The True Food Network

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Our Mission: The Center for Food Safety works to protect human health and the environment by curbing the proliferation of harmful food production technologies and by promoting organic and other forms of sustainable agriculture. CFS has offices in Washington, DC and San Francisco, CA

The True Food Network is CFS’s grassroots action network, with over 100,000 members across the country. The True Food Network is where concerned citizens can voice their opinions about critical food safety issues, and advocate for a socially just, democratic, and sustainable food system. Join the Network to receive free action alerts and stand up for True Food!

Contact Us

National Headquarters
660 Pennsylvania Ave, SE, #302
Washington DC 20003
phone: (202)547-9359
fax: (202)547-9429

West Coast Office:
2601 Mission Street, Suite 803
San Francisco, CA 94110
phone: (415) 826-2770
fax: (415) 826-0507

CFS welcomes your questions and comments. Please contact us at info@truefoodnow.org

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
Bill Freese, Science Policy Analyst
Jaydee Hanson, Policy Analyst on Cloning and Genetics
George Kimbrell, Staff Attorney
Sophia Kruszewski, Policy Assistant
Tonja Moore, Operations Manager
Meredith Niles, Climate and Agriculture Consultant
Colin O’Neil, Research Assistant
Kateryna Rakowsky, Staff Attorney
Paige Tomaselli, Staff Attorney
William H. Wenzel, Policy Advisor
Heather Whitehead, True Food Network Director

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, Policy Analyst on Cloning and Genetics
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.

Sophia Kruszewski, Policy Assistant
Sophia grew up on a small farm in Michigan and came to CFS through her interest in protecting and promoting sustainable agricultural practices. Sophia coordinates CFS’ policy agenda and provides support for legal, educational, and outreach projects in the areas of genetic engineering, climate change, sewage sludge, and other food safety issues. In addition, Sophia is as a researcher for the International Center for Technology Assessment, CFS’ sister organization, and supports ICTA’s work on new and emerging technologies, including nanotechnology and human biotechnology. Sophia graduated magna cum laude from the University of Michigan with a BS in environmental science and a minor in Spanish. Before coming to CFS, Sophia worked in experiential education – first as an environmental educator in New York City, and then teaching science and engineering classes in Massachusetts.

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, Research Assistant
Colin joined CFS in 2008 after graduating 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. At CFS, Colin provides research support to the staff on a wide range of issues including genetic engineering, biofuels, corporate accountability, and climate change. In addition, he is a researcher for CFS’s sister organization, The International Center for Technology Assessment, where he provides policy and research support on issues tied to nanotechnology, synthetic biologic, and geoengineering. Colin has a deep passion for the outdoors and can be found most often working in his garden, running in the woods, or riding his bike.

William H. Wenzel, Policy Advisor
Bill joined CFS in January 2009 to promote policymaker education on national issues such as genetic engineering, climate change and agriculture, sewage sludge, and food safety. Bill is also the National Director of the Farmer to Farmer Campaign on Genetic Engineering, a network of 34 farm groups organized in 1999 to provide a national voice for farmers on genetic engineering in agriculture issues. Bill is a 1981 graduate of the Hamline University School of Law. He has served as Chief of Staff and Agriculture & Environmental Resources Committee staffperson for two former Wisconsin State Senators. He has a long history of grassroots activism with more than 20 years of experience in federal and state policy development and advocacy on agricultural, environmental and rural development issues.

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.

George Kimbrell, Staff Attorney
George Kimbrell joined CFS in 2005, following a clerkship with the Honorable Ronald M. Gould, United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. At CFS Mr. Kimbrell works on legal and policy issues related to genetically engineered foods and crops, organic standards, and aquaculture. In addition, he is a staff attorney at CFS’s sister organization, The International Center for Technology Assessment, where he covers legal and policy issues related to biotechnology, nanotechnology, and climate change. Mr. Kimbrell has also written law review articles on a variety of environmental issues, including nanotechnology, endangered species protection, and water law. Mr. Kimbrell received his law degree from Lewis and Clark Law School, graduating magna cum laude with a Certificate in Environmental and Natural Resource Law. While there, he was an Editor of the Environmental Law Review, a member of the Pacific Environmental Advocacy Clinic, and spent time in Alaska working for The Nature Conservancy. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude, in History and Government from the College of William and Mary.

Meredith Niles, Climate and Agriculture Consultant
Meredith joined CFS in 2007 after spending significant time traveling abroad in Southeast Asia and Australia and living in New Zealand. During her time abroad she worked and volunteered in a variety of positions and gained valuable insight in international sustainable agriculture. Prior to joining CFS she worked as an outdoor education instructor in Maine and New Hampshire leading backcountry backpacking trips and teaching school groups. She has also worked for the State Department coordinating public affairs for international HIV/AIDS assistance. Meredith is a summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Catholic University with a B.A. in politics, honors in environmental studies and a minor in Italian. At CFS she is consulting on a national campaign to educate the public about how food choice can affect global warming, and promoting sustainable alternatives like organic, local and whole foods. She is passionate about the outdoors, food, cooking and traveling.

Kateryna Rakowsky, Staff Attorney
Kateryna joined CFS in 2010 as Staff Attorney after founding Urban Kitchen Workshops, a Bay Area nonprofit that organizes and sponsors Slow Food-themed food workshops and classes. At CFS, Kateryna works on general litigation related to food and agricultural policy. Prior to joining CFS, Kateryna was an instructor at University of California, Hastings College of the Law. She also worked in private practice, where she specialized in antitrust and intellectual property matters, as well as plaintiff-side § 1983 civil rights litigation. Kateryna holds a J.D. from Stanford Law School, where she graduated with pro bono distinction. As a Senior Editor of the Stanford Law & Policy Review, she supervised publication of No Brainer? The USDA’s Regulatory Response to the Discovery of “Mad Cow” Disease in the United States, 16 Stan. L. & Pol’y Rev 277 (2005). Before attending law school, Kateryna studied grassroots community organizing in Belfast, Northern Ireland as a Fulbright Scholar.

Paige Tomaselli, Staff Attorney
Paige joined CFS in 2008 as Staff Attorney. At CFS, Paige works on law and policy related to genetically engineered crops, organic standards, 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 is an active member of 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 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 USA 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. 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. 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, and the Genetic Engineering Action Network. She recently served as Associate Director at CorpWatch and is a current Steering Committee member of Californians for GE Free Agriculture.