The Manifesto on Climate Change and the Future of Food Security (2008). Ms. Barker has edited, co-authored and contributed to numerous other reports including: Invisible Government-The World Trade Organization: Global Government For The New Millennium (with Jerry Mander); Fatal Harvest: The Tragedy of Industrial Agriculture; Alternatives to Economic Globalization: A Better World Is Possible. She currently serves on the board of directors of the International Forum on Globalization, and is a member of the Committee on the Future of Food and Agriculture commissioned by the government of Tuscany, Italy.
Bill Freese, Science Policy Analyst Bill joined CFS in 2006 as science policy analyst. In his six years with the Safer Food – Safer Farms campaign at Friends of the Earth, he authored numerous reports and comments to government agencies concerning the science and regulation of genetically engineered crops. Bill played a key role in the discovery of unapproved StarLink corn in the food supply in 2000/01. His comprehensive report on genetically engineered (GE) pharmaceutical crops in 2002 helped initiate public debate on “biopharming.” In 2004, he teamed up with Salk Institute cell biologist David Schubert to write a comprehensive, peer-reviewed scientific critique of the regulation and safety testing of GE foods. Bill has given numerous public presentations on agricultural biotechnology to State Department officers, international regulatory officials, farm groups and the general public. More recent work involves assessments of the failed promise of GE crops, industrial biotechnology, and cost-effective alternatives to genetic engineering. Bill holds a B.A. in chemistry from Grinnell College.
Jaydee Hanson, Senior Policy Analyst Jaydee Hanson works as a policy analyst for the Center for Food Safety on issues related to nanotechnology, animal cloning and animal genetic engineering. He also works for the Center’s sister agency, the International Center for Technology Assessment (ICTA) where he directs their work on human genetics, synthetic biology and nanotechnology. He is the US co-chair for the Nanotechnology Taskforce of the Transatlantic Consumers Dialogue and a fellow of the Institute on Biotechnology and the Human Future.
Tonja Moore, Operations Manager
Tonja has 18 years experience working in office management and administration in both the corporate and legal environments. Prior to managing offices, she worked as a paralegal and legal secretary. For the last 10 years she has run her own event production company, Moody Moore Productions, to raise awareness and funds for local charities. Tonja is responsible for all facets of operations management including human resources, payroll, facilities & office management, supervision of junior staff, network administration and assisting accounting with accounts receivables & payables.
Colin O’Neil, Regulatory Policy Analyst
Colin O’Neil graduated magna cum laude from Beloit College with a B.A. in Anthropology and a minor in Environmental Studies. Through his studies at Beloit and abroad in Chile and Australia, Colin gained an in-depth understanding of modern environmental thought, principles of agroecology and sustainability, and an interdisciplinary approach toward environmental policy. After graduating from Beloit, Colin began working for the Center for Food Safety (CFS) – a public interest and environmental advocacy non-profit based in Washington, D.C. that seeks to challenge harmful food production technologies and promote sustainable alternatives to industrial agriculture. As Regulatory Policy Analyst for CFS, Colin coordinates the organization’s policy work on a wide range of issues including genetically engineered crops and animals, biofuels, food and farm policy, and climate change. In addition, he is the Regulatory Policy Analyst for CFS’s sister organization, The International Center for Technology Assessment, where he provides policy and research support in the areas of nanotechnology, synthetic biologic, and human biotechnology. Colin has a deep passion for the outdoors and can be found most often working in his garden, fly fishing or riding his bike.
Christina Stafford, International Program Assistant Christina Stafford joined the Center for Food Safety in 2010 as the International Program Assistant. Christina works with the CoolFoods and International Programs on agriculture and climate change. Her work is focused on event planning, media outreach, Capitol Hill outreach, legislative, regulatory, and media monitoring. She is a graduate of Kent State University’s School of Journalism with a degree in Public Relations and a focus in Political Science. While at Kent State, she spent a semester studying international politics in Geneva, Switzerland, and a semester in Washington, D.C., as part of the Washington Program in National Issues. Following graduation, she spent some time interning on Capitol Hill; volunteering in Punta Gorda, Belize working with communities on sustainable methods of farming; and working at an International Public Relations Agency. Growing up on a small, operational dairy and beef farm in northwestern Pennsylvania, she has a strong background and interest in agriculture. In her spare time, she can be found gardening, reading, spending time with friends and skiing.
STAFF BIOS: WEST COAST OFFICE
Rebecca Spector, West Coast Director
Rebecca Spector joined CFS in 2000 and has been instrumental in growing the organization and creating its West Coast Regional Office in San Francisco. As CFS’s West Coast Director, she champions California policy initiatives at the state level and coordinates public outreach campaigns to promote healthy, safe and sustainable food systems. Previously, she served as director of development at Green Seal, the first U.S. product eco-labeling organization, and at Mothers & Others she spearheaded its organic cotton marketing campaign. Rebecca is associate editor of Fatal Harvest: The Tragedy of Industrial Agriculture and Your Right to Know: Genetic Engineering and the Secret Changes in Your Food. She has authored numerous articles and reports including the California Food and Agriculture Report Card on Genetic Engineering. Rebecca founded and co-owned Purisima Greens organic farm in Half Moon Bay, California, and created its community supported agriculture (CSA) and farmers’ market programs that regularly served hundreds of families in the Bay Area. She received her M.S. in Environmental Policy from the University of Michigan’s School of Natural Resources and Environment.
Lisa J. Bunin, Ph.D., Organic Policy Coordinator Lisa Bunin joined CFS as a Switzer Environmental Leadership Fellow, with a long history of environmental activism, having led successful international, national, and local campaigns on toxic pollution, clean production, and genetic engineering. At Greenpeace International in Europe, she launched a winning campaign that culminated in a global ban on the burning of toxic waste at sea through the United Nations. In the US, she worked with Greenpeace to bring the first certified organic cotton clothing to market. Lisa was instrumental in securing a Santa Cruz County-wide moratorium on the planting of genetically engineered crops, as a member of the Public Health Commission’s Genetic Engineering Advisory Board and co-editor of its investigative report. Lisa received her Ph.D. in Environmental Sociology from UC Santa Cruz where she studied organic cotton production systems and markets, conducting field research at sites in India, Switzerland, and California. She has taught college courses on environmental policy, nature and society, and social movements. Prior to joining CFS, Lisa worked as an independent policy consultant on sustainable agriculture issues with government agencies and NGOs such as the Ecological Farming Association, Environmental Commons and Sustainable Cotton Project.
Diana Donlon, Cool Foods Campaign Director
Diana brings nearly two decades of experience in philanthropy and grassroots environmental activism to the Cool Foods campaign. As a program executive at the Goldman Environmental Prize, she helped to elevate the critical and often unrecognized causes of environmental activists around the world. In 2002 Diana was one of the founders of the first foundation collaborative to focus on food, the Roots of Change Fund; today a statewide network leading California’s transition to sustainable agriculture by 2030. She has worked for a variety of foundations including the Public Health Trust, the Columbia Foundation and the William Zimmerman Foundation, as a program consultant where she has used her extensive knowledge of the food system as a way to address complex social and environmental problems. Diana is the Board Secretary of the award-winning non-profit Watershed Media, publishers of action-oriented titles including Farming with the Wild and Food Fight: The Citizen’s Guide to a Food and Farm Bill. She has a Bachelor’s degree in History from UC Berkeley, a Master’s in Education from Harvard University and served in the Peace Corps in Morocco.
Elisabeth Holmes, Staff Attorney Eli joined CFS in 2011 as a Staff Attorney. Eli focuses her work on the CFS campaign against factory farming, and assists on CFS’s general litigation docket related to food safety matters. Eli holds a LL.M. in Environmental and Natural Resources Law from the University of Oregon, a J.D. from Boston University School of Law, a M.A. in French from Middlebury College and a B.A. from Mount Holyoke College. Eli recently co-authored “Power, Politics and Poison: The Story Behind National Cotton Council of America v. U.S. EPA.” 41 Environmental Law Reporter 10946 (10-2011). Prior to joining CFS, Eli served as a judicial law clerk in the Massachusetts Trial Court Probate and Family Court Department and worked in private practice. She has worked on a variety of environmental cases involving such issues as CAFOs, the BP oil spill, proposed statewide waivers of environmental protections, misapplications of pesticides, biopiracy, and Walmart expansions. While at the University of Oregon, Eli served as a clerk to the Vice Chair of the United Nations’ European Economic Commission’s Aarhus Convention’s Compliance Committee. The Compliance Committee enforces access to information, public participation, and justice in environmental matters. Eli has traveled extensively, and has lived in Europe and West Africa.
Paige Tomaselli, Staff Attorney
Paige Tomaselli is a Staff Attorney at the Center for Food Safety, where she works on law and policy related to genetically engineered crops, organic standards, factory farming, and other food safety issues. Previously, she served as Staff Attorney for Sher Leff, representing public water suppliers and public agencies in cases involving groundwater contamination and toxic torts. Paige is a dedicated environmental advocate, with a focus on animal welfare and food safety issues. She co-wrote a chapter in the recently released CAFO Reader: The Tragedy of Industrial Animal Factories, entitled “Changing the Law: The Road to Reform.” She is on the Board of Directors for the San Francisco Permaculture Guild, a volunteer for the Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture, and involved in a variety of projects geared towards creating a secure food supply in San Francisco. Paige holds a J.D. from Vermont Law School, where she was a member of the Environmental and Natural Resources Litigation Clinic, published an international comparative animal welfare article through the Animal Legal and Historical Center, and spent time at the University of Siena, Italy, studying international law.
Heather Whitehead, True Food Network Director
Heather has worked with the True Food Network since its inception in 2000 and has been its director since 2003. Heather worked at Greenpeace for nearly 10 years, most recently as the National Markets Campaigner with the Genetic Engineering Campaign, where she led the True Food Network’s successful campaign urging Trader Joe’s to transition to GE-free products. She joined CFS in 2005. In addition to directing the True Food Network, Heather is the editor and lead writer of CFS’s quarterly newsletter Food Safety Now!, and is a contributing writer to Your Right to Know: Genetic Engineering and the Secret Changes in Your Food. She holds a B.A., cum laude, in Sociology with a minor in Political Science. Heather has worked across the U.S. on several environmental, social justice and corporate campaigns, and has worked with several groups including Rainforest Action Network, the Ruckus Society, CorpWatch, and the Genetic Engineering Action Network.
Sylvia Wu, Legal Fellow
Sylvia became a full-time Legal Fellow at CFS in 2011, after working at CFS as a semester law clerk. At CFS, Sylvia works on general litigation related to genetically engineered crops and agriculture policy. Sylvia holds a J.D. from UC Berkeley School of Law (Boalt Hall), where she authored a paper on the legal implications of the use of genetically engineered wine yeast in the U.S. wine industry. An avid cook, Sylvia worked as a kitchen intern at Corso Trattoria in North Berkeley while in law school, learning the art of rustic Italian cooking. Sylvia serves on the Board of Directors for the East Bay Chapter of Slow Food USA, where she plans workshops and classes to promote local foods and
sustainable agriculture.
STAFF BIOS: PACIFIC NORTHWEST OFFICE
George Kimbrell, Senior Attorney
CFS Senior Attorney George Kimbrell practices environmental and administrative law with a focus on the impacts of new and emerging technologies. His legal and policy work spans a broad range of CFS program areas, including: genetically engineered foods; transgenic plants, trees and animals; food labeling; organic standards; factory farming; aquaculture; pesticides; nanotechnology; and synthetic biology. George received his law degree magna cum laude from Lewis and Clark Law School, where he subsequently has taught sustainable food and agriculture law as an adjunct professor. George joined CFS upon completing a clerkship with the Honorable Ronald M. Gould, United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Staff Bios
Center for Food Safety staff
Andrew Kimbrell, Executive Director
Rebecca Spector, West Coast Director
Debi Barker, International Program Director
Lisa J. Bunin, Ph.D., Organic Policy Coordinator
Diana Donlon, Cool Foods Campaign Director
Bill Freese, Science Policy Analyst
Jaydee Hanson, Senior Policy Analyst
Elisabeth Holmes, Staff Attorney
George Kimbrell, Senior Attorney
Tonja Moore, Operations Manager
Colin O’Neil, Regulatory Policy Analyst
Christina Stafford, International Program Assistant
Paige Tomaselli, Staff Attorney
Heather Whitehead, True Food Network Director
Sylvia Wu, Legal Fellow
STAFF BIOS: EAST COAST OFFICE
Andrew Kimbrell, Executive Director
Andrew Kimbrell is a public interest attorney, activist and author. He has been involved in public interest legal activity in numerous areas of technology, human health and the environment. After working for eight years as the Policy Director at the Foundation for Economic Trends, Kimbrell established the International Center for Technology Assessment (CTA) in 1994 and the Center for Food Safety(CFS) in 1997. Kimbrell has written several books and given numerous public lectures on a variety of issues. He has been featured on radio and television programs across the country, including The Today Show, the CBS Morning Show, Crossfire, Headlines on Trial, and Good Morning America. He has lectured at dozens of universities throughout the country and has testified before congressional and regulatory hearings. In 1994, the Utne Reader named Kimbrell as one of the world’s leading 100 visionaries.
Debi Barker, International Program Director
Ms. Barker formerly served as the co-director of the International Forum on Globalization (IFG), a think tank that analyses and critiques forms of economic globalization, where she worked from 1996 to 2008. She recently authored The Predictable Rise and Fall of Global Industrial Agriculture, which highlights international policies causing ecological and social harm, and provides alternative strategies to the current food system. She was on the international committee of authors for the United Nation’s major report released in 2008-the International Assessment of Agricultural Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD), and co-authored The Manifesto on Climate Change and the Future of Food Security (2008). Ms. Barker has edited, co-authored and contributed to numerous other reports including: Invisible Government-The World Trade Organization: Global Government For The New Millennium (with Jerry Mander); Fatal Harvest: The Tragedy of Industrial Agriculture; Alternatives to Economic Globalization: A Better World Is Possible. She currently serves on the board of directors of the International Forum on Globalization, and is a member of the Committee on the Future of Food and Agriculture commissioned by the government of Tuscany, Italy.
Bill Freese, Science Policy Analyst
Bill joined CFS in 2006 as science policy analyst. In his six years with the Safer Food – Safer Farms campaign at Friends of the Earth, he authored numerous reports and comments to government agencies concerning the science and regulation of genetically engineered crops. Bill played a key role in the discovery of unapproved StarLink corn in the food supply in 2000/01. His comprehensive report on genetically engineered (GE) pharmaceutical crops in 2002 helped initiate public debate on “biopharming.” In 2004, he teamed up with Salk Institute cell biologist David Schubert to write a comprehensive, peer-reviewed scientific critique of the regulation and safety testing of GE foods. Bill has given numerous public presentations on agricultural biotechnology to State Department officers, international regulatory officials, farm groups and the general public. More recent work involves assessments of the failed promise of GE crops, industrial biotechnology, and cost-effective alternatives to genetic engineering. Bill holds a B.A. in chemistry from Grinnell College.
Jaydee Hanson, Senior Policy Analyst
Jaydee Hanson works as a policy analyst for the Center for Food Safety on issues related to nanotechnology, animal cloning and animal genetic engineering. He also works for the Center’s sister agency, the International Center for Technology Assessment (ICTA) where he directs their work on human genetics, synthetic biology and nanotechnology. He is the US co-chair for the Nanotechnology Taskforce of the Transatlantic Consumers Dialogue and a fellow of the Institute on Biotechnology and the Human Future.
Tonja Moore, Operations Manager
Tonja has 18 years experience working in office management and administration in both the corporate and legal environments. Prior to managing offices, she worked as a paralegal and legal secretary. For the last 10 years she has run her own event production company, Moody Moore Productions, to raise awareness and funds for local charities. Tonja is responsible for all facets of operations management including human resources, payroll, facilities & office management, supervision of junior staff, network administration and assisting accounting with accounts receivables & payables.
Colin O’Neil, Regulatory Policy Analyst
Colin O’Neil graduated magna cum laude from Beloit College with a B.A. in Anthropology and a minor in Environmental Studies. Through his studies at Beloit and abroad in Chile and Australia, Colin gained an in-depth understanding of modern environmental thought, principles of agroecology and sustainability, and an interdisciplinary approach toward environmental policy. After graduating from Beloit, Colin began working for the Center for Food Safety (CFS) – a public interest and environmental advocacy non-profit based in Washington, D.C. that seeks to challenge harmful food production technologies and promote sustainable alternatives to industrial agriculture. As Regulatory Policy Analyst for CFS, Colin coordinates the organization’s policy work on a wide range of issues including genetically engineered crops and animals, biofuels, food and farm policy, and climate change. In addition, he is the Regulatory Policy Analyst for CFS’s sister organization, The International Center for Technology Assessment, where he provides policy and research support in the areas of nanotechnology, synthetic biologic, and human biotechnology. Colin has a deep passion for the outdoors and can be found most often working in his garden, fly fishing or riding his bike.
Christina Stafford, International Program Assistant
Christina Stafford joined the Center for Food Safety in 2010 as the International Program Assistant. Christina works with the CoolFoods and International Programs on agriculture and climate change. Her work is focused on event planning, media outreach, Capitol Hill outreach, legislative, regulatory, and media monitoring. She is a graduate of Kent State University’s School of Journalism with a degree in Public Relations and a focus in Political Science. While at Kent State, she spent a semester studying international politics in Geneva, Switzerland, and a semester in Washington, D.C., as part of the Washington Program in National Issues. Following graduation, she spent some time interning on Capitol Hill; volunteering in Punta Gorda, Belize working with communities on sustainable methods of farming; and working at an International Public Relations Agency. Growing up on a small, operational dairy and beef farm in northwestern Pennsylvania, she has a strong background and interest in agriculture. In her spare time, she can be found gardening, reading, spending time with friends and skiing.
STAFF BIOS: WEST COAST OFFICE
Rebecca Spector, West Coast Director
Rebecca Spector joined CFS in 2000 and has been instrumental in growing the organization and creating its West Coast Regional Office in San Francisco. As CFS’s West Coast Director, she champions California policy initiatives at the state level and coordinates public outreach campaigns to promote healthy, safe and sustainable food systems. Previously, she served as director of development at Green Seal, the first U.S. product eco-labeling organization, and at Mothers & Others she spearheaded its organic cotton marketing campaign. Rebecca is associate editor of Fatal Harvest: The Tragedy of Industrial Agriculture and Your Right to Know: Genetic Engineering and the Secret Changes in Your Food. She has authored numerous articles and reports including the California Food and Agriculture Report Card on Genetic Engineering. Rebecca founded and co-owned Purisima Greens organic farm in Half Moon Bay, California, and created its community supported agriculture (CSA) and farmers’ market programs that regularly served hundreds of families in the Bay Area. She received her M.S. in Environmental Policy from the University of Michigan’s School of Natural Resources and Environment.
Lisa J. Bunin, Ph.D., Organic Policy Coordinator
Lisa Bunin joined CFS as a Switzer Environmental Leadership Fellow, with a long history of environmental activism, having led successful international, national, and local campaigns on toxic pollution, clean production, and genetic engineering. At Greenpeace International in Europe, she launched a winning campaign that culminated in a global ban on the burning of toxic waste at sea through the United Nations. In the US, she worked with Greenpeace to bring the first certified organic cotton clothing to market. Lisa was instrumental in securing a Santa Cruz County-wide moratorium on the planting of genetically engineered crops, as a member of the Public Health Commission’s Genetic Engineering Advisory Board and co-editor of its investigative report. Lisa received her Ph.D. in Environmental Sociology from UC Santa Cruz where she studied organic cotton production systems and markets, conducting field research at sites in India, Switzerland, and California. She has taught college courses on environmental policy, nature and society, and social movements. Prior to joining CFS, Lisa worked as an independent policy consultant on sustainable agriculture issues with government agencies and NGOs such as the Ecological Farming Association, Environmental Commons and Sustainable Cotton Project.
Diana Donlon, Cool Foods Campaign Director
Diana brings nearly two decades of experience in philanthropy and grassroots environmental activism to the Cool Foods campaign. As a program executive at the Goldman Environmental Prize, she helped to elevate the critical and often unrecognized causes of environmental activists around the world. In 2002 Diana was one of the founders of the first foundation collaborative to focus on food, the Roots of Change Fund; today a statewide network leading California’s transition to sustainable agriculture by 2030. She has worked for a variety of foundations including the Public Health Trust, the Columbia Foundation and the William Zimmerman Foundation, as a program consultant where she has used her extensive knowledge of the food system as a way to address complex social and environmental problems. Diana is the Board Secretary of the award-winning non-profit Watershed Media, publishers of action-oriented titles including Farming with the Wild and Food Fight: The Citizen’s Guide to a Food and Farm Bill. She has a Bachelor’s degree in History from UC Berkeley, a Master’s in Education from Harvard University and served in the Peace Corps in Morocco.
Elisabeth Holmes, Staff Attorney
Eli joined CFS in 2011 as a Staff Attorney. Eli focuses her work on the CFS campaign against factory farming, and assists on CFS’s general litigation docket related to food safety matters. Eli holds a LL.M. in Environmental and Natural Resources Law from the University of Oregon, a J.D. from Boston University School of Law, a M.A. in French from Middlebury College and a B.A. from Mount Holyoke College. Eli recently co-authored “Power, Politics and Poison: The Story Behind National Cotton Council of America v. U.S. EPA.” 41 Environmental Law Reporter 10946 (10-2011). Prior to joining CFS, Eli served as a judicial law clerk in the Massachusetts Trial Court Probate and Family Court Department and worked in private practice. She has worked on a variety of environmental cases involving such issues as CAFOs, the BP oil spill, proposed statewide waivers of environmental protections, misapplications of pesticides, biopiracy, and Walmart expansions. While at the University of Oregon, Eli served as a clerk to the Vice Chair of the United Nations’ European Economic Commission’s Aarhus Convention’s Compliance Committee. The Compliance Committee enforces access to information, public participation, and justice in environmental matters. Eli has traveled extensively, and has lived in Europe and West Africa.
Paige Tomaselli, Staff Attorney
Paige Tomaselli is a Staff Attorney at the Center for Food Safety, where she works on law and policy related to genetically engineered crops, organic standards, factory farming, and other food safety issues. Previously, she served as Staff Attorney for Sher Leff, representing public water suppliers and public agencies in cases involving groundwater contamination and toxic torts. Paige is a dedicated environmental advocate, with a focus on animal welfare and food safety issues. She co-wrote a chapter in the recently released CAFO Reader: The Tragedy of Industrial Animal Factories, entitled “Changing the Law: The Road to Reform.” She is on the Board of Directors for the San Francisco Permaculture Guild, a volunteer for the Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture, and involved in a variety of projects geared towards creating a secure food supply in San Francisco. Paige holds a J.D. from Vermont Law School, where she was a member of the Environmental and Natural Resources Litigation Clinic, published an international comparative animal welfare article through the Animal Legal and Historical Center, and spent time at the University of Siena, Italy, studying international law.
Heather Whitehead, True Food Network Director
Heather has worked with the True Food Network since its inception in 2000 and has been its director since 2003. Heather worked at Greenpeace for nearly 10 years, most recently as the National Markets Campaigner with the Genetic Engineering Campaign, where she led the True Food Network’s successful campaign urging Trader Joe’s to transition to GE-free products. She joined CFS in 2005. In addition to directing the True Food Network, Heather is the editor and lead writer of CFS’s quarterly newsletter Food Safety Now!, and is a contributing writer to Your Right to Know: Genetic Engineering and the Secret Changes in Your Food. She holds a B.A., cum laude, in Sociology with a minor in Political Science. Heather has worked across the U.S. on several environmental, social justice and corporate campaigns, and has worked with several groups including Rainforest Action Network, the Ruckus Society, CorpWatch, and the Genetic Engineering Action Network.
Sylvia Wu, Legal Fellow
Sylvia became a full-time Legal Fellow at CFS in 2011, after working at CFS as a semester law clerk. At CFS, Sylvia works on general litigation related to genetically engineered crops and agriculture policy. Sylvia holds a J.D. from UC Berkeley School of Law (Boalt Hall), where she authored a paper on the legal implications of the use of genetically engineered wine yeast in the U.S. wine industry. An avid cook, Sylvia worked as a kitchen intern at Corso Trattoria in North Berkeley while in law school, learning the art of rustic Italian cooking. Sylvia serves on the Board of Directors for the East Bay Chapter of Slow Food USA, where she plans workshops and classes to promote local foods and
sustainable agriculture.
STAFF BIOS: PACIFIC NORTHWEST OFFICE
George Kimbrell, Senior Attorney
CFS Senior Attorney George Kimbrell practices environmental and administrative law with a focus on the impacts of new and emerging technologies. His legal and policy work spans a broad range of CFS program areas, including: genetically engineered foods; transgenic plants, trees and animals; food labeling; organic standards; factory farming; aquaculture; pesticides; nanotechnology; and synthetic biology. George received his law degree magna cum laude from Lewis and Clark Law School, where he subsequently has taught sustainable food and agriculture law as an adjunct professor. George joined CFS upon completing a clerkship with the Honorable Ronald M. Gould, United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.