QUEER IN GALVESTON
Commanding the Coast Steven J. Baines is an asset to his local community.
A devotion to service, community support, and being a source of visibility for the Black queer community has created several professional and personal milestones and opportunities for Steven J. Baines. Today, the 56-year-old image consultant, trainer, and executive coach serves as an advocate and resource at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston. With an already stacked calendar of events, Baines still keeps an eye out for the next opportunity to show up and show out on the Island. “My role at UTMB is senior consultant in talent and organizational development, which is a part of human resources,” Baines explains. “My core function is leadership development. I help train and develop leaders and their teams throughout the organization. That can look like facilitating courses, doing personality assessments, coaching executives, and being an advisor to a lot of the leaders.” Having obtained an undergraduate degree in communications with a minor in marketing from Xavier University in Cincinnati, Baines went on to earn his master’s degree in intercultural and international management with a concentration in human resources from the School for International Training in Vermont. The community leader notes that his service projects have landed him some of his most valuable opportunities. “A lot of things have happened for me thanks to volunteering, which is very important to me,” he stresses. “I attribute my development to volunteering and networking and relationship building, and my ability to build relationships and volunteer in various ways.
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JULY 2022 |
OutSmartMagazine.com
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALEX ROSA FOR OUTSMART
By ZACH McKENZIE
