Sr. Management

Kentucky Equality Federation's movement is one driven by the volunteer constituents of communities throughout the Commonwealth. Our grassroots movement is at local and regional levels, as many volunteers in the community give their time to support the local/regional movement, which helps the statewide movement. Typically, decision-making authority (as practical) is shifted to the organization's lowest geographic level of organization.

Both the Board of Directors and the President are elected by the Official Members.  The Board then chooses a Chairperson from among other Board members. The President is an ex-officio member of the Board of Directors but may only vote to break a tie. In practice however, the President remains out of the affairs of the Board of Directors and more than 95% of the time abstains from voting thereby leaving the issue tabled until the Chairperson can lead the Board to a quorum.  This creates a completely independent Board of Directors responsible for oversight as well as a legislative body by passing resolutions.

VOLUNTEER OFFICERS, MANAGEMENT, and INTERNS:

• Todd H. Melton, Jr. Chairman of the Board
• Josh Koch, Temporary President
• Kelly Gill, A.D., Mental Health Outreach Director
• Julia Spiegel-Oiler, Children of LGBTI Parents Outreach Director
• Tyler Watts, Transgender Outreach Director
• Katrinna Alexandros, Assistant Transgender Outreach Director
• Jeff Johnson, Central Kentucky Regional Director
• Darren Morgen, Assistant Central Kentucky Regional Director
• Matt Berry, Eastern Kentucky Regional Director
• Shannon L. McKinney, Interim Southern Kentucky Regional Director  
• Will Taylor, Southeastern Kentucky Regional Director
• Benjamin Brannock, Education and School Specialist
• Minister Edith Baker, Ph.D., Religious Communities Outreach Director

-> Because of the high volume of SPAM, please use the online contact form to contact us!

 -> Click here to view our Committees.

REGIONAL MANAGEMENT ORGANIZATION:

The Commonwealth is organized into designated areas (Eastern Kentucky, Central Kentucky, Southern Kentucky, a Special Southeastern Kentucky area, Northern Kentucky, Western Kentucky, etc). Regional Directors are responsible for that local area and through the Federation's other leaders such as volunteer Outreach Directors, Officers, Board Members, etc. expand the Federations membership base.

People are drawn to activism for a wide range of reasons. People want to participate in an organization that they feel connected to; as leaders, this means they want to feel connected to our Regional Directors and our Outreach Directors, who service as Kentucky Equality Federation's front-line activists. 

Our Regional Directors and Outreach Directors are the backbone of the grassroots network of activists fighting for LGBTI equality at the local, and state level.  Our non-Board, Specialized Committees also place an enormous role in our community outreach efforts, especially the Public Relations Committee and the Discrimination, Hate Crimes, and School Bullying Committee.

REGIONAL DIRECTORS:

Regional Directors are the primary 'go to person' for all things in the Region they are appointed to supervise. They are the ones who approve items in their assigned region (which may then still be dependent on approval from the Managing Director, the President, or the Board of Directors). Regional Directors maintain ongoing contact with the President (or his/her designated Representative) and our Outreach Directors.

• REGIONAL SUPPORT VOLUNTEERS:  The Regional Director may, on approval of the President appoint a Regional Special Events Coordinator, a Regional Administrative Coordinator, an Assistant Regional Director, Special Representatives, etc.

ABOUT OUR OUTREACH DIRECTORS:

At Kentucky Equality Federation (who is also the sponsor of Marriage Equality Kentucky), Outreach Directors focus on educating the public about LGBTIQ issues (including marriage equality) within targeted communities – providing information and sharing our message in specific ways, as well as contributing information regarding their communities to our statewide organization. The Outreach Directors carry the responsibility for reaching members of the larger LBGTIQ community that too often have not been included, either in positions of leadership or in public education.

• Our Outreach Directors are our front-line activists, working within their targeted communities to change minds and hearts, one conversation at a time. These volunteers work with their families, co-workers and neighbors, elected officials and local media – they build coalitions with other organizations in their targeted community – they are a driving force behind our Federation.

Most Outreach Directors service are non-officer, non-director volunteers who reach out to targeted communities in many different ways:

1. Kentucky Equality Federation's Outreach Directors focus on educating the public about lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) issues within specific communities – providing information and sharing our message in specific ways (including elected officials, appointed officials, other organizations, etc.), as well as contributing information regarding each community to our statewide organization. Outreach Directors will report problems and/or issues their targeted community is facing to the Office of the President, as well as the Discrimination, Hate Crimes, and School Bullying Committee.
2. Outreach Directors increase the networking ability of the organization by doing outreach work on a statewide level such as building coalitions with organizations across the Commonwealth.
3. Outreach Directors also reach out to members of the LGBTI community that too often have not been included, either in positions of leadership or in public education.

COMMITTEES:

Kentucky Equality Federation's Standing Committees are the Public Relations Committee, the Kentucky Discrimination and School Bullying Committee, the Planning Committee, the Transgender Special Advisory Committee and the Fundraising Committee.

• Click here to contact one of our Committees to report hate crimes, discrimination, school bullying, assist in fundraising, etc.

Each Committee is broke down by category with specific responsibilities. Each Committee may elect its membership or they may be appointed by the President or Board of Directors (depending on who formed the Committee).  Each Committee may either elect management or they may be appointed such as a Chair, Co-Chair, Communications Manager, Committee Members, Honorary Members, Special Advisers, etc.

• ABOUT OUR COMMITTEES:  Per Federation Bylaws Article V Section 2.01: The Board may appoint other committees, including an advisory committee consisting of directors, non-directors, or others. In addition, the President may appoint special committees or councils consisting of one or more non-directors. The committees or councils described in this section shall have no fiduciary responsibility.