2025-2027 Advisory Council
Aisha N. Davis, Esq., (she/her/hers) has dedicated her legal career to civil rights and human rights advocacy and has worked in policy and advocacy both domestically and internationally. She currently serves as
senior policy counsel at the ACLU of IL and in this role, she focuses on LGBTQ+ rights and policing in the state of Illinois. Although she calls Chicago home, Aisha was born and raised in the Washington, DC area. Growing up near the nation's capitol inspired Aisha's passion for advocacy, and her family's influence sparked her desire to use her voice alongside her communities. She obtained her JD from Columbia Law School and LLM from the University of London in Human Rights, Conflict, and Justice, completing the degree program with a dissertation on intersectionality and international human rights. Outside of her work in advocacy, Aisha enjoys Black speculative fiction and most things nerdy.
Alicia T. Vega, MJ, (she/her/hers) founded Alicia T. Vega Consulting Inc. in 2016 to provide leadership-transition services for social sector boards and stakeholders, ensuring communities continue receiving vital resources. As an expert in interim leadership, Alicia sets the standard for social sector performance and impact. She piloted a national peer support group for interim LGBTQA+ leaders through Third Sector Company, where she is an alum of the Interim Executives Academy. Her leadership has earned recognition as a Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame Inductee, Leadership Greater Chicago Fellow, and one of Chicago’s Top Latina Leaders in Philanthropy—twice. She was also honored as a Seriously Baddass Woman.Alicia holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a Master of Jurisprudence in Child and Family Law from Loyola University Chicago School of Law. She also earned a certificate in Leading for DEI from the Baumhart Center for Social Enterprise and Responsibility.
Anna DeShawn, pronouns anything respectful, is a social entrepreneur,
storyteller and community organizer. She is a multi-award winning podcast host/producer who build streaming platforms which center & celebrate BIPOC & QTPOC creatives. In 2023, Anna was celebrated for her
unwavering commitment to the LGBTQ community through being inducted into the Chicago LGBTQ Hall of Fame. Anna DeShawn is determined to ride media into its next era by utilizing digital media streams to tell the stories and play the music that deserves to be heard.
Bonn Wade, LCSW, (they/them) is a therapist and longtime youth worker with deep roots in Chicago’s youth work and healing communities. A founding board member of LYTE Collective, Bonn brings 30 years of experience in youth housing, mental health, and crisis response - striving to center the dignity, autonomy, and brilliance of young people. As a queer licensed clinical social worker, Bonn’s work is grounded in trauma- responsive practice, somatic and sensorimotor approaches to healing, and a fierce commitment to building liberatory systems of care. Bonn brings steadiness, humor, and a deep belief in collective wellness to spaces they are part of.
Cassandra Cantave Burton (she/her/hers) is an advocate, researcher, educator, and aging professional specializing in nonprofit leadership and DEIB (diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging). As Consumer Insights Manager, she focuses on aging issues affecting LGBTQ,Black/African American, and Veteran communities, and people with disabilities. She leads AARP’s LGBTQ research, partnering with organizations like the National Black Justice Coalition, SAGE, HRC, Center for Black Equity, and the National Center for Trans Equity to amplify and disseminate LGBTQ research and insights.
Her passion centers on issues impacting Black women, LGBTQ people, young adults, and multicultural populations. A skilled storyteller and sought-after speaker, Cassandra is frequently invited to present by aging and LGBTQ+ organizations.She holds a Master’s in Nonprofit Management and Leadership from Walden University, a Master’s in Sociology from Howard University, and a DEI certification from the American Management Association. Cassandra is set to earn her PhD in Public Policy and Administration in 2025, focusing on LGBTQ+ adults and health equity.
Craig W. Johnson, BA, (he/him) is the senior program officer at the American Medical Association (AMA) Foundation, where he leads scholarships, awards, a leadership program, an LGBTQ Health consortium,
and health equity initiatives. For nearly a decade, he managed AMA’s constituency groups for underrepresented communities in medicine. Craig previously held roles at Rush University Medical Center, the American Bar Association, University of Chicago, and George Washington University.
A proud Antioch College alum, Craig has served on boards including GLMA, AFC, Chicago Black Gay Men’s Caucus, and Antioch College. His volunteer work spans the Chicago Mayor’s Advisory Council on LGBTQ+ Issues, Advocate Illinois Masonic’s LGBTQ Advisory Council, Illinois HIV/AIDS Strategy Group, and the City of Chicago’s HIV Prevention Planning Group.
Craig received AFC’s Lori Kaufman Volunteer Award for his leadership and was named a “Notable LGBTQ Executive” by Crain’s Chicago Business. He is also a recipient of the PrideIndex.com Esteem Award.
Dansen Mayhay (she/her/hers) is a queer first-generation Filipina- American from Chicago’s Southwest side. A graduate of Whitney Young Magnet High School and James Madison University, she began her career
supporting survivors of domestic, sexual, and LGBTQ+ violence at YWCA Richmond and Center on Halsted. In 2020, she founded “Kimchi for a Cause,” selling homemade kimchi to benefit Third Wave Fund, which supports sex workers of color. Her first pop-up was celebrated in 2024 at Side Practice Coffee, an AAPI-owned shop. Dansen later entered the financial sector, blending trauma-informed advocacy with public health
education. In 2025, she was named to Windy City Times’ 30 Under 30 for her impact. Guided by the belief that “advocacy doesn’t only live in social work,” she enjoys cooking for loved ones, rollerblading along DuSable Lake Shore Drive, and dancing. Her vibrant journey reflects a deep commitment to community empowerment and social change across sectors.
Darius Caffey, MPA, (he/him/his) is a public speaker, multidisciplinary consultant, and founder of Contributing Creator, where he helps entrepreneurs, nonprofits, and businesses scale impact through design,
development, and strategy. In 2020, he launched The Closet Unlocked, a digital storytelling platform addressing gaps in LGBTQ+ advocacy for Black individuals in the Midwest. As lead producer, he collaborated with over 20 organizations, creating programs that reached 175,000+ people through multimedia content and innovative engagement strategies.
Darius serves as Director of Institutional Partnerships for Black Alphabet NFP, Board Member for the Illinois LGBT Chamber of Commerce, Peace Fellow with the Goldin Institute, and Change Collective Fellow with Civic Nation, and Windy City Times’ 30 Under 30 reward recipient.
Over the past decade, he’s become a published author, TV host, and educator to 18,000 students. Above all, Darius is passionate about empowering his community and spreading love to the spaces that need it most.
Emmanuel Garcia (he/they) is a storyteller and community organizer committed to queer and trans liberation. His experiences in storytelling include print, radio, oral histories, and film as tools for advocacy to
highlight the fierceness of the Latinx LGBTQ community.
Garcia is the Development and Communications Director at Crossroads Fund, a public foundation funding progressive grassroots movements for racial, social, and economic justice in Chicago.
Eric D. Wilkerson (he/him) is a dynamic force in the world of social impact and nonprofit leadership, having made a significant impact since his relocation to Chicago in 2013. With a passion for driving purpose-
driven change, Eric has held pivotal leadership roles in multiple non- profits, orchestrating over $20M in fundraising efforts that have directly benefited social justice, policy advocacy, education equity, and social service initiatives.
In 2021, Eric’s entrepreneurial spirit led him to establish WiCo Strategies, a cutting-edge consultancy firm focused on elevating the effectiveness of nonprofits through strategic vision and unwavering accountability. While collaborating across diverse sectors within the nonprofit landscape, WiCo places a premium on supporting organizations that champion historically marginalized communities.
Imani Rupert-Gordon (she/her/hers) is the President of the National Center for LGBTQ Rights (NCLR), a leading legal advocacy organizations advancing the rights of LGBTQ people and their families. Under her
leadership, NCLR spearheads change through litigation, policy, and public education.
Before joining NCLR, she served as Executive Director of Affinity Community Services and led the Broadway Youth Center at Howard
Brown Health. With nearly two decades in justice-focused leadership, Imani is a trusted expert on LGBTQ rights, racial equity, and gender justice.
She’s been honored by The Root 100 for her national impact and received the Judith Butler Award from the Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice at UIC. Imani is frequently featured in national media, offering insights on intersectional issues.
She holds a Master’s in Social Work from UIC and a Bachelor’s in Sociology from UC Santa Barbara. She leads with clarity, compassion, and a deep commitment to building a just and inclusive world.
Jacob Longaker, PhD, (he/him/his) is a teacher-scholar-activist
passionate about harnessing community organizing, advocacy, and critical pedagogy to achieve social justice and collective liberation. He is committed to nurturing trans and queer community and supporting student success, inclusion, and belonging in higher education.
Jacob serves as Director of LGBTQ Student Life at the University of Chicago, supporting students through educational programming,
community-building, and institutional advocacy. Previously, he oversaw anti-oppression curricular and co-curricular initiatives at UIUC, stewarded the campus climate survey, and implemented evidence-based strategies for change at The Evergreen State College. He has also organized off-campus study with LGBTQ Brazilian communities as visiting faculty in Politics, Latin American Studies, and Gender & Sexuality Studies at Bates and Reed Colleges.
Jacob holds a PhD in Political Science (2016) from the University of Kansas. His research appears in University of Michigan and Oxford University Press publications and was supported by Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad.
Jacqueline Boyd, CEO The Care Plan, (she/they) brings passion and expertise to aging and LGBTQ+ advocacy. A dynamic speaker, facilitator, and entrepreneur, she is the owner of The Care Plan (www.the-
care-plan.com), the nation’s first LGBTQ+ centered care management and care development company. Its client-directed model provides advocacy, care navigation, and advance planning for successful aging, along with organizational support for businesses to build cultures of care for clients
and workers alike. Through The Care Plan, Jacqueline has consulted with AARP, SAGE, Howard Brown Health, and AIDS Foundation Chicago to enhance services for LGBTQ+ older adults. She is a sought-after speaker and author, having presented at the American Society on Aging National Conference, Creating Change Conference, LA County Older Adult Summit, and University of Chicago.
She recently contributed chapters to the Life Care Management Handbook, Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Health and Aging, and authored the guide Create Your Care Plan: An LGBT Person’s Guide To Preparing For Medical Procedures.
Jamari Michael White (he/him) is a former mental health therapist turned spiritual visionary and founder of SONS OF SPIRIT, the nation’s first spiritual health clinic for Black men. Inspired by personal struggles with
depression and the loss of two gifted brothers to suicide, Jamari is on a mission to help Black men break free from spiritual bondage and transform the systems that wound the soul.
A spiritual prophet, teacher, healer, and artist, Jamari carries ancestral wisdom from generations of spiritual leaders. He draws from sacred technologies of Spirit and is trained in transformation coaching, ancestral medicine, and ministry. He holds a master’s in social work and mental health from Ohio State University and a bachelor’s in Comparative Human Development from the University of Chicago, with advanced studies from Chicago Theological Seminary.A Dalai Lama Fellow, Jamari’s leadership is rooted in integrity, innovation, and deep love. He leads with an unshakable faith in our power to heal and transform. Jamari is an Ohio native living in Fort Collins, Colorado
Julio Rodriguez, Co-Founder and Board President of the Association of Latina/o/x Motivating Action (ALMA)(he/him/el), a native Chicagoan of Puerto Rican heritage, holds a Business degree from DePaul University and serves as Deputy Director at the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. His decades of public service and advocacy have earned him numerous honors, including induction into the International “Who’s Who” for Public Service (2001), the Chicago LGBTQ Hall of Fame (2004), and the Latino “Who’s Who” for Community Leadership (2012). He received the Community Leader Award from Chicago Latinos in Philanthropy (2003), a “Lifetime of Activism” award from the Astraea Foundation (2014), and a Lifetime Leadership award from the Cook County State Attorney’s Office (2018). Most recently, Julio was honored with the Center on Halsted’s “Human First” award (2022) and Equality Illinois’ Community Leadership Award (2023). His enduring commitment to equity and inclusion continues to shape Chicago’s civic and LGBTQ landscapes.
Kelly Suzanne Saulsberry (she/her). I’m Kelly, The Crafty Communicator & Savvy Strategist™, and Founder/Principal of A.S.C. Concepts, my social impact consulting boutique focused on the intersections of advocacy, strategy, and communications. In addition to being a solopreneur, strategist, and communicator, I’m a proud Chicagoan and feminist advocate.
Before launching A.S.C. Concepts in December 2023, I worked in the non- profit and public sectors, where I directed public policy and public engagement initiatives for the City of Chicago, developed and directed public programs and cross-sector partnerships in non- profit organizations, co-developed and implemented innovative grantmaking practices and programs in philanthropy, and created communications and messaging strategies and content in public sector and non-profit organizations. I treasure my five Cs: curiosity, courage, conviction, collaboration, and compassion, which guide what I do, why and how I do it, and with whom. I enjoy good conversation over a shared meal with close family and friends, long walks with my pups, reading, listening to podcasts, and traveling.
Ken Beal (he/him) is a published commentator and was the senior contributing editor for DemWrite Press. Ken also was the co-founder/ host for the urban political podcast “Snatched”. Ken has been a vocal activist for chronic illness for the last 16 years, in 2019 Ken was interviewed by the Smithsonian museum of African American history due to his ground breaking work in the HIV/AIDS realm. Ken is the first Black Chair of the Democratic Party of DuPage County, the first chair Under 40, first LGBT Chair, and the first Chair to win the Esteem Award for Man of the Year, 2022.
Lisa Gilmore, M.Ed., (she/they) is Principal & Founder of Illinois Accountability Initiative (IL-AI), a grassroots effort to support lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people in their self-determined efforts to create and sustain accountability practices in local communities, among individuals, and within systems and institutions. Accountability practices can increase safety and reduce harm in the lives of LGBTQ people, transforming communities and directly challenging social conditions that support oppression and violence in many forms. Lisa is Senior Strategy & Capacity Building Manager for the Alliance of Local Service Organizations (ALSO), which includes being on the team of ALSO’s Underserved Technical Assistance Project for the Office on Violence Against Women’s Outreach and Services to Underserved Populations Grant. Lisa is also a Senior Consultant with Morten Group, LLC, a national consulting firm specializing in organizational development, including a specialty in incorporating racial equity efforts within strategic planning, leadership development, and daily organizational practices.
Matthew Vail, LCSW, (he/they) is a clinical social worker and co- founder of Salix Psychotherapy Collective. He works with adults across the lifespan facing depression, anxiety, trauma, grief, loss, and substance use,
with a special passion for supporting LGBTQ older adults.
In addition to private practice, Matthew has taught graduate-level courses on mental health and aging at the University of Chicago’s Crown School of Social Work and Rush University’s College of Health Sciences. He has written extensively on integrating social services into health care to
promote health equity and reduce health disparities. As former Manager of Social Work Services for Affirm: The Rush Center for Gender, Sexuality and Reproductive Health, he helped build a unique, integrated health care program for LGBTQ patients. He advocates for reducing barriers to care for Trans and Non-Binary people and leads workshops on harm reduction approaches to surgical letters of readiness. Matthew is currently co-chair of the Chicago Network for LGBT Aging.
Michael Elizabeth (they/she) is the Director of Public Health Policy at Equality Federation, where they lead efforts to mobilize state partner organizations in leveraging their advocacy capacity to influence and
implement Public Health policy, with a focus on HIV and health issues disproportionately affecting LGBTQ+ communities.
With 14 years of experience in LGBTQ+ political and community organizing, Mike has worked on LGBTQ+ policy and advocacy with state and local elected officials in Texas, fought against HIV Criminalization laws, and championed culturally competent prevention services and public health funding.
Mike was recently elected Co-Chair of the U.S. People Living with HIV Caucus and previously serves as President of the Houston LGBTQ+ Political Caucus. Under their leadership the latter grew into one of the largest and most diverse membership-driven LGBTQ+ civil rights organizations in the South, known for holding elected officials accountable LGBTQ community while helping elect pro-LGBTQ+ candidate
Myles B. Davis is a communications and advocacy leader dedicated to advancing equality and social justice. As an experienced strategist, Myles has led impactful campaigns that elevate underrepresented voices,
mobilize communities, and drive policy change. With a background spanning public policy, community engagement, and media relations, Myles brings a passionate commitment to building inclusive narratives and fostering equity at every level of society.
Nicole McCarthy (she/her/hers) is the Vice President of Innovation & Venture Strategy at World Business Chicago, where she leads efforts to embed equity in Chicago’s tech ecosystem. Her team drives strategic
programs that connect entrepreneurs to resources to scale and succeed, including the Chicago Venture Summit, Enterprise Chicago, Chicago Day at SXSW, and the Midwest Founders Exchange. Nicole is passionate about inclusive economic growth, with a focus on uplifting women, communities of color, and the LGBTQIA+ community across the Midwest.
Her background includes teaching English as in Chile, launching a photography business, and spearheaded leadership development programs for cultural exchange non-profits. She has served as co-chair of The Gray Matter Experience’s Associate Board, mentored youth through GirlForward, and contributes to the SXSW Pitch Advisory Board and StartOut’s Chicago programming board, a non-profit dedicated to empowering LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs.
Renauda Riddle (she/her) is the co-owner/creator of Nobody’s Darling
- a Black, queer, woman-owned cocktail bar in Chicago’s Andersonville neighborhood. The bar has received multiple awards, including being a James Beard Finalist in 2022 for Best Bar Program, as well as Chicago Reader’s Best New Bar 2022. A self-proclaimed cocktail connoisseur, Renauda is passionate about well-crafted elixirs. She has been creating queer pop-up events for the LGBTQ+ community in Chicago for more than 10 years. Renauda is on the Board of Directors for Chicago Coalition for the Homeless. She prioritizes being of service to marginalized groups. She has received an award from Center On Halsted for Community Leadership. Renauda currently serves as Senior Revenue Tax Auditor of the Illinois Department of Revenue.Renauda was born and raised in Huntsville, Alabama and is a graduate of Alabama A&M University.
Terra Campbell (she/her/hers) is the Associate Director of Community Relations at Howard Brown Health, where she leads outreach initiatives connecting underserved communities to affirming, accessible care. Since
joining in 2019 as Volunteer Program Specialist, she has advanced into leadership by championing health equity, patient advocacy, and community-centered engagement.
Terra has been instrumental in Howard Brown’s public health response efforts, including those addressing COVID-19, MPOX, and ongoing HIV/STI prevention. Her work helps ensure patients and community members receive critical health services and are linked to wraparound care in spaces that honor their identities.
Outside of Howard Brown, Terra serves on the board of PRIDEChicago, the organization behind the Chicago PRIDE Parade, advocating for visibility, representation, and equity for LGBTQ+ communities citywide.
Known for her strategic and compassionate leadership, Terra is deeply committed to strengthening trust between healthcare systems and the communities they serve, promoting health access, and driving systemic change across Chicago’s most vulnerable populations.
Tracy Baim, co-founder of Pride Action Tank, (she/her) is executive director of Press Forward Chicago, a pooled fund for community journalism based at The Chicago Community Trust. Baim is co-founder and owner of Windy City Times. She is former publisher of the Chicago Reader newspaper. Baim has received Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Chicago Headline Club (2013) and the Chicago Journalists Association (2022). In 2014, she was inducted into the NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ Journalists Hall of Fame. She was inducted into the Association for Women Journalists-Chicago Chapter Hall of Fame in 2018. She is also in the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame. She has won numerous LGBTQ community and journalism honors, including the Community Media Workshop’s Studs Terkel Award in 2005 and the Lambda Legal Bon Foster Award in 2023. Baim has written and/or edited 14 books, her newest a biography of Howard Brown Health.