Big Changes at Viva!USA : Indybay

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Viva!USA www.vivausa.org
P.O. Box 4398, Davis, CA 95617
530/759-8482 - info@vivausa.org

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Viva!USA Alerts 3/14/06

Changes at Viva!USA

Viva!USA is sad to announce the loss of our own lauren Ornelas, Executive Director of Viva!USA. lauren helped found Viva!USA in 1999, and has since led the organization with passion, force and determination. She has accepted a position with Compassion Over Killing (www.cok.net) that will allow her to focus more directly on campaigns. She will continue to run Viva!USA until mid-April.

lauren's accomplishments in the past few years are too numerous to list. With her leadership, Viva!USA put pressure on Trader Joe's, Whole Foods Market and others to change the sale of factory farmed duck meat, and Pier 1 Imports to end the use of duck feathers in their products.

Both campaigns have resulted in significant changes on a national level. lauren has also led the fight against mega corporation Adidas and their sale of kangaroo skin shoes. Through lauren's hard work, Viva!USA has been able to prevent proposed legislation in California that would have legalized the sale of products made from kangaroo skins. Also, Viva!USA initiated an ongoing lawsuit against Adidas, soon to be heard by California's Supreme Court, for selling their shoes in violation of California law.

For the CBS feature on the case visit:

http://cbs13.com/topstories/local_story_068211234.html

lauren has devoted her energies and her talents to all of Viva!USA's campaigns, from protesting for pigs outside Honeybaked Ham to petitioning Ben & Jerry's for a non-dairy ice cream to working to end the production and sale of foie gras in California. She has been the creative force behind our leaflets and campaigns, as well as the public face of Viva!USA. Her work has enabled our small organization to accomplish amazing things, and helped us to grow into a nationally recognized force for the animals. While Viva!USA will continue its work on behalf of the animals, lauren's absence will be keenly felt. For more than 5 years she has been the heart of Viva!USA. We wish her the best of luck in the future, and know that the world, and the lives of animals, will be better for her presence here in the past few years. Thank you lauren!!

This move has initiated big changes at Viva!USA! We will be relocating to New York City and are pleased to welcome Claudia Tarry, formerly of Viva! in England, as the new director. Claudia worked for three years as Special Projects Co-coordinator for PETA before becoming a Viva! Campaigner. Her main responsibility was working on Viva!'s kangaroo campaign, though she also contributed to campaigns exposing factory farming and promoting the health benefits of a vegan diet. For the past two years she has been working for Animal Aid as a campaigner, and then as Head of Campaigns, though she has always stayed in close contact with Viva! Claudia is thrilled at the opportunity to return to the Viva! family -- "Even though I will be uprooting my life and moving countries, it feels like I’m coming home!" Please join us in welcoming Claudia home to Viva!

We extend special thanks to Pete Hernandez, who has worked with us for more than a year. Pete will graduate from the University of California, Davis this June, and we know he will go on to do great things. His loyalty and commitment have been invaluable over the past year.

We also want to give a BIG thank you to Laura Hudson who has both volunteered and worked for Viva!USA for a number of years. We wish her the best in completing her dissertation and we look forward to all the eyes she will open for the animals!

We would also like to take this opportunity to thank our staff and volunteers in the Davis area, who are directly affected by the move. With a special thank you to Dana Riley and Debbie Giles.

Look for future updates on these changes as we approach our move.

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Big Changes at Viva!USA

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