Karen Ball
Karen is a leader and project manager in the public, private and non-profit sectors, assisting clients in achieving their strategic and operational objectives. The last 15 years have been focused on Information Technology, directing complex projects, delivering training, identifying and documenting business processes, and negotiating. She is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and an attorney licensed to practice law in Ohio with specialized mediation and collaboration training.
Carol Boltz
As a mother of four grown children, and a grandmother to two, Carol was married for over 30 years until her husband, Ray, came out as gay. Their fundamentalist Christian background was shaken to realize that being gay was not a choice, and Carol had to reevaluate the core of her beliefs. She describes this as both a heartbreaking and growing life change, and one that has led her to a very different path. Rather than distance herself from the issues involved, Carol has become an advocate of both straight spouses as well as the GLBTQ communities.
Her blog is http://myheartgoesout-carol.blogspot.com. Carol is a native of Indiana, although she now divides her time between there and a home in Florida. She graduated (1977) from Ball State University with a B.A. in Special Education. While in Indiana, her church is Commonway. In Florida, she attends Sarasota Congregational United Church of Christ.
Bill Carpenter
Bill grew up in Memphis, TN where in his early teens, he witnessed much of the civil rights movement, including nonviolent demonstrations and marches led by Dr. King, Rev. James Lawson and his brother Phil and other of his present day heroes. After graduating from the University of Alabama, he worked in business and marketing in retailing and real estate. Coming out as a 40 year old, he shifted his attention from a traditional business career to a life of service. Presently, Bill is an active student of Truth principles, active at his Unity church and as a trainer in welcoming diversity and in principles of nonviolence. Bill says one of his greatest Soulforce experiences was early in Soulforce history at the UMC convention in Cleveland, OH in 2000 hearing two of his s/heroes Bob and Jeanie Graetz tell about the “second time their house was firebombed” while living in Montgomery, Alabama.
Maru Gonzalez
Maru Gonzalez is a doctoral student in the Social Justice Education program at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a former school counselor. Her research interests include school counselor advocacy, bullying, undocumented youth, and queer youth perspectives of school climate. After attending Soulforce Q-Camp in 2009, she co-founded Georgia Safe Schools Coalition, an organization dedicated to creating safe and affirming school climates for all students. Maru’s passion for safe schools has taken her from Atlanta to Capitol Hill where she has lobbied members of Congress to vote on behalf of the Safe Schools Improvement Act, the Student Non-Discrimination Act and a resolution for the National Day of Silence. In recognition of her safe schools activism, Maru was invited to the White House LGBT Pride Reception where she had the opportunity to meet President Obama. She is also the recipient of the Champions for Equality Award and was recognized as a Grand Marshall at Atlanta Pride 2010. Most recently, Maru helped secure protections for LGBT youth and faculty in her former school district’s anti-bullying and harassment policy.
She has also collaborated with such organizations as the National Action Network and the Anti-Defamation League to fight oppression at all levels. Maru’s commitment to social change has spawned a passion for politics and youth engagement. She served as Campus Coordinator for Students for Barack Obama and delivered weekly commentary as a Political Contributor for the CNN Newsroom with Rick Sanchez during the 2008 presidential election. Maru looks forward to growing as an activist and building coalitions that will connect policy, politics, academia and grass roots activism. Marucurrently resides in Amherst, Massachusetts and works at the Stonewall Center. She enjoys hiking, running and playing Scrabble.
Kevin Trimell Jones
Kevin Trimell Jones is a public health advocate who combines his passions for history, urban communities and social justice to promote dialogue and change. For the past ten years, he has organized around community and public health issues, and has worked with various individuals, communities and organizations locally and abroad. Professionally, he serves as a behavioral researcher at the University of Pennsylvania’s HIV/AIDS Prevention Research Division where he designs recruitment and retention strategies for clinical HIV vaccine trials. Additionally, Kevin is a national trainer with the Gay Men’s Health Leadership Academy, a co-founder of the Black Gay Men’s Leadership Council and the founder of the Black LGBT Archivists Society of Philadelphia, an organization that strives to provide opportunities for creating, documenting, preserving and exhibiting Philadelphia’s Black LGBT history. He holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan and Masters-level graduate degrees from the University of Massachusetts — Amherst and the University of Pennsylvania. Kevin was born in Saginaw, MI, grew up in Detroit, MI and currently resides in Philadelphia, PA.
Dr Julie Nemecek
Dr. Julie Nemecek is a former university professor who lost her job when she came out at the Christian university where she was an assistant dean and associate professor. The story was quickly picked up by the Associated Press and ultimately appeared in various media including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, U.S. News and World Report, Fox News, Newsweek, Christianity Today and numerous other local, regional, national, and international publications or broadcasts. Dr. Nemecek and Joanne, her life partner of 36 years have become outspoken activists for LGBT rights. In June of 2007 they spoke from the steps of the Michigan Capital to a crowd that was estimated by local police to be nearly 3000. They have shared their story on university and college campuses, the occasional high school campus, and churches. It is a story of injustice, pain, suffering, hope, and love. Julie and Joanne have three boys; all married. Dr. Nemecek serves on the boards of Michigan Equality, Michigan Association of LGBT Organizations and Allies, and PFLAG Jackson as well as the advisory board of Trans Youth Family Allies (TYFA).
Yantézia Patrick
As a young activist, I firmly believe that it is not my job to play it safe, follow the status quo and prosper, when my ancestors before me sacrificed much so that my life might be plentiful. This mindset led me to the University of Missouri where I studied journalism with the hopes of learning, among other things, how community, what I believe to be the opposite of violence, was created and fostered through storytelling. Furthermore, university gave me ample time to get my feet wet as an activist as I found myself at the forefront of the IncludeMe Gender Inclusion campaign, which earned me the title of Person of the Year along with my good friend and fellow activist, Asher Koleiboi. A native of Indiana and current Kansas City resident and educator, I find the Midwest to be an amazing place to grow as an activist and challenge one’s self. Intersectionality is my favorite word and on the day we as queer people alongside our allies find equality for the entire community in some form, I will be wearing argyle.
Chuck Phelan
Chuck Phelan is a charter member of Soulforce and has served on its board of directors since 2000. Chuck additionally serves on the board of directors of Metropolitan Community Church-Los Angeles and is president of the MCC Churches Board of Pensions (USA). He is also a founder and managing partner of National TeleConsultants, a consulting, engineering design and systems integration firm serving the media and entertainment industry. He lives with his husband, Steven McIntyre, in Los Angeles.
Troy Sanders
Troy is working to ensure that we achieve a good balance between the MCC worship and conference experience and The Fellowship worship and conference experience. Troy is also writing liturgies and designing services. His ministerial background includes eight years as a fulltime travel¬ing minister; 12 years of church administration, where he created training curriculums and modules for leadership development; lecturing; and the development and institutionalization of a gos¬pel choir in his hometown of Denmark. Enriched by the mandate to be an advocate of liberation to all, Pastor Troy is equally grateful for his ministry of music. He completed a dual Master’s of Divinity and Masters of Art degree at the Interdenominational Theological Center (Atlanta, GA) in 2008. At present, Pastor Troy is a facilitator for Deeper Love, an African American Gay Outreach (AAGO) program of AID Atlanta twice a month, leading holistic and healthy interfaith dialogue with black gay men of various ages on spirituality and sexuality while assisting in the work of connecting the two.
