Governing
Board Members

The Rustin Institute for Leadership Development is guided by a dedicated board whose experience and vision help shape our work. Rooted in Bayard Rustin’s legacy, they steward our mission with a commitment to justice, collaboration, and building a more equitable future.

Current Board Members

Chair

  • Jad-Évangelo Nasser/جاد ناصر (he/him) is a Lebanese-born Business Strategist, Educator and Filmmaker (with partial Palestinian roots and cultural intersection with Haiti) who brings 10+ years of global experience in advertising, marketing, media production and higher education for a variety of international markets (Middle East, North Africa and North America). With fluency in 5 languages (including French, Spanish, Arabic and Haitian Creole) and accolades, appearances and features with The Black Wall Street Times, Prime Video, IMDb, AdAge, Fox News 61 and Arab America, Jad-Évangelo focuses on DEIJ strategies at the core of global learning, intersectionality and cultural connections.

    While immersing himself in multiple communities and bridging cultural connections, Jad strongly amplifies stories of the world and shines light on experiences of queer-identifying folks in different countries as well as the integration of immigrant experiences in the US. He believes that the power of global narrative in queer communities are vital to understand global resilience of marginalized countries and leverage that learning into modern-day equity, justice and social impact practices in the US. He has extensive experience as a public speaker, curriculum developer, business consultant and facilitator working with NYU, Fulton County Public Arts, The Diversity Movement, FHL bank and others.

    With a MA from Parsons School of Design/The New School and an award-winning film, Once Upon a Color, he currently teaches classes and designs academic curriculums at West Virginia University, South University, Post University and University of North Texas. He also serves as a Global Inclusion expert with his own consultancy, J-E Cultural Consulting.

  • Carlo Velayo (he/him) is an award-winning, independent producer who uses storytelling to inspire narrative change. Carlo has produced two scripted feature films, Isabel Sandoval's “Lingua Franca” (2019, Venice Days) and Jessica M. Thompson's “The Light of the Moon” (2017, SXSW Audience Award Winner). In the non-fiction space, Carlo was an Associate Producer on Cheryl Furjanic's “Back on Board: Greg Louganis” (2014) and Senior Producer on Michele Josue's Netflix Original documentary series “Happy Jail” (2019). He is collaborating again with Michele on the Oscar-qualified “Nurse Unseen” (2024) and a documentary about Jollibee, as well as Andy Warhol’s “Ladies and Gentlemen” series. As an interactive and digital media producer at the American Museum of Natural History, Carlo collaborated with First Nations and Native American communities, scientists, and curators, expanding his appreciation for interdisciplinary storytelling and the role of media in education.

    Born in the Philippines, raised in Sydney, Australia, and now based in the United States, Carlo brings a global perspective to all his collaborations. He received a Master of Liberal Arts (Cultural and Environmental Heritage) from the Australian National University and a double BA in Communication (Media Arts and Production) and in International Studies from the University of Technology, Sydney. As a recent transplant to Atlanta, Carlo is proud to be an exploratory committee member on the long-overdue Atlanta LGBTQ+ community center. He also serves on the advisory board of the LGBTQ+ Institute at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights.

  • Nate M. Esparza (they/he) is the Southern Regional Administrator for the Unitarian Universalist Association. Based in Lawrenceville, Georgia, Nate supports the Southern Region by stewarding the systems that help staff, congregations, and leaders do their work with clarity, care, and sustainability.

    Their role spans scheduling, budgeting, events, communications, and digital infrastructure, and on any given day might involve coordinating a complex calendar, supporting a regional gathering, editing a video, designing a graphic, or building (or fixing) systems so the same problems don’t keep repeating. Nate is often called in when something matters, feels heavy, or needs to be done thoughtfully, and they are especially committed to systems that support accessibility, transparency, and staff wellbeing.

    Nate approaches administration and communications through care. Their work is shaped by deep listening, attention to human capacity, and a belief that good systems should support people rather than exhaust them. In addition to their administrative role, Nate contributes to the spiritual life of the Association and has offered sermons and reflections at trans-centered UUA events, including Sermon of the Month, Trans Day of Visibility, and Trans Day of Remembrance.

    Outside their regional work, Nate is a graduate student in Religious Studies at Georgia State University, a Wellstar Health System Graduate Fellow, a member of the 2025-26 Trans Seminarian Leadership Cohort, a board member for the LGBTQ+ Institute at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights and a member of the Dying Trans team, focusing on chaplaincy and spiritual care—particularly around trans death and dying.

    Their work is spiritually grounded in relationships with Morrigan, Hestia, Danu, and Loki, and in ancestral ties rooted in Hispanic and Indigenous lineage.

    If you’d ever like to talk about systems, care, storytelling, chaplaincy, or just grab a virtual (or in-person) cup of coffee or tea, Nate would be glad to connect.

  • Jennifer Barnes-Balenciaga (she/her), newlywed, Mrs. McQueen, transitioned to Manhattan after being an 11-year resident of Atlanta. As the first LGBTQ+ liaison in Georgia as appointed by State Representative Park Cannon of District 58 in January 2018 and parted from the position in September 2022, during that time Jennifer Barnes-Balenciaga has been the contributor to many Atlanta political and governmental legislation such as HB290, has collaborated to commemorate many Georgia LGBTQ+ leaders, including Miss Lawrence Balenciaga, and helps lead many queer movements within her community (World AIDS Day events, HIV testing initiatives, Black/LGBTQ+Pride/rallies, etc.).

    She is currently the Director of the Crystal La’Beija Organizing Fellowship (CLOF), was an on-the-ground HIV Prevention Specialist, and continues to act as a volunteer around many HIV-related initiatives. Jennifer has also been a Youth Policy HIV Advisor for Georgia Equality and has presented at many HIV-related conferences, such as NAESM, USCA, and even at congressional gatherings through AIDSWatch. The multi-awarded Barnes-Balenciaga hails from Cincinnati, Ohio, and has been seen on Season 2 of POSE FX. She has been published in many distinguished publications, such as The New York Times, TEENVogue, Harvard Public Health & VeryWellHealth, to name a few.

    She holds numerous organizational and committee affiliations: newly mayoral appointed Commissioner for NYC Commission on Gender Equity (CGE), Co-Investigator for RESPND-MI (MPX-NYC), Vice President of Cincinnati Black Pride, Social Media Committee Chair for Sankofa Black Women’s Conference, and is a member of the illustrious House of Balenciaga, a leading institution in the House and Ballroom Scene.

    She recently graduated from BMCC, on the Dean’s List, with an AA in Political Science and is now attending Baruch College to finish her BA in Political Science with a Law Minor.

Secretary

  • Jenna Ortiz (she/her/hers/ella) is an equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) practitioner, coach, operational strategist, and systems guru. A management consultant focusing on EDI techniques for a better workplace, Jenna is a skillful facilitator who leads with empathy, vulnerability, and real-life experience.

    She has consulted for many organizations, big and small, private and public. These have included non-profits, tech organizations, academia, advocacy organizations, and more. She brings a wealth of experience to all her projects and understands that every organization enters its DEI journey from a unique place, and no two projects are the same.

    In addition to DEI facilitation and strategy support, Jenna is a Certified Professional Diversity Coach (CPDC). She understands that in order for intentional organizational change to be successful, organizational leaders must undergo their own individual EDI and identity journeys. Jenna is skilled and equipped to support them with her coaching practice. As a CPDC, Jenna relies on empowerment coaching techniques to dismantle barriers that prevent leaders from moving forward and empower them with the tools to be strong, empathetic leaders within their organizations and communities.

    She received her Bachelor of History, focusing on International Social Justice, from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). Jenna went on to obtain her Master of Arts in International Affairs from The New School Julien J. Studley Graduate Program in International Affairs. Currently, she is pursuing a Ph.D. in Organizational Development and Leadership through the Forbes School of Business and Technology at the University of Arizona Global Campus.

  • Kelly Banks (she/her) is a proud Black trans woman, entrepreneur, and advocate committed to uplifting marginalized voices and building community. With years of experience in both the culinary arts and community engagement, Kelly brings creativity, resilience, and leadership to everything she does. She is the founder of 2CakeGirls Bakery, a growing business known for its luxury desserts, and her work has been featured in Ebony Magazine.

    Beyond entrepreneurship, Kelly is deeply invested in advocacy. She uses her journey as a trans woman to fight stigma, promote visibility, and create safe, affirming spaces for LGBTQ+ youth and young adults. Her leadership extends into public speaking, mentorship, and grassroots outreach, where she focuses on empowering others to live boldly and authentically.

  • Peter Williams is the COO of Engineering and Technology team at Allspring Global Investments (formerly Wells Fargo Asset Management). In this role, he is responsible for overall business management for the 300+ employees and contractors of the ET organization along with key relationships with partners across Finance, Marketing & Communications and Human Resources. He represents the Allspring technology platform externally to clients and consultants and aims to embed our culture in the tech ecosystem in the communities in which we operate while working alongside senior management to formulate the firm’s go-forward technology strategy.

    Peter joined Allspring from BlackRock where he most recently served as Head of Community Strategy & Engagement for BlackRock’s Atlanta Innovation Hub. In 2018, he co-ran the site selection for BlackRock’s newest innovation hub in North America. Before that, he served as Chief of Staff to BlackRock’s CTO and Head of Software Engineering in New York.

    In the first 10 years of his career, Peter filled numerous roles across institutional client relationship management, global consultant relations, US retail sales and defined contribution client service in both New York and San Francisco. He began his investment industry career as a summer analyst at Merrill Lynch Investment Managers (MLIM) in 2006 during the same year of BlackRock’s acquisition of MLIM.

    Peter and his husband, Matthew, reside in Atlanta where they are both active in the community. Since 2019, Peter has served on the Board of Directors for WABE, Atlanta’s home for NPR. Peter graduated from Leadership Atlanta in 2022, one of the oldest executive-level community leadership development programs in the nation.

    Peter earned a bachelor’s degree in public policy studies and markets and management studies from Duke University.

  • Kaden Borseth (they/them) is a non-binary trans educator and advocate for LGBTQ+ social justice issues. As an educator, they believe that visibility, inclusive programming, and great informal education can promote empathy and inspire the next generation to change the world for the better.

    They have been actively involved in the queer community since 2002. During college, they served as President of the University of Northern Iowa's Pride group for three years, helping it grow from just a few individuals to a thriving and active group. After graduating, they worked for several years as an Alumni Chair for Iowa Pride Network, an organization that educates and mentors middle school through college-aged queer youth. Following that, they led a support group for gender variant and transgender teens in Atlanta. Currently they are a community volunteer and an active member of Smithsonian's Pride Alliance and the Gender-Expansive and Transgender Federal Employees group.

Treasurer

  • Phil Nguyen (he/him) is the Vice President of Innovation and Partnerships at Reading Partners, and Executive Managing Partner of EdChiefs. He joins the LGBTQ Institute with robust experience in the education-equity space, formerly serving as a School and Systems Administrator, EdTech Executive, Nonprofit Leader, and Social Entrepreneur. In his tenure, Phil has deeply advocated for inclusive policy, curriculum, and training in service of our LGBTQ youth, Immigrant and Undocumented students and families, and Communities of Color. In 2021, Phil was recognized as a National Champion of Equity by The American Consortium for Equity in Education, and was honored with the prestigious Changemaker Award by The National Alliance of Public Charter Schools.

    As a member of this Board, Phil is energized by the opportunity to accelerate, scale, and mobilize our collective impact to ensure that every child is provided with safe, brave, and inclusive learning experiences. Phil proudly celebrates his identity as a First-Generation College Student receiving his Master’s of Education in School Leadership from Harvard University, Master’s of Science in Education from Johns Hopkins University, and Bachelor of Science in Social Sciences from Washington State University. Although Phil’s life and career have taken him to various cities across the country from Oklahoma, Texas, Colorado, Pennsylvania, and now the shore of New Jersey, his true roots remain in his home state of Washington :)

  • Nehemiah D. Frank is the founder, editor-in-chief, and publisher of The Black Wall Street Times, a Black-owned news publication based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, covering local, state, and national news. He is a founding union member of the National Parents Union, based in Boston, and serves on the advisory board of the LGBTQ Institute at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta.

    A descendant of survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, Frank played a pivotal role during its 2021 centennial. As both a descendant and the founder of Oklahoma’s largest Black-led news outlet, he helped elevate national awareness of the tragedy, pushing the public narrative to recognize it not as a "riot" but as a "massacre."

    Frank’s commentary and reporting have appeared in national outlets including TIME Magazine, Fortune, NBC, ABC, and MSNBC. He has delivered a TED Talk, spoken at SXSW (2022), and in 2023, addressed the United Nations General Assembly, drawing a powerful parallel between the banning of books by Black authors and the censorship that preceded the Holocaust in Nazi Germany.

    That same year, Frank joined a panel at the Center for Journalism and Democracy at Howard University, chaired by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones. He is also the author of Greenwood 100, a written history inspired by The 1619 Project, chronicling 400 years of the Black presence in America and the Oklahoma territory.

    Frank is a graduate of Oklahoma State University and Harold Washington College.

  • Dani Alexander-Burk (they/he) is proudly first-generation Guyanese American, Black, non-binary and trans. They currently serve as Lambda Legal’s national Manager of Corporate Partnerships, based in Atlanta, Georgia. They joined the Lambda Legal in August 2021, leading community outreach initiatives, fundraising, and policy work across the South. Previously, Dani worked in higher education, managing a LGBTQ+ Resource Center for three years. Dani is a proven bridge builder between good people and good work, resulting in thousands of dollars raised for the LGBTQ+ community and countless hearts and minds changed for the better.

    Dani holds a bachelor's degree in cultural anthropology from Kennesaw State University, a certification in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Workplace from the University of South Florida and is a fellowship alum with the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

  • Morna Gerrard (she/her) is the archivist for Women’s/Gender and Sexuality Collections at Georgia State University. In this role, she collects, preserves, and makes available the records and oral histories of women and the LGBTQ+ communities in Atlanta, Georgia, and the South.

    A native of Scotland, Morna was educated at Edinburgh University, Western Washington University, and Clark Atlanta University. She is a fellow and past president of the Society of Georgia Archivists, a long-time board member of the Georgia Archives Institute, and serves on the advisory board of the Historic Atlanta LGBTQ HPAC. She is also a past vice president and current member of the Georgia LGBTQ History Project. Among Morna’s published works are chapters “No Fame Required: Collaboration, Community, and the Georgia LGBTQ Archives Project,” in Appraisal and Acquisition: Innovative Practices and Special Collections, “Silenced Voices Lesson Plan” and “Exploring Gender Roles in Society, Literature and Film,” in Gender Studies in the Library: Case Studies, Programming, Outreach, and an article, “ACTing UP Down South,” in Alexander Street Press’s Women and Social Movements in the U.S., 1600-Present electronic journal.  

    One of the projects that Morna is most proud of is the two-year-old Georgia Transgender Oral History Project, which was created and supported by an outstanding group of trans advisors and volunteers. Morna lives in Decatur with her husband and two cats.

  • Jason Arnold (he/him) began his advocacy of the LGBTQ+ community during his college years when he since he snuck away from his hometown to drive an hour to visit Lodestar Books in Little 5 points, Birmingham, Al. He started his activism in 1991 working at the forefront of the HIV/AIDS crisis first as a volunteer and later volunteer coordinator for ASK, Inc. (AIDS Support through Knowledge) where he remained for the duration of his undergraduate degree completed in 1996.

    While in college he began working part time as a school for special needs children which would later transition in a leadership overseeing the residential program where he also worked as an advocate for clients on a state level. He has worked in the Multifamily Industry for more than 25 years, in various roles as a team leader, corporate trainer, and mentor, preparing the next generation of leaders. During his career, he has served on the boards of various statewide and regional multifamily organizations. He currently serves on his employers Inclusivity and Diversity committee.

    Jason is an LGBTQIA historian and writer working with various organizations to preserve Atlanta’s rich LGBTQ history, and celebrate queer men who identify with the Bear community via his work with Bear World Magazine, where he is a contributor. In 2022, he became involved with PFLAG Atlanta after the loss of his husband in 2020 to Acute Myeloid Leukemia, after his own year- long battle with nasopharyngeal cancer. While at PFLAG Atlanta, he has served as the co-Chair of community Outreach and Engagement, with Ann Vitale, from whom he succeeded as President in 2023. Together, they have spoken (virtually and in person) to people around North America and the world on topics such as Trans ally ship, the business and social cases for support via and data to show the significance the LGBTQ+ community plays in everyday life everywhere.

    His role as a public speaker with PFLAG, lead to his becoming a member of the Academia Society in 2025 after presenting during their Founders Day event. As a member, he serves as Parliamentarian along with co-chairing community engagement, a great passion of his. Jason is dedicated to the LGBTQ+ community, and will soon begin a new project working the Women and Gender collections at Georgia State by securing the stories of every day LGBTQ+ Atlantans for their archives. He is a staunch supporter of animals, including his own pack of three and is a lover of all things in nature, hiking, plant, book, and automotive related.

  • Alexandra Stephanie Audate (she/her) is the Deputy Director of Georgia Equality. She earned a Bachelors Degree, a Masters of Laws Degree in Intercultural Human Rights and a law degree from St. Thomas University. She is licensed to practice law in the state of Florida. Prior to joining Georgia Equality, she worked as the managing attorney of the QueerMigration Law Group in Florida where she represented and supported queer and transgender immigrants.

    Her career in human rights advocacy spans over a decade and consists of legislative lobbying, policy writing, and coalition building. Prior to practicing law, she worked as a social worker providing direct service to survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking.

    She also worked as a community organizer and spent the last fifteen years traveling all over the United States advocating on issues related to 2LGBTQIA+rights, immigration, racial equity, police brutality, HIV/AIDS, disability rights, environmental racism and the school-to-prison pipeline. She is the author of the legal portion of the most recent edition of the Broward County Public Schools LGBTQ+ Critical Support Guide.

    Alexandra is a proud disabled immigrant from Haiti and is fluent in Haitian Creole, French, English and Spanish. During her spare time, she loves painting, going to the beach, reading and writing about Black feminist theory.

Emeritus