LGBT Center of Raleigh

Rebecca Chapin, Chair
Stopping by the Center to learn about the newly-formed Transgender Initiative in 2011, Rebecca soon found herself in a leadership role for the initiative. As a graphic artist, Rebecca has created many images for the Center’s site and for Out! Raleigh. She is passionate about making sure that the Center is a welcoming place for everyone in the gender spectrum.

 

John Q. Adams, Vice Chair
Originally from Brooklyn, NY, John first moved to the Triangle in 1992 to attend college. When his UNC Tar Heels won the NCAA National Championship that year, he knew he had found his new home. After graduating from UNC, John moved to Charlotte to work for management consultancy Accenture. He returned to Chapel Hill in 2000 to pursue his MBA and launch his career in marketing, and has since worked in the field of brand strategy and management for companies including Kraft Foods, Hanesbrands, and Lowe’s Home Improvement. John is currently directing all brand strategy efforts for open source software leader Red Hat in Raleigh, where is also founded the company’s first LGBT employee resource group and has led its volunteer efforts for Out! Raleigh for several years running. He is excited to join the board and represent the voices of gay parents and children in our area, as well as build bridges with local corporate leaders. John lives in Holly Springs, NC, with his husband, three children, and crazy German shorthair pointer.

 

Willis Ward, Secretary
Willis Ward, while Californian by birth, grew up primarily in the South due to being an Air Force Brat. After graduating from Texas A&M with a B.B.A. in Business Analysis & Research, he moved to Dallas and started working for IBM. He has called Raleigh home for over 20 years now and just recently celebrated his 25th anniversary with IBM. Between 2007 and 2015, Willis was a member of the Human Rights Campaign North Carolina – Triangle Steering Committee. He served a 4-year term on the National HRC Board of Governors. Additionally he was the Triangle Steering Committee Chair and the Membership Outreach Chair, growing the Pride program membership continuously for 4 years. Willis is looking forward to continuing his LGBT advocacy at a local level with the LGBT Center of Raleigh.

 

Lauren DeAlto, Treasurer
A true Southern-belle, Lauren was born and raised in Burlington, NC. She attended West Carolina University and graduated with a Bachelor’s in Business Administration. The big city called her name and she moved to Atlanta, GA with her college sweetheart whom she married in 2008 but she couldn’t resist the siren call of home and they moved back to NC in 2010 to start their family. Her career in the Events industry started locally at Solas Entertainment in the Glenwood South district and eventually led her to the Sheraton Raleigh Hotel as Director of Catering. With her passion for planning and styling events Lauren strives to create unique and memorable experiences for her clients. Her true passion for this work is the close relationships she builds with her clients and community members.

 

Stephanie Allen
Dr. Stephanie Andrea Allen is a native southerner and out Black lesbian writer, scholar, and educator. Stephanie’s community outreach and advocacy experience includes serving as a board member of Pride Lafayette, a non-profit LGBT community center in Indiana; serving on the LGBT Studies advisory committee at Purdue University; service as a founding board member for the Bay Area Lesbian Archives Project, starting a small press dedicated to amplifying LBT, queer, and non-gender conforming women, and co-founding the Black Lesbian Literary Collective, a non-profit organization tasked with creating a nurturing and sustainable environment for Black lesbian and queer women of color writers. Stephanie earned a Ph.D. in American Studies from Purdue University, and a masters degree in English from Auburn University. Prior to relocating to North Carolina, Stephanie worked in university administration as Associate Director of Social Equity and Inclusion at Mansfield University, and has been teaching at the college level for over 12 years. She relocated to North Carolina in 2015 to devote more time to her independent press. Stephanie is excited to join the Board of Trustees to represent the voices of Black lesbians and queer women of color in this area. She lives in Clayton, N.C. with her cat, Mango.

 

Helena Cragg
Helena Cragg is a native of New York City, who also spent many years in Cambridge, MA after graduating from M.I.T. with a BS in Computer Science as well as an MBA from M.I.T.’s Sloan School of Management. After moving to Atlanta she became a Real Estate Broker and a Remodeling contractor. Since coming to Durham in 2003 she has been able to further her love for restoring historic homes and getting involved in active and engaged communities. She and her wife call Old North Durham home where Helena is currently serving as co-President of the neighborhood association.

 

 

John Hammond
Dr. John Hammond, lives in Chapel Hill and is a Professor Emeritus of the School of Medicine at UNC-CH. He is a member of the Human Rights Campaign Federal Club, the Raleigh Business and Professional Network and Treasurer of the Mary Renault Society. He has been active in a number of organizations at the state level and has served on Board of Trustees of the State Health Plan, NC Social Services Commission, the Senior Tar Legislature, and The Triangle J Area Agency on Aging and currently serves on the Governor’s Advisory Council on Aging. He looks forward to working with the Board to strengthen its resources and expand its activities into other communities adjoining the Research Triangle Park.