About the founding members
Meet the founding members of the Albany Vegetarian Network Inc.:
Some might call it fate, the day that Dave, Jim, Olga, Jan and Dawn all met at a 2004 veg meet-up dinner in Latham, NY. Once realizing their superhero-like powers that formed when they were all in the same place, they officially formed the Albany Vegetarian Network Inc. with the sole purpose of hosting an annual Vegetarian Expo. This dynamic team not only volunteers to run the organization and Expo but they are also a close network of friends.
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Dave Lajeunesse
Born and raised in upstate NY and having served six years in the Marine Corps Dave never thought he’d end up running a vegetarian group and helping organize an annual veg expo. Grounded by his wife Jan, he can often be found building & remodeling, baking some fabulous vegan sweets, or leading the group in another charismatic discussion on how wonderful it is that they have all come together. Dave's favorite vegan treats include frozen blueberry ice cream and anything that is made up of dark chocolate. Dave would like to give a shout out to his late golden retriever who lived a long and healthy life. Cody passed away on November 26, 2008 at the age of 15.
Jim LaCelle
A self-admitted former Atkins dieter, just a few years ago Jim would have never been pegged as a vegetarian. With the support of his wife Olga and after reading The China Study, he quickly turned a healthy and empathetic corner and is now a proud vegetarian activist. He even runs a self-started vegetarian meet-up group in Albany. Jim grew up in Central NY, spent six years in the Marine Corps and four years in the Army. He has lived in Germany and Belarus and learned how to speak some German and Russian. Jim likes to play golf, spend time with his family and friends, and is always up for a good debate.
Jan Lajeunesse
Known as the resident neighborhood animal lover, as a child Jan could be found tending to the local lost pets. As a life-long animal lover, it was only natural that she became vegetarian (and then vegan) once learning about the compassionate lifestyle of a plant-based diet - thanks to the enlightenment and encouragement from her son. Some of Jan’s favorite activities include spending time with her grandkids, grooming the family horses, and reading one of her many veg-related books. She wears multiple hats related to the inner-workings of the Albany Vegetarian Network Inc. and the production of the Expo. Don’t blink! Or you might miss her at the next event!
Olga Dovgel
Olga comes to us from Minsk, Belarus. At the age of 18, a personal encounter with animal suffering made her an instant vegetarian. In 2003, when she became friends with a vegetarian (Dawn D'Arcangelo), who offered her some educational materials, she eagerly jumped into a more active veg-role and soon thereafter, fully embraced a vegan lifestyle. Today Olga is a blessed mother of a happy, healthy baby boy, who she and her husband Jim are raising vegan. Olga likes spending her free time learning about nutrition, green living and healthy harmonic lifestyles. She enjoys yoga and pilates, video conferencing with her family in Belarus and gatherings with friends.
Dawn D'Arcangelo
Motivated by the welfare of animals and the sustainability of the planet, Dawn is a spunky, high-energy vegan advocate. With a peaceful world as her ultimate goal she never slows in her efforts to educate others about the connection between these issues and a plant-based diet. Dawn first became vegetarian after realizing that she was very unhappy and this distress was because of her actions toward animals, her feelings were out of sync. "How could I say I loved animals and then eat them?" Dawn soon became vegan and almost overnight saw her cholesterol drop - just from removing dairy from her diet!