NEW YORK CITY – Science has confirmed what consumers have come to realize: factory farming isn’t just inhumane, it also negatively impacts our health and environment. It is within the context of this elevated public consciousness of the cruelty of animal agriculture and the benefits of plant-based living that Farm Sanctuary, America’s leading farm animal protection organization, names Megan Watkins Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director.
“I’m honored to lead this pioneering organization at such a pivotal time in our culture,” says Watkins. “As the leader of the sanctuary movement, Farm Sanctuary has set the standards for farm animal care and advocated for laws and policies to prevent suffering and promote compassion. Most important, the organization has rescued and provided sanctuary for thousands of animals, whose stories have changed the hearts and minds of a generation.”
Three decades ago, the term “factory farm” was unfamiliar and controversial. Now barely a day goes by without condemnation of factory farming in mainstream media. Farm Sanctuary was at the forefront of this cultural shift, creating a compassionate platform for farm animals through the sanctuary movement and engaging people in moments of inspiration and connection. And Watkins has helped guide that mission for the past nine years as a member of Farm Sanctuary’s board of directors, and as board chair from 2010 to 2016.
Watkins’ compassion and commitment to animal protection have guided her career. She leaves her post as Managing Director and National Practice Executive – Foundations and Grantmaking at U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management. Over the past 10 years, she helped create and build a philanthropic consulting practice to advise individuals, families, and corporations on the design and implementation of significant giving programs, thereby helping to facilitate hundreds of millions of dollars to the charitable sector.
Prior to joining U.S. Trust, Watkins was a vice president in the Philanthropic Services Group at J.P. Morgan Private Bank, where she managed a client portfolio focused on animal welfare and protection, community development, and human services. As part of this work, Watkins developed a variety of funding initiatives and conducted organizational assessments of hundreds of nonprofit organizations working on behalf of companion animals, threatened and endangered species, at-risk youth, survivors of domestic violence, and the homeless. Watkins’ non-profit and advocacy work has also included roles with ACCION New York, Columbia University, World Neighbors Nepal, and the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs. Watkins is a graduate of Barnard College and holds a Master of International Affairs degree, with a specialization in economic and political development, from Columbia University.
