Leadership & Staff

Jon Stryker is the founder and president of the Arcus Foundation, a private, global grantmaking organization with offices in New York City, Kalamazoo, Michigan, and Cambridge, UK. Arcus supports the advancement of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) human rights, and conservation of the world’s ape populations. Mr. Stryker has supported the foundation’s ongoing efforts with more than $600 million in funding since its inception in 2000. Mr. Stryker is also a founding board member of the Ol Pejeta Wildlife Conservancy in Northern Kenya, Save the Chimps in Ft. Pierce, Florida, and Greenleaf Trust bank in Kalamazoo. He is a Patron of Nature of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and a member of the Jane Goodall Legacy Foundation Council for Hope, and he serves on the boards of The Museum of Modern Art and his undergraduate alma mater Kalamazoo College. He earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Kalamazoo College and a master’s degree in architecture from the University of California, Berkeley.

John Battista III is co-owner and executive of an international manufacturing company based in Michigan. John’s roles within his business focus on management of the company’s operations and international sales networks, as well as decision-making on company investments in mergers and strategic acquisitions. John also serves as President of the Ronald J. Woods Charitable Trust. The trust’s activities span throughout the United States and across the globe, with focuses on animal welfare, service K9’s, individuals with disabilities, social justice, and education. John lives in Michigan with his wife and two children and spends time travelling among the international operations of his firm. He is a graduate of Northeastern University’s School of Business.

Tacie Anderson has been a Save The Chimps supporter and volunteer for over a decade. Since her retirement as a commercial lending executive in the banking industry, she has dedicated her time and voice to animal causes—including transporting injured wildlife for the Humane Society, working with the national ASPCA to provide care for confiscated animals, and volunteering with the Central New York Spay Neuter Assistance Program. Tacie is a supporter of Trusts in Africa and Borneo and has participated in international marches to bring attention to the plight of wildlife and those held in captivity. She has traveled to remote places around the world to see wildlife in their natural habitat and to understand the threats they are facing and how to address those challenges. Tacie has a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Wells College. She resides in Vero Beach, FL and Skaneateles, NY.

Sarah is a retired registered nurse residing near Toronto in Ontario. She is co-founder of the Canadian Whale Institute and has been involved with several cetacean conservation groups since 1992. Sarah supports Salmon Coast Field Station in its efforts to save the wild Pacific salmon on Canada’s west coast. Sarah and her three sisters own and operate Mount Wolfe Farm – a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) on their parents’ farmstead north of Toronto.

Grace Smith is the founder of Grace Hypnotherapy (GetGrace.com), the world’s leading hypnotherapy platform. She works with top-tier clients, including Fortune 500 CEOs, founders of multi-billion-dollar startups, PGA Tour and Olympic athletes, White House officials, and renowned artists. A lifelong animal advocate, Grace’s passion for animal welfare began early—when her local animal shelter required volunteers to be legal adults, she didn’t waste a moment and spent her 18th birthday training at the shelter. Grace is a Wall Street Journal Bestselling author of four books. She received a BA in English from Wagner College, a certificate in Neuroscience for Business from Wharton School of Business at UPenn, and a CPA in Narrative Medicine at Columbia University. She has master Hypnotherapy certifications from IACT, NGH, IHF, ISAHt, Hypnobirthing and HypnoFertility from the Morgan Method, and is currently pursuing a Masters in Psychology at Harvard University. Grace’s work has been featured on news outlets and podcasts around the world, and she is a regular guest on a number of television shows. She lives in Vero Beach, Florida, with her husband and business partner and their two children with a third baby on the way.

Jason North is Managing Director of Merchant Medicine, LLC a healthcare consulting firm providing thought leadership, strategic planning and operational engagements with health systems across the US. North has served on many not-for-profit boards such as the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, American Cancer Society, Angels of Charity and the Professional and Business Forum. His committee involvements include; Human Rights Campaign, Hope & Help, Make a Wish Foundation and the March of Dimes.

Mark O’Donnell advises high net worth families on family office issues, including governance, family office operations and procedures, inter-generational change, and trust and estate strategies. A passionate environmentalist, Mark is Chair and a founding board member of the Thomas Lovejoy Amazon Biodiversity Center, (Camp 41), a series of research camps set up for the Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments, a collaboration between the United States and Brazil. He is also on the Board of ALFA – Amazon Forest Survey Association, the Brazilian non profit.

Chip resides in San Diego, California and is an investor in commercial real estate throughout the US. Locally, he is active in a number of community based conservation projects, animal welfare organizations and a past board member of and officer of a redevelopment agency. He is also an active supporter of a number conservation projects in other parts of the world especially in Africa where he is a trustee of Ewaso Lions. Chip has an undergraduate degree in business and finance from Indiana University and a Juris Doctor from the University of Denver College of Law.

Tim resides in San Francisco and is Vice President of Philanthropy at the San Francisco Zoo.