Stien van der Ploeg
Executive Director
Stien has nearly 20 years of experience utilizing her leadership, strategy, and philanthropy skills to support various causes in multiple countries. In the four years before joining ACE, Stien worked pro bono for several effective animal advocacy organizations, including Top and Standout Charities and Movement Grant recipients. She appreciates a good conversation as much as a logically organized spreadsheet. She also enjoys walking in new surroundings and eating spicy foods with cake and tea for dessert.
Pronouns: She/They
You may reach out to Stien in English and Dutch.
Research
Elisabeth Ormandy
Director of Research
Elisabeth brings a diverse background in animal welfare and ethics, policy change, and nonprofit management to her role with ACE. A descendent of the Ormandy “boat people” of northwest England and the Davidson clan of Scotland, Elisabeth is grateful to live and conduct her animal advocacy work on the unceded traditional territory of the K’ómoks First Nation, who provide rich teachings on respect for animals and the environment.
Pronouns: she/her
You may reach out to Elisabeth in English.
Jamie Spurgeon
Movement Grants Program Manager
Jamie manages the Movement Grants Program, overseeing grant making decisions and the strategic direction of the program. He first joined the ACE team as a Research Associate in July 2017. Prior to that, Jamie earned a first class master’s degree in physics from the University of Nottingham in 2016.
Pronouns: he/him
You may reach out to Jamie in English.
Vince Mak
Evaluations Program Manager
Based in Seattle, Vince joined the ACE team in June 2022 to help plan, execute, and improve charity evaluations and recommendations. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Pennsylvania and brings years of experience in business operations, project management, and nonprofit evaluations. He enjoys optimizing processes, analytical decision making, and building relationships, especially in support of ACE’s mission.
Pronouns: he/him
You may reach out to Vince in English.
Maria Salazar
Senior Researcher
Maria initially joined ACE as a Research Intern in September 2017 and was excited to rejoin ACE as a Researcher in July 2019. She holds a bachelor’s degree in ecology and a master’s degree in applied and professional ethics, and has several years of experience managing and developing outreach and research projects at local and international animal advocacy charities. Her main research interests are the ethics of effective altruism, the welfare and environmental impacts of animal agriculture, and the quality of life of wild animals.
Pronouns: she/her
You may reach out to Maria in Spanish or English.
Ellen Pelos
Researcher
Ellen has a background in behavioral research, plant-based nutrition, and program management. She holds a master’s degree in public health, a master of science in behavioral health, and a bachelor’s degree in psychology and music. She is passionate about leveraging her interdisciplinary skills and experiences to improve the lives of animals. She is particularly interested in the psychology of food choices and how people perceive nonhuman animals.
Pronouns: she/her
You may reach out to Ellen in English.
Alina Salmen
Researcher
Alina joined ACE in September 2022. She has a background in social and political psychology and holds a Ph.D. in Social Psychology, with a focus on the link between gender role beliefs and attitudes toward veganism. Her other research interests include the morality of meat consumption, meat reduction strategies, and the link between speciesism and other types of prejudice. Alina is passionate about using her data analysis and research skills to support ACE’s mission.
Pronouns: she/her
You may reach out to Alina in English and German.
Max Taylor
Researcher
Max joined ACE in October 2022. He has a background in studying languages, with a master’s degree in translation (English, German, and Spanish). Before joining ACE, he worked in various roles in the U.K. Civil Service. This included heading the U.K. government’s Animal Welfare Market Interventions team, where he explored options for welfare labeling on animal products. Max is dedicated to using his career to minimize animal suffering and exploitation.
Pronouns: he/him
You may reach out to Max in English.
Communications
Sydne Daniels
Director of Communications
Sydne joined the ACE team in May 2018. She is a communications professional with expertise in social media and digital marketing, and possesses a keen interest in visual communications. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Georgia State University, where she studied public relations. Sydne enjoys combining her strategic and creative skills in order to further elevate ACE’s brand and communicate its mission to broader audiences across digital platforms.
Pronouns: she/her
You may reach out to Sydne in English.
Rana Ejtehadian
Web and Digital Products Manager
Rana joined ACE as a Web Developer in early 2018. She has a passion for web development and a keen interest in design, user experience, and web technologies. Rana holds a bachelor’s degree in Telecommunication Engineering from King’s College London and a master’s degree in Communications Engineering from Helsinki University of Technology. She is excited to use her skills to improve animal welfare and contribute to creating a better world for everyone.
Pronouns: she/her
You may reach out to Rana in English.
Holly Baines
Communications Manager
Holly joined ACE in September 2021. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology—focused on human food choices—as well as a master’s degree in wild animal biology. She has researched and published work on the impact of diet on nonhuman animal behavior. Prior to joining ACE, Holly spent four years working in wildlife conservation, leading campaigns to increase wildlife protection and inspire positive social change. Holly is passionate about using communications to promote ACE’s mission and help as many animals as possible.
Pronouns: she/her
You may reach out to Holly in English.
Selena Darlim
Copy Editor
Selena joined the ACE team in September 2021. She is a longtime animal advocate with several years’ experience writing for nonprofits and media organizations. She worked as a freelance writer during college and graduated with a self-designed bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Conservation and Animal Advocacy in 2019. Selena strives to engage with human and nonhuman advocacy movements by continually challenging and expanding her knowledge of different subjects, cultures, backgrounds, and viewpoints. In her spare time, she enjoys taking long walks and playing the piano.
Pronouns: she/her
You may reach out to Selena in English.
Philanthropy
Heather Herrell
Director of Philanthropy
Heather joined ACE in May 2018, continuing her professional career in the nonprofit sector. A lifelong animal advocate and donor, Heather is committed to creating a more compassionate world. She is thrilled to be able to use her fundraising expertise in a context where these skills can help achieve the greatest impact for animals.
Pronouns: she/her
You may reach out to Heather in English.
Elizabeth Álvarez
Philanthropy Officer
Originally from Mexico and currently based in Madrid, Elizabeth joined ACE in September 2020, looking to help people help animals more effectively. After working for more than eleven years as a marketing and finance professional in multinational companies, she decided to channel her experience to work toward reducing suffering and creating a more ethical and fairer world. She’s a music and tech enthusiast, always excited about looking for new ways to automate and improve processes, and enjoys learning new things.
Pronouns: she/her
You may reach out to Elizabeth in English or Spanish.
Operations
Gina Stuessy
Director of Finance and Impact
Gina has been involved in animal advocacy since 2010 and effective altruism (EA) since 2013. She was the lead coordinator of Mad City Vegan Fest, which attracted 3,500 attendees the last year she organized it (2016). She co-founded a local EA group, helped organize an EAGx event, and has worked or volunteered for BERI, CFAR, and EA Giving Tuesday. Gina joined ACE in April 2016 and works in the areas of finances, legal compliance, and impact assessment.
Pronouns: she/her
You may reach out to Gina in English.
Samantha Berscht
Director of People Operations
Samantha joined ACE in late 2017 after many years of volunteering with animal-focused organizations. She holds a bachelor’s degree in cellular biology and a master’s degree in educational research, both from the University of Calgary. Samantha is passionate about advancing animal welfare through policy change and implementation as well as through the development of cell-cultured meat. She recently fulfilled her lifelong dream of meeting Jane Goodall.
Pronouns: she/her
You may reach out to Samantha in English.
Erika Alonso
Project Facilitator
With over a decade of management experience and a background in visual arts, Erika brings a strategic and creative perspective to Animal Charity Evaluators. Erika combines expertise in digital marketing and design with a long-term commitment to animal advocacy. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Houston where she majored in marketing. Erika joined ACE in April of 2014.
Pronouns: she/her
You may reach out to Erika in English.
Verónica Diaz Carrai
Board Chair
Veronica Carrai is Director and Partner at Tipping Point Private Foundation. She applies the philosophy of Effective Altruism in executing their mission to improve animal welfare and reverse climate change through the displacement of factory farming. Veronica is a Steering Committee Member at Farmed Animal Funders, a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) of Oregon, and has been active in various child welfare and animal protection organizations.
You can reach out to Verónica Diaz Carrai in English and Spanish.
Zach Freitas-Groff
Board Vice Chair
Zach Freitas-Groff is a PhD student in Economics at Stanford University and studied Ethics, Politics & Economics at Yale University. He has been involved in effective altruism since 2014. He previously worked at Innovations for Poverty Action and volunteered for a range of animal advocacy organizations, including serving on the Oversight Committee for the Animal Advocacy Research Fund. As a National Science Foundation Fellow and a Global Priorities Fellow, Zach researches intergenerational policy and the economics of altruism.
You can reach out to Zach in English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish.
Kieran Greig
Board Treasurer
Kieran Greig is the sole Analyst for Farmed Animal Funders. Previously he worked as a researcher at Animal Charity Evaluators and at Charity Science, where he systematically analyzed global poverty interventions. Kieran has a B. Sc. from Monash University and a Masters from La Trobe University.
Pronouns: he/him
You can reach out to Kieran in English.
Ravi Mulani
Board Secretary
Ravi Mulani works on the Corporate Development team at Intuit, where he focuses on Mergers & Acquisitions. Previously, he worked on the Corporate Development team at Credit Karma (sold to Intuit), in Business Operations at LinkedIn, and in Investment Banking at Goldman Sachs. He graduated from Harvard Magna Cum Laude with an AB in Applied Mathematics and graduated from The Wharton School with an MBA in Finance with honors.
Pronouns: he/him
You can reach out to Ravi in English and French.
Alanna Devine
Board Member
Based in Montreal, Canada, Alanna has over 15 years of experience in animal law and advocacy. She is deeply committed to reducing the suffering of all sentient beings through her work. She is a lawyer, philanthropic advisor, and course lecturer of animal law at McGill’s Faculty of Law. She is particularly interested in the legal and policy aspects of undercover investigations. She holds a bachelor’s degree in criminology and both civil and common law degrees.
Pronouns: she/her
You can reach out to Alanna in English and French.
Allison Smith
Board Member
Allison studied mathematics at Carleton College and Northwestern University before joining ACE to help build its research program. Most recently, they served as ACE’s Director of Research from 2015–2018. Allison is currently training to become a physical therapist assistant.
Andrea Gunn
Board Member
Andrea Gunn consults with farmed animal protection organizations to become more impactful and sustainable. For 9 years, she served as the Executive Vice President for The Humane League. Andrea is a founding member of the training workshop LEAD for Farmed Animals and of Gender Equity in Animal Rights (GEAR). Andrea holds a B.S. in Brain, Behavior, and Cognitive Science from The University of Michigan and an Executive MBA from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
Pronouns: she/her
You can reach out to Andrea in English.
Galina Hale
Board Member
Galina Hale is a Professor of Economics at UC Santa Cruz. Previously, she was a Research Advisor at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco and an assistant professor in the economics department of Yale University. She received her PhD in economics from UC Berkeley. Galina’s research interests lie in four main areas: understanding international capital flows and international financial crises, international banking, stability of financial networks, and connection between finance and climate change. In addition, Galina is recently working on ways to make food systems more sustainable.
Pronouns: she/her
You can reach out to Galina in English, French, and Russian.
Peter Singer
Advisory Board Member
Peter Singer is Ira W. DeCamp Professor of Bioethics in the University Center for Human Values at Princeton University, a position that he now combines with the part-time position of Laureate Professor at the University of Melbourne. His books include Animal Liberation, Practical Ethics, Rethinking Life and Death, One World, The Life You Can Save and The Point of View of the Universe. In 2014 the Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute ranked him third on its list of Global Thought Leaders, and Time has ranked him among the world’s 100 most influential people. An Australian, in 2012 he was made a Companion to the Order of Australia, his country’s highest civilian honour.
