Helen Ficalora | Healthy Child Healthy World

Christopher Gavigan

Executive Director/CEO

Christopher Gavigan is Chief Executive Officer of Healthy Child Healthy World. For more than a decade, he has dedicated himself to improving the lives of children and families. He holds degrees in environmental science and geography from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and has extensive graduate training in child psychology and education. He has worked as an ecology and sciences teacher in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay area, and as a children and family specialist. He is the founder of Pinnacle Expeditions, an outdoor leadership program for teenagers.

Since joining Healthy Child Healthy World, Gavigan has launched public awareness campaigns and educational programs that have educated millions about daily choices and actions that impact our children’s health and our planet’s future.

Alicia Seiger

Vice President of Corporate Sales and Business Development, TerraPass

Alicia Seiger is Vice President of Corporate Sales and Business Development at TerraPass. Prior to joining TerraPass, Alicia was Director of Business Development and General Manager of Wine Clubs at Wine.com, the country’s largest online wine retailer.

Alicia is a graduate of the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where she was co-president of the Environmental Management club. After earning her MBA, Alicia spent two years as a research assistant and case writer for the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies at the Stanford GSB.

Alicia has also held Senior Manager positions in sales and business development at online marketing firms Engage Technologies and Flycast Communications. Alicia hopes that TerraPass will let her harmonize her business skills with her environmental passions. She spends her free time running, biking, playing soccer, practicing yoga, and pursuing the perfect chocolate chip cookie. Alicia holds a BA in Environmental Science and Policy and Cultural Anthropology from Duke University.

Amy Brenneman

Actress/Activist

"When I was younger, I had faith that I was taken care of by the government—in other words, that nothing would be on the market or in the air or water if it wasn’t safe. The realization that this wasn’t the case hit me when I became a mom. I learned that thousands of chemicals are used in products for children that aren’t tested on adults, much less kids. For instance, the chemicals in some conventional cleaning products such as general purpose cleaners, dish detergents, and glass cleaners can cause a range of health problems for children and adults, including respiratory irritation and chemical burns. At that point, I knew that I needed to take action, and joined the board of Healthy Child Healthy World. It gave me a place for answers, simple everyday solutions, support, and participation."

Amy Brenneman is one of the most talented and respected actresses of her time. Additionally, she spends her time working with two organizations dear to her, Healthy Child Healthy World and The Feminist Majority. Amy is a champion messenger for Healthy Child Healthy World and has gone on numerous television and radio shows to help educate the public about children’s health. She has two children, Charlotte Tucker and Bodhi Russell, who are very busy with their own projects.

Anna Getty

Women’s and Eco-Lifestyle Expert https://www.purestyleliving.com/

"Healthy Child Healthy World not only brings to the public a heartfelt story, as an organization we bring you cold hard facts through science and then offer you a support system that can help you make educated choices for your child's wellfare. We hold a vision and have a mission for a healthier and happy future for all children. As a mom and environmental advocate, it has been an honor to work with Healthy Child Healthy World. It feels so good to know that I am working with a group of people that walk their talk. I am honored to serve an organization that has such integrity and holds such a clear vision for how this planet could be: free and clear of environmental toxins. The time is now to make a change. Our children and theirs will be grateful for it later."

Anna Getty teaches Kundalini and Pre-natal Yoga in Los Angeles at Goldenbridge Yoga. She is committed not only to Yoga but to an Eco lifestyle. Anna's passion is to educate and uplift the public about pregnancy, yoga, motherhood, diet and a conscientious and fun way of being.

https://www.pictage.com/301402

Anne Robertson

Environmental Philanthropist

- motivated by the loss of many relatives who died of cancer-related diseases, and in particular, her uncle, Lt. Governor of VA, is a dedicated advocate of environmentally conscious organizations. She is on the board of several other nonprofits that use the arts to enhance and transform lives. Among these include Arts for Healing and the American Performing Arts Collaborative, a Harlem-based theatrical nonprofit. She is very interested in connecting other like-minded organizations that can work together to solve the enormous problems facing children right now and in generations to come. She is inspired by her four wonderful children and by the Reynolds family of Virginia who implemented the first recycling program in the aluminum industry. [email protected].

Beth Nielsen Chapman

Singer and Songwriter

Recording artist and songwriter, pens songs for other artists and her own albums, including the groundbreaking Sand & Water, written and recorded following the death of her husband from cancer in 1994. This record is often used as a tool for healing through grief. A survivor of breast cancer, Beth often interlaces her music with information on wellness and moving through grief to joy, providing inspiration through song.

Betty Ann Gaynor, M.A., M.A.T.

Betty Ann Gaynor has served as a public relations/media professional for more than a decade, primarily in health and children-related campaigns. Experience and education in communications, as well as an eclectic and curiosity-driven intellect and spiritual commitment to promoting wellness, are the driving forces behind her effective and creative programs.

Her background includes national, regional, and local public relations for Everett Clay Associates Inc., an award winning Miami-based and New York-affiliated public relations firm. Since 1990, she has been an independent consultant, and has done promotion for books, such as Raising Children Toxic Free: How to Eliminate Toxins in Your Home and Environment (Avon 1995), medical/surgical physician practices, and general and hospitals specializing in cardiology, orthopedics, and eating disorders.. Additionally, in corporate promotion, she has nationally showcased captivating, wholesome and educational play systems for children and their families.

An ardent health advocate, she has served as the national publicist/media advisor for The Children's Health Environmental Coalition (CHEC) since 1994 and spear-headed the public relations media strategy for CHEC's Environmental Childproofing Campaign, launched in January. 2001.

Gaynor's results-oriented campaigns have produced national hard news and feature placements with Associated Press, United Press International, Gannett and Scripps Howard syndicated wire services, national magazines, and daily newspapers with a circulation range from 120,000 to over a million. Her broadcasting coverage includes international placements as well as stories on network-affiliated television and radio stations.

In addition to her skills in media-related public relations, Gaynor is a published free-lance writer and veteran junior high school teacher, having worked in both the public and private school systems.

Gaynor holds two master of arts degrees, one in Journalism and the second in teaching Spanish. She is a graduate of The University of Wisconsin in Madison, Wisconsin, Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland and The University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California.

Bianca Nepales

Marketing Intern

As a Marketing Intern for Healthy Child Healthy World, Bianca promotes outreach to local communities and national connectivity via the world wide web. She works on spreading the news on the organization's latest book and educating parents about recent environmental health findings through blogs. Bianca loves good food, newspapers, and is currently pursuing a degree in Psychology at UC Berkeley.

Brenda Eskenazi, Ph.D.

Professor of Maternal & Child Health & Epidemiology, Director, Center for Children’s Environmental Health Research School of Public Health

Brooke Shields

"As a mother of two children I worry not only about their future, but about the quality of their present world. The work that Healthy Child Healthy World does is of the utmost importance. They are actually saving lives and supporting them and it is not only our duty but our privilege to protect future generations as well."

C.J. Kettler

President of TravelZoo, North America and Founder of Lime

C.J. Kettler is a media industry veteran with broad operating and investment experience. She founded and launched LIME, the #1 multiplatform healthy living brand, in January 2005. Under her direction, Ms. Kettler successfully launched the LIME brand across multiple platforms including broadband television, radio, mobile, online and home entertainment, making it the leading destination for consumers seeking a healthy, greener and more balanced lifestyle, and advertisers seeking to reach this “niche, but mass” consumer base. She is now the CEO of TravelZoo, North America.

Carrie Cook Platt

Television / Literary Producer

Carrie Cook Platt is a communications and marketing consultant in Providence, Rhode Island. A senior producer at ABC News for 12 years, she is the recipient of 5 National Emmys, a Peabody Award and a George Polk Award. She was also the VP of Branded Content at Hill Holliday.

David Carpenter, MD

Professor of Environmental Health & Toxicology University of New York at Albany

He is the host of a 30 minute public health information show called "The Public Radio Health Show", which is carried on more than 170 stations nationwide including the Armed Forces Radio Network and Voice of America. Prior to joining the University at Albany, Dr. Carpenter was a Research Physician at the Wadsworth Center for Laboratories and Research.

Dr. Carpenter's research interests are in the following areas:

* Synaptic transmission
* Neuronal thermosensitivity
* Excitotoxicity and neuronal cell death
* Neural basis of human disease especially the Dementias and ALS
* Neurotoxicology
* Ionizing and non-ionizing radiation biology
* Public health education

Dr. Carpenter received his M.D. at the Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts. Dr. Carpenter is the author of more than 240 peer-reviewed publications, four books and over 40 book chapters and reviews. .

Dr. Carpenter was appointed to the board of the Pacific Basin Consortium in January 2000.

Devra Davis, PhD, MPH

Devra Davis, PhD, MPH is professor of epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, visiting professor at Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz School, honorary professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and expert advisor to the World Health Organization. Dr. Davis holds a BS in physiological psychology and a MA in sociology from the University of Pittsburgh. She completed a doctoral degree in science studies at the University of Chicago and a master’s degree in public health in epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins University as a senior National Cancer Institute post-doctoral fellow. She is the author of more than 170 scientific publications and the editor of 11 books.

Dina Goda

Program Intern

Dina has been helping Healthy Child Healthy World in researching and writing blogs, program assitance and web contents.

She's currently pursuing a BA degree from UC Berkeley in Spanish Literature and Molecular and Cellular Biology with Genetics Emphasis.

Dr. Alan Greene

Founder: DrGreene.com, Author: Raising Baby Green

"This website is a fabulous, positive resource for learning about the effects of the environment on kids. I love the “daily tips” that will help you reduce exposure to chemicals, toxins, and pollutants—for the benefit of your children's health, the health of your home, and the environment."

Dr. Alan Greene, Clinical Professor, Division of General Pediatrics, Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford University School of Medicine and author of Raising Baby Green, is a graduate of Princeton University and the University of California San Francisco. In addition to being the founder of DrGreene.com, he is the Chief Medical Officer of A.D.A.M., and the Pediatric Expert for WebMD. He is the Chair Elect of The Organic Center and on the Advisory Board of Healthy Child Healthy World. Dr. Greene appears frequently on TV, radio, websites, and in print including appearances on The Today Show, Fox and Friends, The Wall Street Journal, Parents Magazine, and US Weekly. Dr. Greene is a practicing pediatrician at Stanford University's Packard Children's Hospital.

https://www.DrGreene.com

Dr. Andrea Rudominer M.D., M.P.H.

Pediatrician

Dr. Rudominer is a practicing pediatrician with Kaiser Permanante in San Jose, California and a passionate advocate for children’s health.

Throughout a ten-year career in healthcare, she has demonstrated a commitment to educating others and recently organized seminars on dental health, environmental health, and diabetes self-management. She is currently designing a program that will provide group doctor’s visits by conference call to parents with children of similar ages or diseases. The goal is improve healthcare by encouraging parents to share knowledge and support each other.

Dr. Rudominer is a graduate of UC Davis Medical school and UC Berkeley’s school of public health where she received an MPH in Maternal and Child Health. She trained as a resident at Stanford University’s Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital.

Dr. Harvey Karp

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics - U.C.L.A. School of Medicine / The Happiest Baby, Inc.

"Over a century ago, naturalist John Muir noted, "When we try to pick out anything by itself we find that it is bound fast by a thousand invisible cords that cannot be broken, to everything in the universe." We certainly see this today with our increasing awareness that the gas we burn in cars is linked to killer hurricanes in Louisiana and polar bear deaths in the distant Arctic.

What about our children’s health? Today, 1/166 American children suffer from autism…learning problems have increased…there is an epidemic of asthma. And more young adults are developing illnesses like breast cancer and Parkinson’s disease.

Could these be linked to the tiny daily doses of pesticides, plasticizers and pollutants to which we are all exposed? The answer is, we don’t know. But we cannot wait. We have reasons to be concerned...and to act.

Chemicals are not people. They are not innocent until proven guilty. In fact, it is just the opposite…they must be proven safe before they are allowed in our food, air and water. Yet, over 90% of industrial chemicals have never been tested for their effect on the developing brain and immune system.

Over the past 50 years, we repeatedly learned the harsh lesson that traces of chemicals can cause devastating effects to the environment…and to our health (e.g. the health destroying effects of tobacco smoke; the brain withering effects of lead in gasoline and paint; the epidemic of skin cancer caused by the hole in our ozone layer).

And as each day goes by, it becomes more and more clear that it is impossible to have healthy children in an unhealthy world.

Children are more vulnerable to toxins for two reasons: 1) Like new plants, their young brains and bodies are more fragile, more sensitive to damage and 2) Pound per pound, children are more eat/drink/breath more chemicals than adults (they constantly put objects in their mouths and they inhale twice as much air; eat 5 times more grapes and drink 15 times more apple juice than do adults).

Can we make a difference? You bet!

The availability of organic food and nontoxic cleansers is skyrocketing. Ten years ago, HC-HW helped persuade Congress to pass a sweeping new law requiring pesticides be proven safe for young children (the prior regulation was set to protect 160 lb. men). Since then, 1/3 of all pesticides have been shown to be unsafe and yanked from the shelves.

Each generation has its responsibilities and today the responsibility for protecting children from these dangers falls on our shoulders. If we do not do it …who will?

Please join us!"

Dr. Karp has been a practicing pediatrician and child development specialist for 30 years and is an assistant professor of pediatrics at the UCLA School of Medicine in Los Angeles. He has been a spokesperson on children’s environmental health for the American Academy of Pediatrics, NRDC and Physicians for Social Responsibility. He has served as an advisor to the California Department of Health Services and the California Medical Association. He is also on the advisory board of Parents Magazine and is the creator of the landmark parenting books/DVDs "The Happiest Baby on the Block" and "The Happiest Toddler on the Block."

Dr. Philippe Grandjean

Adjunct Professor of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health

Dr. Grandjean has served as Vice-Dean and Institute Chairman at Odense University and as member of the Danish Medical Research Council. He is founding editor of the web-based journal Environmental Health and has served as European Editor of the Archives of Environmental Health and is currently a member of editorial boards of ten scientific journals. He has been elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and was elected to the Board of Collegium Ramazzini in 2005. Past committee memberships include the U.S.Environmental Protection Agency SAB/SAP Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program Subcommittee, the Danish Committee on Scientific Dishonesty, the Panel on Contaminants of the European Food Safety Authority, and the chair of the Commission on Toxicology of IUPAC, and the Danish Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Research, as well as advisory tasks for several international organizations.

https://myprofile.cos.com/PGrand

Elaine Faustman, Ph.D.

Professor and Director Institute for Risk Analysis and Risk Communication Department of Environmental Health University of Washington

The long range objective of Dr. Faustman's research is two-fold: to identify biochemical mechanisms of developmental neurotoxicity and to develop new approaches for the evaluation and characterization of health risks from environmental agents. Because 70% of human birth defects have an unknown etiology, the identification of additional preventable causes of birth defects is extremely important for improving public health. One key aim of her research is to understand molecular pathways that control normal brain cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis.

Faustman’s group is working to understand the biochemical, molecular, and exposure mechanisms that define children’s susceptibility to pesticides and to assess pesticide risks to normal childhood development and learning. Research investigations in her laboratory include understanding the potential for impacts of neurodevelopmental toxicants such as metals (methylmercury and arsenic), pesticides (organophosphates, and benomyl), and N-nitroso compounds on brain development. Faustman’s laboratory is also evaluating genomically conserved cell signaling pathways (such as P53 and P21 cell cycle check point pathways) in animal models to better understand the critical role they play in normal human brain development. This research will also help us to understand how such pathways may be altered by the environment resulting in abnormal neurodevelopment.

Emily Lynne Ion

Director of Communications and Outreach

As Director of Communications and Outreach at Healthy Child Healthy World, Emily fuses her interest in media, marketing, and outreach with her passion for improving the health and well-being of children. She holds a degree in International Communications from the American University of Paris, and has extensive work experience as a mentor and tutor for children of various ages. She is committed to lifetime learning and exploring all sides of creativity through words, music and design. Her other passions include romance languages, travel, doing yoga, and listening to Stevie Wonder.

Erin Brockovich Ellis

Director of Environmental Research - Masry & Vititoe

is the Director of Environmental Research at Masry and Vititoe law firm. She is credited for spearheading the 1996 environmental lawsuit against Pacific Gas and Electric Company on behalf of 600 members of the Hinkley, California community. Her tireless efforts resulted in a $333 million compensation package, the largest settlement ever paid in a direct-action lawsuit. Erin’s HCHW message advocating for children’s health appeared on over 22 million Organic Valley milk cartons in 2003. She was the recipient of HCHW’s Special Citizenship Award in 2000.

Gigi Lee Chang

Plum Organics Founder

Inspired by his joy of eating and hearing my mommy friends talk about the lack of fresh baby food options, Plum Organics was born. To give parents more choices and to provide babies with better more nutritious baby food.

Using baby-approved recipes and the finest organic ingredients, our products are cooked to perfection and then flash frozen to lock in freshness and nutrients. That's why our foods retain more of their rich flavors, vibrant colors and textures.

From one parent to another, I know you will feel good about Plum Organics when you see the smile on your baby's face!

https://www.plumorganics.com/

Herbert L. Needleman, MD

Professor of Pediatrics & Child Psychiatry University of Pittsburgh

Holly Robinson Peete

James Chuda

Healthy Child Co-Founder, Vice President Emeritus & Environmental Architect

is a dedicated environmentalist, and co-founder of HCHW. He is an independent, nationally board-certified, architect specializing in the creation of non-toxic living and working environments that welcome healthful lifestyles. Along with his wife Nancy, Jim received the 1996 "Environmental Leadership Award" from the California League of Conservation Voters.

Janelle Sorensen

Senior Writer and Health Consultant

As the Senior Writer and Health Consultant, Janelle Sorensen is responsible for researching and writing most of the content for the organization, as well as acting as the general editor for the organization. In addition, she serves as a general consultant and strategist for programmatic, development, and networking purposes - all skills honed after years of working with a variety of environmental organizations, government offices, schools and parent groups across the country. Janelle is also a mother who loves gardening, biking, hiking, and lavishing her daughters with squishies and smoochies (i.e. hugs and kisses). Janelle is currently pursuing her Master’s Degree in Liberal Studies with a focus on the intersection of environmental policy, leadership, e-advocacy, and social change.

Jason Graham-Nye

Kimberley (wife of me) and I (Jason) had this grand plan...to move to America from Australia and launch a new and very unique kind of baby diaper: gDiapers. They are flushable and compostable and have been in Australia since 1991. We were just happy customers who loved it so much, we bought the rights to the rest of the world and headed to Portland, Oregon with child and dog in tow.

We launched the product 11 months ago and are now available nationally through Whole Foods & Wild Oats and 300 or so natural supermarkets.

We are the very first consumer good with William McDonough’s "Cradle to Cradle" product accreditation - something we are very proud of. We also give a percentage of revenue to CHEC - we love those guys and gals.

Jay Feldman

Executive Director, Beyond Pesticides

, co-founder and executive director of Beyond Pesticides, has dedicated himself to finding solutions to pesticide problems after working with farm workers through an EPA grant to the national advocacy organization, Rural America. Since 1981 he has helped to build Beyond Pesticides’ capacity to assist local groups and impact national policy. [email protected]

Jeffrey Hollender

CEO, Seventh Generation, Inc.

"While our name talks about the next seven generations, for most parents it's the next generation that matters the most. It's why we've teamed up with organizations like the Healthy Child to make sure our kids can lead safe and healthy lives."

Jeffrey Hollender is president and Chief Inspired Protagonist of Seventh Generation, Jeffrey Hollender is a well-respected leader in the socially and environmentally responsible communities. Currently Hollender serves on the Board of Directors of The Green Guide Institute and the Advisory Boards of the Chlorine Free Products Association and Healthy Child Healthy World. What Matters Most: Jeffrey Hollender and his wife Sheila have three children, Meika, 18; Alexander, 16; and Chiara, 11. The Hollenders live in Charlotte, Vermont.

Jena King

Environmental Activist

Jena King is a founding member of C.O.A.C.H for Kids, an organization that provides medical assistance to underprivileged children. She is also on the Boards of University Elementary School (UES) and the Environmental Media Association. Jena is a philanthropist who oversees the Jena and Michael King Foundation, helping support numerous causes championing children and the environment. Jena and her husband Michael King live in Los Angeles with their two children Audrey and Teddy.

Jennifer Taggart

Educational Programs Specialist

Jennifer Taggart is a passionate advocate for children’s environmental health. She is the mother of two - a 3 and 1/2 year old boy and a 1 and 1/2 year old girl. She is committed to eliminating or reducing toxins from their environment in today’s busy word, focusing on simple and practical solutions. Outside the home, Jennifer is a partner with Demetriou, Del Guercio, Springer and Francis, LLP, a Los Angeles boutique law firm where she practices environmental law, focusing on consumer product labeling and Proposition 65 compliance and litigation.

Prior to becoming an attorney, Jennifer worked as an environmental engineer for an aerospace company. She has a B.S. in Engineering Science. This technical background helps her understand the complex chemistry of today’s consumer products.

Jennifer also teaches a course entitled Smart Mama’s Green Guide: Reducing Toxins in Your Baby’s Environment. She focuses on practical advice to busy parents to reduce exposures to toxic chemicals. She recognizes that in today’s busy world, deciphering product labels and researching product ingredients can be daunting. She focuses on easy steps that can eliminate or reduce toxic chemical exposures. Her forthcoming book is designed for parents who want to reduce toxins, but need easy to implement ideas. In other words, it will educate, inform and encourage parents and caregivers to hug a tree without getting dirty.

Jenny Brady

Green Educational Consultant

Jenny has been working with Healthy Child, Healthy World (HCHW) since 1999. Ms. Brady brings a wide range of professional experience in project coordination, business management, and client service. In addition to a BA from UCLA in Ecosystem Analysis, she received an MA from Antioch University in Environmental Advocacy. She is passionate about educating people about the pervasive toxic substances that affect our health and environment. A Certified Green Build Professional, she founded Going Green Consulting, a HCHW partner business devoted to non-toxic solutions for living environments. She is married with two children living in Southern California.

Jeremiah McNichols

Jeremiah McNichols

Jeremiah McNichols is a blogger, author, industry consultant, and consumer advocate. With his wife Jennifer, Jeremiah publishes Z Recommends, a daily parenting blog featuring product reviews, consumer research, industry reports, and information, with an emphasis on safe, educational, and entertaining toys, activities, and projects to help kids grow into intelligent consumers with sustainable lifestyles. Z Recommends' research and reviews have been cited by such sources as the Washington Post, the Environmental Working Group, the Sierra Club, U.S. News and World Report, Grist, and a wide variety of blogs and websites.

In addition to publishing Z Recommends, the blog's parent company, ZRecs, publishes the blog giveaway hub PRIZEY and the group gardening blog and garden planning tool, Gardenaut. Jeremiah is a frequent guest on the parenting podcast Jumping Monkeys and a contributor to the Wired.com blog GeekDad. Current projects include a series of audio stories for children, a novel for young adults, and a book for toddlers about vegetarianism. Jeremiah and Jennifer are also the proud parents of Z, who started it all.

Joe Henry

Poet & Lyricist

is a writer whose Emmy-nominated lyrics have been performed in nearly eighty recordings, in films and television specials and series, and provided the text for One World/One Child, a book of international photography. His works for the stage were devised from his novel-in-progress, Lime Creek, and his poetry and lyrics performed by distinguished actor Anthony Zerbe. In 1992, Henry received a Creative Fellowship Award in Fiction from the Colorado Council on the Arts; in 1993, the Governor's Award for Excellence in the Arts; and in 1994, a National Conservation Achievement Award from the National Wildlife Federation, for "the celebration of the natural world in his work."

Joel Schwartz, Ph.D.

Professor of Epidemiology, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health

John Peters, M.D.

Professor and Director of Occupational & Environmental Medicine, Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California School of Medicine

John Wargo, PhD

Director, Center for Children’s Environmental Health, Yale University

Kiersten Alton, Rph.

Nutritionist

After graduating from the University of Montana with a Pre-Med Zoology degree, I then attended pharmacy school at the University of Texas where I obtained a bachelors degree in Pharmacy.

I currently work for a holistic, wellness Pharmacy called Peoples Pharmacy. We specialize in helping patients get back their health by changing diet and lifestyle first. When needed, we use supplements, herbs, vitamins and diagnostic testing to help manage all types of conditions. I have over 500 additional hours of training in other modalities of healing. I love working with infants, toddlers and older children.

My true passion lies in changing the way we feed our children. I firmly believe many of the childhood diseases and conditions such as asthma, ADD, and eczema could be reduced if we gave those little growing bodies the building blocks to develop a healthy system. As a pharmacist I feel that the overuse of antibiotics has greatly contributed to many of these conditions. I work with many Autistic and special needs children. This is the most rewarding work anyone can do. These children desperately need our help. Their bodies are extremely toxic from the environment, the food and modern medicine. My future goals are to start a structured nutrition program in schools, which engages the parents, teachers and children to develop healthy eating habits. Good eating habits begin with that first bite of food at 6 months of age.

I love what I do, but more importantly I love being a mother even more! My toddler has taught me more about life in the last 4 years than any school or class ever will. He has helped me develop toddler friendly programs and tests all of my recipes and natural remedies!

Larry Eason

Senior Vice President - Virilion

brings to the HCHW board a lifelong commitment to the environment and to improving the lives of children. Larry is Senior Vice President for Virilion - a communications firm that specializes in new media and the web. Prior to joining Virilion, he spent nearly two decades working with nonprofit organizations and political campaigns where he brought his innovative problem solving to organizational strategy, staff training and staff management. Larry has always had a passion for preserving the environment, leading campaigns on climate change, banning dangerous pesticides, reducing pollution and preserving wilderness.

Laura Dern

Actress/Activist

"As a mother wanting a safer and cleaner environment to raise my children in, it was an easy choice for me to get involved with Healthy Child Healthy World. This organization is the place to go to be engaged — and, most importantly, they offer answers, support, and ways we all can help."

Laura Dern has emerged as one of the great actresses of her generation proving that she is capable of great depth and range, touching audiences and critics alike with her moving and heartfelt performances. The recipient of countless awards, Laura is recognized for her ability to portray a wide range of characters. Not only is she a wonderful actress, but she is a dedicated environmentalist and mother as well. Her decision to join the Healthy Child Healthy World Advisory Board and become their spokesperson is a testament to her commitment to the cause. She now resides in Los Angeles with her husband Ben Harper and two children.

Leonardo Trasande, M.D.

Assistant Director, Center for Children's Health and Environment, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine

Dr. Trasande earned a Master's degree in Public Policy from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government and an M.D. from Harvard Medical School. He completed a pediatrics residency at Boston Children's Hospital. During this residency, he noticed that residents rarely learned how to influence the policy-making process to improve the lives of children. As a result, he developed and established an advocacy training program for residents.

In his current work at CCHE, Dr. Trasande uses his previous advocacy experiences to influence local, state and national policy. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and he continues to practice clinically both in New York and in Boston.

Leslie Robison, Ph.D

Professor of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota

Luanna Lindsey

Senior Vice President – Wells Fargo Bank

Lynn Goldman, MD

John Hopkins School of Public Health

Mandy Geisler

Director of Special Projects and Events

As Director of Special Projects and Events at Healthy Child Healthy World, Mandy oversees and coordinates programs, projects and events. She is also the Executive Director and Program Director’s right hand. Mandy has an accomplished track record as both a student and a dedicated employee. When not working, she loves to travel above all else, dance, and ride her bike all over the inhospitable streets of Los Angeles.

Mary Martin Gant

Chair / National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences / Program Analyst National Institutes of Health

Matthew C. Parker

Environmental Health Program Intern

Matthew is a recent alumnus from the University of Southern California, graduating with honors with Bachelor’s of Science degree in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Studies. Matthew became interested in Healthy Child Healthy World as a result of his exposure to the nonprofit last year while working in Washington, D.C. As the Environmental Health Programs Intern, Matthew has the opportunity to utilize his passion for health and writing through contributing to the daily BLOG posts. Matthew has extensive background experience as a student researcher at USC, and, last spring, Matthew split his time between volunteering as a student researcher at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, and working as a Children’s Health Intern at the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO). He has decided that he wants to pursue a possible career in either health writing and marketing or continue his schooling and earn his M.D. He is currently pursuing his Master’s of Science degree in Biostatistics and Epidemiology at USC’s Keck School of Medicine. In his free time, Matthew enjoys attending concerts around Los Angeles and finding every opportunity to escape the LA smog and experience the outdoors with his friends.

Meryl Streep

Actress and Environmentalist

"Healthy Child Healthy World is one of those organizations that helps mothers and fathers connect the dots, to understand cause and effect. It came into existence not just to inform the public, but to energize it. That’s one of the things about Healthy Child I particularly like. While numerous activists are out there pushing for national changes such as reducing the pesticides in foods, higher standards for our drinking water, and tougher standards for lead exposure – and we absolutely need all that – Healthy Child focuses on what you and I can do right now as individuals. So much that’s out there now is about what you should not do; Healthy Child tries also to emphasize the healthful solutions you can follow, the positive things you can do for your family, your home, yourself.

When you become a parent, you start to notice what they're eating, what they're breathing, and children are like canaries in the mine. Healthy Child Healthy World is that place where parents can find out information about toxins that might be invisible to them in their environment."

Meryl Streep, world famous film and stage actress, mother, and environmental activist, has dedicated so much of her time, talent and good will to so many worthy causes and is especially concerned about preserving and protecting the environment.

Myra Goodman

Earthbound Farm

“Starting our family brought the value of eating organic food into even sharper focus. Children are more vulnerable to developmental damage from pesticide residues on food; their bodies are still growing, their metabolisms are faster, and because of their smaller size, they eat more fruits and vegetables per pound of body weight than adults do.

When we first started farming, Drew and I knew instinctively that we didn’t want conventional agricultural chemicals in our backyard or on our food. We wanted to grow food we’d feel good about, and so we taught ourselves to farm organically.

It’s my personal passion to bring the benefits of organic food to as many people as possible and serve as a catalyst for positive change. We’re trying to change how America farms and how Americans eat, because we believe organic food is the healthiest choice for people and the planet.

I do a little tasty persuasion when our son and daughter bring friends home — I don’t even need to say anything about eating organically once they taste my delicious all-organic food. I’ve heard more than one parent say, ‘My daughter spent the night at the Goodmans’, and now I’m buying organic strawberries!’”

Myra Goodman is the co-founder, with her husband Drew, of Earthbound Farm, the largest grower and shipper of organic produce in the world. In 1984, just out of college, the Goodmans began farming organically on their 2.5-acre backyard garden in Carmel Valley, California. Over the next decade, Earthbound Farm became the first company to successfully market packaged salads for retail sale, and it popularized “spring mix,” which helped to change the American salad plate forever.

Today, more than 100 varieties of fresh Earthbound Farm organic salads, fruits, and vegetables are available in supermarkets across North America and beyond. The company has shown that organic farming can, indeed, feed millions while reaping environmental benefits on a large scale. In 2008, Earthbound Farm’s organic farming on over 40,000 acres will keep over 12.7 million pounds of potentially harmful agricultural chemicals out of our air, water, soil, and food supply.

The Goodmans still live on the site of that original backyard farm with their two children, their dogs, and their organic raspberries.

https://www.ebfarm.com/

Nancy Gould Chuda

Healthy Child Co-Founder & President Emeritus, Author & Environmental Activist

is the founder of Healthy Child Healthy World. Healthy Child Healthy World was established to honor the Chuda’s only child, Colette, who died in 1991 at the age of five due to a rare, non-genetic, form of cancer. Since launching both the Colette Chuda Environmental Fund and Healthy Child Healthy World, Nancy has won numerous awards for her advocacy. The California League of Conservation Voter's Environmental Leadership Award, The Healthy Schools Heroes Award, presented to both her and her husband James Chuda by Governor Gray Davis for their legislative efforts in securing The Healthy Schools Act which was signed into law in January, 2000.

She serves as an associate of the Director's Council of Public Representatives of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and was appointed by President Clinton’s Health and Human Services Secretary, Donna Shalala, to serve as a member of the National Advisory Environmental Health Sciences Council for the National Institutes of Environmental Health Science (NIEHS) a position she held for four years.

Nancy Greenspan

Writer

Nancy Greenspan is a founding board member of Healthy Child Healthy World. Her commitment to environmental issues grew from witnessing the effects of toxins on children’s health. As an environmental activist, she has worked on pesticide regulations, recycling initiatives, and energy conservation programs. Ms. Greenspan is a writer. Her latest book is the End of the Certain World, a biography of Nobel physicist Max Born, who is also the grandfather of board member Olivia Newton-John.

Natalie Cadranel

Director of Program Development

As Healthy Child Healthy World’s Director of Program Development, she oversees and executes organizational programs to help keep the public aware of ways to protect and improve children's health. With over 7 years’ experience working in the not for profit and education fields, her varied skills in writing, education, management, technology, social and environmental justice issues and legislation lend themselves to the diverse and dynamic nature of her position here at HCHW.

Nicole Meadow

MPN, RD, and a Registered Dietitian

She specializes in working with infants, children and young adults who have a variety of nutritional concerns such as overweight/obesity, underweight/failure to thrive, food allergies, gastrointestinal disorders, selective eating, and many others. Nicole works with typically developing children and children with developmental disabilities. She works with clients and their families privately in her office in Encino or in their homes and teaches classes in the community. Prior to opening her private practice, NutritionWise, she worked at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and Cedars Sinai Medical Center. Nicole has developed innovative and unique techniques to assist children and families with nutritional concerns.
Nicole is also a mom, her son Andrew is 2 years old and loves to eat (most of the time)!

Nina Montée

Activist & Environmentalist

is a diligent and accomplished fundraiser who is passionate about children's causes. In addition, she is an entrepreneur, producer, and owner of the celebrated Nina Montée Spa. Ms. Montée resides in Los Angeles, California with her husband, Dr. Harvey Karp. She is the mother of one adult daughter, Lexi.

Olivia Newton-John

Singer, Actress, Environmentalist

"Healthy Child - Healthy World!!

The 2 are so intricately intertwined- a reflection of each other - and this has been our goal since this organisation was started 16 years ago.

Nancy and Jim Chuda-my dear friends and founders of Healthy Child Healthy World were visionaries and saw the need then for these guidelines to inform parents on how to protect their children from environmental hazards. I am proud to be a part of this green team!"

Olivia Newton-John helped launch Healthy Child Healthy World, in 1992 and served as HCHW’s national spokesperson for a decade. Her steadfast devotion has enabled HCHW to receive global attention and international support. Her contributions of time and talent to HCHW have been significant and far-reaching. She also collaborated on the creation and production of HCHW’s first educational video, “Not Under My Roof: Protecting Your Baby From Toxins At Home."

Peter L. Pfeiffer

Green Architect, FAIA

https://www.barleypfeiffer.com/

Philip J. Landrigan, MD MSc

Ethel H. Wise Professor of Pediatrics - Chair of Community and Preventative Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine

Philip J. Landrigan, MD MSc is the Chair of the Department of Community and Preventive Medicine and Director of Environmental and Occupational Medicine at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. A national environmental health expert, Dr Landrigan has served as Senior Advisor on Children’s Health to the Administrator of the U.S. Environment Protection Agency. He is the co-author of “Raising Healthy Children in a Toxic World�?.

Rebecca Foster

Green Educational Consultant

Rebecca Foster is one of the original members of Healthy Child, Healthy World. Being a mother of three girls made it a priority to stay closely involved for the last 17 years. From co-chairing many HCHW annual events, to launching The Green House, her experience and knowledge has been invaluable. She found her passion blending her sense of style, love of great design and enthusiasm for green interior design into assisting HCHW with it's goal of being a leader in children' environmental health. A Certified Green Building Professional she co-founded Going Green Consulting.

Roger and Sloan Barnett

Shaklee Corporation

"Many people do not realize that the environment in which we live is just as important to our health as the nutrients we consume. We all want to make our homes the safest place in the world for our families. Many of us think about the potential impact of climate change, but very few think about the chemicals we are exposing ourselves to in our homes. Thanks to the efforts of Healthy Child Healthy World, moms, dads, and caregivers are gaining the knowledge they need to make smart choices and keep their families safe. It is our greatest hope that we make the world a healthier place for future generations by inspiring change in one person, one life at a time."

Roger Barnett is the Chairman and CEO of Shaklee Corporation, the leading provider of premium quality, natural nutrition and personal care products, environmentally-friendly household cleaning products, and state-of-the-art air and water treatment systems. Founded in 1956, Shaklee is the number one natural nutrition company in the U.S., with more than 750,000 members and distributors in the U.S., Japan, Mexico, Malaysia, Canada and Taiwan.

Sloan Barnett is the consumer and green editor for I-Village, the largest women’s website, and appears monthly on the Today show covering green issues. She is currently writing a book on living green which will be published by Simon and Schuster in August of 2008.

Roger and Sloan Barnett currently live in San Francisco, CA with their three children. Today, Roger and Sloan have embarked on a noble journey to educate, empower and mobilize hundreds of thousands of Shaklee ambassadors to make people and the planet healthier for generations to come. It is through their passion and inspiration that millions of people are living healthier, more prosperous lives.

Roger Barnett

Chairman and CEO of Shaklee Corporation

https://www.shaklee.com

Ruth Etzel, MD, Ph.D.

Research Director South Central Foundation

Sandra Steingraber, PhD

Professor, Cornell University

"It's often said that children, pound for pound, eat more food, drink more water, and breathe more air than adults. That's all true. Biologically speaking, our growing children are more ecological than we are: they are more vigorous participants in the food chain; they are more integrally involved with the world's water cycle; they are more deeply dependent on planetary oxygen supplies. Other than the chromosomes we bequeathed them at conception, our children ARE rearranged molecules of air, food and water. Their bodies and minds are knitted together from the environment. What we need now are public policies that reflect these scientific realities. It is right that we should say "Healthy Child Healthy World" in the same breath. It's a banner under which I'm pleased to labor."

Sandra Steingraber, Ph.D. is a biologist, award-winning author, mother of two, and cancer survivor. Currently a scholar-in-residence at Ithaca College in New York, she is author of the classic, highly influential books, Living Downstream: An Ecologist Looks at Cancer and Environment and Having Faith: An Ecologist's Journey to Motherhood. Hailed by the Sierra Club as "the new Rachel Carson," Steingraber is presently at work on a book about the environmental life of children. She has addressed many environmental health conferences, testified at Congressional briefings, and appeared frequently on national media.

Stanley Greenspan, M.D.

Professor of Pediatrics & Child Psychiatry George Washington University

Suzanne Wright

Co-Founder – Autism Speaks

Suzanne Wright is the co-founder, with her husband, Bob, of Autism Speaks. After their grandson was diagnosed with autism in 2004, Suzanne and Bob sought answers to the myriad questions generated by the disorder. Since its launch, Autism Speaks has raised over $45 million and completed mergers with the Autism Coalition for Research and Education, the National Alliance for Autism Research, and Cure Autism Now, three of the nation’s most successful autism advocacy organizations. With her husband, Suzanne played a leadership role in urging Congress to pass the landmark Combating Autism Act, which was signed into law in January 2006. The Wrights live in Connecticut. They have three children and four grandchildren.

Tanya Murphy

Environmental & Human Health Activist

Tanya Lapinski Murphy is a concerned mother of 2 children who lives in Westport, Connecticut. She serves on several local boards in her community. Her entrée into the subject of human health and the environment came when a close family member was diagnosed with an environmental illness. After having worked closely with her family’s environmental health physician while pregnant with her first child, it became clear that the positive changes being made for the family member would no doubt be very positive for her unborn fetus, as it initially proved to be for their pets. Shortly after the birth of her first child and a move to the Northeast, she learned about Healthy Child Healthy World and immediately became an advocate for HCHW’s message.

Tessa Hill

Board Chair / President, Kids for Saving Earth

Tessa Hill serves as board chair. Motivated by the loss of her 11 year-old son and her husband to cancer, she founded and serves as President of Kids for Saving Earth. A founding board member of HCHW she has worked to protect the Earth and its children. Tessa is also is a board member of Beyond Pesticides, a Community Partner with The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry and served on federal advisory board for the EPA's Children's Health Office.

Theo Colborn, Ph.D.

President of The Endocrine Disruption Exchange

Theo Colborn, an environmental health analyst, is a Professor of Zoology at the University of Florida, Gainesvillle, and President of TEDX, The Endocrine Disruption Exchange, in Paonia, Colorado. She earned her PhD at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Zoology (distributed minors in epidemiology, toxicology, and water chemistry); an MA in Science at Western State College of Colorado (fresh-water ecology); and a BS in Pharmacy from Rutgers University, College of Pharmacy.

Dr. Colborn has served on numerous advisory panels, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Science Advisory Board, the Ecosystem Health Committee of the International Joint Commission of the United States and Canada, the Science Management Committee of the Toxic Substances Research Initiative of Canada, the U.S. EPA Endocrine Disruptor Screening and Testing Advisory Committee, and the EPA Endocrine Disruption Methods and Validation Subcommittee. She has published and lectured extensively on the consequences of prenatal exposure to synthetic chemicals by the developing embryo and fetus in wildlife, laboratory animals, and humans. Her work on the result of low-dose and/or ambient exposure effects of endocrine disruptors was popularized in her 1996 book, Our Stolen Future, co-authored with Dianne Dumanoski and J. Peterson Myers now published in eighteen languages.

In 1985, Dr. Colborn received a Fellowship from the Office of Technology Assessment, U.S. Congress. From there she joined the Conservation Foundation in 1987 to provide scientific guidance for the 1990 book, Great Lakes, Great Legacy?, in collaboration with the Institute for Research and Public Policy, Ottawa, Canada at the request of the Canada/US International Joint Commission. She held a Chair for three years, starting in 1990, with the W. Alton Jones Foundation, and given a three-year Pew Fellows Award in 1993. Over the years she established and directed the Wildlife and Contaminants Program at World Wildlife Fund US. Among her awards are the: Chatham College Rachel Carson Award, Norwegian International Rachel Carson Prize, United Nations Environment Program Women Leadership for the Environment Award, International Blue Planet Prize, Society of Toxicology and Environmental Chemistry Rachel Carson Award, Center for Science in the Public Interest Rachel Carson Award, Beyond Pesticides Dragonfly Award, and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Council for Science and the Environment.

In her retirement Dr. Colborn set up the non-profit TEDX to carry on the work of providing objective, technical information about endocrine disruption and related low-exposure hazards for academicians, policy makers, government employees, community-based and health support groups, public health authorities, physicians, the news media, and individuals. Please see TEDX’s website for more information: www.endocrinedisruption.org.

William McDonough

William McDonough + Partners

William McDonough is a world-renowned architect and designer and winner of three U.S. presidential awards: the Presidential Award for Sustainable Development (1996), the National Design Award (2004); and the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award (2003). Time magazine recognized him as a "Hero for the Planet" in 1999, stating that "his utopianism is grounded in a unified philosophy that - in demonstrable and practical ways - is changing the design of the world."

Zem Spire Joaquin

Editor-in-chief, Ecofabulous.com/Environmental Consultant

Zem Joaquin is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of ecofabulous.com, a website focused on design that respects ecology, sustainability as well as aesthetics. Zem also applies her eco-chic talents to the Condé Nast publication House & Garden magazine as the official Eco Editor, and to her monthly guest spot on the popular Bay Area morning radio show on KFOG 104.5.

Zem has an uncompromising eye for the stylish and sustainable. A certified green building professional and long-time fashionista, she consults on eco-design projects for both individuals and companies ranging from a single house to an entire furniture line. Zem works closely as protégé and in collaboration with Cradle to Cradle founder and world renowned eco-architect William McDonough. She is dedicated to raising awareness about the environment through her position on the Board of Directors and San Francisco Committee Chair of Global Green USA, an organization founded by Mikhail S.

Gorbachev focused on access to clean water, making green building affordable, and eco-education. Previously, Zem helmed business development efforts at Splendora.com. She is an alumna of Pepperdine University and has lived and/or worked in Milan, Paris and London. She currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and two young children.