New Leadership for Capital Pride Alliance

Board of Directors’ Executive Committee and Program Chairs Confirmed

Washington, D.C., January 24, 2018 – The Capital Pride Alliance is proud to announce newly confirmed individuals in leadership roles as Program Chairs of the Production Team and Executive Officers of the Board of Directors. Ashley Smith has been elected President of the Board of Directors, after the distinguished six-year tenure of Bernie Delia.

“It has been an honor and pleasure to serve as the President of the Board of Directors of the Capital Pride Alliance. There have been many joys and challenges in this role. I extend my thanks and gratitude to my fellow Board members, our numerous Pride Partners and sponsors, our extremely dedicated volunteers, and the inexhaustible staff, whose combined efforts make possible the safe and successful Celebration of Pride in the Nation’s Capital as well as all of our year-round programming,” said Bernie Delia, immediate past President. “As I stated a year ago, 2016-2017 would close out my term as Board President. I now look forward to continuing my contributions as a board member, and working with Ashley and the Executive Officers on the many upcoming Pride efforts.”

“As the incoming Board President, I have a great deal of optimism that we’ll continue expanding the mission of the Capital Pride Alliance to meet the changing needs of the entire spectrum of the LGBTQ+ community,” said Ashley Smith, newly confirmed President of the Board of Directors of Capital Pride Alliance. “We’re always looking for opportunities to make the annual Pride Celebration and Pride 365 events even more exceptional, compelling, and inclusive. I look forward to hearing from and meeting the members of our diverse community, and I invite everyone from the national capital region to participate as volunteers with Capital Pride.”

The following are the newly confirmed leaders, their roles, and brief biographies:

Chelsea Bland (She/Her/Hers) – Chair, Volunteer Program. Chelsea is a union member of the Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) Local 2 and serves as the local’s LGBTQ committee chair. She has been a volunteer with Capital Pride for five years and is excited to return to her work with volunteer program as Volunteer Chair. Beyond her volunteer work and full-time job at a national labor union, Chelsea is a freelance photographer.

Bianca Humady Rey (She/Her/Hers) – Chair, Capital Trans Pride. Bianca was born and raised in the Philippines. She moved to the United States in the fall of 1998, and began working in the healthcare field. She is currently a Project Coordinator at Kaiser Permanente Mid-Atlantic States Region. Bianca’s passions include a devotion to the normalizing and visibility of the Transgender community. She has volunteered as Executive Producer for Capital Trans Pride for three years, and has also volunteered with the Capital Pride Alliance for three years. Bianca was recognized as one of Tagg Magazine’s Enterprising Women in 2017. She has also worked with Equality Virginia’s Transgender Advocacy Speaker Bureau Program as a Speaker/Facilitator for three years.

Tiffany Lyn Royster (She/Her/Hers) – Chair, Capital Pride Parade. Tiffany Lyn is a Maryland native who has been volunteering with Capital Pride for three years. She is a former Prince George’s Community College student and holds a position in Enrollment Services Information Center with the college. She is a professional actress and singer in the D.C. Metropolitan area and has trained and performed at Studio Theatre, Harmony Hall, and Anacostia Arts Center. Tiffany participates in the Outstanding Voices of D.C. Cabaret Series and Showcase as a vocalist and is on the actors’ roster with SoulFly Theatre Society.

Jami Vallesteros (He/Him/His) – Chair, Capital Pride Festival. Jami has been volunteering with Capital Pride since 2015, and has held roles in float production, parade logistics, festival management, and social media and technology. With a background in economics, he is currently a management consultant specializing in training, communication, and strategy for IT services and Microsoft technologies. Originally from Honolulu, HI, Jami currently enjoys the wealth of experiences DC has to offer.

Rachel Gleischman (She/Her/Hers) – Vice President of Records Management, Board of Directors. Rachel joined the board in 2016, and is currently serving at the Department of Defense through the White House Fellows Program, a non-partisan fellowship focused on leadership and public service. Prior to that, she was a Partner at TNTP, a non-profit organization devoted to ending the injustice of educational inequality by partnering with public school systems and advancing policies and practices that ensure effective teaching in every classroom. She is a former high school English teacher and school administrator, and has spent the majority of her career supporting school districts in recruiting, training, and retaining high-performing staff. Rachel holds a bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Texas A&M University and a master’s degree in teaching from Johns Hopkins University. She lives in Washington, DC, with her wife, Kelly, and their two dogs.

Vince Micone (He/Him/His) – Vice President of Internal Operations and Treasure, Board of Directors. Vince joined the Capital Pride Alliance Board in 2010, is a 25-year veteran of federal civil service, and a long-time civic activist in Washington. He serves as chairperson of the Combined Federal Campaign of the National Capital Area, the government’s workplace giving campaign, which has grown by $13 million under his leadership and raised $47 million this year for charities in our community, across the nation, and around the world. Vince has served as an elected Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner and as a Reserve Police Officer with the Gay and Lesbian Liaison Unit. He was also a member of the Mayor’s LGBT Advisory Commission and the DC Commission on National and Community Service. Vince is married to Thom Metzger.

Ashley Smith (He/Him/His) – President, Board of Directors. Ashley’s commitment to the fight for LGBTQ Equality is long and expansive. In addition to his new role as Capital Pride’s Board President, he serves on the Board of Directors for the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. Previously, he was on the Board of Directors for the DC Center and also served as a past President and Vice President of the DC Coalition of Black Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered People. Ashley was named as one of the National Co-Chairs for the Equality March in June 2017. Originally from Louisville, Kentucky, Ashley received a B.A. in Business Management from Morehouse College and moved to Washington, DC, in 2007. Ashley has worked in the hospitality field for almost 20 years.

Robert York (He/Him/His) – Vice President of External Relations, Board of Directors. Robert currently serves as the senior Director of Development for NMAC, and previously served as the Executive Director for Capital Pride, and as Director of AIDS Walk Washington. In 2005, the Washington Blade named him the Outstanding Male Hero in the LGBT community and in 2014 he was honored with Capital Pride’s Larry Stansbury Award for distinguished service. Robert received his BA in Journalism/Public Relations from the University of Central Oklahoma. Robert currently serves as an Ambassador for The Trevor Project’s DC chapter, also serves on the board of Athlete Ally, and is a published author.

Each year, the Capital Pride Alliance relies on a Production Team of over 25 Executive Producers to plan and produce its major programs, including Capital Trans Pride, the Capital Pride Parade, the Capital Pride Festival, the Capital Pride Concert, the Heroes Gala, and many more. In addition, over 300 dedicated and passionate volunteers devote their time and energy to support the LGBTQ+ community at these major events. Those who are interested in volunteering can sign up for more information at capitalpride.org/volunteer.

The Capital Pride Alliance is excited to continue broadening the representation of our great community, not only on the Production Team, but on the Board of Directors as well. These new Board members bring a wealth of experience and passion to further improve and expand the growth of Capital Pride. They are: Jose Gutierrez, Holly Goldmann, Michele Irimia-Bernabe, Ryan Velandria McCarthy, Casey Oakes, Ross Perkins, Natalie Thompson, Cedric Wilson, and Taylor Wallace.

For more information about the Capital Pride Alliance and our team of community leaders visit capitalpride.org/about/team or to secure an interview with the Capital Pride Alliance leadership, please contact Ryan Bos at (202) 719-5304, Ext. 700.

ABOUT CAPITAL PRIDE ALLIANCE

The Capital Pride Alliance, through its stewardship of diverse programming and events, specifically year-round LGBTQ+ Pride festivities centered in Washington, DC and the National Capital Region, serves to celebrate, educate, support, and inspire our multi-faceted communities in order to grow and preserve our history and protect our rights for current and future generations. Facebook (CapitalPrideDC), Twitter (CapitalPrideDC), YouTube, Instagram (@CapitalPrideDC).

###