Board of Directors and Staff
Shelly Bell – Vice President
Shelly adopted a vegetarian diet over 20 years ago and became vegan a few years later after learning the horrors of egg and dairy farms. ARC volunteer experience includes coordinating the VegKins children’s program. “I really appreciated the opportunity VegKins gave us to connect with like-minded families. The ARC programs and volunteers are amazing and make a real difference for animals and for the vegan community.” Shelly lives in Minneapolis with her husband, son, and two neurotic but adorable cats. She also volunteers at her son’s school.
Charlotte Cozzetto – President
Charlotte is the ARC Executive Board President. Highlights of her time with ARC include working on the campaign that led to the abolition of the University of Minnesota’s live dog lab for first year medical students, ARC’s successful lawsuit against the University of Minnesota for previously denied access to research records, ARC’s successful campaign to persuade the Animal Humane Society to discontinue use of the gas chamber for euthanasia, and working on the campaign that led to a ban on mandatory pound seizure in Minnesota. Charlotte is also a member of the Chicken Run Rescue Advisory Board.
Steve Leinen – Treasurer
Steve is a life-long Minnesota Native who has always lived in St. Paul or its close suburbs. Steve went vegetarian in 2002 when his youngest son, influenced by vegans, asked to go vegetarian. Steve became vegan in 2012 when his wife Amy stated that she needed to be vegan. Steve was introduced to ARC through his wife Amy, who had used the ARC Vegan University program during her transition to veganism. Steve’s passion is promoting veganism and healthy plant-based eating through cooking classes and grocery shopping tours. He loves helping out during ARC social events, such as the waffle party, hot dish cook off, and pot lucks. Steve has been on the boards of several other organizations including Twin Cities Tai Chi Ch’uan and various Masonic Organizations. He and his wife Amy care for their cat, the cats of their children, and two semi-feral cats for Feline Rescue.
Shaun McClay
Shaun holds a certificate in Plant-Based Nutrition through E-Cornell and is passionate about promoting veganism and finding the most effective ways to reach people. She was predominantly vegetarian for many years and became vegan several years ago after viewing multiple documentaries including Gary Yourofsky’s “The best speech you’ll ever hear.” Because people have differing priorities, Shaun stays informed on various aspects of a vegan diet including its impact on animals, the environment, humans, and health. Shaun also works to make it easier for people to go and stay vegan; she promotes healthy and delicious vegan recipes, stays informed about new vegan food products, and has resources she can refer people to if they need more info on any given topic.
Raj Singh
I was vegetarian for 18 years of my life and then in preparation for our wedding, my wife and I met a vegan personal trainer who was also a competitive bodybuilder, which is where we got our start. I am on the Advisory Board for Chicken Run Rescue where I spend time volunteering and my wife and I have rescued hens at home. I am also an Organizer for Anonymous for the Voiceless and a passionate animal rights advocate and street activist. I enjoy having meaningful conversations with strangers and steering them towards a more compassionate lifestyle. In my spare time I enjoy being at home with my wife, our two cats, and our four hens.
In Memoriam – Vonnie Thomasberg – President Emerita
Vonnie was named President Emerita of ARC in 2005 and was a founder and past president of ARC. For over 30 years, Vonnie defended the rights of non-human animals and advised, counseled, and provided effective leadership and inspiration to others in the ongoing effort to liberate all animals.