Phyllis “Seven”’ 20+ years of experience with nonprofits, includes program management, fundraising, and upper-level management positions. For many years, she has played a strong role as an advocate in Cleveland’s LGBT community.

Under the direction of Phyllis since 2012, the LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland has experienced unprecedented growth and expansion. Today, Center patrons enjoy expanded programming for everyone from teens to families to seniors in their Gordon Square facility. In 2015, the Center launched Pride in the CLE, a family-oriented and community-driven LGBT Pride festival that the group continues to produce annually. Earlier this year, Phyllis and her team began the construction process for a brand-new facility that will offer more space, accessibility, and versatility.

Throughout her career, Phyllis has leveraged both her passion and her multi-faceted experience to lead the organization on a path of sustainable growth and vitality. She is a past recipient of the Homer C. Wadsworth award, is currently completing a leadership fellowship with the Arcus Foundation and has earned a spot in the 2019 class of Leadership Cleveland. Prior to joining the Center, Phyllis directed a major capital campaign for the Cleveland Sight Center, served as Vice President of Programs for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Cleveland and spearheaded youth initiatives at Planned Parenthood of Northeast Ohio. Her leadership in local nonprofit circles also extends to service on several boards.

Phyllis holds a master’s degree in non-profit management from Case Western Reserve University and a Bachelor of Arts from Baldwin Wallace College.

Pete is a licensed professional clinical counselor and supervisor (LPCC-S), advocate, consultant, educator, and founder of Grow Well Cleveland LLC. He received a B.A. in Psychology and Master’s in Counseling (with emphasis in marriage and family therapy) from California State University-Fresno, followed by a Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision from Kent State University. As a clinician Pete has worked in college counseling centers, community agencies, crisis centers, private practice, and inpatient behavioral health centers. These experiences allowed Pete to hone a holistic, systemic approach while developing unique nutritional, physical activity, and advocacy techniques for therapy borrowed from his other careers as an educator, personal trainer, and yoga instructor.

Particular modalities include exercise and yoga therapy in individual, dyad, and group settings. Pete’s practice is punctuated by the use of affirmative, feminist, existential, and wellness counseling for all clients but especially LGBTQ persons and others marginalized in society. Pete enjoys working with adolescent boys, athletes, couples, families, and many others at Grow Well Cleveland.
 
Pete was previously an assistant professor at Ursuline College in the Counseling & Art Therapy program where he taught assessment, theory, diversity, psychopathology, research methodology, service learning, and specialty courses on LGBTQ issues and wellness. Pete developed scholarly literature in these areas including a comprehensive set of competencies in working with the LGBTQ population as part of advocacy with the Association of LGBT Issues in Counseling (ALGBTIC), a division of the American Counseling Association. Other publications and research interests include LGBTQ issues, social justice, advocacy, wellness, and technology in counseling.
 
Pete advocates locally, regionally and nationally for LGBTQ persons and other marginalized persons, military members/veterans, and professional counselors. He has presented at local, state, and national conferences on LGBTQ issues, advocacy, wellness, supervision, teaching, and other topics. In his spare time you will find Pete running the trails and riding the roads of the greater Cleveland parks.

Ryan is a Licensed Independent Social Worker (LISW) with experience working with adults of all ages from diverse backgrounds and life experiences. He earned a Master of Social Work from Cleveland State University. He has worked in outpatient community mental health centers, providing both case management and therapy. 
Ryan works with adults in individual therapy to address issues including depression, anxiety, stress, trauma, relationship issues, life adjustments, and substance abuse. He has experience working with those who have a co-occurring disorder (mental health and substance abuse). Ryan has provided individual therapy and group therapy for those in recovery, mainly groups for those in the pre-contemplation stage and the traditional IOP group.  Recently, Ryan became certified to run Helping Men Recover, a group that specializes in men who are in recovery with trauma related issues and how to understand these issues better.  
Ryan volunteers in many service capacities at his church, with homeless populations as well as facilitating food packing for needy families on Cleveland’s Westside.  Ryan also is a volunteer board member for a new LGBT Center for Cleveland area youth. Serving the LGBT population is also a specialty of Ryan’s. 
Ryan has provided services to those in emergency situations as well as short and long-term therapy and can see how impactful mental health and substance abuse treatment can be to those seeking services.  

Evie is passionate about preparing Cleveland’s next generation of leadership and helping to amplify their voices in a society where they are often silenced. She has been recognized for her work with young adults and the Northeast Ohio community.
She currently serves as the Assistant Director of the Women's Center at Cleveland State University.  She previously held positions as the Director of Look Up To Cleveland, at The LGBT Center of Greater Cleveland and The Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio, where her focus has been around issues of equity around race, ethnicity, (dis)ability, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation and gender identity and/or expression, as well as leadership development within a global context. She developed and delivered programs extensively throughout the United States around diversity and inclusion, including a large-scale LGBTQ Cultural Competence program in preparation for the 2014 Gay Games in Northeastern Ohio.
She has been named by The Plain Dealer as one of Cleveland’s Community Heroes for her work with young adults and received an LGBT Heritage Day Award from the City of Cleveland for her work in education and social services. She was named one of the top five most influential people in Northeast Ohio for LGBTQ advocacy by Cleveland Magazine, and Cisgender Ally of the Year by the Northeast Ohio Transgender community. 
Evie holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Notre Dame College, a master’s in psychology from Cleveland State University and graduate-level certification in diversity management. She is adjunct faculty in Women and Gender Studies at Cleveland State University. Evie is a proud and active resident of the Collinwood neighborhood in Cleveland.

Sky joined the Colors+ board not only because she considers herself an ally but because she has always been an agent of change. She is someone who has been able to come from a relatively unique perspective as a young child of color growing up in a rural mostly white town. She also spent most of her life in private Catholic school where for the 1st 8 years, her brother and her were the only people of color in the entire school. While she does not know what it’s like to be a member of the LGBTQ+ community specifically, she does know what it’s like to feel different and sometimes alone as she tried to make her way through life. She has tried to avail herself of every resource possible throughout her life to give back and support others.

When she was in high school, she was on multiple boards bringing speakers like Maya Angelou, Bishop Desmond Tutu, and Matthew Shepard’s mother to speak to her contemporaries. In college, she took  LGBTQ law classes, and she’s been a part of several groups since then who’s focus is on equality and unity.  She would love to help young people grow up in a world where the love, acceptance, equality and unity feels more tangible than ever before.

Henry, MD, MPH (he/they)  is a dually trained and certified internist and pediatrician, educator, and advocate for LGBTQ health. Currently. They serve as the Head for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Medical Services and the Medical Lead for the Transgender Surgery & Medicine Program at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation.

They completed their BS and his MD at Michigan State University.  They completed their residency and chief residency in Internal Medicine/Pediatrics at MetroHealth and joined the faculty in 2006.  In 2012, they completed a Master’s in Public Health degree at Case Western Reserve University with an emphasis on Health Promotion/Disease Prevention for LGBT populations. They attained the rank of Associate Professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.

Henry's clinical and academic work focused on delivering culturally and clinically competent care to medically vulnerable populations.  In 2007, they co-founded and has since served as the Clinical Director of the PRIDE Clinic, Ohio’s first medical home for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) patients.  

Henry's academic interests are in LGBT Health, health disparities, and public/population health.  They served as an associate editor for the journal, LGBT Health and had directed the LGBT clinical elective "PRIDE Clinic" at CWRU School of Medicine from 2008 to 2018. Henry was a board member and past president of GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBT Equality and was involved in medical education and mentorship.  They have also served on the National Advisory Council for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

Henry has received numerous community and academic awards including the Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award (2009), the Cleveland Human Rights Campaign Leadership Award (2013), the Gender Equity Award (2016), and the Transforming Care Medical Provider Award (2017).  

Henry is fluent in English, Spanish, Cantonese, and American Sign Language (ASL).

Colleen is a longtime LGBTQ and social justice activist, who began her career in New York City at the height of the AIDS epidemic. She served as an Advertising Executive for the weekly gay and lesbian newsmagazine, OutWeek, and was a member of ACT UP NY, participating in actions including the renowned Day of Desperation to demand adequate government funding to fight AIDS.
 

Following the demise of OutWeek, Colleen and two partners launched the weekly LGBTQ magazine, QW, available on New York City newsstands and nationally by subscription. QW was critically acclaimed and was featured in the New York Times, USA Today, The Village Voice, New York Post, People Magazine, Gay Cable News, and the BBC.

After leaving QW, Colleen launched a successful marketing career in the New York advertising industry. As technology progressed, she turned her attention to online capabilities, and created integrated digital marketing solutions for clients ranging from small business to the Fortune 500. Colleen is currently the Senior Marketing Manager for Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Northeast Ohio, where she specializes in marketing strategy, branding, storytelling, creative direction, digital and traditional media, and data-based decision making.
 

Colleen takes every chance she can to help educate and register voters, volunteer for Democratic and Progressive candidates and show up at rallies and protests. She relishes using her voice to fight for social justice and isn’t afraid of a little civil disobedience to rile things up. As a bisexual mom of a cisgender boy and lesbian daughter she is thrilled to devote her time and knowledge to Colors+ Youth Center.

Originally from Puerto Rico, Ana relocated to Cleveland, Ohio where she resumed her social work career after her service in the US Army. After years of service at Cuyahoga County Department of Children and Family Services, She found her way to health care as the Outreach Liaison and Coordinator for the Pediatric Hispanic Clinic at The MetroHealth System.  Eventually, she moved on to be the Operations Manager for the Women and Children’s Service Line, role that subsequently led to her to her new role as Principal for Clinical Transformation at the Institute for H.O.P.E. at The Metro Health System. 

Ana holds an Bachelor’s degree  in Social Work and a Master’s degree in Public Administration. Ana is also a 500hr registered yoga teacher.

Le’Priya received a Bachelor’s in Sociology at Oberlin College. Passionate about community building and creating safe spaces for BIPOC and Queer communities since a young age, Le’Priya is excited to be involved and advocating for the wellness of Queer and Trans youth with Colors+. During their Oberlin career, they became involved in and had leadership in various student community groups, such as Zami, Queer and Trans* Students of Color organization, La Alianza Latinx, the Latinx student union, ABUSUA, Black student union, etc. As a Mellon Mays Fellow, they studied the impacts of clothing, specifically using clothes as a language and a way to code-switch, have on queer students of color at predominately white institutions. Upon graduation in 2019, they were a recipient of the Norm Robertson LGBT Activism award.

Le’Priya is a proud, South Side of Chicago native and so thrilled to have found community in their new home of Cleveland. Le’Priya is a 2022 Foundations for Philanthropy Fellow under the Cleveland Foundation. Prior to their move to Cleveland, Le’Priya taught English as a Foreign Language, focusing on conversational English and American culture, in rural China through the Oberlin Shansi Fellowship. Previously the Program Manager at Plexus LGBT & Allied Chamberof Commerce, Le’Priya is ready and thrilled to learn more about the nonprofit  world alongside amazing, seasoned leaders!

Le’Priya is a proud pet parent of two guinea pigs and two cats. In Le’Priya’s free time, they are both a food and a game show fanatic. If it’s not “Family Feud”, they are most likely watching “Beat Bobby Flay” and studying the techniques of the chefs. While still being relatively new, please send all great food/restaurant recommendations their way, please!