Who We Are
Wenonah Hauter is the executive director of Food & Water Watch. She has worked extensively on energy, food, water and environmental issues at the national, state and local level. Experienced in developing policy positions and legislative strategies, she is also a skilled and accomplished organizer, having lobbied and developed grassroots field strategy and action plans. From 1997 to 2005 she served as Director of Public Citizen’s Energy and Environment Program, which focused on water, food, and energy policy. From 1996 to 1997, she was environmental policy director for Citizen Action, where she worked with the organization's 30 state–based groups. From 1989 to 1995 she was at the Union of Concerned Scientists where as a senior organizer, she coordinated broad–based, grassroots sustainable energy campaigns in several states. She has an M.S. in Applied Anthropology from the University of Maryland.
Sarah Alexander is a senior food organizer. She works to promote a healthy and independent food system and works to improve public knowledge on food issues including Factory Farms, and Country of Origin Labeling. Sarah has worked on issues related to Food Sovereignty, Genetic Engineering, and Local Food Security. Her background is in community organizing, strategic campaigning and legislative campaigns, having previously worked with Green Corps, the White Earth Land Recovery Project, and the American Community Gardening Association. Sarah is a graduate of Northwestern University, where she studied English.
Sascha Bollag is an organizer for the fish Campaign at Food & Water Watch. His work focuses on seafood safety and open ocean aquaculture. Much of his previous organizing experience focused on labor and trade issues. He has a B.A. in History from the University of North Carolina.
Lane Brooks is the chief operating officer for Food & Water Watch and has over–all responsibility for operations including administration, IT and development. Lane has more than 25 years experience in non–profit fund raising and management. Most recently, he served as the director of development at Public Citizen for nine years where he was responsible for the organization’s earned and contributed income programs, and served on the organization's management team. Previously, he worked at advocacy and performing arts organizations in Washington and Denver. Lane has also served as a leader in Washington, DC’s philanthropic community as President of the city’s chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, as well as conference chair and, on several occasions, speaker at fund raising conferences. Lane holds the Certified Fund Raising Professional credential and a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism from Louisiana State University.
Meg Boyle is an organizer with the fish campaign at Food & Water Watch. Her work focuses on open ocean aquaculture's impacts on coastal communities, human health, and the marine environment. Previously, Meg was active in the youth climate movement as co–founder and director of the climate campaign and as a co–founder of the Energy Action Coalition. She holds a degree in biology and environmental studies from Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, and also studied marine ecology and environmental policy with Denmark's International Study Program.
Tony Corbo is the senior lobbyist for the food campaign at Food & Water Watch. He is responsible for food-related legislative and regulatory issues that come before Congress and the Executive Branch. Tony has extensive organizing experience having directed major public employee representation campaigns in several states. He has also directed political campaigns at various levels, and he served as the administrative assistant to a Member of Congress. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Affairs from The George Washington University and a Master's degree in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University.
Zach Corrigan is a legislative representative and a staff attorney for Food & Water Watch. His responsibilities include analyzing, tracking, and lobbying on offshore aquaculture, ocean desalination, and other marine–related legislation and administrative rules. Zach graduated from the University of Wisconsin, and earned his J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law in Boston. He can be reached at zcorrigan(at)fwwatch.org.
Noelle Ferdon is the senior organizer for food campaigns in California. Her work focuses on organizing California campaigns to raise consumer and legislative awareness about issues such as the impacts of factory farms on the environment and our food supply. She is currently working on a restaurant campaign to promote the use of tap water over bottled water. Before joining Food & Water Watch, Noelle worked as a social justice advocate in Northern California. She is also actively involved in the Slow Food movement and founded the local convivium (chapter) in her hometown. Noelle has a B.S. in political science from California State University, Chico and a J.D. with an emphasis in environmental law from Golden Gate University, School of Law in San Francisco.
Maj Fiil is a senior policy advocate on international water for Food & Water Watch. She heads U.S. legislative efforts to get better and more funding to solve water infrastructure problems, leads the campaign's focus on Africa, and works with a number of water coalitions. In addition, she edits two newsletters, World Bank Watch and Defend the Global Commons. She studied International Relations and Environmental Management at graduate school in Denmark (RUC). Maj can be reached at mfiil(at)fwwatch.org.
Sarah Gingold is a researcher at Food & Water Watch focusing on fish and water issues. She has a B.A. in Government and Politics from the University of Maryland, College Park.
Erin Greenfield is the communications associate at Food & Water Watch. She assists the communications coordinator in general media planning and strategy, focusing specifically on water issues. Erin graduated from Tufts University in Boston with a double major in Environmental Studies and Art History, and moved to DC three years ago to pursue environmental policy. She eventually broke into communications at The Wilderness Society and the Washington Animal Rescue League, and recently joined Food & Water Watch. Erin can be reached at egreenfield(at)fwwatch.org.
Sara Grusky is a senior organizer with the Water for All Campaign at Food & Water Watch. She works with communities and organizations across the Americas, especially Latin America, that are working to replace corporate control of their water resources with local democratic control. She serves on the coordinating commission of the Inter–American water network, the Red VIDA. Sara has worked for over a decade with citizen's organizations challenging World Bank, IMF, and Inter–American Development Bank policies. She has a Ph.D. in political science and has previously taught at Howard University, Catholic University, Trinity College and Gettysburg College. Sara can be reached at sgrusky(at)fwwatch.org.
Jon Keesecker is a senior organizer with the Take Back the Tap campaign at Food & Water Watch. He works with grassroots community groups across the U.S. to prevent the privatization of public water resources. He is also editor of the newsletter Currents. Previously, Jon worked as a community organizer on water issues with Sweetwater Alliance in Michigan and Massachusetts Community Water Watch. He has a B.A. in Philosophy from Central Michigan University.
Patty Lovera is the assistant director of Food & Water Watch. She works on the food team, especially on meat inspection and mad cow disease, country of origin labeling, and dairy issues. Patty has a bachelor’s degree in environmental science from Lehigh University and a master's degree in environmental policy from the University of Michigan. She can be reached at plovera(at)fwwatch.org.
Jennifer Mueller is the communications coordinator for Food & Water Watch. She manages our web and graphic content as well as our press relations and media outreach. Jennifer spent several years working for the Public Interest Research Groups (PIRGs) in organizing, administrative and communications positions. She holds a bachelors degree in environmental science from the University of Massachusetts and a master's degree from the University of Maryland School of Public Policy. Jen can be reached at jmueller(at)fwwatch.org.
Felicia Nestor is a senior policy analyst for the Food campaign at Food & Water Watch. Since 1995, she has collaborated extensively with food safety whistleblowers, including federal inspectors and small plant owners, and has analyzed numerous government databases to expose public health threats from inadequately regulated meat and poultry. Her alerts have been confirmed by congressional offices, the Government Accountability Office, and USDA’s Office of Inspector General, and have resulted in important policy changes on dangers including mad cow disease, Salmonella, and pathogenic E. coli O157:H7. She holds a J.D. from Georgetown University. She can be reached at (201)330-1618 or fnestor(at)fwwatch.org.
Marcela Olivera is the Latin American coordinator for the Water for All campaign. After graduating from the Catholic University in Cochabamba, Bolivia, Marcela worked for four years in Cochabamba as the key international liaison for the Coalition for the Defense of Water and Life. In 2004 she moved to Washington, DC for a year to work for the Water for All campaign developing an inter–American citizens' network on water rights. Named “Red Vida”, the network, which she continues to coordinate from Cochabamba, assists water rights groups throughout Latin America to coordinate their efforts to preserve or establish the water as a pubic good and human right. Marcela has also worked as a lead researcher at the DemocracyCenter, a San Francisco and Cochabamba based NGO.
Giuseppina Pagano is a staffer with Food & Water Watch Europe. Based in Switzerland, she does community–, national– and EU–level organizing on issues related to genetically modified food, sustainable agriculture and factory farming. She has a degree in English studies from the University of Bern, Switzerland, and is fluent in English, German, French and Italian. She can be reached at gpagano(at)fwwatch.org.
Lisa Reinhalter is a policy analyst for the fish campaign. Her work focuses on offshore aquaculture legislation, organic standards for seafood, and fisheries management. She was previously an aquaculture researcher with Food & Water Watch. Lisa received her B.A. in International Studies and Latin American Studies at Colby College, in Maine. She can be reached at lreinhalter(at)fwwatch.org.
Zack Richardson is a researcher with Food & Water Watch. Previously a journalist covering FDA and the food industry, he now conducts research and writes for our Food and Water teams. He has a B.A. in English Literature from the University of Maryland, College Park.
Jessica Roach is a lobbiest for the Water for All campaign at Food & Water Watch. She works to promote universal access to clean, affordable water. She promotes broad recognition of the universal Right to Water and works to protect local, democratic decision making about water resources in trade, and other policy making. Jessica has worked on issues related to global economic justice, especially trade and investment since 1999 with public interest groups in Washington, DC and Mexico, as well as in Congress. She has a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Washington and an M.A. in International Studies from the American University.
David Robison is the Director of Finance and Administration. David serves as Food & Water Watch’s chief financial officer and directs human resource and administrative functions. A primary duty is to ensure efficient use of Food & Water Watch’s resources. He has extensive staff and consulting experience within the not–for–profit community including an international human rights organization, national foundation, local youth support organization, and most recently at Community Technology Centers’ Network, a national membership organization. He holds both a Master's of Business Administration and bachelor's degree in music education from East Carolina University. You can reach David at drobison(at)fwwatch.org.
Robert Schubert is the research director at Food & Water Watch. He coordinates research on fish, food, and water issues. He has been involved in work on agricultural, economic, environmental, and human rights issues for more than 10 years. He has a master's degree in journalism from the University of Colorado and a bachelor's degree in economics from Colorado State University. He also studied political economy and environmental economics in Hungary in the early 1990s. He can be reached at rschubert(at)fwwatch.org.
Ben Schumin is the office manager for Food & Water Watch. He manages our office, providing support to the rest of the Food & Water Watch team, and coordinating everyday operations. He is the contact for all administrative issues concerning Food & Water Watch. He holds a B.S. in Public Administration from James Madison University.
Adam Scow is the California organizer for the Water for All campaign at Food & Water Watch. He helps communities overcome and prevent the privatization of their water systems and institute local and democratic control. Previously, Adam researched California irrigation subsidies and water transfers. He holds a B.A. in Political Science from U.C. Berkeley.
Alberto Villareal is Food & Water Watch's Latin America coordinator. His is developing a campaign against factory farming and corporate control of food and agriculture in Latin America, and establishing a network of NGOs and social movements to do so. He is also monitoring shrimp aquaculture and will be engaged in the water network in the region. Alberto is a founding member of REDES (Social Ecology Network) –– Friends of the Earth Uruguay. Alberto has been the regional coordinator in Latin America & Caribbean for the Friends of the Earth International program on 'Trade, Environment and Sustainability.' He studied Sociology at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Alberto can be reached at avillareal(at)fwwatch.org.
Annie Weinberg is an organizer on the water campaign at Food & Water Watch. She coordinates grassroots efforts to protect public water and to challenge the increasing corporate control of water resources, with a special focus on the bottled water industry. Annie attended Sarah Lawrence College, graduating with a B.A. in Environmental Studies and Dance. Previously, she worked as a field organizer with MoveOn.org, and with Green Corps, where she partnered with Corporate Accountability International, Food & Water Watch, and U.S. PIRG.
Justine Williams is a researcher for Food and Water Watch. She conducts research and writes for the Fish and Food teams. She received her B.A. in Sociocultural Anthropology from the George Washington University.
Anna Witowska–Ritter is a Food and Water Watch consultant in Eastern Europe. She is researching agricultural issues in Eastern Europe, monitoring factory farms and writing a newsletter about these very issues affecting the area she comes from. She is cooperating with several NGOs in Eastern Europe who share our goals of promoting sustainable farming and a more just food system. Anna has an M.A. degree in Sociology from Jagiellonian University in Poland and an M.A. in European Studies from Exeter University in England. She can be reached at awitowska(at)fwwatch.org
Patrick Woodall is a senior policy advocate on farm policy and international trade for Food & Water Watch. He covers the farm and trade legislation on Capitol Hill. Patrick has been a public policy analyst, researcher and advocate on economic justice issues in Washington since 1991. He is the co–author of a book on the World Trade Organization and has written dozens of reports and articles on public policy. He received a B.A. from Johns Hopkins with concentrations in international relations and economics. Patrick can be reached at pwoodall(at)fwwatch.org.
Mark Worth is a senior researcher for Food & Water Watch based in Germany. He coordinates research for Food & Water Watch's European campaigns –– writing reports, fact sheets and other materials. He has been a writer, editor, publisher, and researcher for 20 years, and has a degree in journalism from the University of Florida.
Katie Yancey is the web editor for Food & Water Watch. She manages our web and graphic content, and has extensive experience in doing so. Previously, she had been a member of the Graphic Artist's Guild, and participated in events held by the The Society of Publication Designers and the Illustrator's Club. Katie holds both a bachelor's degree in art history from Virginia Commonwealth University and a Master's of Fine Arts in Illustration from Savannah College of Art & Design. You can reach her at kyancey(at)fwwatch.org.
Brigitte Zaccaria is a researcher and organizer for Food & Water Watch based in France. She researches European agricultural issues in collaboration with French NGOs and Farmers' Unions. She has a master's degree in agricultural development from the University of Paris –– La Sorbonne.
















