A Statement Upon the Retirement of Founder and Board Chair Elaine Dodge
by S.T.O.P. President Nancy Donley
October 30, 2025

“Elaine Dodge, one of S.T.O.P.’s founders, is a person motivated to do the right thing for the right reason. She has always been this way in the 10+ years I have known her. Elaine is a brilliant attorney who could have easily earned 4-5 times as much as an attorney in the private sector than what she made practicing law for the public interest. When she help found S.T.O.P., Elaine was working at the Governmental Accountability Project (GAP), defending whistle-blowing government meat & poultry inspectors. She wanted to protect those who were willing to publicly speak out, even while suffering harassment or facing the threat of losing their job, about industry and government practices that threatened the public’s safety.

The first time I personally met Elaine, she was about 8½ months pregnant with her first son and still working full time! This didn’t prevent her from helping S.T.O.P. put on a press conference in Washington D.C. She counseled us on how to phrase our message, listened to us practice our remarks over and over again, stuffed press packets and was always available to calm anyone’s last minute jitters. She neither needed nor wanted any personal limelight. She stood behind the scenes and quietly wept as she heard us publicly tell the stories of our dead children.

Elaine’s house was always open to anyone from S.T.O.P. who needed a place to stay while in Washington D.C. She and her family—her husband, Martin Stauber and their two sons, Weston and August—were wonderful at making a person feel completely welcome.

Elaine worked tirelessly on behalf of S.T.O.P. since its inception. She’d been a member of the board from Day One. She was S.T.O.P.’s Executive Director from 1996 to 1999 where her talents and contributions to the organization far exceeded her salary. She acted as Board Chairperson from 1999 to October, 2003 when we tearfully accepted her resignation. She will be sorely missed.

Out of the hell of Alex’s death, I have met many extraordinary people, none more so than Elaine. She quite literally kept me going when at times I felt I couldn’t go on. Her shoulder was always available and, I know, will remain available should I, or anyone else who’s hurting for that matter, need it.

Elaine, my dear friend, on behalf of all of us at S.T.O.P., and on behalf of all those unknown consumers that have benefited from your hard work, THANK YOU.”