Board of Directors
Lindsay Morris
Lindsay is a producer of the 2016 BBC documentary, My Transgender Summer Camp, and published her monograph, You Are You, documenting a summer camp for gender-creative children and their families in collaboration with Kehrer Verlag; her work was in two NYT magazine features You Are You and The Kids of Camp I Am. Morris works as a freelance photographer and is a regular contributor to the New York Times. She resides with her family on Long Island’s East End.
Stan C. Kimer, Treasurer
Stan is long-time active lay leader within the Metropolitan Community Churches and the North Carolina Council of Churches. In addition to his ministries within the Christian community, Kimer served as IBM’s corporate global GLBT (Gay Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender) diversity program manager. His company, Total Engagement Consulting by Kimer, Inc., provides consulting services and training in LGBT diversity and career road-mapping and development.
Phyllis Aldrich, Clerk
Phyllis Aldrich is an experienced educator who teaches humanities in a town just north of Boston and cares deeply about her students and her colleagues. This mother of two children enjoys every moment of time spent with them. Phyllis is an avid reader and also enjoys running and hiking. She is, in addition, the mother of a gay son and is incredibly pleased to be involved with Gay Sons and Mothers.
Patricia Arredondo, PhD
Patricia is a psychologist and educator focusing on cultural issues and intersecting identities. She is president of the Arredondo Advisory Group, Faculty Fellow with Fielding Graduate University, and her books reflect research interests in diversity-driven initiatives, Latinx mental health, women’s leadership, and multicultural guidelines for professional development.
Kaylene Barney
Kaylene is a proud mother of two gay sons who she raised in Utah. She was active in the Mormon church but left after her sons came out. She leads parent friendship circle’s and parent support groups at Encircle, a LGBTQ+ family resource center in Utah. She was on the Committee for Equality Utah Gala, and is a member of Mama Dragons, a support group for mothers with LGBTQ+ children.
Blanca Leos
Blanca is a Latina divorced mom whose son is gay. Her life trajectory changed based on the lessons she learned from parenting a gay son: not only did she support her son, she began advocating for LGBTQ+ youth and their families in Latino communities. She has served as regional director of PFLAG Denver, on the national board for PFLAG National, and is currently the organization’s Mountain West regional director.
Alan G. Locher
Alan G. Locher is an experienced publicist with expertise in media relations, talent relations, and sales in the television, film, and tourism industries. Alan is recognized as a creative force known for cultivating and maintaining strong relationships, for creating unique experiences and opportunities, pitching and securing media coverage, and developing content. He is the founder and CEO of The Locher Room.
Mark Von der Heide
Mark Von der Heide spent years at Walt Disney and Netflix in post-production as a liaison to the creative team for TV & film. After writing comic book shorts for Bob's Burgers, he produced his first documentary, "Pieces of Us," about LGBTQ hate crime survivors, and he remains passionate about telling LBGTQ stories that deepen the understanding of our shared humanity. “Love,” he says, “can truly erase hate when we all work together.”
Oren Sherman
Oren is a prolific and influential artist/de- signer working in brand identity, interior design, and architecture. He is a graduate and current professor of the Rhode Island School of Design, specializing in entrepre- neurship, and a senior designer at Elkus Manfredi Architecture in Boston.