Board of Directors
Bruce Wagman, President
Bruce Wagman is an animal lawyer, an expert strategist, and a true friend to animals. He is a lawyer in the San Francisco office of national law firm Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila and has an almost-exclusive focus on a wide range of animal law matters, including litigation, education, legislative drafting and counseling, and consultation. He has practiced animal law since 1992 and represented clients in state and federal courts as well as regulatory and administrative proceedings. Bruce’s clients include numerous animal protection organizations as well as private individuals. He is a coeditor of Animal Law, the first animal law casebook, currently in its sixth edition; and coauthor of A Worldview of Animal Law, which provides a broad perspective on animal law around the world. He has taught animal law since 1996 and currently teaches at three Bay Area law schools. Bruce was a founding board member of both Project Chimps and Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest and has advised members of the chimpanzee sanctuary community on a wide range of legal issues.
Kathleen "Katie" M. Conlee, Vice President
Katie Conlee is vice president for animal research issues with Humane World for Animals (formerly called the Humane Society of the United States), where she has worked since 1999. Katie is focused on the long-term goal of replacing the use of animals in harmful research and testing, as well as the ongoing development and implementation of non-animal alternatives. Katie, in collaboration with other organizations, led the Humane World for Animals' efforts to effectively end the use of chimpanzees in research in the U.S. She is now focused on facilitating the retirement of chimpanzees from laboratories to sanctuaries. Prior to joining the Humane World for Animals, Katie spent several years at a primate breeding and research facility in South Carolina as the behavioral manager for more than 3,000 primates. There, she applied environmental enrichment and other strategies to reduce stress and help emotionally disturbed animals. She also worked as the Supervisor of Care at the Center for Great Apes, a sanctuary for chimpanzees and orangutans. Katie holds a bachelor’s degree in zoology and a master’s degree in public administration, with a specialization in public policy.
Adrienne and Billie Joe Armstrong
Project Chimps founding board members Billie Joe and Adrienne Armstrong are passionate supporters of human and animal welfare causes. Billie Joe is the front man of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-inducted and Grammy Award-winning band Green Day. His wife, Adrienne, is a co-owner of Atomic Garden, a thoughtfully curated shop in Oakland, California. Together the two are active philanthropists supporting numerous environmental and social justice groups, as well various organizations within their local community. Adrienne holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Minnesota State University. The couple currently resides in California’s East Bay with their two sons and four dogs.
Amber Nash
Amber Nash is well known for her role as Pam Poovey on the Emmy Award-winning animated FX network series Archer. She is a native of Atlanta, Georgia, and a long-time ensemble member of Dad’s Garage Theatre Company, where she still performs regularly. Amber first became interested in chimpanzees in a primate behavior class she took while earning her bachelor’s degree in psychology at Georgia State University. Chimpanzees have been a passion of hers ever since. After graduating, Amber worked as a youth counselor for the State of Georgia, serving children experiencing emotional and behavioral challenges. She then went on to serve as the education director for Dad’s Garage for six years before becoming a full-time actor. Amber resides in Atlanta with her husband Kevin Gillese and their dog Carol.
Dr. Stephanie Poindexter
Stephanie Poindexter is an Assistant Professor in the Anthropology department at the State University of New York at Buffalo. She is specialized in primate behavior, evolution, and conservation. Her long-term research experience and goals focus on using data from wild populations to improve captive welfare and conservation efforts. In collaboration with researchers and organizations in the UK, the US, and Southeast Asia, Stephanie has studied primate behavior in wild primates and primates in rescue centers. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Physical Anthropology from Washington University in St. Louis, a master’s degree in primate conservation, and a doctorate in anthropology from Oxford Brookes University.
Judy Greer and Dean Johnsen
The Johnsens have been avid supporters of Project Chimps since its founding. Dean is an executive producer of HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher and also served as a producer on its predecessor show, Politically Incorrect. Judy Greer is an accomplished actress, director and author. Known for her work in TV shows like Arrested Development and Showtime’s Kidding, simian fans will recognize her from the latest series of Planet of the Apes movies, in which she plays the female chimpanzee Cornelia, wife of Caesar. Judy graduated from the Theatre School at DePaul University in 1997 with a bachelor of fine arts degree. Dean holds a bachelor’s degree from California State University, Chico. They have two children, Emilee and Lucas, and one dog, Mary Richards. They live in Los Angeles, California.
Martin “Marty” Hanan
Marty is a lifelong animal lover, since early childhood has been in love with primates. Marty earned his degree in Electrical Engineering at the University of Illinois at Champaign – Urbana and MBA at Loyola University of Chicago. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst and as a design engineer and financial economist he has used his creativity and technical expertise to build several companies, assist at the board level for others, and develop strategies to create growth and value.
Currently, Marty is the founder and President of ValueScope, Inc., a Dallas-based valuation and strategic advisory firm assisting clients in the areas of value measurement, tax and financial reporting matters, transaction advisory and expert witness testimony. As a business leader, author and educator, Marty has contributed his time to help others succeed in business and life sitting on the board of The Alliance for Higher Education, Einstein Noah Bagel Corp, and several private companies and charitable foundations. Married to his high school sweetheart with two adult boys, Marty spends time with Zeplyn, his 14-year-old Lab-Terrier mix
Dr. Gary Weitzman, DVM, MPH, CAWA
Gary Weitzman is the President and CEO of San Diego Humane Society. A Certified Animal Welfare Administrator, he has served as Chair of the Board of the Association for Animal Welfare Advancement and is currently serving as a board member for California Animal Welfare Association (CalAnimals), Project Chimps, Shelter Animals Count, and Mama’s Kitchen, a San Diego nonprofit committed to providing food for people with chronic illnesses. An Air Force veteran, he earned a double BA in Biology and English from Colby College, a Master’s in International Public Health from Boston University and his DVM from Tufts’ Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine.
He is the author of eight books published by National Geographic: “Everything Dogs,” “How to Speak Dog,” “How to Speak Cat,” “The Complete Guide to Pet Health, Behavior, and Happiness,” “Fetch” and “Pounce,” and from National Geographic Kids “Dog Breed Guide,” and “Cat Breed Guide.“
Angela "Angie" Smith
Angie Smith is owner of Strategic Management Partners, a multi-family real estate company, for over 30 years. Before founding SMP, she was senior vice president of the largest property management company in Georgia, supervising 32,000 units and overseeing the marketing, training, compliance and resident services departments. She was a business finance major at the University of Tennessee and currently resides in Blue Ridge, Georgia. Angie has a big heart for animals with chimps, orangutans, elephants and whales as her top four favorite. But as she can take none of those home, she instead lives with two rotties, Cali and Kona, and a cat named Grey. She formerly served as the President of the Board of Southern States Rescued Rottweilers and has been involved with Project Chimps as a supporter and arranging volunteer work parties for several years before joining the board.
Kaelyn and Andrew Phillips
Kaelyn and Andrew Phillips share a passion for animals, animal rights, and environmental causes and have been proud supporters of Project Chimps for years. Kaelyn, a graduate of Union College, earned her MBA at Babson College. She is Vice President of Global Talent Management for Monster Worldwide and Randstad Enterprise Solutions, where she focuses on developing leaders and implementing a diverse and inclusive high-performance culture. Andrew also earned his MBA at Babson College (which is where he and Kaelyn met) and has spent his career in banking and finance, specializing in providing funding to the software and technology sectors. Andrew is currently Managing Director with CIBC Innovation Banking. Kaelyn and Andrew reside in the Boston area with their two children and two dogs.
Michael Robbins
Michael Robbins is a visionary leader who brings a proven track record of accomplishment, award winning marketing and media and transformative change within the corporate world and animal welfare profession. Michael has more than 18 years of service within animal welfare including the last 8 as the Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of the Atlanta Humane Society (AHS). Additionally, Michael is currently serving as the Interim Executive Director of Remedy Accessible Veterinary Care. Prior to joining AHS, Michael spent ten years with the Michigan Humane Society. His diverse areas of expertise include branding, communications, fundraising, marketing, media relations and strategy development. Michael’s unique value proposition includes a sustained ability to drive both innovation and tactical excellence.
In addition to serving on the Board of Project Chimps, Michael is currently serving his second stint on the Board of Directors for The Association of Animal Welfare Advancement and has led/served on numerous national task forces and work teams.
He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania and is a proud alumnus of the Tuck Advanced Management Program at Dartmouth.
Wayne S. Flick
Wayne Flick is a graduate of Cornell University and Boston University School of Law. A commercial litigator, Wayne practiced law for nearly 30 years with Latham & Watkins in Los Angeles, before retiring in 2019. Throughout his career, Wayne served in various management roles and was passionate about mentoring and promoting young lawyers. He is currently Senior Litigation Advisor to GoldenTree Asset Management, a New York-based global asset management firm.
Wayne previously served on the Board of Directors of the Humane Society of the United States (now Humane World for Animals). While at Latham, Wayne was pro bono counsel to HSUS and served on the Board of Prevent Cruelty California. Wayne is a recipient of the Marin Humane Society’s Humanitarian of the Year Award and was the first man elected to the Board of Directors of the California Women’s Law Center, and the first man to serve as its President. He also served on the Board of Directors of AIDS Project Los Angeles and on the Executive Committee of the Board.
Wayne and his husband, Bill (a former college gymnast who once played Tumblebrutus in the touring company of Cats), split their time between their homes in Los Angeles and Palm Springs, California. They are the proud and loving – and sometimes exhausted – parents of Callie, a Rottweiler who is pretty sure she’s the boss of both of them.
Marsha Perelman
Marsha Perelman is a businesswoman and philanthropist with extensive experience in non-profit board leadership, governance and fundraising. She is the co-chair of ACCT Philly, Philadelphia's largest open intake animal shelter which cares for over 19,000 animals a year. She chairs the board of Calder Gardens, which will open in 2025 and highlight the work of world-famous artist Alexander Calder. She is also a member of the Pennsylvania Dog Law Advisory Board. She is Chair Emerita of the Board of the Franklin Institute, helping to build the organization into a premier science center during her eight-year tenure as chair. Her ambitious leadership raised over $65 million for the Inspire Science campaign.
Marsha graduated from Northwestern University with a BA in urban planning and the University of Pennsylvania with a master’s degree in city planning. Her career began at Buckeye Pipe Line Company, and she soon became co-founder and vice president of Clearfield Energy. She was also a director of Penn Virginia Corporation (now Ranger Oil) and PVR Partners, L.P.
Won't You Help?
This project would not be possible without our many generous individual supporters and volunteers. We rely on donations to fulfill our mission, including caring for our existing residents and expanding the sanctuary to accommodate those chimpanzees still waiting in the lab.
Won’t you help us bring the remaining chimps to sanctuary by supporting Project Chimps today? Please donate today because...