Amber Nash, Simon & Helen Law Join Project Chimps Board

Amber Nash, Photo Credit: Birdie Thompson

Project Chimps has welcomed three Atlanta residents to its board of directors, Amber Nash and Simon and Helen Law. Project Chimps is a non-profit sanctuary for chimpanzees retired from medical research, located in the mountains of North Georgia.

Amber Nash is an Atlanta-based actress best known for her role as Pam Poovey on the Emmy Award-winning animated FX network series Archer. Nash is a native of Atlanta and a long-time ensemble member of Dad’s Garage Theatre Company, where she 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.

Simon and Helen Law are passionate supporters of animal welfare and conservation. Simon is a senior vice president at CoStar Group, which provides information on real estate in North America and Europe. Simon currently leads the operations group for CoStar’s Apartments.com business from the firm’s Atlanta office. Helen works for The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International, a non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation, protection and study of gorillas and their habitats in Africa.

Helen and Simon Law

“Amber, Simon and Helen bring tremendous energy and expertise to the leadership of Project Chimps,” said Ali Crumpacker, Project Chimps’ executive director, adding, “We are very happy they share our passion for the welfare of the former research chimpanzees in our care here in Georgia.”

Nash and the Laws join a nine-seat board chaired by attorney and animal rights legal expert Bruce Wagman.

Project Chimps is a 236-acre sanctuary that provides lifelong exemplary care to chimpanzees retired from medical research. The sanctuary was founded when the federal government effectively banned research on chimpanzees, our closest biological relatives, in 2015. Today, 39 chimpanzees are at home in the forested sanctuary located near Blue Ridge, Georgia. Project Chimps is currently raising funds to bring more than 170 additional chimpanzees from the New Iberia Research Center in southern Louisiana to permanent sanctuary.

As a sanctuary, Project Chimps is not open to the public except for limited engagements. The next opportunity for members of the public to visit the sanctuary will be September 29 and 30, when Project Chimps hosts its fall “Discovery Days” event, including free educational activities and ticketed tours of the sanctuary.

Project Chimps also offers corporate and group service volunteer opportunities. The sanctuary welcomes groups throughout the year for various projects including facility maintenance, gardening, chimpanzee enrichment, and special events. Groups may be between five and 40 individuals committing to a four-hour volunteer service activity. More information is available at projectchimps.org.