Featured Speakers

Lorri Bauston, Animal Acres

Lorri Bauston is considered the "pioneer" of the farmed animal sanctuary movement. In 1986, she opened the coutry's first shelter for farmed animals as co-founder of Farm Sanctuary, where she served as Executive Director and President for 18 years.  In 2005, Lorri formed Animal Acres, and opened the Los Angeles Farmed Animal Sanctuary & Compassionate Living Center. Among its rescue, shelter, and advocacy efforts, Animal Acres started ACI: Animal Cruelty Investigations , to enforce California's anti-cruelty laws, and the project led to the establishment of ACI as a state incorporated humane enforcement agency - the first ever state SPCA devoted to farmed animals.

For the past 22 years, Lorri has directly saved thousands of animals from the cruelties of factory farming, and brought national attention to the plight of animals used for "food production". Her work has been featured in hundreds of national and state news reports, and she has been featured in several documentaries.  A native of the midwest (Wisconsin),and growing up surrounded by cows, she is very honored that she has been able to devote her life to the protection of farmed animals.

Mark Berkson, Professor at Hamline University

Mark Berkson is a professor in the Department of Religion at Hamline University. He holds a Ph.D. in Religious Studies and Humanities from Stanford University, and teaches courses in comparative religion, Islam, and the religious traditions of East and South Asia. He also teaches a seminar entitled, "Resources or Relatives: The Ethical Status of Non-Human Animals." His scholarly work has addressed topics such as comparative religious thought, death and dying, and interfaith dialogue. Last year, he organized a panel on animal welfare activism at Hamline University and presided over a roundtable session on animals and religion at the annual American Academy of Religion conference.

Mary Britton Clouse, Chicken Run Rescue

A long time animal advocate and artist, Mary Britton Clouse and her husband Albert Clouse run a Minneapolis animal sanctuary, Chicken Run Rescue (CRR). Britton Clouse is a past President of the Animal Rights Coalition, Co-Founder of Legislative Efforts for Animal Protection, the Minnesota Spay Neuter Project and Justice for Animals Arts Guild. Her art work was recently featured in the The Animal Gaze: Symposium and Art Exhibition at London Metropolitan University and Vegan Voice Magazine. At CRR, Mary provides the birds with temporary shelter and vet care, locates and screens adopters within 90 miles of the Twin Cities and transports the birds to their new homes. CRR is the only urban chicken rescue of its kind and receives no support from any other organizations.

Howard Goldman, Humane Society of the United States

Howard Goldman, an animal advocate for more than 30 years, is the senior state director at The Humane Society of the United States of Minnesota and for the Central States Region. Before joining The HSUS in January 2008, the native Minnesotan was the long-time director of Friends of Animals and Their Environment.

Goldman is a board member of the Minnesota Humane Society and an active member of Feline Rescue. He recently retired from the Department of Housing Development, where he directed the housing programs in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Mark Hawthorne, Activist and Author

A longtime activist and writer, Mark Hawthorne is the author of Striking at the Roots: A Practical Guide to Animal Activism, which empowers activists to make the most of their skills and time on behalf of animals.

He has engaged in nearly every model of activism, from leafleting and tabling to protesting and open rescue. Mark was a contributing writer for Satya from 2004 until the magazine ceased publishing in 2007, and his articles, book reviews, essays and opinion pieces have also appeared in VegNews, Herbivore, Vegan Voice, Hinduism Today and many daily newspapers across the United States. Mark works and volunteers with several nonprofits, including the Animal Legal Defense Fund, Animal Place and SaveABunny. Much of his writing can be viewed online at firstprecept.com.

pattrice jones, Activist and Author

pattrice jones stopped eating meat in 1976 at the age of 15 and flung herself into the new movement for gay liberation. As an activist in a variety of movements since then, she has organized rent strikes, kiss-ins, and an assortment of unlikely coalitions. As a psychotherapist, she studied and worked to repair the repercussions of many kinds of trauma, including sexual and domestic violence. As a college instructor she has taught courses in psychology, public speaking, and social change. As an activist, she is the co-founder of the Eastern Shore Sanctuary. She speaks and writes about the links among racism, sexism, speciesism, class exploitation, and environmental despoilation from an ecofeminist perspective.

Stephen Kaufman, Christian Vegetarian Association

Stephen Kaufman is the chair and president of the Christian Vegetarian Association. He is an assistant professor at Case School of Medicine and the co-chair of the Medical Research Modernization Committee. He has co-authored the book Good News for All Creation.

Erica Meier, Compassion Over Killing

Erica Meier has been the Executive Director of Compassion Over Killing (COK) since 2005. Compassion Over Killing is one of the most active animal advocacy groups in the U.S. focusing on exposing cruelty to farmed animals and promoting vegetarian eating as a way to reduce animal suffering. COK's undercover investigations inside factory farms have been featured in various newspapers, including the New York Times and the Washington Post. Before working at COK, Erica spent four years as an animal control officer in D.C., rescuing sick, injured, and homeless animals as well as enforcing animal protection laws.

Victoria Moran, Author

Victoria Moran has been changing the world one attitude at a time since 1968 when she stopped eating meat and started on the adventure of compassionate living. Her path led to recovery from food addiction, a degree in comparative religions, and studying the spirituality of daily life around the planet.

She is the author of ten books including the bestselling Creating a Charmed Life (in 29 languages and quoted on Celestial Seasoning tea boxes), its brand new sequel, Living a Charmed Life, and her newly republished vegan classic, The Love-Powered Diet: Eating for Freedom, Health, and Joy. Moran has appeared on Oprah, Good Morning America, and NPR’s All Things Considered. She writes the popular "Your Charmed Life" blog on Beliefnet.com, hosts a show on HealthyLife.net radio, and lives in a "green" condo in Harlem, New York City.

Jack Norris, Vegan Outreach

Jack Norris co-founded Vegan Outreach in 1993 and is currently the President and runs their Adopt A College program which has directly handed a Vegan Outreach brochure to almost three million students since it started in the Fall of 2003. In 2005, Jack was elected to the Animal Rights Hall of Fame.

Jack is a Registered Dietitian. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition and Dietetics from Life University (Marietta, GA) in 2000 and performed a Dietetic internship at Georgia State University in 2000-2001. Jack has authored numerous health related articles which can be found at at VeganHealth.org and JackNorrisRd.com.

Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, Compassionate Cooks

Colleen Patrick-Goudreau is the founder of Compassionate Cooks, whose mission is to empower people to make informed food choices and to debunk myths about veganism and animal rights. Having earned her master's degree in English Literature, Colleen uses her writing and communication skills to raise awareness of the animal issues about which so many people are unaware. A sought-after and inspiring public speaker on the spiritual, social, and practical aspects of a vegan lifestyle, Colleen has appeared on the Food Network, is a columnist for VegNews Magazine, and she is a contributor to National Public Radio.

She is the author of The Joy of Vegan Baking and The Vegan Table, which is making its debut in June 2009! She is very grateful to witness transformations taking place in people as they gain the tools and resources they need to reflect their values in their daily choices.

Norm Phelps, Author

Norm Phelps is the former spiritual outreach director of The Fund for Animals, as well as a founding member of the Society of Ethical and Religious Vegetarians (SERV) and a contributing writer for Satya. His goal is for faith communities of all traditions to include animals within the scope of their compassionate ministries. Norm Phelps is author of The Dominion of Love, The Great Compassion and The Longest Struggle. Norm lives in Funkstown, Maryland with his wife, Patti Rogers, and their family of rescued cats.

Hillary Rettig, Author of The Lifelong Activist

Hillary Rettig, author of The Lifelong Activist: How to Change the World Without Losing Your Way (Lantern Books, 2006), is a coach who helps activists, artists, students, entrepreneurs and other "ambitious dreamers" improve their time management and overcome procrastination, perfectionism and other blocks to success. She honed her skills as head of two Boston-area microenterprise organizations, where she and her teams helped hundreds of people of very diverse backgrounds achieve their business dreams. She is a vegan, a former foster mother to four wonderful Sudanese refugees, a guardian to four fabulous canines, and recently donated a kidney to another animal activist. Visit www.lifelongactivist.com or email her at lifelongactivist@yahoo.com to learn more about Hillary and her work.

Nathan Runkle, Mercy for Animals

Nathan Runkle is the Executive Director of Mercy For Animals (MFA), a national non-profit animal advocacy organization he founded in 1999. Today MFA has over 12,000 members and offices in Ohio and Chicago. Nathan has played a leading role in the organizations groundbreaking undercover investigations at Ohio's four largest egg factory farms, rodeo events, and a North Carolina poultry slaughterhouse. Through his work with MFA, Nathan has appeared in stories by dozens of newspapers and radio programs, as well as on PBS, NBC, CBS, ABC and FOX affiliates. He has organized hundreds of demonstrations & educational outreach events and frequently speaks on animal rights issues at high schools and colleges. In 2006 VegNews magazine honored MFA with the title of "Non-Profit of the Year" and in 2007 the publication named Nathan one of the "25 Most Fascinating Vegetarians."

Rae Sikora

Rae Sikora is co-founder of Plant Peace Daily, which supports individuals and groups in creating peaceful community that respects all Life. She is also co-director of VegFund, providing funding for vegan outreach through food giveaways. Rae co-created the Institute for Humane Education (the nations first humane education certification and Masters programs). She has been leading programs internationally for over 25 years on compassionate living and all forms of non-violence, including: ethical consumerism, advertising / media influences, communication, conflict resolution, animal rights / awareness, and environmental awareness / responsibility.

Erin Williams, Communications Director, HSUS

Erin Williams is co-author of Why Animals Matter: The Case for Animal Protection, which Publishers Weekly praised as "a tough but fair-minded revelation of how mass production of animals for food and other purposes results in cruelty that usually remains hidden from sight."

She is communications director for the factory farming campaign at The Humane Society of the United States, the nation's largest animal protection organization with more than 11 million constituents.

Erin's concern for animals is a result of spending much of her childhood on her family's rural Illinois dairy farm. Active in animal protection for more than a dozen years, she's worked and volunteered for a number of animal protection and environmental organizations. She has a B.S. in conservation and resource studies from UC Berkeley and a master of nonprofit administration from the University of San Francisco.

Kenneth Williams, Host of IDA's Undercover TV

Kenneth G. Williams is a professional vegan bodybuilder and animal advocate. He made sports history at the 2004 Natural Olympia in Las Vegas - the most prestigious natural bodybuilding competition in the world - by finishing third out of more than 200 competitors from 37 nations and becoming America's first vegan bodybuilding champion. He is an educator on diet, sports nutrition, exercise, and the treatment of animals in modern agriculture.

Kenneth's personal story is an inspiration as his life combines success as a professional vegan athlete with a deeply rooted sense of compassion for all beings. He illustrates that animal products are not necessary to attain super-strength and exceptional health. He hosts a half-hour television program exposing animal cruelty, Undercover TV and is coordinator for In Defense of Animals' vegan campaign.