Community Advisory Board
Meet our Community Advisory Board!
Our Community Advisory Board is composed of 15+ members of our LGBTQ+ community in New York State. The purpose of the CAB is to provide the perspective of stakeholders within sexual and gender minority communities in the work that the LGBTQ+ Health Initiative is doing.
The CAB meets about 6 times per year, and tasks include reviewing drafts of materials and providing suggestions to make sure materials and plans are inclusive and sensitive to racial, ethnic, and cultural aspects, discussing the overall direction and goals for the grant, and successes and areas for improvement, etc. We have an open application for our CAB! If you are interested, or you know anyone who may be interested, please review this document and apply here!
Meet Our CAB
Nia Jones served as a CAB Co-Chair in our 2021-2022 grant year. She is the Director of Residential Services at East House, considers herself classic with a twist. Dedicated to the souls that make up her community, Nia’s career is comprised of experience in mental health, chemical dependency, eating disorders, elders, developmental disabilities, and at risk youth. A balance of heart and mind and the ability to implement positive transformational change are Nia’s greatest strengths; superseding her knack for building haunted houses for Halloween. After graduating from SUNY Brockport with an undergraduate degree in Social Work, Nia went on to complete a graduate degree in Healthcare Administration from Roberts Wesleyan. She is an advocate for equity and believes in being a voice for underserved and unheard populations. Identifying as a Mom and a Black Professional LGBTQ Woman, Nia joined the CAB at its inception with the hopes of continuing her efforts to advocate for equity and put actions behind her beliefs.
Vilma Vendrell joined the CAB shortly after its commencement in January of 2020. She identifies as a bisexual, cisgender, Latinx woman with experience working in mental health in multiple levels of care. She is also has experience in care management and substance abuse services. Vilma has been active in raising awareness of the emotional and physical needs of all LGBTQ+ individuals.
Nicole Fleming joined the CAB when it began in November 2019. She identifies as a Deaf, gay, cisgender white woman. She is a pediatric nurse and joined the CAB to help bring disabled and Deaf voices to the discussion of LGBTQ+ healthcare and services. She is most interested in how intersectionality of minority identities impact health disparities.
Rudi Lott joined the LGBTQ community Advisory Board (CAB) when it started in November of 2019. She identifies as a Trans African American woman, and has experience working in Community Education for HIV, Substance Abuse counseling and is currently enrolled at the University of Rochester working on her Masters in mental health counseling. Rudi joined the CAB because she is interested in a more positive social inclusion with society. In addition, to help plan human services to be more unbiased for all LGBTQ+ people and wants to give back to her community.
Daniel identifies as queer and is mixed-raced, usually identifying as Latinx. Daniel is typically referred to by he/him/his, but is fine with all pronouns, as he is not attached to his gender. Daniel is a medical student at the University of Rochester, School of Medicine and Dentistry, and has a variety of experiences in research (from mental health to STEM education) and community service (from working with those with disabilities to those recovering from substance use). Daniel joined CAB in hopes of improving healthcare, by reducing inequities for LGBTQ+ people via advocacy, research, and education.
Tim Snider identifies as a Gay, Gender Non-Conforming white individual with Native American heritage. Tim is generally referred to by gender-neutral pronouns such as They/Them but has no designated pronouns. Tim is an Ethnic & Gender Studies, Psychology, and Social Work student at SUNY Fredonia and recently became an intern for GLYS (Growing LGBTQ+ Youth Services) in Buffalo, N.Y. Tim has had years of experience in many different fields, stretching from Higher Education to Non-Profit Organizations. The Fredonia community has recognized Tim for their work with and advocacy for underserved and underrepresented groups. Tim is trained and certified in Safe Zone/Space and Suicide Prevention and has years of experience researching and disseminating cultural and identity-related information.
Interested in joining our CAB?
The LGBTQ+ Health Initiative invites interested New Yorkers from anywhere in the state to apply to be a member of the Community Advisory Board, or CAB. This advisory board is open to employees of the NYS HHS Network organizations and to the general public, with a strong preferance for members of LGBQ+, TGNCNB, and/or BIPOC communities. This CAB will help ensure the LGBTQ+ Health Initiative’s work is representative of all New Yorkers.