Gannon Long is Secretary of True Colors, Inc.’s Board of Directors, and has served as a member since June 2008. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Romance Languages and Literatures from The University of Chicago in 2004. Since moving back to Hartford, she has worked at Everybody Wins! CT, The Institute for Community Research, and Love Makes a Family. Gannon she speaks Spanish and Italian, and enjoys cooking, traveling, and politics. While on the board, Gannon has led the initiative to revamp True Colors’ website and worked to generate a strategic plan for the organization.
Lisa Tregoning is a new member of True Colors, Inc’s Board of Directors. She received her Bachelor’s of Liberal Arts from Lesley University and her Master’s in Elementary Education from Central Connecticut State University. As a lifelong CT resident, Lisa now resides in Durham with her husband, two children, two dogs and horse. She spent many years as a public school teacher and independent human relations consultant before becoming Senior Coordinator for the Safe Schools and Communities program at The Governor’s Prevention Partnership. Her focus has always been to provide a safe, respectful school environment for every student. Presently, she is looking forward to bringing visibility to LGBTQI issues into mainstream venues by having organizations, like The Partnership and True Colors, collaborate to provide inclusive programs for youth.
Rich Brady has been on the Board of Directors for True Colors since June of 2007 and is currently in his second term as a board member. He first joined the board after seeing the great impact the True Colors conference had on youth. Rich received his BA in Criminology from Central Connecticut State University in May of 2005. He has held a variety of management positions, and currently works in the Human Resources Management field. Rich enjoys traveling, working with youth, and is currently active with other youth groups in Connecticut. Rich is excited with the direction True Colors has taken, and is ready to help bring the organization forward in 2010 and beyond.
Christine O'Leary is a social worker, trainer, facilitator, public speaker and now makes a living as an Entertainer. Christine joined the Board of Directors of True Colors after participating in the True Colors 2007 conference which was when she knew she wanted to be a part of True Colors Inc. Working with homeless youth and GLBTQ youth in Portland, Maine Christine decided that working with True Colors would be the best way to put down queer roots in CT. Christine O'Leary moved to CT to be with her partner and their little dog. Her interests include a juicy healthy life, social media, production, theater, food and traveling to Ireland where she is a dual citizen and has health care. When not in CT, Christine spends time performing nationally at colleges, corporate events, comedy clubs, fundraisers and prides. She spends summers entertaining the tourists of Ogunquit, Maine. Christine O'Leary recently toured with Margaret Cho in Provincetown and was nominated one of the 50 Funniest Lesbians in America. Christine is so proud to be part of True Colors and making room for young people of CT to have the freedom to be and has huge hope that that will be contagious state by state.
Mark Pappalardo, is the Treasurer of True Colors, Inc.’s Board of Directors and has served as a member of the board since January 2008. Mark is employed as a Vice President for Bank of America, currently holding the position of Site Operations Manager for the Home Equity Operations Center in Farmington, CT. In addition to his primary position, Mark also serves as a senior leader of the corporation’s LGBT Pride Resource Group and chair of its Connecticut chapter. He earned his Associates Degree in Business and Hospitality Management from Manchester Community College in 1982. Mark is a professionally trained chef and enjoys traveling, skiing and spending time with family. While on the board, Mark has headed up the office relocation effort overseeing the process of reviewing and selecting the new True Colors office location in Hartford and as part of the Finance committee selected the organization’s new auditing firm.
Antonia Loconte recently began her own practice as a Hartford-area attorney after 15 years with the state of Connecticut. A native of Bristol, she double-majored in English and Journalism as a UConn undergrad student, then returned to attend the UConn School of Law, followed by a clerkship with the Chief Judge of the Connecticut Appellate Court. During the past decade, she has volunteered with many organizations that have worked to combat "ism"-based oppression. This includes board service with the former Project 100 Hartford LGBT Community Center and the West End Civic Association, transgender rights advocacy work with the Anti-Discrimination Coalition, undoing racism work with POWER, and drug policy reform work with A Better Way Foundation. Tonia has been a part of True Colors since it began recruiting youth mentors in 2003, and has also served as a conference presenter and dance chaperone, an occasional speaker at trainings, and now a board member. She likes to play softball and ride her motorcycle in the New York Pride parade, and you'd be hard-pressed to beat her at Scrabble.
Cheryl Parks is in her third and final term as President of the Board of Directors of True Colors, Inc. She has served as a Board member since 2006. Cheryl earned her Masters of Social Work at the University of Washington in 1978 and her PhD from Bryn Mawr College in 1997. She is the Associate Dean for Research and Professor at the University of Connecticut School of Social Work. In addition to being a long time supporter of the work of True Colors, Cheryl’s research interests include issues affecting LGBT youth and adults. She is currently assisting True Colors staff in developing a research initiative to expand knowledge and understanding about the needs of families of LGBT youth.
Nicholas D’Agostino is Vice President of True Colors, Inc.’s Board of Directors and has served on the Board since 2007. He earned his Bachelor’s degree is Sociology from Quinnipiac University in 2005 and has committed much of his professional career to diversity work. Starting as a youth participant at the True Colors Conference just over 10 years ago, Nick has made his True Colors career turn full circle. From that first conference Nick went on to present workshops and volunteer for the annual conference, became an employee for the agency in 2003 until 2006 and now sits on the Board. While on the Board Nick has successfully led the agency’s Annual Chocolate and Cheesecake Fundraiser. For the past three and half years Nick has worked for the State of Connecticut as an Equal Employment Opportunity Specialist.
Robert Szczepanski is committed to supporting and growing the safety and empowerment of LGBTQI youth and people. His passionate commitment led him to True Colors as a mentor and then to a seat on the Board of Directors. As chair of the Strategic Planning Committee of the Board, he is interested in the alignment of True Colors’ programming and resources to its mission, goals and objectives. Robert is also A World of Difference®Trainer for the Anti-Defamation League facilitating diversity awareness in Connecticut’s schools. Robert lives in Rocky Hill with his joyful yellow Labrador, Saffron, and works as a consultant for the Connecticut State Department of Education. Through regular yoga practice, cycling, hiking and running, along with a deep connection to the natural world, Robert believes in balanced health and well-being by caring for the body, mind and spirit. He is currently studying to be a psychotherapist with special interest in serving LGBTQI people.
Pete Papallo has been on the board since June 2009. He has been a long time supporter of True Colors, and has attended many of the annual conferences. He has worked in human service for many years, graduating from Smith College School for Social Work with an MSW. For the past four years he has been on the faculty of the UCONN School of Social Work, teaching in both the group work and casework sequences. He lives in Bristol, and is a life-long Red Sox fan.
Nicole Sabel is the newest member to join the Board of Directors for True Colors. She graduated from Southern Connecticut State University in 2002 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and minor in History. In 2006 Nicole graduated with her Master's of Arts degree in Community Counseling from Fairfield University. Currently she works for the Women's Center of Greater Danbury as a Counselor Advocate. Her work focuses around providing counseling services, education, and advocacy for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. Nicole also has a strong concentration working with the LGBTQI community through therapeutic and outreach services. She also serves as a member a WAVE (Working Against Violence Everywhere), a task force dedicated to addressing domestic violence and sexual assault within the LGBTQI community, for the past 4 years.
Kristen Melesky joined the Board in June 2009. She was first introduced to True Colors in 2008 as a mentor. Professionally, Kristen has worked in communications and marketing for ten years beginning as a freelance sports journalist, graphic designer and website developer. More recently, Kristen served as Director of Communications for a non-profit trade organization and for the past two years has been working in marketing and sales strategy for a Fortune 500 Company. Kristen has a Bachelors Degree in Communication and Culture with a concentration in Journalism from Clark University and a Masters of Science in Interactive Communications from Quinnipiac University. As a board member, Kristen has worked on the organization’s recent rebrand and website redesign and looks forward to helping develop an overall PR/Communications strategy for True Colors. In her spare time, Kristen enjoys playing sports, traveling and dining out.
Mario J. McGriff, II
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