Staff Biographies

Joshua Beety
is the Program Manager at the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund and
Leadership Institute, the nation's leading organization that identifies
trains and supports openly lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender
candidates, campaign staff and officials. His responsibilities include
assisting the CFO with all Finance, Compliance, Contracts, and HR
issues. Josh also helps coordinate the annual International Gay and
Lesbian Leadership Conference.
Josh comes to Victory with
substantial experience in accounting, operations, and retail management
both in Washington, D.C., and on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, where
he attended Salisbury University.
He resides in NW Washington, D.C.
Brian Cox
is a Victory Cabinet Officer at the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund and
Leadership Institute, the nation's leading organization that
identifies, trains and supports openly lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender candidates, campaign staff and officials. He is
responsible for strengthening the Victory Fund through fundraising,
recruiting candidates, and consulting on political campaigns in the
Northeast, New York Tri-State, Mid-Atlantic and Pacific regions.
Brian
served as a finance assistant at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign
Committee in 2007 after graduating from college. While at the DSCC, he
assisted in fundraising, and coordinated the DSCCs Gay & Lesbian
Advisory Council. Prior to joining the DSCC, Brian served Senator
Edward M. Kennedy for two years as an administrative intern, full time
foreign policy intern, and as a staffer on the Senators 2006
reelection campaign.
Brian graduated Cum Laude from
Northeastern University in Boston, MA. He attained Bachelors Degree in
Political Science, with a concentration in Public Administration, and a
minor in Communication Studies. He studied under former Massachusetts
Governor and 1988 Presidential Nominee Michael Dukakis, and authored an
undergraduate political science course titled, Campaign Strategy &
Organization. The course is under curriculum consideration.
Brian
has been a leader in the gay and lesbian community, and was the Founder
and President of the Northeastern University Allied Student Coalition,
which lobbied the University on GLBT issues and produced educational
programming on campus. In this role, Brian managed programming budgets
totaling $40,000. Brian served for three years as a Resident
Assistant, building Residence Hall communities and promoting tolerance
and respect.
Brian is a native of Portland, CT and currently resides in Washington, D.C.
Denis Dison
is the Vice President for External Affairs at the Gay & Lesbian
Victory Fund and Leadership Institute, the nation's leading
organization that identifies trains and supports openly lesbian, gay,
bisexual and transgender candidates, campaign staff and officials. Mr.
Dison, who has been involved in professional media in Washington for
the past 15 years, is responsible for Victory’s media outreach and
public relations efforts.
Mr. Dison spent nearly 12 years at
The Bureau of National Affairs, a publisher of legal and regulatory
news and information, both in editorial and marketing roles. Most
recently he worked at SmartBrief, where he was the founding editor of
the Gay & Lesbian Leadership SmartBrief, a twice-weekly publication
of the Gay & Lesbian Leadership Institute.
Mr. Dison is a graduate of the University of North Florida. He resides in Washington, D.C.
Ebony Dumas
is the Development Assistant at the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund and
Leadership Institute, the nation's leading organization that
identifies, trains and supports openly lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender candidates, campaign staff and officials. As a member of
Victory's development department, Ebony is responsible for gift
processing and maintaining the database. Additionally, she corresponds
with the financial managers of Victory's endorsed candidates.
Ebony
comes to Victory with a strong background in, and commitment to, social
justice action. She currently serves on the Board of an international
gender-performance organization and is one of the founding members of
Girls Rock! DC, an all-girls rock camp.
Ebony holds a Bachelor
of Arts in Africana Studies with a focus on Gender Studies and
Sociology from the University of Pittsburgh. An Oklahoma native, she
now lives in the Shaw neighborhood of Washington, D.C.

Martin Espinoza
is the Development Program Manager at the Gay & Lesbian Victory
Fund and Leadership Institute, the nation's leading organizations to
identify train and support openly lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender candidates, campaign staff and officials. He is
responsible for managing campaign & fundraising events for endorsed
candidates along with special events for the Gay & Lesbian Victory
Fund and Leadership Institute. Martin also serves as the liaison to the
Victory Campaign Board, a national board of community leaders located
in communities throughout the country.
Previously, Martin
worked for six years for former Arizona state legislator Steve May. He
has also volunteered much of his time with various LGBT organizations
in Phoenix, most significantly with GLAAD, where he co-chaired the
first “Thank GLAAD its Friday.” Martin’s connection to GLAAD is
through his long time mentor and former mayor of Tempe, Neil Giuliano.
Martin has worn many political hats throughout his career, dating back
to his first job at the age of 16 where he worked on his first ballot
initiative to raise sales tax.
Martin was born and raised
in Yuma, Arizona, where he is a former organizer and continued sponsor
of the only gay organization, Yuma County Gay Rights.

Laura Esquivel
is the Senior Vice President at the Gay &
Lesbian Victory Fund and Leadership Institute, the nation's leading
organization that identifies trains and supports openly lesbian, gay,
bisexual and transgender candidates, campaign staff and officials. She
is responsible for strategically expanding partnerships to advance and
broaden the base of political support for LGBT candidates and the
Victory Fund.
Laura brings a wide range of policy and advocacy
experience to the Victory Fund, having fought for the civil rights of
racial and sexual minorities for more than 20 years. In 1984 she became
President of Gay and Lesbian Latinos Unidos in Los Angeles.
Subsequently, she co-founded the organizations Lesbianas Unidas and
LLEGÓ – the first national Latino/a lesbian and gay organization.
Most
recently, Laura has been the head of her own consulting practice and
served as the director of research and issues marketing for People for
the American Way.
One of Laura’s greatest strengths is her
ability to get diverse interests to agree to support equality for LGBT
people. Her resume includes eight years of service as a legislative
deputy for Los Angeles City Councilmember Jackie Goldberg - the first
openly gay person elected to that to that body. Laura later went on to
become Goldberg’s campaign manager in her successful bid for State
Assembly in 2001.
A native of Los Angeles, Laura received her
Master’s of Arts degree in Political Science from California State
University at Los Angeles, and her Bachelor of Arts degree in
Interdisciplinary Studies with a minor in Labor Studies from California
State University, Dominguez Hills. She has resided in the Washington
DC area since 2003.
Tressa Feher is
the Director of Leadership Network at the Gay & Lesbian Victory
Fund and Leadership Institute; the nation's leading organization that
identifies trains and supports openly lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender candidates, campaign staff and officials. She is
responsible for creating and managing professional development and
political programs for LGBT elected and appointed officials.
Ms.
Feher brings to Victory a history of progressive advocacy. From 2003
until joining the Victory team, she served as the External Affairs
Director for the National Women’s Political Caucus, a bi-partisan
organization committed to recruiting, training and supporting
pro-choice women candidates for elected and appointed offices at all
levels of government.
Ms. Feher received her bachelor's degree
in Women's Studies from Michigan State University and a Master's in
Public Policy from the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute at the University
of Minnesota. A native of Michigan, she now lives with her partner in
Washington, DC.
Stephanie
Lurz is the Development
Manager at the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund and Leadership Institute, the
nation's leading organization that identifies trains and supports openly
lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender candidates, campaign staff and
officials. She is responsible for managing events and corporate
sponsorship.
Ms. Lurz began her
work in politics as a volunteer on a reproductive rights referendum in
Maryland when
she was a sophomore in high school. She went on to become the President of
Young Democrats at the University of
Maryland, Baltimore County, where she received her degree in
Interdisciplinary Studies in 1999. After college, she completed Field Director
training with 21st Century Democrats and worked on a State Assembly
race in Wisconsin. Stephanie has worked in the
political and development departments of several other DC Area organizations,
including Women’s Campaign Fund and Council for a Livable World. She currently
resides in Baltimore.
Adam Martin
is the Program Assistant at the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund and
Leadership Institute, the nation's leading organization that identifies
trains and supports openly lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender
candidates, campaign staff and officials. He is responsible for
assisting the President and CEO; coordinating travel arrangements,
fielding inquiries and requests for public appearances, as well as
serving as staff liaison to the Board Management committee of the Board
of Directors.
Adam graduated from Towson University in 2005 with a B.A. in Political
Science. He interned in the political science department during his
senior year; helping with the organization and implementation of the
Model United Nations program for students of public schools in
Baltimore County.
After graduation, Adam accepted a position with the office of U.S.
Senator Pete V. Domenici where he served as a staff assistant,
legislative correspondent, assistant office manager and, finally, the
administrative manager.
Tim Meinke is
a manager of the Victory Cabinet with the Gay & Lesbian Victory
Fund and Leadership Institute; the nation’s leading organization that
identifies, trains and supports openly lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender candidates, campaign staff and officials. He is
responsible for managing the political and development work in many of
the southern and western states.
Mr. Meinke started at the
organization in 2006 and began his tenure as the Board &
Development Manager where he oversaw both organizations direct
marketing programs and their Boards of Directors. Before the Victory
Fund and GLLI, he spent time at America Votes, where he assisted its
political department to implement long term change to the progressive
political infrastructure. He also contributed to the 2005 Virginia
Governor’s campaign by participating in an independent expenditure by
the Media Fund.
Mr. Meinke received his bachelor of arts in
political science from the American University, in Washington, D.C.,
and a minor in Communications studies. While at the American
University he received a certificate from the Campaign Management
Institute at the Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies. He
is a native of Cleveland, Ohio and currently resides in Washington, DC.
Jason Mida
is the Director of Strategic Partnerships & Leadership Giving at
the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund and Leadership Institute, the
nation’s leading organization that identifies, trains and supports
openly lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender candidates, campaign
staff and officials. Since 2005, Jason has served in several roles for
Victory, including as a Victory Cabinet Officer, and, most recently, as
Director of the Victory Cabinet. In his current role, Jason works with
leadership donors to increase resources for the organization and
Victory’s endorsed slate of candidates. He also partners with LGBT and
progressive organizations to identify opportunities for collaboration.
In
addition to being an experienced fundraiser, Jason has worked with
dozens of LGBT candidates as the primary liaison from Victory. In 2006,
Jason worked to elect the first openly LGBT officials in Alabama and
Arkansas, as well as the first openly LGBT state senator in Missouri.
He has also worked with candidates to develop finance plans for their
respective races. In 2002, Jason served as East Texas Field Coordinator
for Tony Sanchez, the 2002 Democratic Nominee for Texas Governor. Jason
is a previous delegate to the Texas Democratic Convention, as well as
former Precinct Chair for the Smith County Democratic Party.
Jason
earned his Bachelor’s in Human Communications from Abilene Christian
University in 2002. While at ACU, Jason served as Executive President
of the Students’ Association, as well as President of the College
Democrats. He is a native of Tyler, Texas and lives with his partner in
Washington, DC.
Dan Miller
is the communications associate at the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund
and Leadership Institute, the nation’s leading organization that
identifies, trains and supports openly lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender candidates, campaign staff and officials.
Prior to
joining the Victory Fund, Dan worked as a staff writer for the National
Association of Counties’ publication, County News. At County News, he
reported on trends, legislation and best practices pertaining to county
government. His experiences with NACo included a trip to the
Mississippi and Louisiana six months after Hurricane Katrina to report
on the local governments’ efforts to revitalize the area.
In addition to his work at the Victory Fund, Dan is a current editor for TiFaux.com. The Web site was a finalist in the 2006 and 2007 Weblog Awards in the Best Culture Blog category.
Dan majored in English at the College of William and Mary. He has written for the Washington Post Express, The Washington Blade, Quarterlifecrisis.com and Knotmag.com.
Mark Perriello
is Director of Strategy and Planning at the Gay and Lesbian Victory
Fund & Leadership Institute, where he brings over a decade’s
experience in designing and implementing organizational, electoral and
development solutions for candidates, nonprofit organizations and
businesses.
Before joining Victory, Mark served as a Senior
Associate at the progressive strategies firm Scott+Yandura, where he
worked collaboratively with clients to develop highly effective
organizational strategic plans, fundraising programs and constituency
outreach strategies. Mark’s clients represented a broad cross-section
of candidates, constituencies and businesses including; Internet
Probation and Parole Control Inc., Liberty PA, National Stonewall
Democrats, Scientists and Engineers for America, United States Senator
Russ Feingold and Young Democrats of America.
Mark is a
veteran of numerous political campaigns and served as Associate
Director for the PAC at the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). While at HRC,
Mark spearheaded the first-ever Presidential Forum on LGBT issues;
developed and launched their online candidate fundraising program and
greatly expanded nationwide candidate fundraising events.
Mark
is a graduate of Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee with a B.A. in
Religious Studies. He is a native of Chelmsford, Massachusetts and
currently resides in Washington DC.
Lauren Peters is the Political Assistant at the Gay &
Lesbian Victory Fund and Leadership Institute, the nation's leading
organization that identifies trains and supports openly lesbian, gay, bisexual
and transgender candidates, campaign staff and officials. As a member of
Victory’s political department, Lauren coordinates candidate
endorsements. She is also responsible for coordinating the Leadership
Institute trainings.
Lauren comes to Victory with a strong background in politics and the LBGT
movement. Lauren worked on recent campaigns for Senator Stabenow and Governor
Granholm’s in their 2006 re-elections. She also served as a Legislative intern
in Senator Stabenow’s office in the spring of 2006. A recent graduate from
college, Lauren served as the President of Hope College’s Gay Straight Forum
and with the help of others, broke ground in making headway for LBGT inclusion
on her campus.
Lauren holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Hope College
in Michigan.
A Michigan native, she now lives in Arlington, Va.
Fred Sherman
is Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operations Officer at the Gay
& Lesbian Victory Fund and Leadership Institute, the nation’s
leading organization that identifies, trains and supports openly
lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender candidates, campaign staff and
officials. Mr. Sherman is responsible for overseeing day-to-day
operations including finance, human resources, information technology,
legal and compliance, and office management.
Mr. Sherman is a
certified public accountant and comes to Victory from
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, where he served as Director for Global Tax
Technology. He was with PwC for 15 years and was a co-founder of GALE,
their gay and lesbian employee group.
Born in San Antonio,
Texas, Mr. Sherman is now a resident of historic Mount Pleasant in
Washington, D.C., and is past treasurer of Mount Pleasant Main Street,
an organization that serves to revitalize the neighborhood commercial
district. He is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and
earned his BBA in Accounting and Database Management and Analysis (MIS).
Anne Wallestad is the Vice President of Development at the
Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund and Leadership Institute; the nation's leading
organization that identifies trains and supports openly lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender candidates, campaign staff and officials. Responsible for guiding overall resource
development efforts for the organization, Wallestad works with the fundraising
team to reach out to Victory supporters to ensure sustainability, security and
effectiveness in all of Victory’s programs.
Anne brings to Victory a history of leadership within and
beyond the GLBT movement. Most recently,
she served as the Director of Development at RAINN, the Rape, Abuse &
Incest National Network. Prior to that,
she spent five years at the Human Rights Campaign, most notably leading the HRC
Federal Club, a leadership group of major donors, during its largest period of
growth.
Anne received her bachelor’s degree from Drake University
in Des Moines, IA, where she majored in English and
Sociology and had a concentration in women’s studies. A native of Minnesota,
she now lives with her partner in Washington,
DC.
Shawn
Werner is a Manager of the Victory
Cabinet at the Gay
& Lesbian Victory Fund and Leadership Institute, the nation's leading organization that
identifies, trains and supports openly lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender
candidates, campaign staff and officials. He is responsible for recruiting and
consulting on political campaigns
in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic
regions, as well as growing and strengthening the Victory family donor base.
Shawn served as a Victory
intern in the summers of 2004 and 2005. During the Spring of 2006, he was the President and
Founder of The Fight to Give Life, a national collegiate mobilization against
the Food and Drug Administration’s antiquated and discriminatory lifetime ban on
blood donations by gay
and bisexual men.
Shawn recently received his
Bachelors of Arts in Political Science from Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA. He resides in Washington, D.C.
Chuck Wolfe
is the president and CEO of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund and
Leadership Institute, the nation’s leading organization that
identifies, trains and supports openly lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender candidates, campaign staff and officials. The organization
is nonpartisan and works at the federal, state and local levels. He is
responsible for the organization’s strategic planning and has put in
place an aggressive growth plan, which includes building a presence in
13 “Horizon states” that lack any openly gay or lesbian public
officials. Mr. Wolfe’s long-term involvement with the Victory Fund and
Leadership Institute includes four years of service on its Board of
Directors.
Mr. Wolfe has an extensive background in politics,
issue advocacy and organizational development. He previously served as
executive vice president and chief operating officer of the American
Legacy Foundation, which was created as a result of the 46-state
settlement with the tobacco industry. Mr. Wolfe was the Foundation’s
first employee and initiated programs such as the renowned TRUTH
campaign. He has emerged as a leading authority in the public health
movement to reduce the devastating effects of tobacco use. Numerous
media outlets, including 60 Minutes, have featured his efforts; the
National Tobacco Control Conference, the National Governor’s
Association, the National Conference of State Legislatures and the
American Cancer Society have showcased his expertise; and several state
governments and national campaigns have sought his counsel.
Mr.
Wolfe entered the public and non-profit sector as an appointee to the
late Florida Governor Lawton Chiles. In addition to serving on the
governor’s 1994 reelection campaign as operations manager, he served
the governor for seven years in such capacities as director of external
affairs, director of tobacco control and executive director of the
Miami Financial Oversight Board. During his tenure, among numerous
other achievements, Mr. Wolfe developed and implemented programs that
aided the relief efforts of Hurricane Andrew, the City of Miami’s
financial emergency and the Florida Tobacco Pilot Program.
An
accomplished speaker, Mr. Wolfe enjoys presenting the principles of
sound strategy and integrated management. He has delivered these
messages through workshops, domestic and international conferences and
legislative hearings.
Mr. Wolfe, an Eagle Scout, has a long
history of leadership within the Boy Scouts of America, including a
two-year term on the National Executive Board. For over ten years he
has been active and outspoken in the effort to rid scouting of its
discriminatory policies towards gays and lesbians.
Mr. Wolfe is
a 1985 graduate of Stetson University in Florida and completed the
Negotiating Skills Seminar at the J.F.K. School of Government of
Harvard University in 1997. A native of Florida, he moved to
Washington, D.C. in 1999, and is an active member of the Foundry United
Methodist Church.
Paul Zolandz
is the Communications Manager at the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund and
Leadership Institute; the nation's leading organization that
identifies, trains and supports openly lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender candidates, campaign staff and officials. He is
responsible for maintaining high visual standards for all of Victory's
communications products, both print and electronic. In addition to his
graphic design tasks, Paul is also responsible for the day-to-day
maintenance of Victory's family of websites and is a point person for
on-site technology issues.
Paul comes to Victory with a diverse
background in politics, design and technology. He was most recently
employed with AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, where he produced distance
learning DVDs and collateral for internal physicians overseas.
Additionally, he has been a freelance designer in both DC and Delaware,
specializing in providing high-quality materials for performing artists
and organizations.
Paul recently received his Bachelors of Music
magna cum laude in vocal performance with a minor in French, from The
Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, where he performed
regularly as a principle in opera productions. Originally from
Wilmington, Delaware, Paul currently resides in Washington, DC.