Kristen Tullo is the Pennsylvania State Director with Humane World for Animals, formerly The Humane Society of the United States. She graduated with a master’s degree in Community Psychology at Pennsylvania State University focusing her attention on animal welfare initiatives. She actively led the campaign to secure passage of House Bill 1238, incorporating Libre’s Law, and was instrumental in the formation of Pennsylvania’s bipartisan and bicameral Animal Protection Caucus.

Ms. Katz is a Partner in the Philadelphia Law Firm of Meranze, Katz & Gaudioso, P.C. She received her BA in Political Science from the George Washington University and JD from Temple University School of Law. She is licensed to practice law in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey and is a member of the Pennsylvania and Philadelphia Bar Associations. She is admitted to practice in the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania and New Jersey, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern and Middle Districts of Pennsylvania, the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, and the U.S Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Ms. Katz is the President of Humane PA PAC, Pennsylvania’s Political Voice for Animals, a non-partisan committee working to end cruelty to animals in Pennsylvania through public policy. She previously served on the Board of Directors of Woodstock Farm Sanctuary and The Humane League. Ms. Katz is chair of the Animal Law Committee of the Pennsylvania Bar Association. She is also a Humane Policy Volunteer Leader with the Humane Society of the United States. She shares her home with four cats, all of whom are former ferals.

Danielle Bays is a frequent speaker, award-winning author and wiz at cat trivia. As the Senior Analyst for Cat Protection and Policy at Humane World for Animals, Danielle works with animal shelters, cat advocates, policymakers, and other stakeholders to broaden support for community cat programs nationwide and to improve the welfare of all cats. Danielle holds a B.S. in Animal Science from Cornell University and a M.S. in Animals and Public Policy from the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. With more than 20 years of experience advocating for various animals, Danielle’s path to professional cat lady only began after finding her then-new backyard inhabited by a family of felines, which led to her building a comprehensive, city-wide community cat program. Her backyard now boasts a catio for her five indoor cats and a vintage Charlie Brown seesaw.

Representative Liz Hanbidge serves Pennsylvania’s 61st Legislative District in Montgomery County and has been a steadfast advocate for children, families, and seniors since her election in 2018. She holds leadership roles as Vice Chair of both the House Children & Youth Committee and the Southeastern Pennsylvania House Delegation. Her committee assignments include Agriculture & Rural Affairs, Judiciary, Children & Youth, the Committee on Committees, Health, and Local Government. With a background in family law and child advocacy, Rep. Hanbidge was appointed by the governor to Pennsylvania’s State Interagency Coordinating Council (SICC), where she works to strengthen early intervention services for infants and toddlers. She also serves on the National Conference of State Legislatures’ (NCSL) Juvenile Justice Task Force and was named a NCSL Youth Justice Fellow in recognition of her leadership in juvenile justice reform. In 2022, she was selected as a Toll Fellow by the Council of State Governments, one of the nation’s premier leadership development programs for state officials. Rep. Hanbidge has championed and passed a range of impactful legislation, including Act 40 of 2024 legislation updating Pennsylvania’s “slayer statute” to prevent automatic inheritance by individuals convicted of abusing an older decedent. She sponsored a law to prevent SLAPP lawsuits that suppress free speech, as well as legislation requiring informed, explicit consent for internal medical exams—such as pelvic, rectal, or prostate exams—when performed solely for teaching purposes. She has advanced reforms to modernize child custody proceedings and has been instrumental in establishing childcare public–private partnerships to improve access and affordability. Her legislative agenda includes efforts to enhance maternal health, expand and preserve childcare access, and strengthen consumer protections. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania with advanced degrees from Oxford, Harvard, and the University of Wisconsin, Rep. Hanbidge brings expertise in child psychology and law, along with a tireless commitment to serving the people of Pennsylvania.

After nearly a decade in the field of animal protection, Stephanie Harris has extensive experience in lobbying, strategy development, coalition building, and volunteer management. As Senior Legislative Affairs Manager, Stephanie works to develop and advance Animal Legal Defense Fund’s legislative campaigns. Previously, Stephanie was the Senior State Director for Massachusetts and Rhode Island at the Humane Society of the United States, where she was instrumental in helping pass state and municipal animal protection laws. She served as the Campaign Director for the 2016 Massachusetts farmed animal protection ballot campaign to phase out cruel confinement of farmed animals as well as the sale of products (eggs, pork, and veal) coming from such confinement. Voters approved the initiative with an overwhelming 78% support and created the strongest farmed animal protection law in the world at the time. Earlier in her career, Stephanie worked on wildlife protection ballot campaigns in Michigan and Maine, and on various farmed animal protection state legislative campaigns. She also interned at a wildlife rescue and rehabilitation facility after graduating from Franklin & Marshall College, where she studied political science and studio art. Stephanie shares her home office in Cambridge, MA, with a rescue cat named Hadley. When not working, she can often be found on backpacking or paddling trips, or binge-reading sci-fi novels.

As the longtime executive vice president of PennAg Industries Association, Chris Herr serves as the voice of Pennsylvania’s agribusiness. In Harrisburg, Herr cultivates and advocates for our members across various agribusiness sectors, from aquaculture to equine and manure haulers and feed and grain, championing them before the state legislature’s agriculture and rural affairs committees.

Indra Lahiri, PhD, MSEd is an organizational psychologist certified in Traumatic Stress Studies. With decades of experience working with Fortune 50 companies, Indra has addressed challenges related to trauma, resilience, diversity, inclusion, equity, and belonging, offering her a unique perspective on human growth and change. Since founding Indraloka Animal Sanctuary in 2005, Indra has led as Executive Director, where she has had the opportunity to observe the ways in which the beloved animals at Indraloka helped hurting humans heal, learn, and grow. She realized early on that we humans need the animals even more than they need us– and that if we let them be who they truly are– free from farms and cages and threats of death and living as equal loved ones together with humans– they save us over and over again. Indra’s extensive studies in Western psychology and Eastern spiritual thought have informed her decades-long journey from a traumatized child to an adult who transcended her trauma. She is now committed to helping others on their healing journeys. As the author of “Journal to Wholeness: Transcending Trauma,” Indra is grateful for the opportunity to dedicate her life to helping traumatized animals (including humans) rediscover joy, love, and trust. The sanctuary is not named after Indra, but rather she is named after the Hindu God Indra who created Indraloka (Sanskrit name for the heaven for the Gods).

Sue A. Leary has been President and CEO of ARDF since 1995. She has a B.S. in Biology and M.S. in Nonprofit Management. Her career has focused on coordination of programs and services; education and advocacy; administration and planning; and membership development in nonprofit organizations. From 1995 – 2025, she also served as President of ARDF’s affiliate, American Anti-Vivisection Society. From 2009 – 2025, Sue was Executive Editor of the AV Magazine, and Chair of the Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics, which operates the Leaping Bunny Program, certifying cruelty-free companies based in the U.S. and Canada. She has served on a number of boards, including Animal Grantmakers, the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries and the World Federation for Animals. Sue served from 2020 – 2024 on the Scientific Advisory Committee on Alternative Toxicological Methods, which advises and makes recommendations to NIH officials regarding activities of the Interagency Coordinating Committee for the Validation of Alternative Methods.

Adam Parascandola is the vice president of the Animal Rescue Team for Humane World for Animals and Humane Society International. He works with both the HSUS and HSI to assist law enforcement, NGOs and government agencies in addressing animal cruelty, animal fighting and disaster response work around the globe. Parascandola has responded to disasters and crisis situations such as the war in Ukraine and wildfires in Australia. He also has assisted with cases involving puppy mills, the dog meat trade, roadside zoos, animal neglect and animal fighting. He lives in Las Vegas with his family—including two rescue dogs, one of whom is from an HSI dog meat farm closure—and enjoys taking his Jeep out to the desert.

Tracie Young licensed wildlife rehabilitator at Raven Ridge Wildlife Center, a facility she opened in 2015, specializing in caring for predator birds (referred to as raptors) as well as rabies vector species.

Kathleen currently serves as the President & CEO of Animal Friends.