Speakers


Wayne Pacelle
Keynote Speaker

Wayne Pacelle, President and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), leads the largest and most effective animal protection organization and one of the most dominant, high-impact non-profit groups of any kind. Placing special emphasis on transforming public policies and corporate behavior, he has been a primary strategist in securing the enactment of more than 1,000 state and federal animal-protection laws and helped drive reforms adopted by many of America’s biggest for-profit companies. He’s been named an “Executive of the Year” by The Non-Profit Times; serves as a contributor to influential newspapers and magazines, including Foreign Affairs; and is the author of the New York Times bestselling books The Humane Economy: How Innovators and Enlightened Consumers Are Transforming the Lives of Animals and The Bond: Our Kinship with Animals, Our Call to Defend Them. His blog, A Humane Nation, is published each weekday. He received his B.A. in history and environmental studies from Yale University in 1987. Pacelle lives in Maryland with his wife Lisa Fletcher, a journalist, their dog Lily and their cat Zoe.

Christine Dorchak, Esq.

Christine Dorchak is the President and General Counsel of GREY2K USA Worldwide. A co-founder of the organization, Christine has extensive professional experience in the animal protection movement. Before obtaining her law degree, she worked as Research Director for the New England Anti-Vivisection Society and was the manager of the Ellen Gifford Sheltering Home for Cats in Boston.

Christine specializes in pari-mutuel law and has drafted laws to successfully prohibit dog racing in several states and countries. A long-distance runner all of her life, she has competed in seven Boston Marathons. Christine enjoys spending free time with her four cats and adopted greyhound Gina.

Kelly Faircloth

Kelly Faircloth has been a board member for Greyhound Rescue and Adoptions of Tampa Bay since 2001 and currently serves as President. Kelly is employed as a full time Human Resources Manager at an electric utility in Florida.

Kelly has participated in several grassroots efforts to pass bills requiring death reporting, injury reporting and decoupling greyhound racing from other forms of gambling. She has met with lawmakers to encourage sponsorship of greyhound-friendly legislation, and has joined the recently formed Committee to Protect Greyhounds as a vice-chair, lending her support to passing greyhound-friendly ballot initiatives at the state and local level.

Representative Matt Gaetz

Representative Matt Gaetz serves as the State Representative for District 4 in Florida and is also an attorney with the Keefe, Anchors and Gordon law firm in Fort Walton Beach where he practices business and open government law.

The son of Vicky and Senator Don Gaetz, Rep. Gaetz grew up in Okaloosa County and went on to Florida State University. He then earned his law degree from the College of William and Mary.

Rep. Gaetz was elected to the State House in 2010 and has been re-elected three times without opposition. In the legislature, he has become one of the greyhounds' greatest allies, supporting greyhound decoupling and injury reporting each session. Additionally, he criminalized gang recruitment, increased penalties for violent sexual predators, and passed the Compassionate Medical Cannabis Act. He is currently the Chairman of the Finance & Tax Committee and is a member of the First Baptist Church in Fort Walton Beach.

Lisa Chalk

Lisa Chalk is the Communications Director for Animals Australia.

A journalist by trade, Lisa’s early career in regional television enabled her to combine her loves of travelling, meeting people and writing. She worked as a media adviser to a cabinet minister, where she gained valuable insight into the political system and the gentle art of lobbying. Animals were ever present in Lisa’s mind and it was a live export investigation broadcast on 60 Minutes in 2006 that prompted her career in animal advocacy, first with the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Australia). In her current position, she has spearheaded the successful publicity surrounding the live lure exposé in New South Wales and the passage of a ban on dog racing there.

Eric Jackson

Eric Jackson lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he is the Communications Director for the adoption group Greyhound Companions of New Mexico. He also serves as Board Vice President for GREY2K USA Worldwide.

Eric and his wife Kathy adopted their first greyhound in 2005, and have since added three more rescued greys to their home including a mother and daughter pair. In addition to his advocacy and adoption work, Eric teaches psychology at the University of New Mexico.

Paul Littlefair

Paul Littlefair serves as Head of International for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (UK). A graduate in Chinese, Paul Littlefair joined the RSPCA in 1998 and now oversees the organization’s strategy covering Europe, Asia and Africa. He collaborates with government, NGO, academic and commercial partners, delivering a program of aid, training and consultancy to promote the welfare of farm, companion, laboratory and wild animals, the development and enforcement of animal protection law and education. In 2016 Paul was awarded an Honorary Fellowship by the UK’s College of Teachers in recognition of his pioneering humane education work in East Asia. In 2008 he negotiated a joint project with China’s National Institute for Educational Sciences to launch the country’s first animal welfare education program, through courses promoting values such as responsibility, good citizenship, respect and empathy involving a core team of 300 school heads and teachers. Across China this program has so far cascaded training nationally to more than 15,000 teachers and half a million children. Paul is also playing a prominent role in ongoing work with Chinese government advisers to draft the country’s first anti-cruelty legislation.

Albano Martins

Albano Martins is the President of ANIMA, the Society for the Protection of Animals of Macau. He also serves on the GREY2K USA Worldwide Board of Directors. Since 2011, he has led the campaign to close the Canidrome, China’s only legal dog track.

Albano is a Libson-educated economist and a regularly contributing columnist to the Jornal Triuna de Macau. Hundreds of dogs, cats and other animals are saved each year due to his valiant efforts.

Herve Marysael

Hervé Marysael is the President of one of Belgium's premiere adoption organizations. Formed in 1999, Greyhounds Rescue Belgium works to find homes for greyhounds from racetracks in Ireland and for galgos abandoned by hunters in Spain.

In Ireland, Great Britain, and Spain he is better known as Harvey. He has a lot of passion to save the lives of greyhounds and galgos.

Rep. Jared Evan Moskowitz

Representative Jared Evan Moskowitz represents Florida’s 97th District in the state legislature, which includes the cities of Coral Springs, Tamarac and Sunrise in northern Broward County. He has sponsored several high profile pieces of legislation for animals, including greyhound decoupling and injury reporting, as well as a measure to save dogs from dying in hot cars. Additionally, he has worked to stop the Florida bear hunt and is now proposing the creation of a Holocaust Memorial in the state capitol.

Rep. Moskowitz was born in Coral Springs, and attended George Washington University, receiving his Bachelor’s degree in political science, and then Shepard Broad Law Center at Nova Southeastern University, receiving his Juris Doctor. He worked as an intern for Vice President Al Gore, and served in key roles in both the 2004 and 2008 presidential campaigns.

Heather Neil

Heather Neil became Chief Executive of the RSPCA Australia in 2006. Heather has a long career in the not-for-profit sector and has worked in the areas of public policy development, communications, marketing and advocacy. She holds an MBA and uses her knowledge and skills to help animals every day.

Heather is an important ally in the fight to save greyhounds in Australia and worldwide.

Karina O'Carroll

Karina O'Carroll lives in Sai Kung, Hong Kong and joined Animals Asia in 2013 as its Animal Welfare Education Manager.

Sharing her home with two dogs, two cats and six turtles (all rescued), Karina has been passionate and involved in a number of animal related activities since moving to Hong Kong in 1994.

Karina is the Co-Founder of Sai Kung Buffalo Watch, an organization that looks after feral cattle. She manages the communications for Friends of Sai Kung (FSK) and is an avid supporter of public education for animal protection.



Fermin Perez

Fermín Jose Pérez Martin, a high school science teacher, is the founder of the Scooby shelter in Spain. Spanish greyhounds or “galgos” are used for hunting and then discarded en masse each year. Without Fermín and his volunteers, they would have no hope.

Fermín’s calling came in the early 1990’s when one of his pupils told him in fear that his uncle, a hunter, intended to hang his dog. Horrified, Fermín set out on what became a lifelong calling to save greyhounds. Fermín’s leadership has built Scooby up from a warehouse holding station to today’s full-fledged shelter working with a network of support groups across Europe, North America and Canada. Over the years the premises have expanded to give safe haven to stray cats, non-greyhound dogs, unwanted donkeys, horses, and factory farmed animals. As a teacher, Fermín pushes for change through education and outreach to all people, especially the younger generation.

Chloe Waterman

Chloë Waterman is the Senior Manager for State Legislative Strategy with ASPCA Government Relations.

Chloë works closely with the state team to track legislation, conduct policy initiative research, develop materials and facilitate communications with state legislators, agencies and constituents nationwide. She has successfully lobbied for a wide range of legislation, including laws pertaining to puppy mills, dog fighting, animal shelters, breed-discriminatory policies, fox penning and spay/neuter. She has a particular focus on laws that relieve animal shelters and law enforcement agencies of the financial burden of caring for animals seized in cruelty cases and defeating Ag-Gag legislation.

Chloë joined the ASPCA after graduating from Lewis and Clark College, where she co-founded and presided over a student animal advocacy group effecting change for animals through grassroots lobbying and student education. She also worked as a Field Manager for Environment Illinois where she supervised a team of environmental campaign staff.

Chloë currently resides in Washington, D.C. with her two guinea pigs and a rotating cast of foster animals.

Lucinda Read

Lucinda Read is the Director and Co-Founder of Greyhound Compassion. Lucinda became a greyhound and galgo advocate when she was adopted by “Santa,” her first galgo, in 1995. The more Lucinda learned about the plight of galgos in Spain and racing greyhounds in the UK and Ireland, the more she wanted to become involved in the campaign to bring an end to their suffering.

Greyhound Compassion is a fundraising body providing financial contributions to Greyhound Rescue in Lincolnshire, UK, Dungarvan Rescue, and Limerick Animal Welfare in Ireland as well as the Scooby galgos in Spain. All recipients of Greyhound Compassion’s funding are independent of the racing industry. Lucinda volunteers at the Scooby shelter whenever she can. In her professional life, Lucinda is a human resources director in London.

Senator Maria Sachs

Senator Maria Sachs has been a proud member of the Florida Legislature since 2006, where she has served as Minority Leader Pro Tempore and Minority Whip. A practicing attorney and former prosecutor under US Attorney General Janet Reno, Senator Sachs has specialized in protecting crime victims and representing those that cannot speak for themselves. Understanding the power of the law and how it affects everyday citizens, she brings this background into the chambers of the Florida legislature where she has championed greyhound legislation over multiple sessions.

Senator Sachs and is the proud recipient of the 2014 GREY2K USA Greyhound Leadership Award and looks forward to winning the fight for greyhound decoupling in Florida.

Stefania Traini

Stefania Traini is the President and Co-Founder of Pet Levrieri. She is a Philosophy and Psychology graduate who worked in the educational and personnel fields before devoting herself entirely to a career as a clinical psychotherapist.

She is a qualified dog behaviorist, and began to learn about the situation of racing greyhounds after she adopted her first greyhound, Silky, in 2008. This inspired her to get involved in the anti-racing and anti-hunting campaign movement in defense of greyhounds and galgos, alongside her husband Massimo Greco who is equally committed. They have adopted seven dogs together: five greyhounds, a galgo, and a Dobermann crossbreed. Stefania is also passionate about swimming, reading, nature, and music.

Jeroen van Kernebeek

Jeroen van Kernebeek lives in Sydney where he serves as Managing Director for FOUR PAWS Australia. He is also Australian Director for GREY2K USA Worldwide. Jeroen is originally from The Netherlands, where he coordinated the youth education program for the Jane Goodall Institute, served as Campaign Manager for several animal protection organizations, and also worked at one of Europe’s largest sanctuaries for exotic animals.

Since leaving his home country, Jeroen has consulted with World Animal Net and worked for Animals Australia, where he led national campaigns for animals used in entertainment. Jeroen has a Masters Degree in Educational Sciences and loves to go camping in the Australian bush in his spare time.

Marilyn Varnberg

Marilyn Varnberg is the President and Co-Founder of Greyhound Adoptions of Florida. After adopting her first greyhound over twenty years ago, she and her husband Bob knew immediately that they wanted to help these amazing dogs find homes, have a future and be given what they had long been denied. Over the years, GAF has grown and become a leader in the world of greyhound adoption and advocacy. Marilyn and her team are a political presence in Tallahassee during the legislative sessions and continue to educate the public about the cruelty of commercial dog racing on a daily basis.

GAF is headquartered in Citra, Florida and has chapters in Delaware and North Carolina. The Florida kennel facility, called Grey Haven, offers peace and rehabilitation to every greyhound that comes through its doors. Marilyn co-ordinates transport, medical care and adoptions for all of GAF’s dogs. Since Bob’s death in 2007, she has continued to fight for the best life for every greyhound in her growing family of rescued hounds.

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