Rich Brady has been on the board of directors for True Colors since June of 2007 and is currently in his second term as a board member. He first joined the board after seeing the great impact the True Colors conference had on youth. Rich received his BA in Criminology from Central Connecticut State University in May of 2005. He has held a variety of management positions, and currently works in the Human Resources Management field. Rich enjoys traveling, working with youth, and is currently active with other youth groups in Connecticut. Rich is excited with the direction True Colors has taken, and is ready to help bring the organization forward in 2010 and beyond.
Bonnie Fineman is beginning her first year on True Colors’ Board of Directors, but she was introduced to the organization four years ago when she became trained as a mentor. Since then, she has worked specifically with two of the program’s youth and has been licensed through DCF as a foster parent for both of them. She has also presented twice at the True Colors annual conference. She teaches English in a Hartford-area public high school and has 12 years of experience as an educator, professional development trainer, and coordinator of several school programs. She is also the school’s GSA advisor. Bonnie earned a bachelor’s degree in English literature from Rutgers University, a master’s degree in English literature from Southern Connecticut State University, and an educational administration degree from the University of Connecticut. She is planning on pursuing a doctoral degree from the University of Connecticut in 2012. She has been married to her wife- a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom and realtor- for five years. They live in eastern Connecticut and enjoy outdoor activities like camping, biking, rock climbing, hiking, and kayaking. Bonnie also coaches volleyball and practices yoga.
Antonia Loconte has served on the board of directors since 2009 and is currently serving her first term as secretary. She recently began her own practice as a Hartford-area attorney after 15 years with the state of Connecticut. A native of Bristol, she double-majored in English and Journalism as a UConn undergrad student, then returned to attend the UConn School of Law, followed by a clerkship with the Chief Judge of the Connecticut Appellate Court. During the past decade, she has volunteered with many organizations that have worked to combat "ism"-based oppression. This includes board service with the former Project 100 Hartford LGBT Community Center and the West End Civic Association, transgender rights advocacy work with the Anti-Discrimination Coalition, undoing racism work with POWER, and drug policy reform work with A Better Way Foundation. Tonia has been a part of True Colors since it began recruiting youth mentors in 2003, and has also served as a conference presenter and dance chaperone, an occasional speaker at trainings, and now a board member. She likes to play softball and ride her motorcycle in the New York Pride parade, and you'd be hard-pressed to beat her at Scrabble.
Marlo McGriff has served on the board of directors since 2009 and is currently serving his first term as board president. As the strategic planning committee co-chair, his work with True Colors has focused primarily on the alignment of the agency's programming and resources to its mission, goals and objectives. He has also served on the board finance committee and as a mentor through the agency’s mentoring program. Marlo received an AB in anthropology from Princeton University and was awarded certificates in both African-American Studies and American Studies. He is a business product manager at Google Inc. in Mountain View, CA.
Kristen Melesky joined the board in June 2009 and began her first term as Vice President in June, 2011. She was first introduced to True Colors in 2008 as a mentor. Professionally, Kristen has worked in communications and marketing for ten years beginning as a freelance sports journalist, graphic designer and website developer. More recently, Kristen served as Director of Communications for a non-profit trade organization and for the past two years has been working in marketing and sales strategy for a Fortune 500 Company. Kristen has a Bachelors Degree in Communication and Culture with a concentration in Journalism from Clark University and a Masters of Science in Interactive Communications from Quinnipiac University. As the marketing committee chair, Kristen has worked on the organization’s recent rebrand and website redesign and looks forward to helping develop an overall PR/Communications strategy for True Colors. In her spare time, Kristen enjoys playing sports, traveling and dining out.
Christine O'Leary is a social worker, trainer, facilitator, public speaker and now makes a living as an Entertainer. Christine joined the Board of Directors of True Colors after participating in the True Colors 2007 conference which was when she knew she wanted to be a part of True Colors Inc. Working with homeless youth and GLBTQ youth in Portland, Maine Christine decided that working with True Colors would be the best way to put down queer roots in CT. Christine O'Leary moved to CT to be with her partner and their little dog. Her interests include a juicy healthy life, social media, production, theater, food and traveling to Ireland where she is a dual citizen and has health care. When not in CT, Christine spends time performing nationally at colleges, corporate events, comedy clubs, fundraisers and prides. She spends summers entertaining the tourists of Ogunquit, Maine. Christine O'Leary recently toured with Margaret Cho in Provincetown and was nominated one of the 50 Funniest Lesbians in America. Christine is so proud to be part of True Colors and making room for young people of CT to have the freedom to be and has huge hope that that will be contagious state by state.
Mark Pappalardo is the treasurer of True Colors, Inc.’s board of directors and has served as a member of the board since January 2008. Mark is employed as a Vice President for Bank of America, currently holding the position of Site Operations Manager for the Home Equity Operations Center in Farmington, CT. In addition to his primary position, Mark also serves as a senior leader of the corporation’s LGBT Pride Resource Group and chair of its Connecticut chapter. He earned his Associates Degree in Business and Hospitality Management from Manchester Community College in 1982. Mark is a professionally trained chef and enjoys traveling, skiing and spending time with family. While on the board, Mark has headed up the office relocation effort overseeing the process of reviewing and selecting the new True Colors office location in Hartford and as part of the Finance committee selected the organization’s new auditing firm.
Nicole Sabel joined the board of directors for True Colors in 2009. She has Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science with a History minor from Southern Connecticut State University and has a Masters of Arts degree in Community Counseling from Fairfield University. Additionally, Nicole is a Licensed Professional Counselor for the State of Connecticut. Currently she works for the Women's Center of Greater Danbury as the Clinical Team Leader. Her work focuses on providing counseling, education, and advocacy for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. Nicole also has a strong concentration working with the LGBTQI community through therapeutic and outreach services. As a Board member for True Colors Nicole serves on the Strategic Planning Committee. In this capacity she is able to use her knowledge of social services and the LGBTQI population to maintain True Colors’ status as the leading provider of queer advocacy.
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