Dr. Ethan Ciment: Woodstock's New Board President
Woodstock Farm Sanctuary is pleased to announce its new Board President, Dr. Ethan Ciment. After serving as Vice President for the past two years, Dr. Ciment’s new role as President is a natural extension of the work he has been doing for the Sanctuary.
“As the Vice President of the Board, I was fortunate to work very closely with our immediate past President on a number of different initiatives and I feel very ready to take the wheel on those going forward,” said Dr. Ciment
As the Chair of the Board Development Committee, Dr. Ciment has been integral in bringing in over half of the current members of the board. In recent years, Woodstock Farm Sanctuary has undergone a period of rapid expansion, moving from a 23-acre location to a 150-acre one, expanding rescue efforts, and developing vegan and humane education programming. As a member of the board through this expansion, Dr. Ciment has a keen perspective on the past and present focus of the Sanctuary and where the Board envisions the Sanctuary over the coming years.
“To stay true to our founding principles during the expansion we undertook a lengthy strategic planning process that refined our mission and vision,” explains Dr. Ciment. “Being put into this position of leadership is an enormous privilege as it affords me the opportunity to enact that vision.”
Dr. Ciment is founder and Medical Director of The Chelsea Foot and Ankle Center in New York City. Along with his husband, Michael, he co-founded the award-winning blog, Vegan Mos and together they wrote their first cookbook, “NYC Vegan: Iconic Recipes for a Taste of the Big Apple.”
In addition to Dr. Ciment, the Woodstock Farm Sanctuary Board includes new officers Dr. Jeannine Cicco Barker, Vice President; Jody Rasch, Treasurer; and Lita Dwight, Secretary. Former President David Cabrera will stay on the Board, making this his fifth year of service and leadership. The other Board members are Stephanie Yazgi, Berto Calkins, and Lisa Dawn Angerame.
“We are doing more work to save lives and reduce the immense suffering of farmed animals than ever before,” states Rachel McCrystal, Executive Director of Woodstock Farm Sanctuary. “I am so proud that we have a professional, inclusive, and activist board that is leading us as we continue to do our important work on behalf of those animals that most people don’t consider worthy of consideration or compassion. As a staff, we are grateful to David Cabrera for his service as Board President and all he has done for the animals in our care and those we will never know.”