Q Center Board of Directors

 

Aaron Hall

Aaron Hall is the owner of Aaron Hall Architecture (aha) and a LEED accredited professional. He previously served as president of the Portland Area Business Association (PABA), Portland’s GLBTQ Chamber of Commerce, representing hundreds of gay-owned and gay-friendly businesses in our community. Aaron led the search for Q Center’s permanent home and he is currently working with a group of trade and design professionals to develop the Center’s physical space and amenities.

 

 

 

Anne Viola, Treasurer

Anne Viola is a Colorado native. She fell in love with both Portland and her partner in 2004, moving here permanently the following Spring. She has a strong background in accounting and bookkeeping which serves her well in her career as a loan officer. Anne has worked in the mortgage industry at Rose City Mortgage since December of 2005. She feels fortunate to work for a successful woman-owned business that is committed to being “green” and promoting sustainable practices. She and her dog Ishai volunteer at a local school and the public library through a pet assisted therapy program sponsored by Dove Lewis Emergency Animal Hospital. Anne loves playing soccer year round and is a proud sponsor of Portland’s lesbian dragon boat team, the Amazon Dragons.

 

 

 

Beth Allen

Beth is the owner of Beth Allen Law PC, a firm that reaches out specifically to the LGBT community and its allies. Her practice includes divorce and custody, adoptions, surrogacy and other family law matters, estate planning, business and employment law. She was a founding member of the Basic Rights Legal Group and still commits significant time to that organization. Beth teaches a seminar on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity as an adjunct professor at Lewis & Clark Law School, and is often a speaker at colleges and universities around the state on LGBT issues. She is a sought after speaker on the subject of marriage equality, and has appeared in numerous radio and newspaper articles. She has performed innumerable hours of pro bono work seeking equality for the LGBT community, including same-sex marriage and transgender rights. Beth and her partner Christine are the proud mothers of two young boys.

 

 

 

Jim Taff, Co-Chair

Jim is a native Oregonian, a graduate of Oregon State University and has worked in human resources since the early 1980s. Currently he is the Assistant Vice President of Compensation & Benefits at Standard Insurance Company. Jim and his long time partner Dirk moved from San Francisco to Portland in 1999 and currently live the SW neighborhood of Garden Home.

 

 

 

Judge Kemp

Judge Kemp can be best described as a people person. He currently works as an Executive Assistant for FamilyCare, Inc. in Portland. Prior to coming to Portland more than a decade ago, Judge lived and travelled abroad in Europe where he worked as Chief Concierge for a luxury hotel in Amsterdam. A graduate of Portland State University, Judge majored in Communication and minored in Community Development. Being a community-minded leader but also one who likes to have fun, Judge has been a core volunteer and attendee for Portland’s premier Red Dress Party, a planning member for “Fire on the Columbia” on Sauvie Island, and is part of the PSU Department of Communication’s Alumni Resource Group. In the summer of 2011, Judge was also appointed by Governor John Kitzhaber to join the Commission on Black Affairs (OCBA). Judge resides in North Portland with his partner of 11 years, home designer Eric Schnell. The couple met in San Diego over 25 years ago when Eric’s hair was blonde and Judge had a moustache and a greasy Jheri curl. Judge and his partner enjoy traveling, meeting new people, and entertaining friends at their home.

 

 

 

Laura Calvo

Laura Calvo has a passion social justice and public service. The child of immigrant parents, Laura began her career in public service as a paramedic working for the city of San Francisco. Moving to Oregon in 1980 launched a career in law enforcement and a passion for political activism. Laura also served in the U.S. Navy Reserve. After retirement from law enforcement, she focused on her passion for politics where she currently serves as the treasurer of the Democratic Party of Oregon. She also serves as a member of the Oregon Health Exchange Consumer Advisory Committee. Over the years, Laura has worked with Basic Rights Oregon in helping to pass Oregon’s Equality Act and Family Fairness Act. Most recently, she has been involved with the Basic Rights Oregon Transgender Justice program. Just Out newspaper named her as one of the top 25 LGBTQ community leaders of the past quarter century. Pride NW honored Laura with the 2008 Spirit of Pride Award and the International Foundation for Gender Education honored her with the Trinity Award. PDX Latino Gay Pride and Northwest Gender Alliance have also recognized her service to the community.

 

 

 

Mary Wheat

Mary Wheat is a Portland native and lives in SW Portland with her partner Katie. Mary has worked for the Portland Police Bureau for the last nineteen years and is currently assigned as a Detective in the bureau’s Cold Case Homicide Unit. Past assignments have included investigating all bias/hate crimes in the Portland area and acting as the media representative for the Portland Police Bureau. Mary loves to travel internationally and she enjoys dining at Portland’s great restaurants with her partner and friends.

 

 

 

Ryan Wayman

Ryan Wayman is a native Oregonian and attended Oregon State University where he studied Psychology & Business Administration. He and his partner Patrick live in NE Portland with their two dogs, Jake and Sammy. Ryan has more than a decade of experience in Human Resources, Risk Management and Business Development. He is Managing Partner of Pride Financial Partners, an independent, open brokerage firm specializing in financial planning, wealth management and risk management for the small business owner, non-profits and individuals. Ryan and Pride Financial Partners pride themselves on giving back to local non-profit organizations, respecting and supporting diversity in our community and having the highest degree of ethical standards. His philosophy is to live for today but plan for tomorrow, love what you do and always serve your community.

 

 

 

Mayor Sam Adams, Honorary Chair

Sam Adams, Portland’s first openly gay mayor (and former city commissioner), serves as Q Center Honorary Chair. Considerable charm, smarts, leadership savvy, and good humor are but a few of the assets Sam brings to this work. A part of the center development team from day one, he holds a deep personal commitment to creating a vibrant, thriving LGBTQ community center.

“With Q Center, we finally have a place for us and our allies to call home.”

Check out Sam’s blog to learn more about his city-wide activities.

 

 

 

Tim Bias

Tim Bias has lived in the great Northwest for the past 40 years. Though originally from Santa Ana, CA, he thinks the Portland/Vancouver area is the most beautiful and wonderful place to live. His passion for the community, and love of the location, translate into the self-moniker of ‘Ambassador to Portland’. Mr. Bias is an agent for Farmers Insurance and has owed his own agency for 17 of the 23 years he’s been in the business. Outside of the office, he has been involved with the Rose City Softball Association for 15 of their 16 years; serving as assistant commissioner ( 6 years), Commissioner (2 years) and currently as Public Relations Ambassador. He lives by two mottos “Everything happens for a GOOD reason” and “You can NEVER have to many friends.”

 

 

 

Q Center Staff

Barbara McCullough-Jones, Executive Director

Barbara brings more than 20 years of executive nonprofit experience to Q Center’s SMYRC program. She was the executive director of the LGBTQ Community Center in San Jose, California, was a founding member of the LGBTQ Center in Phoenix, Arizona and also founded the Lesbian Resource Project in Tempe, Arizona. Barbara served as President of the Association of United Way Agencies and represented more than 1,400 businesses during her time there. Recently, Barbara served on the Board of Directors for the National Association of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Centers (Center Link). Barbara and her spouse, Sandra, are from the Northwest and look forward to being back in the region again to continue their work and to enjoy everything the Portland area has to offer. To reach Barbara by email, please click HERE. To connect on Twitter, please click HERE. Barbara is on Facebook as well so look her up!

 

 

 

Bree Abbey, Program Coordinator

Bree Abbey began working with LGBTQ youth programs through the Sexual and Gender Minority Youth Resource Center in the summer of 2008. Her current staff positions with Q Center’s SMYRC program include Bridge 13 Community Education Coordinator as well as Washington County Pride Project Coordinator. She holds a B.A. in Psychology from Smith College and her professional background includes advocating for LGBTQ cultural competency in public health policies; prevention education with at-risk youth (specifically those who are pregnant, parenting, and/or identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning); educating community members on how to create safer spaces for the LGBTQ population; and most recently, acting as SMYRC’s liaison with suburban and rural LGBTQ youth, families and school systems. Bree is a passionate advocate of youth empowerment, social and reproductive justice, and reducing health disparities in minority populations, and she enthusiastically incorporates these values into her work with Q Center’s SMYRC Program. To reach Bree by email, please click HERE.

 

 

 

DeDe Desperate, Volunteer Coordinator

Dede is full time student focusing on social sciences, a proud dog owner and a volunteer coordinator at Q Center. Dede has been passionate about LGBTQQA rights since growing up in the heartland of America. Dede fell in love with Pacific Northwest and never looked back. She has spent years in Portland being a dancer, performer, and soon to be a indie horror flick princess. He became bored with the nightlife and is now using his powers for building a stronger community in which all are represented equal. Dede has been with the Q Center since late 2009; starting out as a reception volunteer and now focusing on building the volunteer program here at Q Center. Dede is desperate for making sure every Queerdo has the opportunity to show the world that “we’re here, we’re queer, we’re volunteering for the greater good and looking good while we do it”. To reach DeDe by email, please click HERE.

 

 

 

Grey Reid, BSW Intern

Grey began at with Q Center’s SMYRC program in the fall of 2011 to start an internship for the BSW program at PSU. Grey is committed to social justice, community building, and youth empowerment and is excited to work with an organization which also highly values these ideals. Outside of SMYRC, Grey can often be found listening intently, appreciating stellar hairstyles, missing the ocean, avoiding loud noises, and otherwise living life as quietly as possible. To reach Grey by email, please click HERE.