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.

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.