The Out Alliance Board of Directors serves a vital function in our work.

Colleen is the LGBTQ Coordinator at the University of Rochester. A former trademark attorney at Nixon Peabody LLP, Colleen is a Rochester native who attended Monroe Community College, receiving an Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice, The College at Brockport, receiving a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice, and SUNY Buffalo Law School, receiving her Juris Doctor. In her role as LGBTQ Coordinator, Colleen boasts “the best job in the world” where she gets to work every day with the future of our community and has an opportunity to focus her work on the many issues facing community members who are minoritized and at intersections within our community. A passionate activist, she is known for her crowd-energizing speeches at rallies. In her time at Nixon Peabody, Colleen co-chaired their national LGBT Affinity Group and focused her pro bono work on transgender name changes.

Luis A. Rosario-McCabe earned his Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from The University of Rochester School of Nursing in Rochester, NY. Dr. Rosario-McCabe’s doctoral project focus is designing, implementing, and evaluating a decentralized interprofessional team-based transgender cultural education program for licensed and non-licensed staff of a women’s health practice. He received his Master of Science Degree in Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner and a Post-master Clinical Nurse Leader Certificate from The University of Rochester School of Nursing. His certifications include: Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner from the National Certification Corporation and Clinical Nurse Leader from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. He is a member of the Nurse Practitioner Association of New York State, the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association, and Sigma Theta Tau International. In 2016 he was selected by the nursing students at The University of Rochester to receive the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. He has over 20 years of experience working as a women’s health nurse practitioner. He is an assistant professor at The University of Rochester School of Nursing where he is the master’s specialty director of the clinical nurse leader program and the women’s health nursing course coordinator in the accelerated programs for non-nurses.

Originally from southern California, he lives with his husband and son in Churchville, NY.

Sady Fischer joined the Out Alliance Board in January 2017. She is a dynamic, highly sought after queer, feminist, Latinx speaker who is known for her energy and passion around social justice issues.

Sady is the Inclusion Programs & Outreach Coordinator for the Office of Inclusion at Excellus BCBS, where she updated the company’s Gender Transition Guidelines and led staff in its implementation; initiated and led the company’s first-time participation in the Puerto Rican Day Parade; and most recently accepted the role as Chair of Excellus’ LGBTQA Employee Resource Group.

Sady holds a Bachelor’s in Gender Studies from Empire State College and is a Certified Diversity Professional.

As a result of her own intersecting identities, she has a strong passion for women, Latinx and LGBTQ issues. Sady is involved with many community initiatives, which include serving as the Co-Chair of Latinas Unidas’ Soy Unica! Soy Latina! Rally and Co-Chair of FR=EE’s Summit on Race Education Committee. She is a Facilitator with the United Ways’ Pride in Leadership Development Program; a Trainer with the Out Alliance’s LGBTQ Academy and member of the Speakers Bureau; Senior Facilitator with the National Coalition Building Institute’s Rochester Chapter; and Facilitator with the YWCA’s Racial Equity Program. She is also the Co-Founder of Ambush Rochester.

In 2015, Sady graduated from the inaugural class of the Pride in Leadership Development Program (PLDP). She completed the United Way’s Latino Leadership Development Program in 2008. In 2016, she joined the core team of collaborators from Excellus, the United Way and the Out Alliance, in developing and implementing the 2016 PLDP program.

Sady was the 2015 Recipient of Latinas Unidas’ Reconocimiento Volunteer Service Award; a 2013 Democrat & Chronicle’s “Woman to Watch”; a 2009 “Latina to Watch” in La Voz; and the 2008 Recipient of the NYS Commissioner’s “Distinguished Service Award” for her work around HIV/AIDS.

When she’s not trying to shift perceptions and break through stereotypes, you will find her with her family: her partner, Leslie, and their 3 boys. “They’re my pride and joy, and motivate me to make a difference in the world!”

“This is your world. Shape it or someone else will.” (Gary Lew)

As a Rochester, NY native, Jeffrey attended the Rochester Institute of Technology receiving his Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology with a concentration in Network and Systems Administration. Fascinated with business, technology and the marriage of the two, Jeffrey began his career as a sophomore in high school, working with a local entrepreneur about his age to develop the world’s first online sales leads generation system. Shortly thereafter, and while attending college full-time, Jeffrey went on to serve as the Chief Technology Officer for BlueTie, Inc – where he was later appointed to the CEO role. He is currently serving as the CEO of Adventive, Inc – an advertising software firm located here in Rochester.

Luis is a native of Rochester whose family resettled here from Puerto Rico in 1954. His parents and older siblings instilled in him a commitment to community services at a very early age, leading to his first neighborhood protest and uplift action when he was only 8-years old. He continued with leadership action in Franklin high school and Hobart College where he actively elevated student voice that resulted in diversity initiatives and curriculum changes at his schools. After College, Luis enjoyed a 32-year career with the City of Rochester with a variety of assignments starting as a Bilingual Employment and Training Counselor, progressing through assignments as a Budget Analyst, a Finance Department Bureau Head, Director of Recreation and Leisure Services, and culminating in his appointment as Commissioner of Recreation and Youth Services. After his retirement from the City of Rochester, Luis served as Interim Executive Director of NeighborWorks Rochester in 2015. As a long-time former board-member, he was called to serve and support that agency’s search for a permanent Executive Director. Luis also stayed busy as a consultant for youth program development and community engagement. In 2016, he joined the Ibero American Action League as their Director of Youth Services where he continues to serve today, focusing on staff and program development to support the Latino community.

Dana Weiss, is the executive director of the Brockport Auxiliary Service Corporation
at the College of Brockport. BASC is a 501c(3) corporation providing auxiliary services to the campus.

Prior to coming to Brockport in 2013 , Dana had over thirty years of auxiliary service management experience at the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University, in Brookville, NY; where she progressed throughout her career and most recently served as the Associate Provost for Operations and Auxiliary Enterprises.

Dana has volunteered for numerous LGBTQ organizations for over a decade. Currently she volunteers for The OutAlliance, The Human Rights Campaign and the ImageOut Film Festival, Dana is a passionate believer in the power of education in promoting understanding and acceptance of people who are different than ourselves.

Dana earned her MBA from Long Island University. She also holds a Master of Science degree in Criminal Justice/ Security Administration and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology and Anthropology.

Selvia Hanna has over 15 years of customer service experience and has been with Canandaigua National Bank & Trust since 2009. In her current role as Community Office Manager of the Alexander Park Bank Office, Selvia is responsible for cultivating financial relationships with individuals and small businesses. Her responsibilities include: nurturing relationships in the community through the origination of home equities, consumer loans, and small business loans as well as assisting in the growth and retention of the Alexander Park Community Office customer base.

Education
St. John Fisher College – Bachelor’s in Psychology
New York University – Master’s in Counseling
Professional
Genesee Valley Women’s Foundation
Blackfriars Theatre
Rochester Young Professionals
Rochester Women’s Network
BASWA (Business Association of the South Wedge Area)

PENNY STERLING hasn't always been Penny, but she has always been funny. She received her BA in Drama from Ithaca College in 1981, and has performed on stages and in comedy clubs across New York and in Canada--as an actor, stand-up comedian, and as a member of several improvisational troupes. Penny is an accomplished storyteller in more than one way: She's Emmy-nominated television producer/director and the former head writer of The North Pole Times website.

Penny spent the first half-century of her life living as a man, getting married and divorced, raising children, and trying to ignore the part of her soul that kept telling her "this is not who you are!" In April of 2014 she finally admitted to herself that she was transgender, and 18 months later she began living her authentic life, much to the surprise of most of her family and friends. Penny encouraged them to ask questions, and her responses became the framework for her show Spy in the House of Men: A One Woman Show with Balls, which earned her critical and audience acclaim around the country.

While still performing Spy, Penny is also performing Parents & Children, Husbands & Wives: It's all Relatives, a collaborative evening of song and story with musicians Mike & Mel Muscarella, of Violet Mary, (coming to Cleveland in July 2019), and writing two new shows: SHMILF LIFE (her take on dating [or lack thereof] as an older transgender woman debuting in Rochester in September 2019), and Children are Designed to be Raised by Idiots (stories and assurances about the best, hardest, dumbest job ever).

Penny lives in Rochester, NY, with her two youngest children (when they're home from college) and her cat, Betty (who has shown no inclination towards secondary education).

photo credit: Annette Dragon

Rochester native Matt Burns is currently the dean of students at the University of Rochester. As such, he oversees many of the offices related to students’ out-of-classroom experiences, such as student activities, fraternity and sorority affairs, the Rochester Center for Community Leadership, the Paul J. Burgett Intercultural Center, the Center for Student Conflict Management, Parent Relations, and the M.K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence. Matt graduated from the University at Albany with a B.A. in English and then an M.S. in Educational Administration and Policy Studies. He has been a supporter of the Alliance for many years, most notably as a member of the Speakers Bureau.

Christopher Covington Goodwin is the Supervisor of The Mocha Center Rochester. They are a graduate of Nashville State Community College with an A.S. in Psychology and from American Baptist College with a B.A. in Bible & Theology with a focus in Community & Non-profit Organization Leadership. Christopher is one who offers there voice, insights, courage and gifts to expose truth. Christopher has volunteered and worked within the HIV prevention and LGBT plus advocacy for 17 years starting in Nashville, TN as Nashville’s visible, vocal advocates as Young Brothers United Peer Coordinator with Nashville CARES and worked with the Metropolitan Interdenominational Church First Response Center as the Project Manager and co-creator of Project UNO providing empowerment, outreach, and education surrounding issues concerning the LGBTQ plus communities of color.

A shift in life brought Christopher to the city of Rochester, New York in 2014 to continue the efforts in working with LGBTQ communities of color as the Supervisor of The MOCHA Center which later became a part of the Trillium Health Family. Christopher is a social justice advocate for black and brown people and loves to bring liberation to the people. Christopher is also a grad student at Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School where they are working on their Masters in Divinity. On July 5, 2015 Christopher was ordained by Rev. Edwin Sanders at Metropolitan Interdenominational Church. They are a graduate of the United Way African American Leadership Development Program class of 2017, sits on the The Rochester Black Pride committee since 2015, and does public speaking and facilitates multiple diversity trainings around the country.