Julie is co-founder of Alpha-gal Alliance. Sibbing has worked on conservation policy in Washington, DC for over 25 years and is currently Associate Vice President for Land Stewardship at the National Wildlife Federation. She holds a B.S. in Life Sciences and a Masters in Forest Ecology, both from the University of Illinois. An avid outdoorswoman, Ms. Sibbing contracted alpha-gal about 24 years ago.

Alexander C. Peabody, PLS, affectionately known to colleagues and friends as “Sandy,” serves as the Treasurer of the Alpha-gal Alliance Action Fund, where he brings both professional expertise and personal conviction to the fight for greater awareness and advocacy around Alpha-gal syndrome. Diagnosed in 2024, Sandy quickly recognized the urgent need for education and support—especially within the land surveying profession.

A licensed professional land surveyor with over three decades of experience in the Charleston, South Carolina region, Sandy is widely respected for his precision, integrity, and tireless advocacy. His career has been defined not only by technical excellence but by his commitment to elevating the profession. He is a Past President of the South Carolina Society of Professional Land Surveyors (SCSPLS) and currently serves as the South Carolina Director to the National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS). In these roles, Sandy has championed ethical standards, mentored emerging professionals, and helped shape policies that strengthen the surveying community nationwide.

Beyond his professional achievements, Sandy is a devoted husband and proud father of two, whose love for the outdoors has always been a natural extension of his work. Whether camping, hunting, fishing, or simply exploring the land, his connection to nature has deepened his understanding of the terrain he surveys—and now, it also informs his personal journey with Alpha-gal syndrome. He approaches life with Alpha-gal with the same resilience and optimism that has defined his career.

Whether he’s in the field with a land surveying transit or in the boardroom shaping policy, Sandy remains a steadfast steward of both the Land Surveying Profession and the Alpha-gal community, committed to building a healthier, more informed future for all.

Sharon is the founder of Alpha-gal Alliance and co-founder of Alpha-gal Alliance Action Fund. After being diagnosed with alpha-gal syndrome in 2019, Sharon searched for information that would help her navigate this complex condition but found little. Not wanting others in the alpha-gal community to experience the same frustration, she organized the Alpha-gal Syndrome Awareness Campaign. With the campaign team, she created the Alpha-gal Information website, the most extensive resource on alpha-gal syndrome.

Sharon has been involved in conservation most of her life. She was director of Conservation International’s Africa Program, president of the Beneficia Foundation, and served on the boards of American Bird Conservancy and Bat Conservation International. Prior to her conservation work, Sharon was a Peace Corps volunteer in Botswana, where she taught agriculture. She holds a BA in biology and economics.

Sharon contracted AGS while pursuing her interest in natural history. She lives in Washington, DC with her biologist husband, Adrian Forsyth, who also has AGS.

Meg Muckenhoupt is a writer and editor with more than 20 years of experience in journalism, web development, and nonprofit and pharmaceutical communications. She has published content on topics ranging from urban planning and landscape history to antibiotic-resistant bacteria and rare diseases. Her career has been devoted to distilling complex medical and historic topics into clear, understandable text so that people can make better decisions.

Meg is also the author of numerous newspaper and magazine articles and six books, most recently The Truth About Baked Beans: An Edible History of New England. She is an avid birder, holds a certificate in field botany from the Native Plant Trust, and volunteers as a naturalist with the Appalachian Mountain Club. 

Meg was diagnosed with Alpha-gal Syndrome in 2023. She can no longer eat the salt-pork-based Boston baked beans from her book’s title. She lives in Lexington, Massachusetts, where awareness of Alpha-gal Syndrome is gradually growing due to the explosion of cases on Martha’s Vineyard, a popular local vacation destination.

Founder, Red Dirt Ramblings

Leisa Moten, co-founder and advisor of ALIVE Animal Services Group, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit established in 2012 as an animal advocacy group to give help and hope to neglected, abused, abandoned and those slated for euthanasia animals in the rural mountains of Southern West Virginia.

Leisa’s alpha-gal syndrome journey began in 2017 when her husband began having unexplained rashes, severe GI distress, and anaphalaxis several times a week. He was diagnosed with alpha-gal syndrome through personal research and insistence that his doctors test him. Then, in 2022, Leisa presented with crippling arthritis, heart palpitations after consuming dairy, and middle of the night panic attacks. Tests revealed that she, too, had alpha-gal syndrome. Because of the difficulties and delays in care alpha-gal syndrome caused during her husband’s battle with terminal colon cancer and a heart attack requiring Stent placement Leisa feels passionate about legislation making Alpha-gal a reportable condition in West Virgina and a mandatory declared allergen in food and medical products.

Contact Leisa: [email protected]