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LEADERSHIP

Executive Director
Andrew Kimbrell
Executive Director
Washington, D.C.

Andrew Kimbrell is an internationally recognized public interest attorney, public speaker, and author. He is the founder and Executive Director of Center for Food Safety.

Executive Director
Executive Director
Executive Director
Andrew Kimbrell
Washington, D.C.

Andrew Kimbrell is an internationally recognized public interest attorney, public speaker, and author. He is the founder and Executive Director of Center for Food Safety. He also is Director of the San Francisco based Center for Technology Assessment, co-founder of Foundation Earth, and President of the Board of Humane Farm Animal Care (that administers the Certified Humane label).

As an attorney, Kimbrell has successfully challenged federal agencies in several historic court cases. He initiated the court challenge that resulted in a U.S. Supreme Court victory forcing, for the first time, EPA regulation of greenhouse gases and their impact on climate change. He also pioneered the legal strategy that led to the Supreme Court ruling that DNA is not patentable due to being a "product of nature." Through his leadership at CFS, Kimbrell has been at the forefront of legal challenges to genetically engineered crops and lawsuits forcing FDA to adopt new food safety regulations. His legal work has also helped maintain the integrity of organic standards.

As an author and public speaker Kimbrell has been a leading proponent of regenerative forms of agriculture and organic policies. He is the editor of the nationally renowned book Fatal Harvest, The Tragedy of Industrial Agriculture and the author of Your Right to Know: Genetic Engineering and the Secret Changes in Your Food. Kimbrell's articles and editorials have appeared in The New York Times, Harpers, USA Today, and numerous other print and new media publications such as The Huffington Post

He has testified numerous times before the U.S. Congress and has been a featured speaker at dozens of colleges and universities around the country and other public forums including Google Author Talks, Slow Food Nation, Bioneers and Ecofarm. He is featured in several documentaries including "The Future of Food," "FRESH," and a critique of genetic engineering, "Life Running out of Control." 

Kimbrell is also a noted expert on a wide range of technology and economic issues. His works in this area include his international best-selling book The Human Body Shop: the Engineering and Marketing of Life and the printed versions of his influential E.F. Schumacher lectures, "Cold Evil: Technology and Modern Ethics" and "Salmon Economics."

In addition to his legal degree Kimbrell also has a graduate degree in Psychology and has often written in the field including his book, The Masculine Mystique. Besides his public interest work, Kimbrell's passions include his love of piano (stemming from his earlier career as a concert pianist), poetry, baseball, and wilderness fly fishing.  

Kimbrell's many accolades include a spot on the Utne Reader list of the world's leading 100 visionaries, and The Guardian recognizing him in 2008 as one of the 50 people "most likely to save the planet."

West Coast Director
Rebecca Spector
West Coast Director
San Francisco, CA

Rebecca Spector joined CFS in 2000 and has been instrumental in growing the organization and creating its West Coast Regional Office in San Francisco.

West Coast Director
West Coast Director
West Coast Director
Rebecca Spector
San Francisco, CA

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 policy initiatives at the state and federal level and coordinates public outreach campaigns to promote healthy, safe and sustainable food systems. She has been working in the environmental and agricultural sector for more than 20 years, and her experience includes establishing regulations to limit the production of genetically engineered (GE) fish in California, and writing and sponsoring numerous legislative initiatives including state bills to require labeling of GE foods, labeling of GE fish, labeling of food from cloned animals, and farmer protections from GMO contamination. Previously, she served as director of development at Green Seal, the first U.S. product eco-labeling organization, and at Mothers & Others for a Livable Planet 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 “Livestock Cloning and the Quest for Industrial Perfection” in CAFO: The Tragedy of Industrial Animal Factories and “Fully Integrated Food Systems: Regaining Connections between Farmers and Consumers” in Fatal Harvest. For ten years, Rebecca was co-owner of the first certified organic farm in Half Moon Bay, California, and created its community supported agriculture (CSA) and farmers’ market programs that served hundreds of families in the Bay Area. She holds an M.S. in Environmental Policy from the University of Michigan’s School of Natural Resources and Environment.

Legal Director
George Kimbrell
Legal Director
Portland, OR

George Kimbrell is CFS’s Legal Director, overseeing all of the Center’s legal work. Along with his Director duties, George is counsel in many CFS cases.

Legal Director
Legal Director
Legal Director
George Kimbrell
Portland, OR

George Kimbrell is CFS’s Legal Director, overseeing all of the Center’s legal work. Along with his Director duties, George is counsel in many CFS cases. His legal, legislative, and policy work runs the gamut of many CFS program areas, including pesticides, genetically engineered organisms, animal factory pollution, food labeling, foodborne illness, organic standards, and aquaculture. Among other landmark cases, George was counsel in the first U.S. Supreme Court case on the regulation of genetically engineered crops. He received his law degree magna cum laude from Lewis and Clark Law School, where he now teaches food and agriculture law as an adjunct professor. He has authored numerous law review articles and other publications, and often speaks on all areas of food and agriculture law and industrial agriculture’s impacts on the environment and public health. Before joining CFS in 2005, George completed a clerkship with the Honorable Ronald M. Gould, United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Director of Operations
Tonja Moore
Director of Operations
Washington, D.C.

Tonja has over 25 years experience working in office management and administration in both the corporate and legal environments.

Director of Operations
Director of Operations
Director of Operations
Tonja Moore
Washington, D.C.

Tonja has over 25 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.

Senior Attorney/Managing Attorney, Hawaii and California offices
Sylvia Wu
Senior Attorney/Managing Attorney, Hawaii and California offices
San Francisco, CA

Sylvia Wu is a Senior Attorney/Managing Attorney, Hawaii & California offices at the Center for Food Safety, where she works on law and policy related to genetically engineered crops, factory farming,.

Senior Attorney/Managing Attorney, Hawaii and California offices
Senior Attorney/Managing Attorney, Hawaii and California offices
Senior Attorney/Managing Attorney, Hawaii and California offices
Sylvia Wu
San Francisco, CA

Sylvia Wu is a Senior Attorney/Managing Attorney, Hawaii & California offices at the Center for Food Safety, where she works on law and policy related to genetically engineered crops, factory farming, aquaculture, pesticides, and other food safety issues. As an attorney with CFS, Sylvia has litigated against U.S. federal agencies over approval of herbicide-resistant genetically engineered crops and their associated pesticide use, the approval of pesticides that are harming pollinators and other sensitive species, as well as approval of industrial offshore aquaculture systems that will pollute our oceans and marine resources. Through legislative efforts and litigation, Sylvia also works with local communities to defend communities' right to protect themselves against the harms of industrial agriculture. Sylvia holds a J.D. from UC Berkeley School of Law (Boalt Hall). Sylvia is involved in various projects promoting local economy and urban agriculture in the Bay Area.


STAFF

Senior Attorney
Amy van Saun
Senior Attorney
Portland, OR
Senior Attorney
Senior Attorney
Senior Attorney
Amy van Saun
Portland, OR

Amy is a Senior Attorney in the Center for Food Safety's Portland, Oregon office. After clerking for CFS in law school, Amy joined CFS as an attorney in 2015. As part of CFS's legal team, Amy practices environmental and administrative law to defend farmers, communities, and the environment from industrial animal factories, aquaculture, genetically engineered crops and animals, and the overuse of toxic pesticides, especially in the Pacific Northwest. Amy also works to protect the integrity of organic and ensure the transparent labeling of genetically engineered foods. A 2011 graduate of Lewis & Clark Law School, Amy has focused their legal education and career on public interest environmental and food law, earning a certificate in Environmental and Natural Resources Law. Prior to joining CFS, Amy served as a volunteer attorney with Earthjustice working on animal factories on the East Coast, and then litigated complex environmental insurance cases at a law firm in Manhattan. Amy is admitted to the bar in Oregon and New York.

Director of Community Organizing
Ashley Lukens, PhD
Director of Community Organizing
Haleiwa, HI/Portland, OR
Director of Community Organizing
Director of Community Organizing
Director of Community Organizing
Ashley Lukens, PhD
Haleiwa, HI/Portland, OR

Ashley Lukens, PhD, has worked in and with the impact sector in Hawai'i since 2006 as the founder of the Hawai'i Food Policy Council, owner of Baby Awearness, director of the RISE Program at Kupu, and director of Hawai'i Center for Food Safety. Currently she is the Regional Development Director, serving CFS members in Washington and Oregon. Her work with the Hawai'i Center for Food Safety earned national recognition, resulting in a cascade of new pesticide regulations. She has a degree in women studies and economics from Vassar College and a PhD in political science from the University of Hawai'i at Manoa where she examined culturally appropriate strategies for food system transformation.

Science Director
Bill Freese
Science Director
Carlisle, PA
Science Director
Science Director
Science Director
Bill Freese
Carlisle, PA

Bill Freese is the Science Director for the Center for Food Safety. 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.

Development Manager
Brenna Norton
Development Manager
Los Angeles, CA
Development Manager
Development Manager
Development Manager
Brenna Norton
Los Angeles, CA

Brenna Norton is the Development Manager for the Center for Food Safety. She brings over 10 years of experience on environmental and political campaigns to CFS, including managing the grassroots campaign that secured the first legislation to ban fracking in California, halting water privatization attempts in Los Angeles, and working to stop one of the largest corporate agriculture water grabs in California's history.

Before joining CFS, Brenna worked as a Senior Organizer for Food & Water Watch in Los Angeles where she had the opportunity to initiate the legal strategy and file a joint lawsuit with Center For Food Safety to challenge the nation's largest water agency and protect clean, affordable water in California. She has also worked for prominent organizations like the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, managed field offices for the 2008 presidential campaign, worked in a Senate committee office, and is a former professional ballet dancer. Brenna has authored numerous op-eds and legislation and has been featured in outlets like LA Times, Sacramento Bee, AP, Bloomberg, Huffington Post, LA Daily News, and San Diego Tribune.

Communications and Policy Coordinator
Dashel Murawski
Communications and Policy Coordinator
San Francisco, CA
Communications and Policy Coordinator
Communications and Policy Coordinator
Communications and Policy Coordinator
Dashel Murawski
San Francisco, CA

Dashel Murawski is the Communications and Policy Coordinator at Center for Food Safety's San Francisco office. Dashel is a graduate of the University of San Francisco (USF) where he majored in environmental studies and politics. He is interested in the intersection of climate change with food systems and crafting equitable policy around these issues. He has previously interned with USF's Office of Sustainability and the San Francisco Department of the Environment where he worked on research, environmental education, and content creation. In his free time, he enjoys spending time outdoors, photography, creating collages, and playing video games.

Digital Communications Manager
Jasmine French
Digital Communications Manager
Los Angeles, CA
Digital Communications Manager
Digital Communications Manager
Digital Communications Manager
Jasmine French
Los Angeles, CA

Jasmine French is the Digital Communications Manager for the Center for Food Safety. She comes to CFS with over 6 years of experience in digital communications and marketing, and a decade of experience in storytelling and grassroot advocacy work. 

Before joining CFS, Jasmine worked as a compliance specialist for Fair Trade USA, managing compliance for social welfare of business partners across multiple supply chain commodities.

She currently serves on the Board of Directors for Fair Trade Los Angeles, overseeing strategy and implementation for digital communications.

Policy Director
Jaydee Hanson
Policy Director
Washington, D.C.
Policy Director
Policy Director
Policy Director
Jaydee Hanson
Washington, D.C.

Jaydee Hanson is the Policy Director for the Center for Food Safety. His expertise includes emerging technology issues related to nanotechnology, synthetic biology, animal cloning, animal genetic engineering and gene editing.

 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, genome editing and nanotechnology. He has a Master's degree in Biogeography and Resource Management from the University of Hawai'i. Before coming to the Center, he worked for the National Marine Fisheries Service, started both the environmental justice program of the United Methodist Church and their genetics and bioethics program. He is a co-author of the Principles for the Oversight of Synthetic Biology, the US co-chair for the Nanotechnology Taskforce of the Transatlantic Consumers Dialogue, a member of the synthetic biology experts committee for the Convention on Biological Diversity and a fellow of the Institute on Biotechnology and the Human Future.

Staff Attorney
Jenny Loda
Staff Attorney
San Francisco, CA
Staff Attorney
Staff Attorney
Staff Attorney
Jenny Loda
San Francisco, CA

Jenny Loda is a Staff Attorney at Center for Food Safety's San Francisco office. Prior to joining CFS, Jenny worked in her own law practice doing a mixture of environmental and business law and worked as a Staff Attorney for the Center for Biological Diversity for more than five year. Jenny is a 2012 graduate of Lewis and Clark Law School, where she earned a certificate in Natural Resources and Environmental Law. Prior to becoming an attorney, Jenny worked as a wildlife biologist and ecologist for several years and earned a M.S. degree in Natural Resource Ecology and Management from Iowa State University. Jenny enjoys hiking, cooking, and helping out the rescued farm animals at Rancho Compasión.

Creative Communications Associate
Julia Ranney
Creative Communications Associate
Washington, D.C.
Creative Communications Associate
Creative Communications Associate
Creative Communications Associate
Julia Ranney
Washington, D.C.

Julia Ranney is the Creative Communications Associate for the Center for Food Safety in Washington, D.C. She is originally from Tucson, Arizona, and graduated from Oberlin College in 2018 with a B.A. in Politics. During college, she studied food security and sustainability abroad in four different countries and eventually wrote her thesis about the Green Revolution in Africa. Ever since she watched Food Inc. in her early adolescence, Julia has been curious about food systems and its many intersections. She is excited to continue supporting CFS's research and policy work, alongside growing our communications channels into new frontiers.

Associate Attorney
Kristina Sinclair
Associate Attorney
San Francisco, CA
Associate Attorney
Associate Attorney
Associate Attorney
Kristina Sinclair
San Francisco, CA

Kristina Sinclair is an Associate Attorney at the Center for Food Safety's San Francisco office. Before CFS, Kristina was a Fellow with the Public Justice Food Project, where she focused on redressing the harmful environmental impacts of industrial animal agriculture, and empowering affected communities. While in law school, Kristina was an Articles Editor for the California Law Review. She also participated in the Environmental Law Clinic, served on the steering committee for Students for Economic and Environmental Justice, and worked as a teaching assistant for Appellate Advocacy. Upon graduation, she received recognition for her pro bono work and a Certificate of Specialization in Environmental Law. Kristina earned her B.A. from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law.

Staff Attorney
Meredith Stevenson
Staff Attorney
San Francisco, CA
Staff Attorney
Staff Attorney
Staff Attorney
Meredith Stevenson
San Francisco, CA

Meredith Stevenson is a Staff Attorney at Center for Food Safety's San Francisco office. She graduated from the University of California Hastings in 2019, where she studied environmental law. At Hastings, she was an active member of Hastings Environmental Law Association and a staff editor for Hastings Environmental Law Journal. Before attending law school, she developed a passion for gardening as a volunteer coordinator at Western Washington University's community garden. There, she taught workshops on producing compost, growing mushrooms, and saving seeds, while also educating the larger student body as a member of Students for Sustainable Food. In her free time, she enjoys long distance hiking, playing music, and riding her bicycle.

Legal Assistant
Russell Howze
Legal Assistant
San Francisco, CA
Legal Assistant
Legal Assistant
Legal Assistant
Russell Howze
San Francisco, CA

Russell Howze is the Legal Assistant for the Center for Food Safety. Before joining CFS, Russell was a paralegal with the Center for Biological Diversity's Environmental Health program. Growing up in a rural town in South Carolina, some of his earliest memories are of weeding gardens and eating vegetables straight out of the ground. Russell has worked with many nonprofits over the years, most memorably as a co-manager of the CELLspace arts warehouse, as a "grassroots carny" with the Sustainable Living Roadshow, and as a puppeteer with the Big Tadoo Puppet Crew. Russell also wrote the book "Stencil Nation" (Manic D Press) and runs a street art website. In his spare time, Russell makes stencils, gives art tours, and reads books.

Policy and Climate Coordinator
Taylor Arbuckle
Policy and Climate Coordinator
Orange County, CA
Policy and Climate Coordinator
Policy and Climate Coordinator
Policy and Climate Coordinator
Taylor Arbuckle
Orange County, CA

Taylor Arbuckle is the Policy and Climate Coordinator at the Center for Food Safety. She received her bachelor's degree from the University of Southern California and is currently pursuing a Master of Public Health degree with an emphasis in Nutrition and Health Policy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Taylor is passionate about the intersection of food, climate, and public health. She has ten years of experience serving in the public health sector, both as a published author in clinical research and on strategic partnership teams at non-profit organizations. In her free time, Taylor enjoys traveling, reading, and cooking.