Mrs. Peggy Cunniff
Executive Director, National Anti-Vivisection Society

Peggy (Mary Margaret) Cunniff joined the Board of Directors of the National Anti-Vivisection Society (NAVS) in 1980. In 1987 she was asked to serve as its executive director. Under her leadership and with the enthusiastic support of NAVS’ board of directors, NAVS has developed and enhanced program efforts that promote humane solutions to human problems, funded the development of alternatives to the use of animals in research, education and product testing, and that reach out to the scientific, legal, governmental and corporate leaders and the general public to effect changes that advance science without harming animals.

While a board member of NAVS, Cunniff supported the founding of the International Foundation for Ethical Research (IFER) in 1985 to demonstrate that advancements in science and technology could develop better and more humane alternatives to the use of animals and that animal advocates also cared about enhancing the health and well-being of people. Her current responsibilities include serving as president of IFER, a separate nonprofit corporation funded by NAVS. Since its founding IFER has awarded more than one million dollars in direct grants to scientists and graduate student programs.

Peggy Cunniff is a graduate of Loyola University. She worked as a City Planner for Chicago’s Department of Development and Planning. Her publications include “Chicago’s Over 65 Population: Progress and Goals.” As a City Planer she represented the city at the United Nations Conference on Human Habitats in Vancouver, Canada. She is married to Kenneth Cunniff and is the proud mother of five children.