Board of Directors
|
Brian Bonsteel, DMDPresident & FounderDr. Brian Bonsteel is a practicing general and cosmetic dentist honored to be chosen as one of Pittsburgh Magazine’s "Top Dentists." Understanding that lawmaking is key to solving animal problems that are too big for rescue alone, he founded Humane Action Pittsburgh (HAP) to introduce local legislation and educate the public about animal advocacy and lobbying. In 2015, the HSUS presented Brian with the “Advocates We Love” award.
|
|
Natalie AhweshVice PresidentNatalie monitors and evaluates pending policy, regulatory, and legal action at the federal, state and local level that may have an impact on animal protection. She works with local stakeholders, including policy makers, police officers, public safety officials, and elected officials to ensure current laws and policies are being enforced. Natalie was recently named the PA State Director for Animal Wellness Action. In 2017, she was awarded as District Leader of the Year by the Humane Society of the United States and, in 2019, she was honored as one of the Incline's "Who's Next" Animal Advocates and PUMP's and Pittsburgh Magazine's 40 Under 40 honorees for her work with HAP. She has a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Pittsburgh and a Master's Degree from The George Washington University.
|
|
Sam AhweshTreasurerSam manages fundraising monies and conducts all financial reporting as needed. He has a Juris Doctor from the University of Pittsburgh and a Master's in Business Administration from Carnegie Mellon University.
|
Mario CostanzoSecretary |
Senior Leadership
|
Janice BaharyDirector of Grant Writing
Janice works with our grant writing team, raising funds to support HAP’s initiatives. She is a nonprofit management professional with a background in fundraising, grant writing, policy, and advocacy. She has a bachelor’s from Binghamton University in NY and a Master of Public Policy and Management from the University of Pittsburgh. Janice and her family foster dogs from local animal shelters to help them rehabilitate and become adoptable.
|
|
Sabrina CulybaDirector of "no plastic please"
Sabrina is the Director of the “no plastic please” campaign. She is motivated by a vision of Pittsburghers and Pennsylvanians that see themselves as empowered, responsible, and caring stewards of their local environment and the world-at-large. She also operates Recycle This Pittsburgh as a resource for city residents to find out more about the practical realities of recycling specific items in the Pittsburgh area. Sabrina is a professional game designer, specializing in leveraging game design to empower individual and societal change. She lives in Highland Park.
|
|
Shannon DickersonDirector of Marketing
Shannon oversees all of the marketing efforts for HAP. Shannon is an instructor at Chatham University with over a decade of executive marketing and communication experience. She is an alum of the University of Pittsburgh and holds a master's degree in rhetoric from the University of Colorado. Shannon is a vegan, a yoga and jiu jitsu practitioner and lives in Brookline with her husband and two cats.
|
|
Aimee DouglassLead Blogger and Strategic AnalystAimee authors the HAP blog and has been a volunteer with HAP since 2018. She is an active participant in the Compassionate Living campaign and in 2019 tabled at her first event for HAP. Aimee works in the healthcare industry and has a bachelors degree in Creative Writing from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown and a masters degree in Communications with a health care focus from Southern New Hampshire University. She lives in Penn Hills with her husband and their three dog.
|
Gwen HuffmanDirector of Food Policy |
|
Kayla SeifertDirector of Compassionate LivingKayla is a Co-Director of the Compassionate Events program. Kayla has been passionate about being kind to animals since childhood and is proud to have recently gone vegan. She is a nonprofit professional and works as a Prospect Researcher at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. Kayla is currently a volunteer with Forever Home Beagle Rescue and has worked for Animal Friends in the past. She currently resides in Regent Square with her rescued beagle, Stanley.
|
|
Rachel Sekine-TennyDirector of CommunicationsRachel is the liaison between our board of directors and our members. She manages membership enrollment and provides HAP with a strong social media presence on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Rachel is an attorney with a Certificate in Animal Law from Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland, Oregon. She lives in Point Breeze with her husband, son, and two cats.
|
|
Jason HinkledireHumane Action Radio Program DirectorBorn and raised in Claysburg, PA, Jason has loved popular music since he was a kid. After DJing in high school and throughout his 20s, Jason entered the world of trivia hosting in 2010, and in 2014, he broke the Guiness World Record for Longest Marathon as a Quiz Master with 33 hours and 8 minutes of nonstop trivia action! Jason has dabbled in internet radio a few times in the past decade and is now working towards making Humane Action Radio a success. He lives in Virginia with his wife, Janice, and four very fun, very beautiful, and very funny dachshunds.
|
Hannah LewisAssistant Grant Writer and Assistant BloggerHannah has been working with HAP since July of 2020. By day, she works as a literacy educator. She is an avid hiker, but also loves to spend time indoors curled up with a book and her long-haired cat, Frejya.
|
|
Bob McGrogan"no plastic please" Strategic Analyst Bob joined Humane Action Pittsburgh as part of the "no plastic please" campaign in March of 2020 just as the pandemic was becoming a reality. The challenge then became how to reimagine take out during and after the COVID crisis. Bob brings years of experience in food service and non-profit fundraising to the group and has become a vital part of the "no plastic please" campaign.
|
|
Brittany MenhartFish and Wildlife Strategic AnalystBrittany is a new volunteer, having recently moved to Pittsburgh after earning her Bachelor of Science in Biology. Brittany spends most of her time caring for her many animal companions (horses, rabbits, cats, dogs, and ponies) and organizing local animal rights activism events.
|
|
Emma PowisAdministrative AssistantEmma is fresh to the HAP team and assists leadership with research, communication and education. She turned vegetarian at age 11 and then vegan at 19 due to her love and compassion for animals. She is originally from England and currently living in Melbourne, where she regularly fosters cats from local animal shelters. Her hobbies include roller skating and learning Spanish, both of which she is terrible at.
|