BOARD OF DIRECTORS

BOARD PRESIDENT

Lesley Tse is an attorney who has worked in the areas of non-profit law, workers’ rights, and tenants’ rights. Lesley earned her bachelor’s degree from New York University and her law degree from Fordham University Law School. Lesley went vegan in January 2018, having been a vegetarian for 20 years, after she started volunteering regularly at Woodstock Sanctuary. She is a proud Filipinx and believes deeply in the need for intersectionality in justice movements. She is also an avid yoga practitioner, holding a 200-hour yoga teacher certification, and believes that the principle of ahimsa, or nonviolence, applies to all living beings. Lesley lives in Rosendale, NY, just down the road from Woodstock Farm Sanctuary, and Harlem, NY, with her partner and rescue dog.

VICE PRESIDENT

Nicole Brodeur works at the intersection of environmentalism, food systems and animal right through as a non-profit advisor, investor and farmer. In addition to Woodstock Farm Sanctuary, she serves on the boards of Ars Nova and Story Pirates Inc. She is a founding member of the Women Funders in Animal Rights Giving Circle and the founder of Metamorphoses Farm in Cambridge, NY. She lives in the Hudson Valley with her husband and two children. Nicole went vegan after a visit to Woodstock Farm Sanctuary in 2013.

TREASURER

Jody Rasch is an artist at Lamina Project and a published fantasy author. He is currently a partner at Beyond Impact, a vegan investment fund and was formerly the Managing Trustee at VegInvest. Prior to that he headed the Social Performance Group at Moody’s Corporation working on projects including microfinance and social investing. Jody has a B.A. degree in Economics from the University of Michigan, holds an MBA in Finance from New York University and an MFA in Art and Design from Purchase College. He is on the Board of Directors of Battery Dance Company and Woodstock Farm Sanctuary.

SECRETARY

Lita Dwight is the owner and founder of bryt life foods, an artisanal maker of vegan yogurt and cheese. She is an avid animal rights advocate and activist in many other social justice movements. Lita was an investment management attorney for Sidley Austin Brown & Wood and also served as a staff attorney for the Legal Aid Society, representing victims of domestic violence. She served as an investment adviser for Merrill Lynch, specializing in non-profit organizations. Lita owned and operated a real estate development company, Acquis Development Corp, renovating historic properties in landmarked Brooklyn. She currently lives with her partner and two dogs, Lacey and Lou in the Navy Yards neighborhood of Brooklyn.

BOARD MEMBER

Komal Patel earned her bachelor’s degree from New York University and her law degree from Columbia Law School, where she was the president of the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund, through which she first encountered Woodstock Farm Sanctuary. In her free time, Komal enjoys exploring with her German Shepherd, sewing, reading, and playing tennis.

BOARD MEMBER

David Cabrera is an artist, writer, and long-time animal advocate dedicated to creating cultural contributions through his visual art and written projects. As the co-founder and retired co-owner of Alexander Gray Associates, a prominent contemporary art gallery in New York City, he has supported diverse artistic voices and innovative practices. Cabrera’s personal artwork and writing explore themes of identity, social justice, and lived experience, reflecting his commitment to meaningful dialogue through artwork and advocacy. He shares his home with two rescued dogs, Charles Eames and Lina Bo Bardi.

BOARD MEMBER

Emilie Castro-Schwarz is an attorney based in New York City working at a plaintiffs’ litigation boutique. Emilie earned her bachelor’s degree from Barnard College and her law degree from Columbia Law School, where she was first a board member and then the co-president of the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund. Emilie spent many years fostering cats and then dogs, only stopping (for now) because she and her husband adopted too many mutts! She is a long-time animal rights advocate and has done various pro bono projects for Animal World Protection US and Legal Impact for Chickens. Emilie enjoys introducing her non-vegan friends to the wonderful and abundant vegan restaurants available in New York City and has fun experimenting with cooking vegan dishes at home.