Nehemiah D. Frank is the founder, editor-in-chief, and publisher of The Black Wall Street Times, a Black-owned news publication based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, covering local, state, and national news. He is a founding union member of the National Parents Union, based in Boston, and serves on the advisory board of the LGBTQ Institute at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta.
Jason Arnold (he/him) began his advocacy of the LGBTQ+ community during his college years when he since he snuck away from his hometown to drive an hour to visit Lodestar Books in Little 5 points, Birmingham, Al. He started his activism in 1991 working at the forefront of the HIV/AIDS crisis first as a volunteer and later volunteer coordinator for ASK, Inc. (AIDS Support through Knowledge) where he remained for the duration of his undergraduate degree completed in 1996.
Nat M. Esparza (they/them) is a writer, chaplain-in-training, and digital strategist dedicated to amplifying queer, disabled, and neurodivergent voices. They currently serve as the Regional Administrator for the Southern Region of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), where they support congregations and communities in fostering inclusive, justice-driven spiritual leadership.
Peter Williams is the COO of Engineering and Technology team at Allspring Global Investments (formerly Wells Fargo Asset Management). In this role, he is responsible for overall business management for the 300+ employees and contractors of the ET organization along with key relationships with partners across Finance, Marketing & Communications and Human Resources.
Jennifer Barnes-Balenciaga (she/her), newlywed, Mrs. McQueen, transitioned to Manhattan after being an 11-year resident of Atlanta. As the first LGBTQ+ liaison in Atlanta, Georgia as appointed by State Representative Park Cannon of District 58 in January 2018 and parted from the position in September 2022. During that time, Jennifer Barnes-Balenciaga has been a contributor to many Atlanta political and governmental legislation.
Kaden Borseth (he/him) is a trans-masculine identified advocate for LGBTQ social justice issues. Actively involved in the LGBTQ community since 2002 he served as President of the University of Northern Iowa's Pride group for three years, helping it grow into a thriving and active group. After graduating, he worked for several years as an Alumni Chair for Iowa Pride Network (IPN), an organization that educates and mentors middle school through college-aged LGBTQ youth. Kaden currently leads a support group for gender variant and transgender teens in Atlanta.
Morna Gerrard (she/her) is the archivist for Women’s/Gender and Sexuality Collections at Georgia State University. In this role, she collects, preserves, and makes available the records and oral histories of women and the LGBTQ+ communities in Atlanta, Georgia, and the South. A native of Scotland, Morna is a fellow and past president of the Society of Georgia Archivists, a long-time board member of the Georgia Archives Institute, and serves on the advisory board of the Historic Atlanta LGBTQ HPAC.
Jad-Évangelo Nasser/جاد ناصر is a Lebanese-born Business Strategist, Educator and Filmmaker (with partial Palestinian roots and cultural intersection with Haiti) who brings 10+ years of global experience in advertising, marketing, media production and higher education for a variety of international markets (Middle East, North Africa and North America).
Phil Nguyen is the Vice President of Innovation and Partnerships at Reading Partners, and Executive Managing Partner of EdChiefs. He joins the LGBTQ Institute with robust experience in the education-equity space, formerly serving as a School and Systems Administrator, EdTech Executive, Nonprofit Leader, and Social Entrepreneur.
Jenna Ortiz (she/her/hers/ella) is an equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) practitioner, coach, operational strategist, and systems guru. A management consultant focusing on EDI techniques for a better workplace, Jenna is a skillful facilitator who leads with empathy, vulnerability, and real-life experience.
Adah-Duval Pittman-Delancey (she/her) is a Georgia native raised in Miami, Florida, who was also a Criminology major and an alumnus of Florida State University. She is an integrated marketing and communications strategist. Her career experience spans brand management for consumer goods and social impact roles focused on issue advocacy and coalition building for collective action.
