Don Allen serves as Director of Finance. He brings to CSPI more than 20 years of finance and accounting experience, including more than 15 years working in the nonprofit sector. Most recently he served as vice president of finance and administration for MENTOR/National Mentoring Partnership, and prior to that, served as director of finance for Common Cause. A Certified Public Accountant, Allen earned his Bachelor’s degree in Economics from St. Mary’s College of Maryland.
Jorge Bach is Creative Director and Chief Designer for Nutrition Action Healthletter. He has worked in design and marketing for 14 years since earning his Associate's degree in Communication Arts from the Pennsylvania College of Art and Design.
Dennis Bass has been the deputy executive director of CSPI since 1981. He oversees the marketing, direct mail, human resources, finance, technology, and circulation departments for the U.S. and Canada offices and was largely responsible for making Nutrition Action Healthletter the largest-circulation health newsletter in North America. He served on the board of the America's Charities federation where he worked to open the Combined Federal Campaign to advocacy groups, and has received three marketing industry awards. Prior to CSPI, he worked as a program director and lobbyist for the National League of Cities. He received his B.A. and J.D. degrees from Vanderbilt University.
Debra Brink is Senior Manager of Production Services at the Center for Science in the Public Interest. She joined the CSPI staff in 1991, after several years at marketing agencies in the D.C. area. She has a B.A. in English from Allegheny College, in Meadville, PA.
Jeff Cronin is Director of Communications for CSPI. He is responsible for maintaining CSPI's high profile in the news media, for its web site, and for publicizing the group's reports, studies, and Nutrition Action Healthletter. Prior to joining CSPI in 2002, Cronin served as Press Secretary for Common Cause, the nonprofit government watchdog group. Before coming to Common Cause in 1995, Cronin worked in nonprofit fundraising and on a number of political campaigns at the presidential, congressional and state legislative levels. He received his degree from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
Bill Dugan
Director of Online Publishing and Interactive Media
Bill Dugan manages CSPI's online content publishing initiative at www.NutritionAction.com. With almost ten years of history working for CSPI in a variety of roles, Bill previously served as publisher of more than ten business newsletters - in print and online - on self-improvement topics such as leadership, communication, management, sales and marketing, customer service, business etiquette, and public speaking. A native of Boston, Mass., Dugan studied political science, Spanish, and applied statistics at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. He is a sought-after speaker at industry conferences for topics such as direct mail marketing, customer research strategies, online publishing tactics, and content marketing. Dugan also serves on the Board of Directors of the Specialized Information Publishers Foundation.
Stephen Gardner is Litigation Director at CSPI. Before joining CSPI, Steve was Of Counsel to the National Consumer Law Center, Assistant Dean of Clinical Education at Southern Methodist University School of Law, Visiting Assistant Professor of Law at Southern Methodist University School of Law, Assistant Attorney General for Consumer Protection of the States of both New York and Texas, Students Attorney at the University of Texas, and a Legal Services staff attorney in Austin. He has received the Marvin Award from the National Association of Attorneys General and the Consumer Advocate of the Year award from the National Association of Consumer Advocates. Steve is a frequent author and speaker on consumer advocacy issues. His publications include Legal Strategies: You Are What They Say You Are Eating, in THE BOTTOM LINE OR PUBLIC HEALTH (Oxford U. Press 2010); Litigation as a Tool in Food Advertising: A Consumer Advocacy Viewpoint, LOYOLA LAW REVIEW, Vol. 39, No. 1 (2006) and Lost in the Supermarket: Consumer Confusion and Marketing Mania, in NUTRITION LABELING HANDBOOK 373 (Shapiro ed., 1995).
Julie Greenstein
Deputy Director of Health Promotion Policy
Julie Salz Greenstein, Deputy Director of Health Promotion Policy at the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), focuses on reducing consumption of sugary drinks, and spearheads the Life's Sweeter with Fewer Sugary Drinks Campaign. She also works on reducing salt and trans fat in the American diet. Prior to CSPI, Greenstein was the Director of Government Relations for the National Infertility Association and before that, Senior Policy Analyst with the federal government's Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). She has also served as a Health Policy Fellow in U.S. Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle's office and as State Legislative Affairs Director with Wellpoint Health Networks. In addition, she served in government affairs both for the American Association of Health Plans and the American College of Cardiology and as a Legislative Assistant to a member of Congress, Rep. Wayne Owens. She is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University where she earned a Masters in Health Policy.
George Hacker
Senior Policy Advisor, Health Promotion Policy
George Hacker directed CSPI's Alcohol Policies Project from 1982 until 2009, and has since focused on health promotion policies designed to reduce consumption of sugary drinks. Both at CSPI and the Advocacy Institute, he promoted reforms to limit alcohol advertising and marketing to young people and vulnerable populations, increase state and federal taxation of alcoholic beverages, and provide improved consumer information about the health consequences of alcohol consumption. He is the author of numerous newspaper and magazine articles on alcohol and sugary drink issues and several CSPI and Advocacy Institute publications, including Last Call for High-Risk Bar Promotions, State Alcohol Taxes and Health, Marketing Booze to Blacks, The Booze Merchants and Taking Initiative. Prior to this, he worked as a legal services lawyer in Denver, Colorado, he worked to protect the rights of elderly people, in particular, those who reside in nursing homes. He is a graduate of Columbia College in New York and the University of Denver College of Law.
Michael F. Jacobson, Ph.D., is co-founder and executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), a nonprofit health advocacy organization supported largely by the 850,000 subscribers to its Nutrition Action Healthletter. CSPI is a key player in battles against obesity, cardiovascular disease, and other health problems, using tactics ranging from education to legislation to litigation. Jacobson has written numerous books and reports, including Nutrition Scoreboard, Six Arguments for a Greener Diet, "Salt: the Forgotten Killer," and "Liquid Candy: How Soft Drinks are Harming Americans’ Health."
Gregory Jaffe is the Director of the Project on Biotechnology for CSPI. Jaffe came to CSPI after serving as a Trial Attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice's Environmental and Natural Resources Division and as Senior Counsel with the U.S. EPA, Air Enforcement Division. He is a recognized international expert on agricultural biotechnology and biosafety, and has published numerous articles and reports on those topics. He was worked on biosafety regulatory issues in the U.S. and throughout the world, including the African countries of Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Mali, Ghana, Malawi, South Africa, Burkina Faso, and Nigeria. He was a member of the Secretary of Agriculture's Advisory Committee on Agricultural Biotechnology and 21st Century Agriculture from 2003-2008 and was reappointed to a new term in 2011. He was also a member of FDA’s Veterinary Medicine Advisory Committee from 2004-2008. In addition, he has provided his biosafety expertise for projects involving the International Food Policy Research Institute, the World Bank, and the UNEP-GEF Biosafety Project. Jaffe earned his BA with High Honors from Wesleyan University in Biology and Government and then received a law degree from Harvard Law School.
Kelli Knox serves as CSPI's Deputy Director of Development, leading efforts to steward major gifts through the Partners for Nutrition Action program and estate gifts through the Benefactors for Nutrition Action program. Prior to joining CSPI in 2008, Kelli served as Development Associate at The Choral Arts Society of Washington, and Division Assistant (Music/Opera/Arts Education) at the National Endowment for the Arts. She holds a Bachelor of Music, Vocal Performance from James Madison University and Master of Arts, Arts Administration, from The Florida State University.
Bonnie Liebman, CSPI's director of nutrition, has been with the organization since 1977. She holds an M.S. in nutritional sciences from Cornell University. Liebman has been the key link in formulating CSPI's policies on diet and health. She provides the scientific input on many of the organization's administrative petitions and legislative proposals. Liebman is the author of numerous articles on diet and cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and other illnesses for Nutrition Action Healthletter and a co-author of Salt: The Brand Name Guide to Sodium. She also served on the advisory committees that issued the American Cancer Society's 2001 and 1996 Guidelines on Nutrition and Physical Activity for Cancer Prevention.
Colleen O'Day
Director of Human Resources & Administration
Colleen O'Day is the Director of Human Resources and Administration at CSPI. She manages all human resources-related functions and oversees CSPI's administrative operations. Prior to joining CSPI in 2009, she served as Director of Human Resources at People for the American Way starting in 2005. Before that, O’Day held a variety of positions throughout her 18 years at Common Cause, including five years in the media relations office and 11 years as Director of Human Resources. O'Day earned a Bachelor’s degree in Organizational Behavior and Management from Brown University.
David W. Plunkett, JD, JM, is Senior Staff Attorney for the food safety program at CSPI. Prior to joining CSPI in August 2007, he served as Legislative Director and Counsel to U.S. Rep. Bart Gordon of Tennessee. He earned an undergraduate degree in journalism from the University of Georgia and holds a Juris Master in public policy with an emphasis on law and economics, and a Juris Doctor with a specialty in regulatory law from George Mason School of Law. He is a member of the Virginia State Bar and the American Bar Association.
Stan Reeser has been helping CSPI effectively use its technology resources since 1997. With 18 years experience in Information Technolgy and over 20 implementing innovative business solutions, he joined CSPI as Senior Technology Strategist in 2010 to focus full time on implemeting new technology acquired when the organization moved its headquarters that same year. Since then, CSPI has leveraged new networking, server and virtualization technology to make its new smaller server room deliver more advanced services than ever before. With an eye to the overall objectives of the organization, Stan is working on leveraging technology in both internally and externally facing projects. Some of those projects include Collaboration, Microsoft Sharepoint, Social Networking, Web 2.0 & Mobile strategy and a rapid hardware deployment system. Stan got his B.A in Economics focusing on Industrial Organization from Colgate University and is a Microsoft Certified Profesional (MCP) and Microsoft Small Business Specialist (SBSC).
Cecilia Saad is the Director of Marketing for Nutrition Action Healthletter. In addition to managing the circulation for Nutrition Action, she also leads the fundraising programs for CSPI. Prior to joining CSPI, Saad was Vice-President of Fundraising at Malchow Adams & Hussey where she managed fundraising programs for the Children's Defense Fund, the International Rescue Committee, Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, Project HOPE, the American Foundation for AIDS Research and Washington DC's own Whitman Walker Clinic. She has also managed membership and fundraising programs for The National Museum of Women in the Arts, the African Wildlife Foundation and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
David Schardt is Senior Nutritionist at CSPI. Schardt has been writing about nutrition for the general public and for professionals for more than 25 years. His reports on nutrition and dietary supplements are featured in the monthly Nutrition Action Healthletter. In 1988, he helped to write and edit the landmark Surgeon General's Report on Nutrition and Health. His book Eating Leaner and Lighter, published by Warner Books, was recommended for sensible nutrition by the USDA's Food and Nutrition Information Center. He has been featured on numerous television and radio programs and is widely quoted in the print media, especially on the subject of dietary supplements. David has graduate degrees in nutrition and biochemistry from Oregon State University and graduate study and research experience with Cornel University's Division of Nutritional Sciences.
Chris Schmidt has been with CSPI since 1991. He currently serves as the customer service manager. His primary responsibility is to coordinate and supervise the circulation, customer service and mailroom functions. He also supervises a staff of six employees.
Stephen Schmidt Editor-in-Chief, Nutrition Action Healthletter
Lilia Smelkova is Campaign Manager for the Food Day campaign at CSPI. Prior to joining CSPI, Smelkova worked for Slow Food International in Italy for 10 years and initiated the Slow Food network in Eastern and Central Europe and Canada. She also worked on the core team that planned the first Terra Madre, a meeting of food communities from 150 countries. Smelkova holds a BA from Minsk Linguistics University in Belarus (she is fluent in Italian, Russian, English, French, and Spanish), a Master's in languages from Turin University in Italy, and a certificate in environmental management from UC Berkeley, where she co-authored a nutrition education study.
Caroline Smith DeWaal is the director of the food safety program at CSPI and co-author of Is Our Food Safe? A Consumer’s Guide to Protecting Your Health and the Environment (Three Rivers Press, 2002). She represents CSPI before Congress and in the regulatory arena on a broad range of food safety issues. DeWaal is the leading consumer analyst on laws and regulations governing food safety, and she has testified more than twenty times on pending food safety issues before the United States Congress. She has participated in a number of World Health Organization consultations on food safety and is currently an expert advisor on its Integrated Surveillance of Antibiotic Resistance project. She has also participated in several national advisory committees to USDA and FDA, and was recently selected as a member of the Food Safety Modernization Act Surveillance Working Group of the Office of Infectious Diseases, CDC Board of Scientific Counselors. She represents the International Association of Consumer Food Organizations at Codex Alimentarius. DeWaal graduated from the University of Vermont and Antioch School of Law. She has taught university courses on national and global food issues.
Kenneth Waldmiller has been the Director of Information Services of CSPI since 2000. He has been active in the field of computers and technology since 1984. He manages the Information Technology department and oversees the operations of the Customer Service department and Fulfillment operations. Ken is directly responsible for maintaining the subscriber database, printing, and the mailing of CSPI’s publication, Nutrition Action Healthletter, the largest-circulation health newsletter in North America. He also works with the direct mail and marketing departments to increase the newsletter's circulation and to member donations to CSPI. He received his B.S. in Computer Science from SUNY Brockport and his M.S in Computer Systems Management from University of Maryland University College.
Jane Welna, Deputy Director of Development, oversees foundation relations for CSPI's nutrition and food safety advocacy programs. Prior to joining CSPI in October 2001, she served as Director of Development at Downtown Community Television Center in New York City and Executive Director at the documentary photography cooperative Impact Visuals. Jane graduated from Carleton College with a degree in Art History.
Margo Wootan is the director of nutrition policy at CSPI. Wootan received her B.S. in nutrition from Cornell University and her doctorate in nutrition from Harvard University's School of Public Health. Wootan co-founded and coordinates the activities of the National Alliance for Nutrition and Activity (NANA) and the Food Marketing Workgroup. She has coordinated and led efforts to require calorie labeling at fast-food and other chain restaurants, require trans fat labeling on packaged foods, improve school foods, reduce junk-food marketing aimed at children, and expand the nutrition and physical activity program at CDC. Wootan has received numerous awards and is quoted regularly in the nation's major media.
Staff Directory
Christopher Anderson
Human Resources Assistant/Office Services Clerk
Don Allen
Jorge Bach
Dennis Bass
Debra Brink
Jeff Cronin
Bill Dugan
Stephen Gardner
Julie Greenstein
George Hacker
Jayne Hurley
Michael F. Jacobson 
Gregory Jaffe
Kelli Knox
Bonnie Liebman
Colleen O'Day
David Plunkett
Stan Reeser
Cecilia Saad
David Schardt
Chris Schmidt
Stephen Schmidt
Lilia Smelkova
Caroline Smith DeWaal
Ken Waldmiller
Jane Welna
Margo Wootan
Christopher Anderson
Robert Blakey
Cassie Boles
Myriam Boucher
Alison Brown
Emily Caras
Caitlin Catella
Damon Dorsey
Deane Edelman
Paige Einstein
Louella Fennell
Emily Gilbert
Hayley Gilooly
Gregory Hildebrandt
Jennifer Holshey
Hannah Jones
Catherine Kastleman
Sarah Klein
Erika Knudsen
Ashley Lowe
Ainat Margalit
Patrick Minor
Angela Morris
Jim Nocera
Ronda Parks
Bethany Pokress
Seema Rattan
Cindy Roberts
Betty Royster
Dennies Simmons
Lindsay Vickroy
