Soulforce Staff

 
Bill Carpenter
Interim Executive Director

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.

Today, I call upon every LGBT person to reach deep within and connect with the joyous truth of who you are and declare, once and for all, I will not accept being treated as a 2nd class person or citizen of my country. Today, I stand with all oppressed peoples of the earth and declare: I am whole and worthy and loved – just as I am!

 

Gary Nixon


Director of Business

Gary is Co-Founder of Soulforce and has been with the organization before conception doing what has been needed from behind the scenes. He spends many hours each day managing donations and expenses, and filling orders for those who have requested one of Soulforce's print or video resources. Working as a team, he and Mel have celebrated 28 years of life together and are looking forward to the next 28.

"My wish for Soulforce is that eventually we are no longer needed, that we will have been accepted into the human family like the rest of the population and now we can get down to business to do what really needs to be done."
Kara Speltz
Executive Assistant

Kara has been involved with Soulforce since prior to the first action in Lynchburg, in 1999. She comes out of a Catholic Worker background and has been a peace and justice activist for over forty years. She was involved in the Catholic left draft board and corporation actions of the late 60's and early 70s, houses of hospitality, anti-racist work, prison work, and union organizing. In 2002, she traveled to Iraq just days after war started and then again two years later. As Executive Assistant her responsibilities involve being a "jill-of-all trades," so to speak; from making airline and hotel reservations, aiding in research for Mel's books, writing and/or editing pieces for publication, to making sure that Soulforce mail gets responded to.
Jim Rainbolt Jim Rainbolt
Development Director

Jim Rainbolt comes to Soulforce with more than 15 years of experience in the areas of non profit administration and resource development. Jim's first action with Soulforce came in 2001 while living in Indianapolis, Indiana. As an "interested observer", Jim supported his partner and friends as they participated in an action with the Evangelical Lutheran Church. In 2002 Jim participated in his first direct action by going to St. Louis, Missouri to invite the Southern Baptist Convention to embrace ALL of God's children.

Jim's favorite quotation when thinking about his job for Soulforce is simply this:
"The true meaning of generosity is to sow seeds for trees under whose shade you may never sit". (Nelson Henderson)
Carlos Perez de Alejo
Communications Director

Carlos grew up in Miami, Fl, where he cut his teeth on direct action at an anti-corporate globalization protest in 2001. Since then he has played an active role as an organizer in various social justice movements, ranging from immigrant rights to anti-war struggles. In 2006 he moved to Austin, Texas for graduate school, where he received his MA in Latin American Studies from the University of Texas. Pleased to be out of graduate school, he now spends his time organizing local actions in Austin, reading, writing, and riding his bike. A staunch believer in the old labor notion that "An injury to one is an injury to all," he is excited to be a part of the Soulforce team in the struggle for LGBT freedom.
Caitlin MacIntyre
Equality Ride Director

Caitlin is from a small town in New Jersey where she grew up with her fabulous gay dads and her wonderful ally mom. She left home to attend college at Rice University in Houston, TX where she began doing campus activism and work with Soulforce and other LGBTQ organizations. After participating in the Equality Ride in 2008 as the media director, Caitlin decided to leave school to find her bliss and relocate to Austin to serve as a director of the 2010 Soulforce Q Equality Ride. She looks forward to once again playing a part in a project that empowers, transforms, and excites a new generation of young adult activists and works towards liberation for all people.
Andi Gentile
Grassroots Organizer - Young Adult Activism (Soulforce Q)

Andi hails from New York City, and is a recent New York-to-Austin, Texas convert. Since her high school years, she has been dedicated to social justice work, particularly activism within the LGBTQ movement. Andi earned her BA in Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and Psychology from Wesleyan University in May, 2008. There she focused her academic pursuits on feminist and queer theory, and has striven to find innovative ways to put theory into action. Andi has continued to be drawn to LGBTQ activism; outside of Soulforce she has had the opportunity to organize with the impressive and inspiring young people at Texas GSA Network and Out Youth. When not concentrating on her passion for change, she fancies herself a cook, writer, and globetrotter—but she’s always looking for new things to add to the list.
Asher Kolieboi
Grassroots Organizer - Young Adult Activism (Soulforce Q)

Asher is Liberian-American and was raised in Saint Louis, Missouri. Since high school, he has worked for social and economic justice with a special focus on race, gender, and sexuality. Throughout his undergraduate career Asher worked with multiple student and community groups and used his contagious energy and efficient event planning skills to stimulate conversation about intersecting oppressions. During his last semester of college, Asher organized IncludeME, a successful campaign aimed to amend the university's constitution to ensure gender equality for students, faculty and staff. In the same semester, Asher was also crowned Mr. Pride on the Prairie for his sizzling dance moves at the spring drag show. In May 2009 Asher earned his BA in Sociology and Women’s and Gender Studies from the University of Missouri-Columbia and relocated to Austin, Texas to join the Soulforce team.
Leah Bojo
Bookkeeper, Accounts Payable

Leah Bojo grew up in Ohio and Texas and has lived in Austin off and on since 1999. She most recently returned after being graduated from Mount Holyoke College in 2004 with a B.A. in Environmental Studies focusing on Structures of Cultural Power. Leah spent several years working for non-profit organizations around the country, active on a variety of issues from energy efficiency in Vermont to wilderness accessibility and education in Minnesota, before joining the LGBT advocacy movement. She has since worked for several national and state organizations working toward equality. Leah is also currently working on Masters’ degrees in Public Affairs and Community and Regional Planning at the University of Texas.

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