ABOUT US
We're fighting on the front lines to protect all life that exists within this beautiful biosphere we call home. We envision a world where people and animals coexist peacefully and believe it is achievable through advocacy that focuses on solutions that preserve our planet's biodiversity and are founded on the understanding that all life has a right to live. We are all part of a greater whole. Human activities are directly and indirectly responsible for many of the threats animals and Mother Nature face today, including habitat loss and degradation, animal exploitation, climate change, and emerging diseases.
OUR TEAM
Adam Sugalski - Board Member/ Executive Director
Adam has been fighting for animal and environmental rights for much of his life. His journey as an activist began in his teenage years when he started a recycling program at his high school and later helped establish the Environmental Club.
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Since then, Adam has become a skilled activist that has taken on several environmental and animal rights issues. In 2006 Adam was invited to a circus abuse protest. Before the protest, Adam researched the cruelty that circus animals endured. During the demonstration, Adam took everything in, from how the protestors interacted with circusgoers to the imagery on the protest signs. He began attending the protests regularly and went undercover to document and expose what circus life was like for the animals. Adam felt the images used on the protest signs should showcase the animals' beauty, and the messaging needed to be thought-provoking. He started designing his own posters using his skills as a graphic artist to highlight animal abuse and show it to the world through powerful imagery. After the protest leader moved, Adam formed the group Jax Protest, where he organized and led protests throughout Jacksonville, Florida.
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In 2015 Adam's aspirations to protect and defend animals led him to start a campaign against the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission and trophy hunters who had set their sites on Florida's black bears. Adam used his knowledge and years of experience in the animal rights arena to create Stop The FL Bear Hunt, a pivotal campaign that helped end black bear hunting in Florida after just one season. His efforts have been publicized on national radio, television, academic institutions, and documentaries. He is often called upon to consult others with their animal rights and environmental projects.
After playing a significant role in stopping the Florida Black Bear Hunt, Adam founded OneProtest. It is a non-profit organization dedicated to finding solutions to problems that affect animals and the planet and helping others become leaders by teaching them how to advocate for change effectively.
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​Since the inception of OneProtest, Adam and his work have continued to evolve, and he is constantly finding new ways to fight injustice. He believes in embracing new technologies and strategies for investigating and exposing the truth about important issues. As a licensed drone pilot, he incorporates drone technology to document and uncover poaching operations, deforestation, unethical practices, illegal activity, and more.
Nicole Cordano - Campaign Director
Nicole oversees all aspects of OneProtest's campaigns, including day-to-day operations, undercover investigations, animal rescue, anti-poaching efforts, documentation, and research. Her love for animals, nature, and helping others is the driving force behind her pursuits.
She hopes that through her actions, she can raise awareness about important issues affecting animals and the environment and inspire others to lead more conscientious, compassionate lives.
Jason Engle - Board Member/ Media and Creative Consultant
Jason is world-renowned for his work in the publishing and games markets for the past 19 years, and his work has graced the covers of some of the biggest brands in entertainment over that time. He has also worked in independent film, miniatures, fashion design, web design, comics, concept art, fine art, and provided hundreds of covers to books, games, albums, and toys, and displayed his work in gallery shows across the country.
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He has contributed to such brands as Game of Thrones, Star Wars, World of Warcraft, Magic the Gathering, League of Legends, Everquest, Dungeons & Dragons, and many more.
Ashley Berke - Board Member/Communications Director
Ashley brings over ten years of launching large-scale events and grassroots marketing campaigns. She has worked on the production of UCF Homecoming concerts, the Vans Warped Tour, the Florida Music Festival, and the SuperGirl Pro (world's largest female pro surfing event).
Ashley served in a community organizing fellowship with Organizing for America during the 2012 presidential campaign and now applies those critical strategies in her advocacy efforts. In partnership with Florida Tech, she implemented and eco-initiative, to reduce event waste and make the Florida Marathon among the greenest in the nation. Her passion is in creating more awareness about animal and environmental issues to help others make more mindful choices in their daily lives.
Tamara Blazquez Haik - Board Member/International Campaign Director
Tamara Blazquez Haik is an award-winning conservation photographer, environmental educator, and activist from Mexico City. Through her photography, she seeks to educate citizens about wildlife, raise awareness about environmental issues and inspire empathy and action for nature and wildlife by telling their stories.
Tamara got involved with One Protest after meeting Adam Sugalski at an animal rights conference in Mexico City in 2016 by expressing her concerns and desire to help Ely, the elephant, get out of Aragon zoo and into a sanctuary.
Peri Sedigh, Esq. - Board Member/Intellectual Property and Copyright
Attorney Peri Sedigh practices law in Central Florida and is admitted to the Florida Bar and the Federal Middle District.
She is a member of the Animal Law Section of the Florida Bar and was the President of the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund at her law school chapter. In addition to a J.D., Ms. Sedigh also holds an M.Ed. and is a professor at Valencia teaching business practices, contracts, copyright, the art of negotiating, and intellectual property. Although Ms. Sedigh practices a wide range of law, she is most passionate about animal law and the rights of animals and nature, social justice, and civil rights. She has been an activist and advocate for over three decades.
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Ms. Sedigh loves spending time with animals in nature and with her two dogs Jasmine and Blue.
OUR ADVISORY BOARD
Krista Hiddema - Strategy and Media Relations
Krista is a dedicated social justice activist, with a background in the for-profit sector. Krista is the President of the Board of Directors for Happily Ever Esther Farm Sanctuary, the home of Esther the Wonder Pig, and also spent six years as the Vice President for Mercy For Animals.
Krista is also a dedicated academic and is pursuing her doctorate in Social Justice.
Krista is committed to being the voice of the voiceless, and through reason, compassion, and tenacity, works to make lasting changes for animals.
Please visit Krista at www.KristaHiddema.com.
Courtney Dillard - Community Organizing and Strategic Communications
Courtney’s background is in audience and context analysis, persuasive strategies, and social movement studies. She holds a bachelor’s in communication studies from Vanderbilt University, a master’s from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a doctorate from the University of Texas at Austin. Courtney has been active in the animal protection movement for the past 30 years. Prior to joining Mercy For Animals, she combined an academic career with pro bono activities aimed at improving the communication strategies of various groups in the movement. At Mercy For Animals, she supports teams seeking to increase effective paths toward social change for farmed animals. Using a variety of methodologies, Courtney conducts social science research focused primarily on attitudes and behaviors regarding farmed animals and animal product alternatives. Outside work, Courtney can be found traveling, eating vegan junk food, and trying her hand at poetry.
Gunter Singer - Anti-Poaching/Military Adviser
Gunter is a private military contractor and security specialist, serving in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as in many African countries. Gunter has also worked for the South African, Congolese, Tanzanian, and Namibian governments, establishing anti-poaching programs, which are saving the lives of the most vulnerable mega-fauna.
Gunter believes in empowering local forces to protect the national parks, which will ensure their future, as well as the people, that live in those areas.
Chris Norcott - Wildlife Photography
Chris Norcott grew up in Canton, MA, where he spent much of his childhood exploring natural wonders and searching for birds, amphibians, reptiles, and the occasional stray rabbit. His desire to share his love for wildlife and nature eventually led him to photography.
Now living just outside the Great Smoky Mountains NP, Chris travels throughout the country photographing wildlife, landscapes, and of course his favorite subject, bears.
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