TONY HOANG (he/him/his)

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Tony Hoang is the Executive Director of Silver State Equality and Equality California and a veteran of the LGBTQ+ equality movement.

The son of Vietnam War refugees and the first person in his family to attend college, Tony is a proud first-generation immigrant who grew up understanding the marginalized intersections of sexuality, gender, race and immigration status. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Tony moved to Los Angeles to attend the University of Southern California. During college, he interned with the Pacific Council on International Policy and Los Angeles County Federation of Labor before joining Equality California as a field intern in 2009, beginning his long career with the organization.

Tony went on to serve as Equality California’s Database and Volunteer Manager, Director of Operations, Chief of Staff and Managing Director prior to his selection as Executive Director-designate in 2021. During that time, Tony played a pivotal role in the passage of groundbreaking civil rights legislation in California, Nevada and Washington, DC, implementation of statewide public education campaigns and the election of hundreds of openly LGBTQ+ and pro-equality candidates up and down the ballot. Tony helped usher in a dramatic expansion of Equality California’s budget, staff, programming — especially the organization’s political work and efforts to advance racial justice — and growth to over 900,000 pro-equality members across the country.

Tony serves the City of Los Angeles as a Commissioner on the Innovation and Performance Commission. He also sits on the boards of Equality Federation, the national movement builder and strategic partner to state-based organizations advocating for LGBTQ people, and DTLA Proud. He is a member of the Center for Asian Americans United For Self Empowerment (CAUSE) Leadership Network and the Pacific Council on International Policy and serves as a mentor for the USC Lambda LGBT Alumni Mentoring Program.

Tony received a BA in International Relations at the University of Southern California with minors in Political Science and Natural Sciences. An avid concert-goer, cook, cyclist and traveler, Tony lives in Downtown Los Angeles with his fiancé Ian, an attorney.

ANDRÉ C. WADE (he/him/his)

STATE DIRECTOR

André C. Wade is the state director for Silver State Equality. In this role he leads legislative, fundraising and political efforts in the state of Nevada. With a Bachelor’s in Psychology and a Master’s in Public Administration, André has worked in human services for nearly 25 years in a variety of public and nonprofit contexts working on issues such as developmental disabilities, child welfare, youth experiencing homelessness national policy advocacy, diversity, equity and inclusion, and LGBTQ+ advocacy. André has served on several boards and committees focused on LGBTQ+ equality and inclusion such as the Human Rights Campaign’s Advisory Council for the All Children’s All Families program. Andre is a two-time appointee to Governor Sisolak’s Advisory Task Force on HIV Exposure Modernization for the State of Nevada.  A native of Las Vegas, Nevada, André is a certified yoga instructor who loves spending time with his partner, Jorge, traveling to new places and having interesting experiences attending concerts, and sneaking in time reading, writing and spending time with loved ones.

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Theresa Carlisle (she/her/hers)

Director of Human Resources and Administration

Theresa Carlisle (she/her/hers) is the Director of Human Resources Director and Administration for Equality California responsible for all human resource functional areas, including benefits administration, talent acquisition, and retention, compensation and performance appraisal, leadership development, and workforce culture.

Prior to joining Equality California, she was the US People and Culture Manager for Denmark-based Linkfire, Inc., a music industry technology company. Theresa has over twenty years of people and culture experience in the healthcare, behavioral health, and imaging industries. She graduated from Antioch University with a BA in Business Management. Theresa loves Major League Baseball and currently lives in Los Angeles, CA with her Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named McKenzie.

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Sunitha Menon(she/her/hers)

Managing Director of Operations

Sunitha Menon (she/her/hers) is the Managing Director of Operations of Equality California and Silver State Equality. She is responsible for setting a vision for and leading the organization’s human resources, talent management, development, and programmatic functions.

As a first-generation queer person of color, Sunitha has seen how inequalities and discrimination have affected the health, safety, and well-being of marginalized communities. She has spent her career working to support these communities and address inequalities through direct action, support services, and education. Sunitha has worked in the non-profit space for over 20 years, and has focused the past ten years on organizational strategy and growth, staff development and culture building, and sustainability. Prior to joining Equality California, Sunitha founded and managed the consulting services department at RAINN, which provided tailored solutions to the ways in which sexual violence impacted organizations of all kinds.

Sunitha received her Bachelors in Sociology from UMASS Amherst, and her Masters in the Science of Social Work, from Columbia University. In her free time, she enjoys spending quality time with her family (especially her nieces and nephews), international travel, hiking, and doing anything by the ocean. Sunitha lives in Long Beach with her wife, a Los Angeles County Fire Department Captain, and their beagle-mix.

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Jorge Reyes Salinas(he/him/his)

Communications Director

Jorge Reyes Salinas (he/him/his) is the Communications Director for Equality California and Silver State Equality, based in Sacramento. He was born in Lima, Peru, and grew up in the San Fernando Valley. He is a graduate of Cal State Northridge, where he received a Master’s Degree in Communication Studies and Bachelor’s degree in Journalism. As a student at Cal State Northridge, he was appointed by Governor Jerry Brown to serve on the CSU Board of Trustees. Jorge recently served as Senator Monique Limón’s Communications Director. Before that, he served as an Assembly Fellow in the office of Assemblymember Kevin Mullin and as a District Representative for Senate Majority Leader Bob Hertzberg. Jorge lives in Sacramento with his Chihuahua Terrier named Chanel and, in his free time, enjoys dancing, eating Hot Cheetos, and ordering Starbucks holiday drinks.

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SARAH T. MORROW AN (she/her/hers)

DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR

Sarah Morrow An serves as Development Director at Silver State Equality and Equality California, overseeing all fundraising strategies and initiatives for the organizations and their subsidiaries. A recent transplant from the New York City area, Sarah has over 10 years of professional development experience including serving as Director of Development at Housing Works Inc., as well as Vice President of the Housing Works Bookstore & Cafe. Prior to Housing Works, Sarah worked at the Metropolitan Opera during their record-breaking 2011-2012 season. Sarah graduated cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania with degrees in Communications, Sociology, and with a concentration in Marketing from the Wharton School. Sarah has served proudly on the boards of Housing Works and the West Village Chorale, and was an avid volunteer at the Museum of Modern Art. Sarah now lives in Miracle Mile with her opera-singer husband and two lovable (but exhausting) toddlers. (Photo: Joshua Kristal)

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VALERIE PLOUMPIS (she/her/hers)

NATIONAL POLICY DIRECTOR

Valerie Ploumpis is national policy director for Silver State Equality and Equality California, based in Washington, D.C. She is a political expert with more than two decades of experience in issue-advocacy campaigns, grassroots education and mobilization, coalition building, lobbying and media outreach. She serves on the board of directors of OutRight International Action, a global LGBT civil rights organization, and the LGBTQ Victory Fund’s Campaign Board, a national PAC which endorses and supports LGBT political candidates and elected officials. Prior to joining Silver State Equality and Equality California, she was a principal at Burnside & Associates, where she managed political and mobilization campaigns. Prior to that, Ploumpis served as a legislative and policy advocate for several international trade organizations in Washington, D.C. She holds a BA in international relations from Mills College and an MA in international relations from Johns Hopkins University.

Jessica Munger (she/her/hers)

Program manager

Jessica Munger is the Program Manager at Silver State Equality where she implements programs to empower and advance the wellbeing of the LGBTQ+ community in Nevada. Jessica hails from rural northern California (the ancestral lands of the Maidu people) and studied Political Science at Humboldt State University. Jessica’s roots are in community organizing: prior to coming to Silver State Equality she spent nearly a decade working on the campaign to pass the 28^th amendment to the US Constitution to resist corporate power and big money in politics. Jessica has also worked on state and local campaigns regarding local democracy and sex worker rights. She proudly serves on the boards of Move to Amend and Democracy Unlimited. Jessica has a background in ballroom dance and creative movement, she’s a home bread-baker, live music enthusiast, and soon to be parent!

Mario woolfolK (HE/HIM/HIS)

Program Associate

Mario Woolfolk is a Community Health Worker Program Associate for Silver State Equality working on public education and advocacy programs. Mario has spent his career in public service and education working in youth programs, school administration, and public health. He joins us from the Southern Nevada Health District, where he worked in HIV services with the Ryan White Program and provided support on the First Response Team for COVID-19. Mario is excited to have a personal connection to the work he is doing and help bring equality to individuals within the LGBTQ+ community. He also enjoys playing softball and has been studying the Japanese language (はじめまして / Nice to meet you!).

Bri SchmidT (THEY/THEM/THEIRS)

Program Associate

Bri Schmidt is a Program Associate for Silver State Equality working on bringing SSEQ’S programming to the Northern Nevada region. A born and raised Reno native, Bri comes from a background of education and crisis services, giving a unique connection to the community around them. As a part of the LGBTQ+ community, they are excited to help the Northern Nevada community get engaged and make a difference in their future. In their free time, Bri enjoys a variety of nerdy activities like video games and comic books. They also know way too much about aquariums and will talk about their fish for hours.