Board of Directors

Debra Curtin, President and Founder, brings more than 30 years of management experience across multiple industries to her roles at New England Primate Sanctuary. Her expertise includes training and development, sales, marketing, and organizational development. Debra managed the Communications Department at a major Boston hospital, directed the Sales Department at a telecommunications software company on Boston's north shore, and was an independent organizational and management consultant prior to launching New England Primate Sanctuary. In 2002, Debra's passion for animal protection drew her into a life-changing plunge into the non-profit sector where she utilized her well-honed organizational development and leadership skills to build New England Primate Sanctuary from the ground up into a respected humane education center and animal protection agency.

Debra earned a bachelors of arts degree, Phi Beta Kappa, in Ancient Greek from Herbert H. Lehman College of the City University of New York.

Debra sits on the board of directors of the Guardian Pet Foundation and is a voting member of the Massachusetts Animal Coalition. As a member of the Board of Advisors, she provides organizational guidance to Primates, Inc., a developing primate sanctuary in Madison, Wisconsin. Memberships and affiliations include the Jane Goodall Institute's Roots and Shoots program, Best Friends Animal Society, the Best Friends Network, MassPAWS, Winslow Farm Animal Sanctuary, and the New England Exotic Wildlife Sanctuary.

Debra's most celebrated achievement has been providing the solid foundation for her daughter, Carolina, to become a self-sufficient and fearless young woman who embraces life's adventures joyfully. Debra shares her home and office with a family of rescued dogs -- Scrappy and JellyBean -- and Cleo the alpha kitty.

Neal Campbell, Clerk, has more than 40 years of domestic and international experience in the technology industry. His work spans a wide range of industries, including manufacturing, distribution, financial services, retail and agriculture. Neal owned and operated a software contract company and is an independent consultant providing business analysis, project management, programming, quality assurance, implementation, and training for his clients. After completing military service Neal attended Northeastern University's University College with a major in Management Information Systems. Neal brings his vast business experience to New England Primate Sanctuary as board Secretary.

In 2005, Neal and his wife, Dianne Harper, founded the Guardian Pet Publication, which published PETS! magazine, and the Guardian Pet Foundation. Neal's memberships and affiliations include the Jimmy Fund, Best Friends Animal Society, the Best Friends Network, the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary, the United States Coast Guard Pipe Band, and the United States Coast Guard Lightship Sailors Association.

Neal's family includes six children and step-children, eight grandchildren, three dogs (Sedona, Kachina and Kramer, a shelter adoptee), and Gato the Siamese cat.

Erin Cooney-Lefort is a Behavior Analyst, Certified Dog Trainer, and owner of an animal behavior training and consulting business, Community Canines. Her compassion for both human and nonhuman animals guides her in the individualized works she does to help learners adapt and thrive in their daily environments. Confident that every individual brings their unique life experiences to the learning context, Erin is continuously fascinated and inspired by the behavioral puzzles she faces on a case-by-case basis, be they with companion animals, pet owners, children affected with Autism Spectrum Disorder, or adults with developmental disabilities. Erin earned her M.S. in Behavioral Analysis from Simmons College in Boston, MA and plans to sit for the board exam for behavior analysts in 2011, making her the first of only three Board Certified Behavior Analysts with an animal specialty in her field. Familiar with the effects had on people and animals that have survived under socialized, institutional environments by necessity, Erin came to NEPS ready to employ the science of behavior change for the primate veterans of biomedical research as they learn to adapt to their peaceful and enriching retirement experiences.

Erin is the proud mother of Lillian. She, her husband and daughter share their home in RI with two pitbull companions.