Leadership

Sandee Ting Simshauser is a retired corporate securities attorney with over a decade of leadership non-profit board experience. A long-time member of the Hilda Club, Sandee joined the Board of Directors at Farm Sanctuary in 2020, and since then she has served in various positions including, Vice-Chair of the Board, Chair of the CEO Search Committee, Chair of the Governance and Nominations Committee, and Secretary.

She holds leadership roles at several non-profits in the Boston area serving as the Vice-Chair of the Board of the Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center and Co-Chair of the Board of The Midas Collaborative. An alumna of Brown University, she has served as a past Co-Chair of the President’s Women’s Leadership Council and Chair of the Board and President of the Brown University Club of Boston. She recently became an Advisory Board member for GBH, the public media organization for PBS, NPR, and NOVA, and is a long-time member of the Corporation of The Winsor School in Boston.

Seven years ago, she became vegan at the encouragement of her daughters, and she has discovered a new passion for animal welfare. After living in California for 20 years, she and her husband relocated their family to the Boston area where they now reside in Newton, MA.

Sandee earned a dual BA degree with honors in Computer Science and English Literature from Brown University, and a JD from the University of California at Berkeley.

Robert Procaccianti is a Senior Vice President of Wealth Management with UBS. He creates and implements investment portfolios that avoid all forms of animal exploitation. Robert also serves as Ambassador to the UBS Global Visionaries program, which connects private investors to leading environmental and social entrepreneurs. He has been a member of Farm Sanctuary since 2017, and is a member of the Friends of Hilda Club and Legacy Society.

He previously served as Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of Animal Rescue Rhode Island, a companion animal rescue organization. During his tenure, the organization experienced record-high adoption rates and became one of the first animal shelters in the United States to adopt the usage of certified cruelty-free cleaning products. In Rhode Island, he has been involved in legislative initiatives such as the Beagle Freedom Bill, elimination of chicken battery cages, prohibition of the use of live animals in medical training programs, and a sales ban of foie gras.

Robert graduated Magna Cum Laude from Stonehill College (MA) with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics. Robert is a resident of Narragansett, RI, where he lives with his rescue hound. He is also a boxing coach.

Arne Emerson is a Partner at Morphosis Architects in Los Angeles. Founded in 1972, Morphosis is a renowned global architecture and design firm that creates compelling work that is intelligent, pragmatic, and powerful. As one of four partners, Arne oversees the leadership and design at Morphosis. In addition to his professional work, he is a dedicated educator, guest critic, and lecturer.

Arne has served as a board member of Farm Sanctuary since December 2023, and is a committed animal rights activist who has been vegan for 12 years. Raised in rural Wyoming, Arne was inspired by his mother’s compassion for rescuing homeless animals, which shaped his dedication to animal welfare. A pivotal experience on a farm during his teens revealed the distress animals face, deepening his understanding of their sentience. Motivated by Farm Sanctuary’s mission of research, rescue and advocacy, Arne works to raise awareness of the cruelty in animal agriculture and promote the idea that farmed animals deserve compassion and respect. Through his efforts, he aims to create a world where sanctuary replaces exploitation.

After working as a history teacher (in Brussels and Boston) and then as a newspaper editor, Sharon surprised friends and family by going to law school and becoming a tax attorney. She is a Partner at Casner & Edwards, LLP and enjoys the challenge and creativity of advising nonprofit organizations on a wide variety of strategic matters related to their tax-exempt status, governance, and operations. In addition, she assists clients in matters directly involving the Internal Revenue Service, including audits and even the occasional Tax Court case. Her clients range from small startup nonprofits to well-established charitable institutions.

Sharon graduated from Dartmouth College (summa cum laude) and from Harvard Law School (cum laude) and is licensed in both California and Massachusetts.

In 2017, Sharon made the transition from vegetarian to entirely plant based. It is a decision that has helped to instill in her a more profound appreciation of the miracle that is life on this beautiful blue planet. She is a New Englander currently transplanted in Northern California and enjoys the luxury of being able to go hiking all year long.

• Forbes 50 Over 50
• INC. Magazine’s Top 100 Female Founders (2022)
• Food and Wine Magazine’s “Game Changer”
• UN Women’s “Vegan Revolutionary”

Miyoko Schinner is an award-winning chef, author, entrepreneur and speaker. She founded Miyoko’s Creamery, one of the leading alternative dairy producers, and is often credited for bringing vegan cheese to mainstream audiences. She is also the founder of the non-profit Rancho Compasión, a farmed animal sanctuary and education center for school-age youth. She is currently a lecturer at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business.

Miyoko is the author of six cookbooks, including the bestselling The Homemade Vegan Pantry, and the book credited for launching the vegan cheese revolution, Artisan Vegan Cheese. Her 7th book, The Homemade Vegan Creamery, is slated to come out in 2025. She co-hosted a vegan cooking show on PBS called Vegan Mashup that aired for three seasons. She currently hosts a new YouTube cooking channel called The Vegan Good Life with Miyoko, and was featured in a 4-part Netflix series, You Are What You Eat: A Twin Experiment.

Calling herself an epicurean activist, she has worked tirelessly for over thirty years to reimagine a food system built on sustainability, equity, and compassion for animals. Her popular cookbooks, products, and thought leadership have inspired people across the globe to reconsider their food choices and take personal joy and responsibility in helping to participate in a better food system.

Miyoko has spoken all over the world in Saudi Arabia, Italy, and Korea, as well as home in the US at Google, Dropbox, The Smithsonian, and more. She is regularly featured on podcasts and interviews.

Miyoko has been recognized by major media outlets as a cultural icon and food innovator, and was named to the coveted inaugural list of Forbes 50 Over 50, a “Game Changer” by Food and Wine Magazine, and a “Vegan Revolutionary” by UN Women.

Miyoko has three grown children and resides in West Marin with her dogs, cats, and the over 100 animals of Rancho Compasión.

Website: https://www.miyokoschinner.com/
Instagram: @miyokoschinner
LinkedIn: @miyokoschinner