Meet MFA

Nathan Runkle
Executive Director
NathanR@MercyForAnimals.org

Nathan Runkle is the Founder and Executive Director of Mercy For Animals. Raised on a farm in rural Ohio, Nathan has long had a deep connection with farmed animals and agriculture. After a local farmed animal abuse case, involving a piglet slammed head first into a concrete floor during an agriculture project at a nearby high school, Nathan founded Mercy For Animals to give “food” animals a much needed advocate in his local community.

Since founding Mercy For Animals a decade ago, Nathan has overseen the organization's growth into a leading national force for the respectful and compassionate treatment of farmed animals. A grassroots organizer and coordinator for many years, Nathan has spearheaded hundreds of demonstrations and outreach events across the country – ranging from protests outside pork and egg producer conventions to parade marches, educational exhibits, and more.

A nationally recognized speaker on animal advocacy, grassroots activism, and factory farming, Nathan has spoken at colleges, forums, and conferences from coast-to-coast.

Derek Coons
Director of Information Technology
DerekC@mercyforanimals.org

Derek Coons serves as Mercy For Animals' Director of Information Technology and is a long-time board member, overseeing the direction, focus, effectiveness, and efficiency of the organization.

A graduate of Miami University with a degree in Computer Science and Systems Analysis, Derek actively combines his passions for animals and technology – developing and implementing all of MFA's websites, database systems, web advertising programs, and email communications. Under his direction, MFA's ChooseVeg.com website has become widely recognized as one of the web's most helpful and compelling pro-vegetarian websites, attracting over 2 million visitors annually.

Derek's journey into animal activism began as a teenager while working in the kitchen of a local Red Lobster restaurant. After witnessing lobsters steamed alive and stabbed with knives, Derek pledged never to eat lobster again. Derek quickly began to question the manner in which pigs, chickens, and cows were treated during meat production. Such questioning quickly led Derek toward vegetarianism after he acknowledged that he could not ethically justify causing animals to suffer and die simply for a palate preference.

Matt Rice
Director of Investigations
MattR@MercyForAnimals.org

Matt Rice serves as Mercy For Animals' Director of Investigations – working closely with undercover investigators to obtain video footage and other evidence of animal abuse at factory farms, hatcheries and slaughterhouses. Matt also works with attorneys, veterinarians and animal welfare experts to review covert footage and draft criminal complaints, and then with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies to secure animal cruelty convictions against individuals and facilities that abuse animals.

Investigations by Mercy For Animals have led to raids on factory farms, rescues of abused and neglected farmed animals, passage of landmark anti-cruelty legislation, corporate animal welfare policy reforms, and opening the hearts and minds of millions of consumers to the power of their food choices.

Matt is a former United States Marine and holds a Bachelors of Arts in Biology and Anthropology from the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs. For as long as he can remember, Matt has had an affinity for animals and been opposed to more visible forms of cruelty, but he never really considered the plight of farmed animals until he saw the documentary Meet Your Meat. After witnessing the needless suffering endured by cows, pigs, chickens and other farmed animals, he decided to adopt a vegan lifestyle and become a committed animal advocate.

Brooke Mays
Director of Communications
BrookeM@MercyForAnimals.org

Brooke Mays serves as Mercy For Animals’ Director of Communications, overseeing all of the organization’s written materials, including content for Compassionate Living magazine, grant requests to foundations, letters to the editors of newspapers, and communications with media, corporations and the general public.

An artful master of the English language, Brooke earned a Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics at University of Michigan in 1999 and a certificate for teaching English as a foreign language from the University of Cambridge that same year.

Along with her communications experience, she has tremendous passion for animal advocacy. For the past decade, Brooke has devoted great time and energy to companion animal protection, including direct care of shelter animals, adoptions and even adopting Maggie, a special-needs dog of her own. In more recent years, in addition to companion animals, Brooke has worked hands-on with farmed animals, volunteering at a number of local and national animal sanctuaries.

Vandhana Bala
General Counsel
VandhanaB@MercyForAnimals.org

Vandhana Balasubramanian (Bala) serves as Mercy For Animals’ General Counsel – overseeing the organization’s legal initiatives, which includes advising the Investigations Department staff, handling corporate governance issues, ensuring regulatory compliance for MFA’s community outreach activities, supervising the legal intern program in Chicago, and responding to issues involving animal agribusiness industries.

An honors graduate of the Indiana University School of Law in Bloomington, Indiana, Vandhana received her undergraduate degree from Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. She became licensed to practice law in 2000, and is currently admitted to practice in Illinois, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, and United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

Kathleen Cahill
Development Manager
KathleenC@MercyForAnimals.org

Kathleen Cahill serves as Mercy For Animals’ Development Manager, overseeing fundraising and membership development programs, writing grant proposals and inspiring individuals, companies and foundations to support MFA’s mission to prevent cruelty to farmed animals.

Kathleen holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Theater from Temple University in Philadelphia, where she first became vegetarian, although she had been concerned about animal welfare throughout her childhood. After graduating, she worked in the hotel and television production industries in New York City and Los Angeles for several years, until making the change to the non-profit sector in 2005.

Kathleen has extensive experience in fundraising, coordinating events and member relations. She has worked as a special events manager and development associate for several animal and ocean advocacy organizations. Her work with environmental organizations has taught her about the devastating impacts of factory farming on the natural world, in addition to the horrific abuses routinely inflicted on the animals.

Lee Iovino
Director of Visual Media Production
LeeI@MercyForAnimals.org

Lee Iovino serves as Mercy For Animals' Director of Visual Media Production, where he oversees the creative development of the organization’s documentaries, event reviews, advertisements, and other media-related projects.

A driving force behind MFA’s powerful use of visual media to advocate on behalf of animals, Lee orchestrates film shots, voiceover recordings, music production, and audio and visual set-up at special events.

It was his fascination for the art of storytelling through cinema and motion graphics that first propelled Lee into video production at the age of twelve in Mesa, Arizona.

Incorporating creative inspiration from diverse genres of movies, music, and advertising, Lee has put his vision and passion to use, crafting cutting-edge and award-winning short films, advertisements, music videos, and visual art – many with thought-provoking and political messages.

Kate Ziegler
Investigations & Research Associate
KateZ@MercyForAnimals.org

Kate Ziegler serves as Mercy For Animals’ Investigations & Research Associate. Kate works closely with the Director of Investigations, reviewing and analyzing evidence documented by MFA’s undercover investigators. She assists MFA’s legal team to determine potential violations of law, and conducts extensive research into agribusiness practices and animal welfare standards.

Kate monitors meat, dairy, and egg industry publications, as well as advancements in the farmed animal advocacy movement. She helps MFA track the impact of factory farming on animal health and behavior, the environment, and food safety, and how these issues relate to MFA’s mission of promoting compassionate food choices and policies.

A native of Oak Park, Illinois, a racially and economically diverse suburb of Chicago, Kate’s parents, siblings, and extended family taught her to be a socially conscious and compassionate individual. After learning about industrialized farming practices from a family friend, Kate began considering the plight of farmed animals and making kinder food choices.

>>Read more about Kate

Eddie Garza
Senior Campaign Coordinator
EddieG@MercyForAnimals.org

Eddie Garza serves as a Senior Campaign Coordinator with Mercy For Animals, organizing events throughout New York and the Northeast, and overseeing and planning national outreach campaigns and communications.

Eddie is guided by the peaceful teachings of Jivamukti Yoga, finding inspiration in its motto, "May all beings everywhere be happy and free, and may the thoughts, words and actions of my own life contribute in some way to that happiness and to that freedom for all."

It was a trip to Europe in 2003 that opened Eddie's eyes to the ethically and ecologically irresponsible manner in which animals are raised and killed during food production in the Western world. His passion for protecting farmed animals from needless cruelty soon prompted Eddie to adopt a vegan diet, and quickly propelled him into grassroots activism.

Mikael Nielsen
Chicago Campaign Coordinator
MikaelN@MercyForAnimals.org

Mikael Nielsen serves as Mercy For Animals' Chicago Outreach Coordinator, where he oversees, coordinates, and attends dozens of grassroots outreach events annually, including vegetarian leafleting, educational exhibits, and more.

Watching friendly turkeys on TV that were about to be killed and eaten for Thanksgiving is what brought animal protection ideals to the forefront for Mikael. That was more than 12 years ago and Mikael has been a staunch advocate for the animals ever since.

Inspired by one of EarthSave Chicago's Conferences for Conscious Living, Mikael became involved with the group, coordinating outreach events, conferences, helping with Fur Free Friday events and the Compassion on Wheels TV van.

Nora Kramer
Texas Campaign Coordinator
NoraK@MercyForAnimals.org

Nora Kramer serves as Mercy For Animals’ Texas Campaign Coordinator, organizing events, overseeing campaigns, and coordinating volunteers and interns in Dallas and throughout Texas.

Nora went vegan almost overnight in 1998 upon seeing the documentary Diet for a New America, despite having never heard of soymilk or veggie burgers. She was so shocked to learn about industrialized farming that she soon felt compelled to do more than just change her own diet. Nora got active passing out leaflets, writing letters, organizing events, training new activists, teaching humane education, and working with many different grassroots and national organizations. She played instrumental roles in coordinating the signature-gathering efforts for campaigns in California and Ohio, resulting in statewide bans of some of the cruelest factory farming practices.

Nora has volunteered for many different social justice causes and political campaigns over the years, but chooses to focus primarily on promoting compassionate food choices because of the ease with which each person can help animals, the environment, and people on a daily basis, just by transitioning to a delicious plant-based diet. Nora does freelance copy-editing for her favorite publication, VegNews Magazine.

Steve Erlsten
Los Angeles Campaign Coordinator
SteveE@mercyforanimals.org

Steve Erlsten serves as Mercy For Animals' Los Angeles Campaign Coordinator. Organizing events, overseeing campaigns, and coordinating volunteers and interns throughout the greater Los Angeles area, Steve uses his strong leadership capabilities to inspire and guide outreach efforts and promote a kinder world for all.

At a young age, Steve learned of the inherent cruelty involved in animal agriculture. Empowered by that knowledge, he immediately adopted a cruelty-free diet and now spends much of his free time helping others to do the same. Steve’s work with local animal advocacy organizations has helped establish some of the largest vegetarian and environmental festivals in the country, and his efforts have inspired others to organize large festivals to promote healthy, cruelty-free eating too.

Steve’s direct, on-the-ground involvement includes major outreach tours at colleges and at large music festivals, where he has talked to thousands of people and handed out tens of thousands of informative, pro-vegetarian booklets. He has also participated in national campaigns to encourage chain restaurants to improve the living conditions of farmed animals.

Sarah Von Alt
Ohio Campaign Coordinator
SarahVA@MercyForAnimals.org

Sarah Von Alt serves as Mercy For Animals’ Ohio Campaign Coordinator. Overseeing and coordinating statewide events and volunteers, grassroots outreach, and community building, Sarah works tirelessly to illuminate the plight of farmed animals in Ohio.

Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Sarah first became interested in animal rights and veganism in high school, and quickly became inspired to end the needless suffering of animals raised for food. With Mercy For Animals in her hometown, Sarah began attending local MFA events and activities. Sarah was also an integral part of the ballot initiative to ban some of the most abusive factory farming practices in Ohio.

Sarah’s passion for activism has spanned many years and extended to various social justice and environmental advocacy organizations. In addition to coordinating grassroots outreach efforts, Sarah has assisted with lobbying, campaign strategy, and public education.

Sarah’s prior experience, passion for the animal rights movement, and background as the Syracuse Outreach Coordinator in New York has prepared her to carry forward Mercy For Animals’ community outreach efforts in Ohio.

Phil Letten
National Campaign Coordinator
PhilL@MercyForAnimals.org

Phil Letten serves as Mercy For Animals' National Campaign Coordinator – working to implement and evaluate national outreach campaigns that promote veganism and the protection of farmed animals. Phil also serves as a media spokesperson for MFA's national outreach campaigns, undercover investigations and other programs, as well as at national animal rights conferences, vegetarian festivals and events across the country.

Phil coordinated MFA’s powerful and effective Farm to Fridge Tour, which exposed consumers nationwide to the horrific cruelties farmed animals face during their lives. The 3-month, 12,000-mile road tour through 43 cities sported a truck equipped with three 80” video screens that aired undercover factory farming footage at busy college campuses, shopping centers, and downtown areas. Garnering tons of mainstream media attention in city after city, the Farm to Fridge Tour proved to be a major success in empowering countless people across the country to move toward a vegan diet.

When not traveling the world speaking up for animals – Phil has been to almost every state in the U.S., Canada, eight European countries, as well as Mexico and El Salvador – he likes to work out and eat delicious vegan food. Phil loves ethnic cuisine, particularly Indian, Thai and Chinese, but he also has a soft spot for Boca Chik'n burgers with Vegenaise.

Alexis Scherba
Chicago Outreach Coordinator
AlexisS@MercyForAnimals.org

Alexis Scherba serves as a Mercy For Animals' Chicago Outreach Coordinator. Since early summer 2009, she has coordinated feed-ins, protests and leafleting events, spoken at outreach events, exhibited at festivals, co-organized fundraising events, organized volunteer trips to farmed animal sanctuaries, and promoted cruelty-free eating through MFA's Vegetarian Dining Campaign.

Growing up in the San Francisco area, Alexis was familiar with veganism from an early age, but it was a communications class assignment on factory farming during her college freshman year that inspired her to go vegan. This transition to a compassionate, plant-based diet sparked her efforts to create the Loyola University Chicago's Vegetarian & Vegan Society. Due to her outstanding advocacy work with the Society, Alexis was honored with the "Youth Activist of the Year" award at MFA's 2009 Chicago Celebrating Compassion Gala.

Mickey Kudia
Chicago Outreach Coordinator
MickeyK@MercyForAnimals.org

Mickey Kudia serves as Mercy For Animals' Chicago Outreach Coordinator, organizing and executing leafleting events and feed-ins throughout the greater Chicagoland area.

It was a close friend in high school that inspired Mickey to go vegetarian. The more his friend told him about how animals are raised and killed on modern factory farms, Mickey could no longer justify eating them, and ever since then he has been working diligently on behalf of farmed animals.

Born and raised in Schaumburg, IL, Mickey moved to Champaign, IL to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Communications and Education at the University of Illinois-Champaign. During his college years, Mickey transitioned to a vegan diet and became the vice-president of the Campus Vegetarian Society, helping to organize vegan potlucks, dining events, cooking classes and more.

When not speaking up on behalf of farmed animals, Mickey enjoys reading, riding his bike, listening to music, and grabbing a bite at Chicago’s very own Canary Confectionery.

Leslie Patterson
Chicago Leafleting Coordinator
LeslieP@MercyForAnimals.org

Leslie Patterson serves as Mercy For Animals' Chicago Leafleting Coordinator, where she has been organizing outreach events around the city and at local colleges since 2007. Leslie also uses time off from her full-time job as a public librarian to leaflet at colleges across Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan and Ohio, and has reached over 50,000 students as part of Vegan Outreach's Adopt-a-College program.

A native of Cleveland Heights, Ohio, she became vegetarian after growing up in a liberal family with many beloved companion animals. She went vegan and committed her life to animal rights after attending a Mercy For Animals screening of Peaceable Kingdom in January of 2007. Leslie began volunteering for Mercy For Animals because of our focus on farmed animals and public outreach, as she reasoned that by promoting plant-based diets activists can help spare the largest number of animals from some of the worst abuse, and change how animals are viewed in our society.

Robyn Lazara
New York City Outreach Coordinator
RobynL@MercyForAnimals.org

Robyn Lazara serves as Mercy For Animals' New York City Volunteer Outreach Coordinator. She is involved locally in coordinating grassroots-outreach, community-building and fundraising activities, many of them milestone and inaugural events.

A firm believer in the power of culinary advocacy, Robyn joined the Mercy For Animals' Restaurant Outreach campaign in New York City to build on its successes and further “veganize” the menu offerings of culinary establishments around the city. Robyn is an avid cook, host and diner, always eager to try new vegan recipes and dishes, so she brings a passion for food to this endeavor. Robyn loves using her talents and interests to do all that she can to help bring the vegan lifestyle into the mainstream, which is in turn fun and meaningful. "Living vegan is a joy that opens hearts and saves lives, so by supporting others to make and keep compassionate choices, our influence is exponential," says Robyn.

James Scotto
New York City Outreach Coordinator
JamesS@MercyForAnimals.org

Jim Scotto serves as Mercy For Animals’ New York City Outreach Coordinator, organizing volunteers and directing leafleting events throughout New York City’s five boroughs.

It was after a long winter of reflection in 2009 that Jim developed a strong consciousness of animal suffering and quickly adopted a vegan diet. Jim credits his awakening to a series of articles and videos detailing the plight animals face on modern day farms. Jim now spends the majority of his free time speaking up for farmed animals and encouraging New Yorkers to transition toward a more compassionate lifestyle.

Aside from being an avid advocate for farmed animals, Jim teaches Physical Education and coaches three sports at The Churchill School in Manhattan, where he is a mentor and living example for student athletes interested in vegan living.

Lisa Drapkin
New York City Outreach Coordinator
LisaD@mercyforanimals.org

Lisa Drapkin serves as Mercy For Animals’ New York City Outreach Coordinator, organizing volunteers and directing outreach events throughout New York City’s five boroughs.

It was after watching Mercy For Animals’ investigative videos and becoming fully aware of the suffering routinely inflicted on billions of farmed animals that Lisa adopted a vegan diet and immediately got involved in animal advocacy. Lisa spends much of her spare time advocating for farmed animals through grassroots activism and consumer education, inspiring New Yorkers to transition toward a more compassionate vegan lifestyle.

“Grassroots outreach is a chance to share a part of ourselves with others by way of giving to them information that holds extreme importance in our hearts. Also, it is something that absolutely everyone can do, even if they only have half an hour a week to spare,” says Lisa.

Lisa Lipton
Dallas Special Projects Coordinator
LisaL@MercyForAnimals.org

Lisa Lipton serves as Mercy For Animals' Dallas Special Projects Coordinator, using her love for education to coordinate Mercy For Animals' compelling library displays on factory farming and vegetarian eating.

A New Jersey native, Lisa studied English at the University of Michigan before earning her master's degree in Library Science from Columbia University. Lisa is a longtime animal advocate who first became involved in animal protection by rescuing and fostering homeless animals. The proud guardian of six dogs and one cat, she adopted a vegan diet after watching Mercy For Animals’ investigative videos and becoming aware of the suffering routinely inflicted on farmed animals.

Lisa currently works as a librarian at the Dallas Central Library and supports Mercy For Animals' "incredible work to uncover and ameliorate abuse on the farm." She enjoys planting the seeds of compassion by distributing leaflets to concert-goers and by participating in peaceful demonstrations for a wide variety of animal-related causes.

Kevin O’Connor
Cincinnati Outreach Coordinator
KevinO@MercyForAnimals.org

Kevin O'Connor serves as Mercy For Animals' Cincinnati Outreach Coordinator, organizing events, coordinating volunteers, and building community throughout Cincinnati.

Kevin is a transplanted New Yorker, who has lived in the Cincinnati area for the last 30 years. In 2006, he became fully aware of the needless suffering involved in animal agriculture, decided that he could no longer contribute to that violence, and adopted a vegan lifestyle. Ohio’s Issue 2, which sought to create an industry-slanted Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board in 2009, was the impetus that convinced Kevin to make the leap into active animal advocacy.

In 2010, Kevin became completely committed to fighting for the voiceless victims of factory farming when Ohioans for Humane Farms launched a ballot initiative campaign to ensure cows, pigs and chickens had at least enough space to stand up, turn around, extend their limbs, and lie down. During the campaign, he served as a County Coordinator for Ohioans for Humane Farms, and later become Mercy For Animals' Cincinnati Leafleting Coordinator, before taking over as an MFA Outreach Coordinator.

Melissa Sehgal
Massachusetts Outreach Coordinator
MelissaS@MercyForAnimals.org

Melissa Sehgal serves as Mercy For Animals' Massachusetts Outreach Coordinator, organizing events, overseeing campaigns, and coordinating volunteers throughout the Old Bay state.

Driven to make a difference and join the frontlines of animal advocacy, she has devoted the past decade to traveling across the country, raising awareness about the plights of animals through compelling demonstrations, creative grassroots outreach campaigns, and lobbying efforts. Melissa has spoken at conferences and has been interviewed by local, state, national and international news media outlets about a variety of animal-rights-related issues.

Melissa is a nurse, but she has enjoyed being a volunteer for animal rights organizations so much that her career as a nurse has always felt secondary. Since moving to Massachusetts, she has seized all of the many opportunities to share the joys of vegan living.