MARIBETH ABRAMS, MS CNC (CT)

Certified Nutritional Consultant; Certified Holistic Health Practitioner; Certified Lifestyle Educator; author of The 4-Ingredient Vegan and Tofu 1-2-3; NAVS Board Member; Associate Editor Vegetarian Voice magazine; vegan for 19 years; mother of two teens vegan since birth

PHIL ALLAMONG, ND (PA)

CMT (Certified Massage Therapist); CTN (Board Certified Traditional Naturopath); Certified Tai Chi Instructor; founder and facilitator of the Lancaster Vegetarian Society

WILL ANDERSON (WA)

founder, Greenpeace Alaska in 1978, and continued his long career in the environmental and animal welfare/rights professions for Earth Island Institute, Maine Animal Coalition, Progressive Animal Welfare Society, Animal Welfare Institute, Earth Justice, and now Green Vegans; author, This is Hope: Green Vegans and the New Human Ecology - How We Find Our Way to a Humane and Environmentally Sane Future; his wildlife, ecosystems, and animal welfare and rights advocacy has protected many individuals from other species—wild and domestic—and their ecosystems; lobbied for and won a preemptive ban on greyhound racing in Washington State and successfully petitioned for state protection of southern resident Orca whales; has experience in a wide variety of subject matter that includes marine mammals, offshore oil and gas impacts in Alaska, the Alaska aerial wolf hunt, the Omak Suicide Race (horses), Pribilof fur sealing, livestock auctions, the moral and ecological unsustainability of animal agriculture, tribal subsistence and take issues, industrial impacts on Mexican gray whale calving lagoons, the environmental impacts of industrial food production and human ecology

NAVA ATLAS (NY)

author and illustrator of many vegetarian and vegan cookbooks, most recently Vegan Holiday Kitchen, Vegan Express, and Vegan Soups and Hearty Stews for All Seasons, and the new Wild About Greens; has written scores of articles on healthful cooking with natural foods, which have appeared in Vegetarian Times, VegNews, Cooking Light, and numerous other publications; produces visual books on family themes, humor, and women’s issues, including Secret Recipes for the Modern Wife — a satiric look at contemporary marriage and motherhood through the lens of a faux 1950s cookbook; an active fine artist specializing in limited edition books and text-driven objects and installations; her work is shown and collected by museums and universities across the U.S.

JONATHAN BALCOMBE, PHD (MD)

author of Second Nature: The Inner Lives of Animals, Pleasurable Kingdom: Animals and the Nature of Feeling Good, The Use of Animals in Higher Education: Problems, Alternatives and Recommendations, and The Exultant Ark, A Pictorial Tour of Animal Pleasure; has written many scientific papers and lay articles on animal behavior, humane education, and animal research; a popular speaker, he has given presentations on six continents (the penguins are still waiting for him to visit Antarctica); Department Chair for Animal Studies and online course instructor for Humane Society University

CAROLE BARAL, MS (NY)  

Certified Integral Yoga Teacher since 1976, writes a monthly column on vegan cooking for a web magazine, NAVS Board Member for over 20 years.

CAROL H. BARNETT, PhD, JD (NY)

Co–coordinator, Rochester Area Veg. Soc.; mother of three vegan children

TED D. BARNETT, MD (NY)

Board certified interventional and diagnostic radiologist; co–coordinator, Rochester Area Veg. Soc.; father of three vegan children

RYNN BERRY (NY)

NAVS historical advisor; author of Food for the Gods, Vegetarianism and the World’s Religions, Hitler: Neither Vegetarian Nor Animal Lover, Vegan Guide to New York City; contributing author of Becoming Raw: The Essential Guide to Vegan Raw Food Diets               

JOHN BOLUS (FL)

America's sole instructor of Chinese Wand Exercise; ranked 1st in his state's 5K races in the 65-69 age group, 5th in National Sr. Olympics; professional musician (keyboards) frequently performing at top clubs, including the Ritz Carlton; released "Naples Medleys", a CD collection of easy listening standards             

PATTI BREITMAN (CA)

Co-author of How to Eat Like a Vegetarian, Even If You Never Want To Be One and How to Say No Without Feeling Guilty; Founder and Director of the Marin Vegetarian Education Group; Co-founder of Dharma Voices for Animals; on the advisory council of the Animals and Society institute; former publishing consultant to some of the vegetarian world's best known leaders; has been teaching vegan cooking classes for 14 years         

Director, Hippocrates Health Institute where he and his team developed a state of the art program for health maintenance and recovery based on the volumes of accrued data from the hundreds of thousands of people participating in this program over the last half century; his daily clinical research has given him a privileged insight into the lifestyle required to prevent disease, enhance longevity, and maintain vitality and stamina.; author Living Foods for Optimum Health, Longevity, and Lifeforce, (which Dr. T. Colin Campbell called “One of the most important books ever written on nutrition;”) Supplements Exposed, Killer Fish, and the forthcoming three volume series, Food is Medicine

Clinical Associate Professor, Michigan State University’s medical school, and private solo internal medicine specialist with 18 years of experience; co-author with her daughter, Chelsea Klemens, (an OB/GYN physician in Manhattan) of Waist Away: How to Joyfully Lose Weight and Supercharge Your Life; founder of the weight loss program Dr. Mary's Waisters; diagnosed with pre-diabetes and elevated cholesterol six years ago served as a wake up call which resulted in her researching the extensive pharmaceutical options, but opted to modify her diet instead and her blood sugar is back to normal and her cholesterol dropped by 70 points; she now shares her lifestyle and diet tips

Professor of Law and Charles Evans Hughes Scholar at Cornell University, where she teachescourses in animal rights, criminal-related constitutional law, and evidence law; author, Mind If I Order the Cheeseburger?” (Lantern, Spring 2013); writes a bi-weekly column for lawyers, law students, and general audiences at Verdict.Justia.com, where her topics frequently address animal rights themes

co-founded VegFund, Plant Peace Daily and VegMichigan; has a BS in Emergency Medicine, certification in the Living Foods Lifestyle and is a certified fitness instructor; is a former softball champion/all-star; has been leading life-altering programs on health and the environment for over a decade now; his talks empower people to make informed and lasting changes in their lives

pastry chef, culinary instructor, author and long time vegan, is internationally renowned as the “Queen of Vegan Desserts;” the sumptuous, yet healthful desserts in her bestselling cookbook, More Great Good Dairy-Free Desserts Naturally, satisfy vegans and omnivores alike, and her highly anticipated new book, Vegan Chocolate: Unapologetically Luscious and Decadent Dairy Free Desserts (fall 2013); she is graduate of the New York Restaurant School and the Natural Gourmet Institute and has worked as a pastry chef in both traditional and vegan kitchens, including New York City’s famed Angelica Kitchen, before moving into the teaching kitchen over 20 years ago; home cooks and professionals enjoy her lively classes, which include the unique Vegan Baking Boot Camp Intensive^®, and she presents demonstrations and workshops at events throughout North America and Europe; her work has been featured on television and radio, and in print and online publications

Registered Dietitian with master's degree in nutrition; registered yoga teacher; ACSM-certified health/fitness specialist; raw food educator; has lectured on wellness, vegan, sports and raw nutrition, stress management, yoga and ayurveda; teaches wellness yoga at Harrisburg Area Community College

Registered dietitian, is a leader in her field and an internationally acclaimed speaker. She is co-author of seven books: Becoming Raw, Becoming Vegan, Becoming Vegetarian, The New Becoming Vegetarian, The Raw Food Revolution Diet, Defeating Diabetes and Dairy-free and Delicious, and contributing author to an eight book, The Complete Vegetarian. Brenda is also author of numerous professional and lay articles. Brenda is the lead dietitian in a diabetes intervention project in Majuro, Marshall Islands. She is a past chair of the Vegetarian Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group of the American Dietetic Association. In 2007, Brenda was inducted into the Vegetarian Hall of Fame. She lives in Kelowna British Columbia with her husband and has two grown children.

President and Founder of United Poultry Concerns, a nonprofit organization that promotes the compassionate and respectful treatment of domestic fowl; maintains a sanctuary for chickens in Virginia.; author, Prisoned Chickens, Poisoned Eggs: An Inside Look at the Modern Poultry Industry; More Than a Meal: The Turkey in History, Myth, Ritual, and Reality; Instead of Chicken, Instead of Turkey: A Poultryless “Poultry” Potpourri; A Home for Henny; and The Holocaust and the Henmaid’s Tale: A Case for Comparing Atrocities

clinical director of the Lifestyle Medicine Institute in Loma Linda; Clinical Professor in the Dept. of Preventive Medicine at the School of Medicine of Loma Linda University; founder of the Complete Health Improvement Program (CHIP) which has shown how simple lifestyle changes can prevent, arrest, and facilitate the reversal of many of our largely lifestyle related diseases and with more than 50,000 graduates, the results of the Randomized Clinical CHIP Trial have been published in 23 peer reviewed medical journals; co-author, Health Power, Dynamic Health, and Dynamic Living book & workbook and the Optimal Diet Cookbook (with Darlene Blaney)

co-author of Apples, Bean Dip, and Carrot Cake: Kids! Teach Yourself to Cook which gives kids the opportunity to learn to cook and eat well even if their parents don’t know a spatula from a serrated knife; author of Dating Vegans; professional rowing coach who teaches clinics throughout the country; lifetime vegan, third generation vegetarian, and mom to vegan son

co-author of Apples, Bean Dip, and Carrot Cake: Kids! Teach Yourself to Cook a great new book that inspires kids to make healthy snacks and meals; author of The Vegan Kitchen which in 1965 was the first U.S. cookbook to use the word vegan in the title and espouse the vegan philosophy; lecturer & teacher; lifetime vegetarian (53 years vegan); president of American Vegan Society and editor of American Vegan magazine; inducted to the Vegetarian Hall of Fame

staff dietitian for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine’s Cancer Project, which promotes cancer prevention and survival through a better understanding of cancer causes, particularly the link between nutrition and cancer; currently establishing validated dietary guidelines for cancer prevention and survival based on the latest research in nutrition and preventive medicine; volunteered with a diabetes lifestyle intervention program at the Diabetes Wellness Center in the Marshall Islands where he helped people with diabetes understand the correlation between diet and diabetes

author of Eating Your Way To Health Workbook, Wildly Successful Fermenting, Raw and Living Food Basics, and Warming Winter Recipes; board certified as a Holistic Health Practitioner, Healing Touch Practitioner, yoga teacher and raw food chef; she is a sought-after speaker and her work spans 5 continents; she teaches classes in the Living Foods lifestyle and maintains a private practice which specializes in dissolving sugar habits and relieving chronic illness; she was as vegetarian for 15 years, vegan for 12 and now raw for 6 years; personally cleared a tumor, reversed her arthritis and lost 55 lbs by changing her lifestyle

Assistant Professor of Health Studies and Faculty Director of Study Abroad at Monmouth University, Master Certified Health Education Specialist, highly rated professor with more than 6,000 hours of classroom engagement, author of “What pushed me over the edge was a deer hunter”: Being vegan in North America (Society and Animals, 2011), 14-year vegan, video producer , blogger (One Green Planet), and athlete

DAN LADERMANN (CA)

has been advancing the raw food revolution and its impact on health for the past 15 years; co-author Raw Food for Dummies; co-director of Living Light International; co-created a family of businesses (Living Light Café, Living Light Marketplace and the Eco-friendly Living Light Inn) united in their commitment to sharing the benefits of an organic, sustainable, raw food lifestyle with people around the world; president of the Institute for Vibrant Living, a non-profit organization dedicated to global education about raw organic plant-strong foods and their role in health and vitality

JAMES LAVECK, (NY)

co-founder of Tribe of Heart, a non-profit organization that creates award-winning, life-changing films about the journey of awakening conscience; producer of The Witness, an animal advocacy film classic, and the newly released Peaceable Kingdom: The Journey Home, currently on the film festival circuit and winning numerous awards, including the Grand Jury Prize at the Canada International Film Festival and the Audience Award at the Environmental Film Festival at Yale; co-creator of HumaneMyth.org, a web resource encouraging truth, transparency and integrity in animal advocacy; public speaker on issues of critical thinking, social justice, and the essential role of grassroots activism and independent media in maintaining a healthy democracy

VANCE LEHMKUHL (PA)

vegan columnist ("V for Veg") for the Philadelphia Daily News; cartoonist, speaker, piano-player and all-around entertainer; founding member of vegetarian pop band Green Beings; creator of "Edgy Veggies" cartoon for VegNews; author, Joy of Soy (collection of his vegetarian cartoons); illustrator (created NAVS "Food/Friend" T-shirt) and feature writer for Vegetarian Voice

BOB LEROY, RD, MS, EDM (NY/NC)

ISABEL MARMOLEJO, MAT (NJ)

JOHN A. McDOUGALL, MD (CA)

is a board-certified internist who iwas one of the first traditional physicians of the medical "establishment" to assert that adoption of a vegetarian diet can reverse unfavorable medical conditions such as heart disease; author of 11 national best-selling books including his latest The Starch Solution as well as The McDougall Plan: 12 Days to Dynamic Health, McDougall's Medicine: A Challenging Second Opinion, The McDougall Program for Maximum Weight Loss, The New McDougall Cookbook, The McDougall Program for Women, and his latest ground breaking book, The McDougall Program for a Healthy Heart;” host of the nationally syndicated television show “McDougall M.D.;” medical director of the 10-day, live-in McDougall Program in Santa Rosa, CA and has cared for thousands of patients over almost 3 decades of medical practice; he is an Associate Professor at the Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Mare Island, Vallejo, California; hosts health-oriented adventure vacations

MILTON MILLS, MD (VA)

DAWN MONCRIEF, MS (DC)

VICTORIA MORAN (NY)

motivational speaker, certified life coach, certified holistic health counselor (HHC, AADA); author of ten books including the vegan weight loss classic, The Love-Powered Diet, the best-selling Creating Charmed Life, and the Oprah-featured Lit from Within and Shelter for the Spirit. vegetarian since age 18, and mother of lifelong vegan actress Adair Moran

LANI MUELRATH, M.A., CGFI, CPBN, FNS (CA)

Plant-Based Fitness Expert, specializing in helping people who struggle with health, weight and energy levels to transform their bodies - and their lives - without going hungry or grueling, excessive exercise; best-selling author of Fit Quickies: 5 Minute Targeted Body Shaping Workouts and The Plant-Based Blueprint; presenter and celebrity coach for the 21-Day PCRM Vegan Kickstart and VegRun Programs; fitness adviser for the Dr. John McDougall Health and Medical Center discussion boards; regular presenter for the Complete Health Improvement Project (CHIP); she is an associate professor in kinesiology at Butte College; holds a Master's degree and several teaching credentials in Physical Education, and holds multiple fitness certifications including fitness Instructor from the American Council on Exercise, Yoga, and Pilates-based instruction from the PhysicalMind Institute, and over 30 years of experience as health educator and coach; certified in Plant-Based Nutrition through Cornell University and holds a Fitness Nutrition Specialist Advanced Credential from the National Academy of Sports Medicine; created and starred in her own CBS TV show, "Lani's All-Heart Aerobics"

LINDSAY NIXON (CA)

bestselling author of The Happy Herbivore Cookbook, Everyday Happy Herbivore, and Happy Herbivore Abroad; has been featured on The Food Network and Dr. Oz, and has spoken at Google; her recipes have been featured in the New York Times, Vegetarian Times magazine, Shape Magazine, Bust, Women's Health, WebMD, and countless other online publications; a rising star in the culinary world she is praised for her ability to use everyday ingredients to create healthy, low fat recipes that taste just as delicious as they are nutritious

JILL NUSSINOW, MS, RD (CA)

Nutrition specialist and culinary educator, teaching at the McDougall Program and cooking schools throughout the US and beyond; freelance writer, speaker and consultant who has been teaching vegetarian and vegetables cooking for 20 years; author of 2 award-winning cookbooks The New Fast Food: The Veggie Queen Pressure Cooks Whole Food Meals in Less than 30 Minutes and The Veggie Queen™: Vegetables Get the Royal Treatment; producer, Pressure Cooking: A Fresh Look, Delicious Dishes in Minutes DVD

RICHARD OPPENLANDER, DDS (MI)

author of Comfortably Unaware: Global Depletion and Food Choice Responsibility; extensively studied the effects food choices have on our health and the environment since 1976 and he has given hundreds of lectures, presentations, and open discussions on this topic; featured on radio shows and in newspapers and magazines; president and founder of an organic vegan food production and education business; co-founder of an animal rescue and sanctuary he has operated since 1979; he devotes his life to improving the health of our planet

MYRIAM PARHAM, RD, CDE, CLC (FL)

clinical dietitian & certified diabetes educator at the Florida Hospital Zephyrhills; certified lactation consultant; mother of a vegan child

JOHN PIERRE (IL)

Personal trainer for Ellen DeGeneres; vegan nutrition and fitness consultant who lectures throughout the US sharing the principles of compassionate living to people of all ages; best known for his innovative work helping older adults enhance cognitive functioning, and his fun, yet effective approach to functional fitness

RICH ROLL (CA)

a graduate of Stanford University and Cornell Law School; is a 46-year old, world-renowned vegan ultra-endurance athlete, wellness advocate, husband, father of 4 and inspiration to people worldwide as a transformative example of courageous and healthy living; after succumbing to the sedentary throes of overweight middle age, at age 40 he overhauled his life, adopting a plant-based whole food diet and reinventing himself as an ultra-distance endurance athlete, and just a few years later he clocked top finishes at the Ultraman World Championships and cemented his place in the pantheon of endurance greats when he was the first of two people to complete EPIC5– 5 Ironmans on 5 Hawaiian Islands in under a week; he is the author of the #1 bestselling inspirational memoir Finding Ultra and the host of The Rich Roll Podcast topping charts on iTunes.

KERRIE SAUNDERS, MS, LLP, PhD (MI)

internationally known presenter, consultant and bestselling author in the area of diet as disease prevention; her work has been featured all over the world, in print, radio and television, including her “Dear Dr. Kerrie" VegNews column, and “DrFood's Nutrition Intermission” on the radio; she is a certified FLT Health Care Provider, former Global Diabetes Moderator for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, coordinator of the Michigan Firefighter Challenge, and a popular guest chef for several hospitals/health systems; her book, The Vegan Diet as Chronic Disease Prevention is now a Publishers BestSeller; co-stars with celebrity fitness trainer John Pierre, in the exciting new “When Bachelor Meets Homemaker” food demo DVD series – for super simple- super nutrition!

MIYOKO SCHINNER (CA)

vegan chef, television cooking show host, author of Artisan Vegan Cheese; has been promoting delicious, decadent, and healthful plant-based foods for the past thirty years; co-host of Vegan Mashup, a new cooking show on public television, and stars in her own whimsical online show, Miyoko’s Kitchen; cooking instructor for the McDougall Program, and at festivals and events around the country; former restaurateur (Now and Zen, San Francisco) and food developer and has had her vegan products distributed nationwide as well as on United Airlines

RICHARD H. SCHWARTZ, PhD (NY)

author of Judaism and Vegetarianism, Judaism and Global Survival, Who Stole My Religion? Revitalizing Judaism and Applying Jewish Values to Help Heal our Imperiled Planet, and Mathematics and Global Survival, and over 200 articles and 25 podcasts; president of Jewish Vegetarians of North America (JVNA) and of the Society of Ethical and Religious Vegetarians (SERV); associate producer of the 2007 documentary “A Sacred Duty: Applying Jewish Values to Help Heal the World;” he’s currently working to restore and transform the ancient Jewish holiday “New Year for Animals” to increase awareness of Jewish teachings on compassion to animals

JAMETH SHERIDAN, DHM (CA)

alternative / holistic medicine researcher (28 years) and advocate of veganism (27 years) and raw foods (26 years); has conducted extensive research on raw foods and healing, making use of standardized blood tests as well as alternative assessment methods; he has determined that a long term adherence to 100% raw is not optimum for most people and is the prime reason that some individuals eventually develop cravings and deficiencies, and as a result end up consuming processed foods and/or raw meat and other animal products; established RawFoodResearch.com to further his ongoing investigations; co-author, Uncooking with Jameth & Kim and author of the forthcoming Raw Warrior; co-founder of HealthForce Nutritionals which has become one of the premier superfood and alternative medicine companies in the world over the past 20 years; he deeply cares about people, animals and the earth, and focuses his life on improving the conditions for all

RAE SIKORA (NM)

has been a full-time spokesperson for other species for over 30 year; is co-founder of Plant Peace Daily, Vegfund and the Institute for Humane Education; she leads compassionate living and ethical consumerism programs for diverse audiences ranging from schools and prisons to businesses and universities

CHERIE SORIA (CA)

raw food revolutionary; founder and director of Living Light Culinary Institute, has been teaching the art of gourmet raw foods to individuals, chefs, and instructors for more than 20 years and vegetarian culinary arts for 40 years; personally trained many of the world’s top raw food chefs and instructors and is often referred to as the Mother of Gourmet Raw Vegan Cuisine; author of four books, including Raw Food Revolution Diet: Feast, Lose Weight, Gain Energy, Feel Younger and the just released Raw Food for Dummies; co-created a family of businesses (Living Light Café, Living Light Marketplace and the Eco-friendly Living Light Inn) united in their commitment to sharing the benefits of an organic, sustainable, raw food lifestyle with people around the world

JENNY STEIN (NY)

co-founder of Tribe of Heart, a non-profit organization that creates award-winning, life-changing films about the journey of awakening conscience; director of The Witness, an animal advocacy film classic, and the newly released Peaceable Kingdom: The Journey Home, currently on the film festival circuit and winning numerous awards, including the Grand Jury Prize at the Canada International Film Festival and the Audience Award at the Environmental Film Festival at Yale; graduate of the UCLA film program whose work has been recognized by the International Documentary Association, CineWomen New York and the Rocky Mountain Women's Film Festival; co-creator of HumaneMyth.org, a web resource encouraging truth, transparency and integrity in animal advocacy

JO STEPANIAK (PA)

has been involved with vegetarian and vegan-related issues for nearly five decades; author and coauthor of seventeen books on compassionate living and vegan cuisine and a contributing author to many other books and national publications; editorial director for Book Publishing Company; community and victim-offender mediator and international business dispute-resolution specialist

ROBERT C. VICTOR (CA)

former Staff Astronomer at Abrams Planetariam, Michigan State Univ, where he held that position for over 30 years; since his retirement, he continues to design and produce the monthly Sky Calendar for Abrams Planetarium; in recent years, his peers named him Fellow and Honorary Life Member of the Great Lakes Planetarium Association, and Fellow of the International Planetarium Society, in recognition of his longtime service to astronomy education