MEMBER OF

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The New York State Lesbian,
Gay, Bisexual and Transgender
Health and Human Services Network
 
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BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The RAI Board of Directors is comprised of a cross-section of the community we serve. Current and past members include people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender as well those from varying age groups, urban and rural populations, and people of color.

 

Chad Putman, President

Chad Putman holds a LMSW from the School of Social Welfare at SUNY Albany. He has been the Board President for RAI since 2009 and has over a decade of experience in human services, currently working as a Chemical Dependency Counselor in Latham, NY. In January, 2011 he was appointed to the Schenectady County Human Rights Commission where he plans to advocate for LGBT equality and human rights.

Since becoming board president Chad secured a MOU with the Trevor Project which allows RAI/Trevor volunteers to provide lifesaving workshops here in the Capital Region. He successfully advocated with LGBT Network colleagues to establish March in NYS as LGBT Health Month. Chad lead the way in developing the Capital District LGBTQ Medical Clinic Coalition and continues to network with state and local officials focused on the creation of an LGBT medical clinic here in Albany. He wants you to know, "I am committed to developing a solid network of LGBT health and human services here in the Capital District, because Our Health Matters!"

Click to contact Chad.

 

Katie Moskal

Katie holds a MA in psychology. She moved to the Capital District in 2007 from Rochester to take a job in the human services field. Katie currently works at the AIDS Council of NENY, an organization serving the HIV+ population and people at risk.  She began her work there in 2008 and holds a Client Services Manager position.

Katie became interested in serving on the RAI board after attending the 2009 Access Awards and speaking with Chad about the mission of Rainbow Access Initiative. She values the passion and forward thinking of the board.

Click to contact Katie.

 

Andy Little, Board Treasurer and Website Manager

Andy is now in his second career as a Presbyterian minister, and served a church in Schenectady, NY. His first career of 30+ years was as an optician and a greedy, unscrupulous businessperson. As he explains, "After the battle between my relentless need to accumulate and my conscience reached the point where there was nothing left to do but fall down and curl up into a ball, I walked away from the rat race and became poor and happy."

Andy attended Methodist Theological School, Westminster College at Cambridge University, and the United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities where he earned a Master of Divinity with a concentration in Liberation Theology and Ethics. He is active in The Church Within A Church Movement and in the Trevor Project.

Click to contact Andy.

 

Jenna Zirbel, Secretary

Jenna comes to RAI from Iowa where she served on the Iowa Gender-Specific Services Task Force of the Iowa Dept of Human Rights. She also spent five years in various levels of grass roots organizing and was a volunteer with a faith-based organization. Her work has also included ministry involvement, including five years in lay and seminarian capacities and four years in professional ministry. She served as a full-time British Methodist minister in an ecumenical parish near London.

Prior to her involvement with the ministry, "Jenna" was a speech language pathologist in educational settings. She holds a BS and MS in Speech Language Pathology, and two other Masters degrees--one in Divinity and one in Theological Studies. Jenna is ordained in the The Church Within A Church Movement and active in the Trevor Project.

Click to contact Jenna.

 

Steve Hendrickson

Steve holds a dual Bachelors of Science in Sociology and Psychology from SUNY Fredonia. He moved to the Capital District in 2002 to work as an HIV Test Counselor for The AIDS Council of Northeastern New York from 2002-2007. He also worked for the Albany Damien Center as the PAWS Coordinator and Treasure Chest Manager. He has been the Program Coordinator for The Cohoes Senior Citizens Center for the last 2 years.  Steve has been active in doing prevention and education in the HIV/AIDS field all over New York State from volunteering, interning and working since he was in high school in the early 1990’s. His passion for helping people brought him to join the Board of RAI in late 2010. Steve values the grassroots approach that RAI takes in providing services to the LGBTQ community and looks forward to the many upcoming projects RAI has planned. The landscape of healthcare for the LGBTQ Community is quickly changing and it is so exciting to be part of that. Steve is an avid outdoorsman and spends a lot of time camping, rock climbing, snow-shoeing and backpacking year round in the beautiful Adirondacks.

Click to contact Steve.

 

Kiera Griffiths, Assistant Treasurer

kieraKiera Griffiths is new to the LGBTQ community, but no less passionate about getting its needs met! She joined RAI's Board of Directors in April 2011, and volunteers as an Assistant Treasurer and Finance Committee member. She enjoys being involved with community events, and getting to know the diverse groups of LGBTQ people and issues in The Capital Region. Kiera is also the creator and facilitator of        self!PRIDE (selfPRIDEme@gmail.com), a weekly health & wellness support group open to anyone living with eating disorders, self-abusive behaviors, or body image issues.

Kiera has a B.S. in Economics, and a penchant for careers in accounting, finance, and business.

Click to contact Kiera.