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BOARD OF DIRECTORS
North
 Jim VanRiper – North Florida
Originally from Colorado Springs Colorado, Jim VanRiper, began organizing 10 years ago in the fight against Colorado's anti-gay state constitutional amendment, which the US Supreme Court ultimately struck down in Romer vs. Evans. Jim served on the board of directors for the Pikes Peak Gay and Lesbian Community Center in Colorado Springs. During this time he also worked to help pass a domestic partner benefits program for City employees in Colorado Springs. Jim is currently the Board Chair for The Family Tree LGBT Community Center in Tallahassee Florida and hosts the Tallahassee Florida Meet-up group. He is involved with the Capitol City GLBT Democratic Caucus and is on the Leon County Democratic Executive Committee and works closely with area political candidates and officials on GLBT issues.
Michelle Ott- North Florida
An Information Technology Project Manager by trade, Michelle Ott’s support of the LGBT community includes serving on the board of the Stonewall Democrats of Alachua County and as spokesperson for Equality is Gainesville’s Business, as political action committee formed in 2007 to defeat an amendment to the City of Gainesville’s charter that would have removed protections in employment, housing, credit, and public accommodation based on sexual orientation and gender identity. She also serves as Vice Chair of the City of Gainesville’s Human Rights Board and Secretary of the Alachua County Democratic Party. Michelle was named Gainesville Pride 2008’s Community Person of the Year and is a 2009 recipient of Equality Florida’s “Voice for Equality” award.
Central
Amy Mandel- Co-Chair Central Florida
A transplant to Tampa from New York City, Amy Mandel holds a degree in business management from the University of South Florida. Since 1979, Amy has owned and operated FEET FIRST, a successful chain of sporting goods stores throughout the Tampa Bay area. Amy has been a volunteer and board member of Equality Florida since 1992 (then called the Human Rights Task Force) in the capacity of Treasurer and Co-Chair, and has been a prime organizer of Equality Florida's major donor membership program in the Central part of the state.
Pat Padilla- Central Florida
Pat lives in Orlando and has over 14 years of experience in software sales. She currently works as a sales trainer for Symantec Corporation. While previously living in Venezuela for ten years, Pat had the opportunity to work with Mother Teresa and the Sisters of Charity as their translator.
Pat is a longtime activist for LGBT equality. She is a leader in the Orlando PFLAG chapter and has been active in the passage of human rights ordinances in Orlando and its surrounding counties. Pat is also involved with various organizations supporting the rights of LGBT youth in schools. She became a passionate straight ally after seeing the discrimination her LGBT friends experienced. Pat's three grown children support her in all her endeavors.
Jim Harper- Co-Chair Central Florida
Jim's LGBT activism began in the early 1990s, when he was among the first mainstream newspaper journalists to write openly about being gay. He went on to serve on the board of the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association and was program chair of its 1996 national convention. Jim was also the founding president of Friends of the Festival Inc., the organization that produces the Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, one of the nation's largest LGBT film festivals. He was the board chair of the Tampa Gay and Lesbian Community Center (now Metro Centers Tampa Bay) and joined the board of Equality Florida in 2007. He also serves on the boards of his condominium association and his college fraternity house corporation.
South
De Palazzo - South Florida
De is a conflict resolution specialist with an interest in opening up dialogue between people with diverse backgrounds, interests and needs. She has designed and facilitated courses in diversity and intercultural awareness skill building and the constructive engagement of conflict, especially in the areas of conflict with both youth and adults. In her long career as an educator, curriculum specialist and project manager within schools, she has served as the program director for the National Conference for Community and Justice and chaired GLSEN's arm in Greater Ft. Lauderdale. Having recently retired from GLSEN's National Board of Directors, De lives in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
De is presently running a young LGBTQI and Straight Allies Women's Leadership and the Arts grant through the Aqua Foundation for Women in Miami Florida. Also a member of Leadership Broward's Class Twenty-Seven, a county-based leadership group focusing on corporate, business and school improvements for the betterment of Broward County, Florida.
Chuck V. Loring - South Florida
Chuck is the Senior Partner of the nonprofit consulting firm of Loring, Sternberg & Associates with offices in Fort Lauderdale and Indianapolis and a Senior Governance Associate for BoardSource in Washington, D.C. He hold a BA from the University of California, Santa Barbara, an MBA from the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California, and is a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE). Chuck has consulted with such prominent institutions as the Smithsonian Museum, Special Olympics, Easter Seals, and Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
In 2008 Chuck completed six years of service on the national board of Lambda Legal and continues as a member of their National Leadership Council. He was a founder of Lamda Legal's Fort Lauderdale and Indianapolis steering committees. In Fort Lauderdale he is active donor and participant with the Gay & Lesbian Center, the Stonewall Library, SunServe, Equality Florida and local LGBT candidates. Nationally Chuck has done work with the Gill Foundation, the Stonewall Community Foundation, the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center and many other LGBT organizations.
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