Jeff is one of the founding members of embrace Western New York and has served on the Buffalo Brunch organizing committee since 2002 (as chair or co-chair for many of those years). Jeff is a previous board member of AIDS Family Services and the Girl Scouts of Western New York.  Jeff is a volunteer for the Darwin D. Martin House and the WNY Network for Open and Affirming Congregations.  For the past several years Jeff has served Kenilworth United Church of Christ as Financial Secretary, Trustee and currently Chair of the Trustees (not to mention ‘party planner’ and choir member). After over 30 years in higher education, Jeff accepted a position as Executive Director for InvisionHealth Foundation for one year.  In this role he brought the Foundation into compliance with federal and state regulations. He also developed programs to educate the community on the issues surrounding opioid uses and misuse.

Molly is an urban planner by training and has been conducting community-based research in Western New York for the past decade. As a Research Assistant Professor with UB's Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Molly works with patients and health care providers to conduct research and develop educational programming to reduce regional health disparities. Previously, she has collaborated with the Silver Pride Project to raise awareness about aging experiences in the LGBTQ community and served on the Board of Directors of the Pride Center of Western New York. Molly is also an Adjunct Professor at UB and Buffalo State and greatly values the opportunity to work with and learn from her students.

A graduate of Buffalo State College, Bryan was drawn to issue based activism and progressive political causes from a young age. After finding a passion in legislative government, Bryan worked in the WNY Regional Senate Office of then-U.S. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, until her appointment as U.S. Secretary of State. In 2010, he was elected to his first term as President of Stonewall Democrats of Western New York (SDWNY). In the ensuing years, Bryan has worked to help grow the organization to an active, engaged group of members active across WNY and partaken in successful legislative and electoral campaigns. Notable among these are the passage of Buffalo’s domestic partnership registry, the anti-bullying NYS Dignity for All Students Act, the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act and the NYS Marriage Equality Act. In 2012, he helped found the Buffalo Niagara Chapter of Pride at Work, the national organization which works to mobilize support between organized labor and the LGBT community.

Tom is a retired Tim Horton Franchise owner/operator. During his time with Tim Hortons he was involved with the Tim Horton Children’s Foundation which supports sending local, economically disadvantaged children to summer camp to teach leadership skills. Tom is an advocate for others who can’t advocate for themselves and is the Founder and President of the Our Lady of Peace Family Council in Lewiston which champions residents’ rights and quality of life issues at the Nursing Home. After volunteering for the Buffalo Brunch last year, Tom is excited to join the Board of Directors and is looking forward to complimenting the great work already being done by the Board in the LGBTQ community. Tom loves to cook and is an avid gardener. He likes renovation projects around the house and he and his partner have discovered traveling as a new and exciting hobby.

Heather has been a member of the Board of Directors for embraceWNY and served on the Buffalo Brunch committee for the past five years. As a certified teacher with 20+ years in the profession, Heather has touched the lives of many schoolchildren with her compassion, kindness and enthusiasm. Education and advocacy for LGBTQ rights and equality are her passion. She is a mother of four and an ally to all.

Shari joined the embraceWNY board in 2013 and is committed to the continued success of the organization and its mission. Shari is a partner with Meliora Consulting where she is responsible for the firm’s training platform, designing and delivering customized programs for companies looking to systematically enhance their skill set through process improvement and leadership development. She is a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt and has authored multiple training curriculums for a variety of industries. While her work provides a unique opportunity to travel, Shari’s hometown of Buffalo remains her favorite place to live, work, and play. When she’s not traveling, you can find her taking advantage of the waterfront, biking and hiking, and spending time with her family.

Jeffrey recently became a board member after many years of supporting embraceWNY. He is on multiple committees for the Buffalo Brunch and is excited to make a difference in WNY’s LGBTQ community. Jeff is a Realtor with Gurney Becker and Bourne and a member of The Meredith Real Estate Team, having brought buyers and sellers of distinctive properties together for more than 9 years. He is member of the National Association of Gay and Lesbian Real Estate Professionals (NAGLREP) whose goal is to make housing discrimination, based on sexual orientation and gender identity, illegal. Jeff is also a member of the Delta Tau Delta Housing Corporation, involved as an alumni advisor in chapter activities, and is a member of the fraternity’s affinity group – Delt Pride – for gay, bi-sexual, and transgender alumni/undergraduate members. Prior to real estate, Jeff was a broadcast journalist working at WGRZ-TV and WGR-AM. He holds a degree in Communications from Bethany College with continuing education work from West Virginia University.