About Us: Advisory Board

Craig Brestrup

Ph.D. in Medical and Environmental Ethics
Experience: Animal welfare advocacy, Nonprofit organizations, Sanctuary leadership, Ethics

 

Jonathan Balcombe

Ph.D.
Experience: Animal behavior, Animal ethics, Science writing, Research consulting

 

Michael F. Brown

Esq., American Bar Association Member
Experience: Nonhuman primate behavior, Science writing, Grant writing and review

 

Kathleen Conlee

Director of Program Management: Animal Research Issues, Humane Society of the U.S.
Experience: Nonhuman primate behavior, Animal welfare legislation, Environmental enrichment/stress reduction, Nursery care, Care of psychologically disturbed primates

 

Lynn Cuny

Sanctuary Director
Experience: Animal welfare advocacy, Nonprofit organizations, Sanctuary leadership
Group-formation and rehabilitation of nonhuman primates in a sanctuary setting

 

Tom Gross

M.A., M.B.A.-Finance
Experience: Nonprofit work, Fundraising, Statistics, Leadership

 

Viktor Reinhardt

D.V.M., Ph.D., Animal Welfare Institute
Experience: Nonhuman primate handling through positive reinforcement training, Positive reinforcement training, Animal welfare, Working with nonhuman primates in a research setting

 

Polly Schultz

Executive Director, Oregon Primate Rescue
Experience: Environmental enrichment, Positive reinforcement Training, Primate retirement, Transportation, and Rehabilitation

 

Evelyn Skoumbourdis

M.S., Biological Psychology
Experience: Data collection, Nonhuman primate handling through positive reinforcement training, Pharmaceutical studies using laboratory animals, Veterinary techniques

 

Diane Sourelis

Vice President and Partner, Brainforest, Inc.–Chicago Ad Firm
Experience: Animal welfare ethics, Financial management, Organizational development, Project management, Advertising & marketing

 

Dr. Eric Van Zon

D.C., President, Capitol Wellness
Experience: Neurological and spinal effects of stress (3 types of stress–chemical, physical and mental), Holistic medicine (10 years), Cranial sacral therapy Subluxation, Entrepreneurship, Management

 

Peggy Wagner

Masters in Psychology
Experience: Habitat design, Primate behavior, Scientific writing, Animal welfare legislation

 

Carolyn Clark

Sanctuary Director
Experience: Sanctuary leadership, Primate behavior, Primate rehabilitation, Educating youth

 

Janina Wojciechowska

DVM, MSC in Animal Welfare
Experience: Animal welfare, Animal behavior, Shelter work, Quality of life assessment, Animal welfare legislation.

 

David Brown

M.A. in Primate Cognition and Behavior, Internet Entrepreneur
Experience: Primate care and enrichment, Research with monkeys and apes, Positive reinforcement training, Internet marketing

 

Jeff Hoyt

Secretary. BS in Public Policy & Administration
Jeff comes to Primates Incorporated with a passion for all things primate! He has active memberships in several animal welfare organizations and is currently the Executive Director of Hands of Faith, Inc.; a homeless shelter in Beloit, WI. Jeff has previous experience as Secretary of the Board for the Retired & Senior Volunteer Program of Rock County. Jeff looks forward to providing dedicated service to the cause of Primates Incorporated as he believes that primate retirement is a concept that a caring, progressive society should embrace to the fullest extent possible.

 

John Trybus

B.A. Political Science and Communications (in progress)
Experience: Public Relations, Journalism, Nonprofit development, Fundraising.

 

Kristin Lein

Juris Doctorate, Member of the State Bar of Wisconsin
Experience: Private law practice, Estate Planning and Administration, Business Organizations, Non-Profit Law; Public accounting: Tax preparation and consulting; Grassroots Non-Profit formation and development: Organizational structure, Fundraising and Planned-Giving.

 

Debra Curtin

  

President and Founder of New England Primate Sanctuary www.neprimatesanctuary.org
Experienced in: Management and leadership, Nonprofit organization development, Adult Training and development, Sales and marketing

 

Jennifer Whitaker

B.S. in Botany, M.A. in Primate Conservation (in progress)
Experience: animal welfare, wildlife rehabilitation, special events, humane education and community outreach programs, plant and wildlife conservation

 

Tori Kaldenberg-Spinoso

B.S. - Biology with a Captive Animal emphasis, MAIS-Zoo & Aquarium Leadership with a concentration in Conservation Education (in progress)
Experience: captive animal husbandry, primate introductions, environmental enrichment, positive reinforcement training, animal behavior, wildlife rehabilitation, zoological education programs

 

Lisa Robinson-LaBarge
B.S. in Zoology with emphasis in Neurobiology and Animal Behavior
Experience: veterinary techniques, animal training through positive reinforcement with primates and other mammals, habitat design, multi-species husbandry, primate introduction, wildlife rehabilitation, animal education program, enrichment director, head animal keeper
 

Heather McComas
B.A. in English and Anthropology, with an honors thesis in Anthropology on captive infant orangutan behavior.
Experience: animal-related volunteer work (Information Volunteer at Lincoln Park Zoo and Kennel Volunteer at an animal shelter); PharmD degree; while in pharmacy school, worked for 3 years as a Reference Assistant at the Wisconsin Primate Research Center Libary and helped answer questions for the library's AskPrimate service. She and her husband Paul are members of the Jane Goodall Institute.