BOARD OF DIRECTORSThe 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 holds a Masters degree in Social Work from SUNY Albany and comes to RAI with nearly 10 years of direct practice experience in Human Services. He currently works as a full-time Chemical Dependency Counselor and plans to obtain his LMSW and CASAC. As a community organizer, he has successfully facilitated community socials, educational presentations, and fund-raising events. Since joining the board, he has secured a Memorandum of Understanding with The Trevor Project and helped to bring in new board members and create an Events Committee. He brings his passion and commitment to RAI and is optimistic about its continued growth and impact on the local LGBT community. Click to contact Chad.
Katie Moskal, Vice-President / Events Committee Chair
Katie is a graduate of Messiah College in Grantham, PA. She holds a BA in Psychology and an MA in Psychology from SUNY Brockport. Since moving to the Capital Region, Katie has worked as Supervising Case Manager at the AIDS Council of NENY, an organization serving the HIV+ population. She became interested in serving on the board after attending the 2009 Rainbow Access Awards. Click to contact Katie.
Tre Luna, LMSW, M.Ed., Board Secretary
Tre is currently a Clinician Trainee at Choices Counseling and Consulting. He practices individual and family therapy with an emphasis on sexual and gender minorities. He is also an Instructor/Therapist at the Schenectady Community Action Program. Click to contact Tre.
Sara-Becca Smith, Board Treasurer
Sara-Becca holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the College of Wooster in Ohio. She has worked with the elderly, children and adults with developmental disabilities (including autistic children and adults with Alzheimer's) and those living in poverty. Sara-Becca is currently attending Union Graduate College in pursuit of an MBA with a certificate in Management and Leadership. She will graduate in Spring 2010. Click to contact Sara-Becca
Alfredo Rivera, Youth Representative
Alfredo is RAI's first youth board member. He is a published poet and is currently attending Hudson Valley Community College, studying Criminal Justice and Psychology. He is a volunteer at the Capital District Gay & Lesbian Community Council and serves on the RAI Events Committee. Alfredo hopes to start a Gay & Straight Alliance at HVCC in the coming year. He joins RAI as a rising leader in the LGBT community, bringing much enthusiasm and valuable life experiences. His goal is to become a corporate lawyer. Click to contact Alfredo.
Andy Little
Andy is now in his second career as a minister serving 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, 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 on the Trevor Project. Click to contact Andy. Jenna Zirbel
Jenna comes to RAI from Iowa where she served on the Iowa Gender-Specific Services Task Force of the Iowa Department 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 and served as a full-time British Methodist minister in an ecumenical parish near London. She is an active member of the Commission on Status and Role of Women (COSROW) and Reconciling Ministries, both UMC organizations. Prior to her involvement with the ministry, "Jenna" was a speech language pathologist in educational settings. She holds a BA in Speech Language Pathology, and two Masters degrees--one in Divinity and one in Theological Studies. Click to contact Jenna.
Rachel Breidster
Rachel holds a Bachelor’s of Arts in Liberal Arts (Sociology) from the University of Miami in Florida. She currently works as a full time training program coordinator for SUNY Albany’s School of Public Health. She has extensive work experience providing services, case management, and advocacy to low income populations, homeless families, disabled adults, individuals struggling with substance abuse and mental health, and survivors of domestic violence. She also has work experience training employees of the state Department of Social Service in state and federal legislation governing various public benefit programs. Click to contact Rachel.
Jennifer Storm
Jennifer is a practicing attorney specializing in LGBT law, family law and public benefits. She earned her Juris Doctorate from Albany Law School in 2006. From September 2007 until July 2010 Jennifer worked as a staff attorney at The Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York where she provided pro bono legal assistance to victims of domestic violence and persons living with HIV/AIDS. She left to pursue private practice and diverse pro bono opportunities. Jennifer also works as a teacher and a trainer. Click to contact Jennifer.
Available to board members only.
This page updated on November 2009
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