Lydia has over 18 years of experience leading staff and volunteer teams in both corporate and not-for-profit settings. Before joining Anti-Cruelty, Lydia managed business accounts for luxury brands in New York City and Chicago while also freelancing in film and television. She also launched a successful eco-friendly brand which was carried in retail boutiques internationally. Lydia has a deep personal conviction for living a conscious, sustainable lifestyle that advocates for people, animals, and the environment. Lydia holds a Bachelor of Arts in media production, gender studies, and sociology.
Since joining the Anti-Cruelty team in December of 2009, Lydia has been transforming the ways in which our organization engages the community. Leading the advancement of existing opportunities while launching new programs, Lydia’s work has led to the exponential growth of Anti-Cruelty's community initiative. These include guiding the organization to embrace an open adoption model, launching the Community Care division, and expanding programs that engage people from all walks of life. Lydia is honored to be a part of the work Anti-Cruelty is doing to evolve the quality and diversity of programming available to the pets and people of Chicago.