Voters For Animal Rights

Meet the team leading Voters For Animal Rights into our next chapter!

As VFAR continues to grow, so does our team. We're excited to introduce the people helping lead this organization forward—and the incredible experience they bring to the fight for animals.

✨ Julie Cappiello, President
Julie has been part of VFAR since 2016. She helped build this organization from the very beginning and has played a leading role in our communications, campaigns, fundraising, and strategy. There is no one better equipped to lead VFAR into its next chapter.

🎨 Michelle Aptman, Treasurer & Board Member
Michelle has been with VFAR since day one. As our Treasurer and the creative force behind our branding and design, she has helped shape the look, feel, and identity of nearly everything you've seen from VFAR over the past decade.

🗳️ Suriya Khan, Board Member
Suriya is a lifelong animal and social justice advocate with more than five decades of experience advancing justice for animals and vulnerable communities. She holds a Master's in Public Policy focused on animal protection law and systems change and brings deep expertise in advocacy, nonprofit leadership, and public policy. Her lifelong commitment to ending institutionalized animal exploitation makes her an invaluable addition to VFAR's Board of Directors.

📣 Mian Osumi, Policy & Advocacy Manager
We're thrilled to welcome Mian as VFAR's very first staff hire! She leads our advocacy and policy work, helping advance legislation, mobilize supporters, and strengthen our campaigns across New York. Hiring dedicated staff marks an exciting milestone in VFAR's growth.

Together, this team brings decades of experience in advocacy, policy, communications, fundraising, design, and movement building. Combined with our dedicated Board, volunteers, supporters, and coalition partners, VFAR is stronger than ever.

The future for animals in New York has never looked brighter. 💜

HUGE news! Deputy Speaker Nantasha Williams signed on as a co-sponsor of Romanch's Law (Intro 943), the bill to ban horse carriages in New York City! Please thank Deputy Speaker Williams in the comments!

With her support, we now have a majority of City Council co-sponsors on this legislation. 🎉

☎️ If your Council Member hasn't signed on yet, call them and ask them to support Romanch's Law. We've made it easy: https://buff.ly/Br2AK5N