Pride Center Board of Direc tors

Life long resident of the region. My journey with the Pride Center started when I came out 10 years ago. My board service along with my service to many nonprofits has had a focus on our youth, physical and mental wellbeing, and access. The Pride Center took on a special role for me in meeting and talking with many of the individuals of all ages that utilize our services and programs. In meeting these people, I reenergize my energy for fundraising. We must have amazing staff to offer our services, I have always believed my job as a volunteer starts with helping to ensure we can do the good by being funded to operate with the best team we can find. We have come far in many protections especially in NYS. However, we are sadly reminded of the erosion and battle to our rights each day. Especially to our trans community members and those in a more challenging mental, physical or financial position. Like many of us, our board service time requires support at home. Thank you, Christopher, for letting me do what I love for our community.

Volunteering for the Board of Directors as Co-Vice President and working on the Capital Pride steering committee for over a dozen years, I hope the goals we attempt to achieve has had a direct positive effect on those community members in the most need, and in doing so, we have also influenced the next generation of volunteers, activists and supporters to continue the amazing work of Pride Center’s staff, interns and board.

I moved to Albany in June of 2010 without knowing that Capital Pride would be that same weekend. It was the first pride I ever attended. I learned more about myself and the diversity of our community than I ever realized in that first weekend in a new city. Fast forward to today, I work with the Pride Center to help ensure that that experience and support endures for everyone. Pride is a time to be reminded of our strength, resolve, and great amount of progress that we’ve made. It’s also a sobering reminder of the immense amount of work left for us to do especially for our Youth and Trans family members. I’m committed to seeing that work through alongside you and the community.

Stephanie has been involved with the Pride Center since she moved to Albany in January 2002. She started in the role of volunteer staffer at the Café and has since been the janitor, a board member and is the current Board Treasurer today. She is a Certified Internal Auditor and Fraud Examiner full time and works part time preparing tax returns in her own private practice. She also works at a local haunted attraction as a jump scare and makeup artist during the fall. She also sits on the Board of Directors for the Association for Government Accountants (AGA) and is involved in extreme sports, including Taekwondo, and paintball. Favorite vacation spots are Coney Island and Las Vegas where she visits frequently with her 21-year-old daughter, Raindrop.

Hi there! After graduating with my MSW from SUNY Albany and relocating to the Capital Region for an employment opportunity, a colleague introduced me to the Pride Center. New to board membership but eager to serve, I joined the board of directors early 2018. Since, I have been dedicated to furthering and diversifying services, accessibility, and representation for, and within, the Pride Center and larger LGBTQIA+ community. I continue to serve on the board because now, more than ever, we (especially us younger folks!) need to dig our heels deep, show up, be loud, and advocate like hell. I currently work as a psychiatric social worker at Albany Med and continue to live in the Capital Region with my fiancé Natalie and our fur babes Dottie, Oakley, and Monte.