Brook Ashley has been involved in the animal welfare field since her childhood. Raised in a theatrical family in New York City, she learned about the folly of keeping wildlife in captivity from her godmother, Tallulah Bankhead, who admitted her mistake in owning both a lion cub (he ended up in the Bronx Zoo) and a hyperactive monkey, who shredded draperies for amusement.

At an early age, Brook rescued animals from unexpected sources. A hamster was plucked from a trash can, and a pair of bantam chickens became her pets instead of ending up on a dinner table. The fowl enjoyed being taken for city walks in an antique bird cage, and New Yorkers showed little surprise at the unusual sight.

When she was threatened with expulsion from her girls' school for organizing her cohorts against vivisection in their biology classroom, Brook obtained legal assistance to win her unprecedented case against the school. As a child actress, Brook intervened in situations where she felt animals on the set were being kept in substandard conditions, and once secretly released a pair of mice from a tiny jar.

Summer camp wasn't completely idyllic, as she had to throw herself between a porcupine and a counselor who was trying to batter the animal to death. Wrestling the log from the counselor's grasp, Brook watched the porcupine retreat safely back to the woods.

Brook has worked with national and local animal organizations such as the Animal Welfare Institute, the Humane Society of the United States, and SPARK rescue for many decades. She is also involved with human rights and minority protection groups, like the Anti-Defamation League, where she is a regional advisory board member. She has been a real estate agent in Santa Barbara, California since 1989, where she has also served as President of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, taught tae kwon do karate, and is President of Dare Wright Media.

Will Travers is an internationally-renowned wildlife expert who has dedicated his life to wildlife issues, since he lived in Kenya with his parents, Virginia McKenna and the late Bill Travers, who starred in the film Born Free (1966). In 1984, he and his parents co-founded the wildlife charitable organisation now known as The Born Free Foundation, which works to stop individual wild animal suffering, protect threatened species worldwide, and keep wildlife in the wild.

Will has been involved in rescuing elephants, tigers, lions, and dolphins, and is always willing to share his experience and knowledge to further Born Free's vision for a more compassionate future.

Will is also a Board Member of Born Free, which he co-founded, and is President of the Species Survival Network (SSN), an international coalition of more than 100 organizations committed to the promotion, enhancement, and strict enforcement of CITES (Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora). Will has participated in every CITES meeting since 1989 and advises on the precautionary application of Convention. He also advises the United Kingdom Government on matters relating to zoos, the use of wild animals in circuses, and international wildlife trade.

Will has appeared on numerous TV and radio shows, speaking out against canned hunting of lions highlighted in the documentary, Blood Lions, the international ivory trade and the trade in chimps as exotic pets.

Jessica Nelson’s experience includes a very long stint in advertising and marketing for brands such as IBM, Intel, Pepsi and Bali. Jessica then founded BrightZoo, a well-recognized mom marketplace where moms buy and sell secondhand kids' items. BrightZoo was innovative in that it also introduced weekly timed sales of new kids' items specifically targeting moms. A few years later, she launched CareGround, a resource for caregivers struggling to care for ailing elders. Today, Jessica is focused on her three children, taking a very brief and deliberate break from her entrepreneurial pursuits. She enjoys her dedicated role as a Born Free Board member, giving her the liberty to indulge in her passion of "saving animals", and raising awareness for animal rights. For Born Free, Jessica contributes marketing and press ideas that aide in brand development, and she also contributes towards New York City based fundraising events.

Errol Antzis is a tenured media and entertainment finance professional and entrepreneur, as well as a professional musician. Errol has more than 25 years of experience in private equity and commercial and investment banking, more than 10 years of experience as the owner and operator of a number of entertainment companies, and he has owned and managed his own financial advisory firm since 2015. Errol presently provides financial and operational consulting services to a number of corporate clients, ranging from established, well-known firms to early stage companies. In addition, Errol is a partner in Drumhead Magazine, Aficionado Media, and SC Cellars, LLC.

Errol is also a professional guitarist and songwriter. He plays guitar, drums, bass, and keyboards both live and on recordings. He has released three albums to date under the moniker Psychoteria. He records, engineers, and mixes the albums at his studio in New York City, which he also uses to record and produce the music of other artists.

Errol graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1980 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering and a double-minor in Economics and Music. In 1982, he graduated from New York University with an MBA in Corporate Finance. Errol was chosen to be the keynote speaker at the May, 2016 M.I.T. Enterprise Forum.

Errol has been interested in wildlife protection since childhood. He first became involved with Animal Protection Institute, when he was approximately 10 years old, after seeing a photo of a raccoon caught in a leghold trap. Horrified by such cruelty, he sent some of his weekly allowance money as a donation to API. He then began a very fulsome letter writing campaign each time he would receive an API newsletter describing new legislative initiatives.

In addition to serving on the Board of Directors or Born Free, Errol serves on the Board of the Waccabuc Landowner's Council and fundraises for his local Parent-Teacher Organization.

Jane joined our Board of Directors in December 2017. She brings a wealth of experience in building organizations and teams with a focus on marketing and branding. Jane is the owner/principal of Studio Lodato, an organizational brand, marketing, and advertising consultancy firm in the San Francisco Bay Area. She has worked with networks, celebrities, and companies such as Adidas, ABC, and Silicon Valley Bank. Jane enjoys partnering with smart, creative thinkers, and companies and organizations that are committed to making a difference. Born Free is pleased to have her innovative approaches, strategic and entrepreneurial thinking, wisdom and humor on our Board to help advance Born Free's vision and mission.

Michael Reyner is the Senior Partner of MWM Consulting, the leading Board-level search and advisory firm based in London, where he has worked since 2007. He previously spent 15 years at McKinsey, the global consulting firm, where he was one of the partners leading the Global Consumer Goods practice. He started his career in marketing, sales and general management roles in the consumer goods industry.

A graduate in Modern History from Oxford University, Michael has long been an active member of various animal welfare and conservation charities. In 2009, he became the Chairman of The Born Free Foundation, a post that he continues to fill today, and in 2018 also became Chairman of The Pangea Trust, a new organisation dedicated to establishing the first major elephant sanctuary in Europe.

Outside of these interests, Michael is Chairman of Beaconsfield Town FC, his local youth soccer club, and Deputy Chairman of the governors at a local school.

Mary Mitchell Trimble, a retired flight attendant with more than 25 years in the skies, joined the Animal Protection Institute board of directors and she has continued serving with Born Free following the merger that joined the two organizations. Mary is a very active and highly respected volunteer and nonprofit leader. She has served as a board chair for Equest Therapeutic Riding and the Civic League Foundation. She also chairs the governing body of her church, Holy Covenant United Methodist Church. Her contributions to animal welfare have been recognized with the Animal Legend Award from the SPCA of Texas; the Texas Humane Legislature Network Activist Award; and the Kindness to Animals Award by Operation Kindness.

Mary is a world traveler, having visited all seven continents and every sub-Saharan African country multiple times. One of her most exciting and rewarding trips was to Malawi was being involved in the relocation of male lions of breeding age from ____ to _____ to aid in genetic diversification (part of an African Parks project). Mary and her husband, Skip, have personally rescued, fostered, and found homes for dozens of homeless dogs, and they currently share their home with five rescued dogs.

Angela Grimes, Acting CEO joined Born Free USA in 2010 and most recently served as the Director of Development & Operations.

Prior to joining Born Free USA, Angela was Executive Director & Chief Operations Officer of Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation, a wildlife sanctuary and rescue center in Kendalia, Texas from 2004-2010. From 1996-2004, she served as chorus and operations manager for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Angela is an active volunteer in causes deeply important to her, including animal welfare, the arts, and empowering young women. Her professional transition from arts administration to the wildlife protection field was inspired by time she spent in Costa Rica volunteering for a sea turtle protection project.

She has served as Chair of Boards of Directors for Mindy's Memory Primate Sanctuary, EarthShare of Texas, and Chicago Chorale as well as Vice President of the Kappa Alpha Theta Fraternity Housing Corporation. She currently holds a seat on the national Board of Directors for EarthShare, a federation of leading environmental organizations.

Angela graduated from Drake University with a degree in English. She is fluent in French and has functional ability in Spanish. Angela was born and raised in Iowa, and has lived in Paris, France; Blanco, Texas; and Washington, DC; and she is now based in Chicago, Illinois. She shares her home with four rescued cats.

Katie Johnson, known as “Dr J” to the team, is the Born Free Primate Sanctuary veterinarian. She studied French, music, and biology at undergrad before going on to vet school at Texas A & M. After qualifying as a veterinarian, Katie worked for a short time with Wildlife Rescue, then joined the Born Free team in 2015. Katie, supported by our dedicated animal care team, delivers all veterinary care for the 500+ monkeys at our Sanctuary.

When asked what she enjoys most about her work with the sanctuary, she said it was the ongoing challenge of adapting traditional veterinary medicines and treatments to the specialized needs of the monkeys. Her vital work for the monkeys and necessarily innovative approach has led to her being called upon to share her expertise with other facilities around the country.

Barry is a Canadian naturalist and ornithological-artist who first started helping animals in the late 1950s, by aiding his mother in her pioneer work as a wildlife rehabilitator specializing in birds and small mammals. He joined the Animal Protection Institute, now Born Free, some four decades ago and is a co-founder of Zoocheck, Animal Alliance of Canada, and Species Survival Network, as well as a member of several zoological and conservation organizations. His work, both in the field and at various international conferences, has taken him all over the world. A prolific researcher and writer, Barry penned a weekly column on wildlife for Canada's largest newspaper for 25 years, has written and illustrated books and literally thousands of individual documents ranging from peer reviewed scientific papers to magazine and newspaper articles, columns, essays, white papers, blogs, and even a few tweets, the primary focus being animal protection and conservation. He is an officer and co-founder of the Animal Protection Party, a federal political party. A devout vegan, he is currently most involved using his knowledge of biology and ecology in challenging rationales for lethal wildlife culls and in challenging misinformation used to rationalize various forms of animal abuse, particularly including work on zoos and exotic pets, hunting, and fishing. His home-office is in Markham, just north of Toronto.

Alice is a French lawyer specialized in international, environmental, and natural resources law. She has 12 years of experience leading Africa-based capacity building programs. Her current focus is developing the ability of African governments to fight wildlife crime and building consensus between African countries to conserve shared resources and implement international agreements.

Prior to joining Born Free in 2015, Alice served as the coordinator of the Francophone Africa Bureau of the Species Survival Network (2006 – 2015), an international coalition of more than 100 non-governmental organizations committed to the promotion, enhancement, and strict enforcement of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Alice also served as acting Secretariat and advisor to the African Elephant Coalition (25 African countries) between 2008 and 2015.

Before working for the Species Survival Network, Alice worked as a policy advocate for the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (2004-2006), focusing her expertise on the conservation of marine mammals within a broad array of international fora, including the International Whaling Commission, the Protocol Concerning Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife (SPAW Protocol), CITES, and the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS).

Alice obtained a LL.M in natural and environmental resources law from Lewis and Clark Law School in 2001; a French D.E.A. (Diploma in Advanced Studies) from the University of Paris XI in 1999, and a Master’s Degree in International and European Law from the University of Amiens, France in 1998. She is bilingual in English and French.

After living in the United States for 15 years, Alice recently relocated to French Gascony (South West of France) with her husband and daughter. In addition to enjoying good wine and a life in the countryside, Alice uses her time to travel, sharing her passion for West Africa and the importance of conserving its natural resources with the world whenever the opportunity arises.

Liz did not begin her career working with animals. but found her way to her life's passion all the same! Early in her career, Liz earned a degree in law, while also working full-time at a financial PR form in London. Realizing that the corporate world was not for her, she began to look around for opportunities that would allow her to fulfill her true life’s ambition – to work with animals. Liz was offered the role of Education Officer and Primate Keeper at a monkey sanctuary on the south coast of England. She jumped at the chance and never looked back!

Since that time, Liz has worked in the UK, Colombia, Spain, the Middle East, Bolivia, Ethiopia, and Peru. She helped to establish the very first locally-run sterilization program for street dogs in the Middle East, worked with local indigenous communities in the Colombian Amazon to bring an end to the hunting of wild primates, ran a UK charity campaigning to end the exploitation of animals in circuses and zoos and, more recently, helped to design and plan a new rehabilitation complex for rescued monkeys at Born Free's Ethiopian Sanctuary, Ensessa Kotteh. She also continued to study while working and earned her doctorate in Animal Welfare Law in 2018.

Over the years, Liz has had the privilege to work with and learn from incredible animal advocates, rehabilitators, and conservationists around the world. About Born Free, she says, "Having seen the dedication of the team at Born Free's Primate Sanctuary, and their commitment to the animals under their care, I feel nothing but pride and excitement to have the opportunity to join their ranks as Sanctuary Director."

Maria studied at Franklin and Marshall College, Pennsylvania, and graduated with a degree in animal behavior in 2017. She knew she wanted to work with primates after spending time caring for them during her time in college. After working for some time at a natural history museum – looking after the animals there and greeting and guiding visitors – and front-of-house at an animal hospital near Chicago, Maria joined Born Free as a primate caregiver in August 2018.

When asked what her favorite part of her role at the sanctuary was, she said it was being able to see the monkeys as individuals with their own likes, dislikes and relationships. Watching them eating and seeing how each monkey spends time choosing their favorite food carefully from their daily selection or watching them interact with their friends – grooming, playing and relaxing together – is a very special privilege for our primate caregivers.

Manisha joined the Born Free USA Operations/Finance team in October 2017. Manisha started off on a different career path, focusing on medical research. After the birth of her two lovely daughters, Manisha decided to be a stay at home mom for about 12 years. During that time, Manisha volunteered as the PTA Treasurer for 4 years and ran a Youth Sports Business, i9 Sports, with her husband for 5 years. Outside of Born Free, she enjoys puzzles, crochet, walks, and bike rides with her family.

Katie has worked at the Born Free Primate Sanctuary as a primate caregiver since 2014. Katie has dedicated herself to working for animals for many years and, prior to joining Born Free, worked for a number of animal welfare, rescue, and rehabilitation organizations around the country and abroad. This included working for four months at a monkey sanctuary in Ireland and two years working caring for dogs, among other placements.

When asked what she loves most about working at the sanctuary, Katie said it was having the opportunity to play a part in supporting monkeys like Taz, a pigtail macaque who was previously kept as a pet, in their rehabilitation. Taz arrived at the Sanctuary not knowing what it was to be a monkey and demonstrating many abnormal behaviors. Thanks to the dedication, patience and care of the Sanctuary team, Taz now lives with others of his own kind and is a happy and well-adjusted monkey.

Shanay is Born Free’s Primate Sanctuary Manager and has worked with the organization since 2012. She studied zoology at college and spent time travelling and volunteering with primates in both Africa and South America after graduation. Since joining the Sanctuary and taking on the role of Sanctuary Manager, Shanay has worked hard to ensure that the monkeys have the absolute highest standard of care.

One the most sensitive and complex parts of working with rescued primates is their socialization. Most monkeys arriving at the sanctuary have been denied a normal upbringing and, in many cases, have never met another of their own kind before. Navigating these complexities is Shanay’s forte and, since she took on the role of Sanctuary Manager, she and her team have worked to ensure that no monkey is housed alone. This means working patiently and carefully to help the monkeys develop normal social skills and gradually introducing them to others. This important work is life-changing for the animals who are able to experience companionship for the first time in their lives.

Suzanne has several years of experience working for non-profits in various positions, with a strong background in event planning. She has a BA from Franklin and Marshall College and is a lifelong resident of the DC metro area. Aside from protecting wildlife her interests include theater, visual arts, and playing with her cat.

Cassie graduated in 2017 with a degree in Animal Behavior from Franklin & Marshall College, Pennsylvania. During her summers she spent time travelling and volunteering in Costa Rica, at a wildlife sanctuary, and Panama, at a primate sanctuary. After a stint of working in the International Department of her college after graduation, Cassie took up the role of Primate Caretaker at the sanctuary in June 2018.

One of the team’s newest members of staff, Cassie learned the ropes fast and cites the trusting relationship that she now has with Teddy and Zach – two rescued macaques – as a highlight of her time so far. She also loves working in the sanctuary’s huge 56 acre open-top enclosure where around 250 monkeys roam freely. Being able to see the monkeys living as close to free as possible is always a treat!

Karen has more than 12 years of experience in digital communications, website development and technology project management, copy writing, and content management. Before starting at Born Free in 2014, she worked as an independent consultant for a number of small academic and cultural nonprofits and as the Gallery Manager at an art gallery in New York City. She has an MA in Middle Eastern Studies from the CUNY Graduate Center and a BA in Art History from Marymount Manhattan College. She enjoys spending time with her dog, Penny, traveling, and watching obscure documentaries on YouTube.

Chelsea’s work with primates began in South Africa, with a three-month placement at CARE Sanctuary looking after orphaned baboons in 2014. That three month placement turned into a year’s adventure as her love of the animals under her care made her extend her stay numerous times. Since then, Chelsea’s love affair with both South Africa and primates saw her return to CARE and also volunteer at Prime Crew, another sanctuary caring for baboons in need.

On returning to the US, she worked for a short time at Jungle Friends Primate Sanctuary in Florida before joining Born Free in May 2018. An eager and fast learner, Chelsea was soon at home caring for the monkeys at our Texas sanctuary and has been working with one of her co-workers to redevelop and improve the enrichment program for the monkeys. The highlight of her career so far has been raising four orphaned baboons during her time in South Africa. One of her former charges will be released into the wild in late 2018, upon securing a release site.

Dale studied zoology at Juniata College in Pennsylvania and spent her summers interning and volunteering with animals. She soon knew that sanctuary work, and particularly sanctuary work with primates, was her calling. After graduation, Dale worked for almost a year at a rescue center in Thailand, caring for victims of the wildlife trade. On returning to the US in 2013, she joined the Born Free team as a caregiver and immediately fell in love with both the monkeys and the sanctuary - where hundreds of rescued monkeys roam in near freedom in large open-top enclosures. Dale was later promoted to Lead Caregiver, heading up the animal care team at the sanctuary.

When asked what she values most about her work, she said it was getting to see monkeys adapt from their previous exploitative and abusive backgrounds and settle into life at the sanctuary. She said: “It is both heartbreaking and rewarding to see monkeys who have been confined to cages, and who may have never set eyes on another monkey since they were taken away from their mothers as babies, begin to move around freely and develop normal primate behavior. There is little more rewarding than seeing one of our new arrivals engage in grooming with a new friend for the first time in his or her life."

From a young age, Sarah always knew she wanted to work with animals and, particularly, with monkeys. Throughout high school, she volunteered at a number of different animal parks, where she first gained hands-on experience. She then went on to gain a degree in anthropology from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. During college, she developed a particular interest in clinical work and spent time working at vet clinics during vacations and free time. Sarah joined Born Free in November 2017 – she was delighted that her first job after graduation not only gave her the opportunity to work with monkeys, but also combined the two kinds of work she always enjoyed most: hands-on animal care and supporting the sanctuary’s resident vet in the onsite clinic.

As well as being part of the care-giving team, Sarah is now responsible, alongside teammate, Ember, for preparing tailor-made meals for those monkeys with specialized nutritional needs. Whether it is ensuring that a monkey with a particular condition, or in recovery from illness, receives the right sustenance to help them rebuild their strength, or supporting monkeys with other physical needs stay healthy, Sarah rises to the challenge. This work requires a real in-depth understanding of each monkey’s likes and dislikes and helps, says Sarah, to really get to know them as individuals.

Ember studied geography at college but it was a short-term internship in wildlife biology at a US national park that ignited her interest in working with animals. After graduation, she traveled extensively in Peru and, while volunteering with a rain forest conservation project, saw woolly monkeys in their natural habitat. This, she said, is what made her decide that she wanted to work with primates. After working as an organic farmer, traveling to Costa Rica to work with Capuchin monkeys, and then traveling back to Peru to join another project, she joined Born Free as a primate caregiver in late 2017.

When asked what her highlight so far at the Sanctuary has been, she says that winning the trust of Chongo, a young monkey who suffers from seizures caused by suspected epilepsy, is important to her. As a general rule, the Sanctuary staff do not have physical contact with the monkeys under their care in order to support them in their rehabilitation and in moving towards more natural behaviors. Despite this, it is still vitally important for staff to build relationships of trust with the animals under their care. With vulnerable monkeys like Chongo, the importance of him feeling safe and secure with his caregivers cannot be underestimated.