Board of Directors
This volunteer leadership committee conducts Senior Pride business, sets policies and plans programs and events. Anyone interested is welcome to attend and observe monthly Board of Directors meetings.
Luis Ortega: Chair
pronouns: he/him
Mr. Ortega was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY and proud to be a gay Latino man of Puerto Rican descent. Mr. Ortega has been in Tucson for 20 years and considers NYC and the Old Pueblo to be his “homes”.
Mr. Ortega is a Public Health Consultant and has a 30-year career working in HIV/AIDS and with LGBTQ communities beginning in Queens, NY. “It’s been an incredibly valuable, moving, and humbling experience and journey that has guided and shaped my core values, belief system, and entire life”, Mr. Ortega describes.
“It is such an honor to work with and alongside state and national heroes providing services to people living with HIV, incredible and fierce Queer folx, community partners who inspire me, and staff/friends/colleagues who so passionately and tirelessly care for and support the community.”
Mr. Ortega joined the Southern Arizona Senior Pride board in January 2022 and is proud to work with such an amazing and dedicated group of staff and volunteers on important issues and circumstances that deeply impact LGBTQ elders and aging adults.
Mr. Ortega loves learning and growing, teaching and sharing, and movin’ and shakin’ to be his very best, a person his teenage son can be proud of.
Linda Hollis, PhD: Vice Chair
pronouns: she/her
Dr. Hollis is deeply passionate about the field of aging, a passion she has cultivated over 30 years of work both in Canada and the U.S. As a gerontologist, she channels this passion through her role at The University of Arizona. She teaches undergraduate courses focused on aging, with a strong desire to get her students “excited about the field.”
Dr. Hollis brings a diverse perspective to all of her courses and ensures that her students are exposed to a wide range of ideas and approaches, particularly in the context of healthy aging and advocacy for older adults. She is also well-connected within Tucson through her previous administrative and executive leadership roles within the nonprofit community. Additionally, she continues to serve as Co-Chair of the Elder Alliance.
As an ally, Dr. Hollis has admired the work of Senior Pride for many years, and she is honored to be part of the Board, working in support of the Executive Director and on behalf of the amazing staff and volunteers.
Jenny Swift: Treasurer
pronouns: she/her
Ms. Swift, Founder and CEO of JB Accounting, arrived in Tucson in 2004 after living all over the southern United States. She came to the Old Pueblo for the limitless sunshine and stayed for the community.
With a Bachelor of Science in Accounting, Ms. Swift ran a successful Senior Move Management company with her former partner and was a contracted accountant before opening her own firm in early 2015. This was when she realigned her focus on her passion – the local non-profit community. She has since been serving the greater Tucson community with humility and pride.
Jenny enjoys her “quiet” home full of her chosen family, friends, and fur-children. You can often find her buzzing about a pickleball or volleyball court or trying something new in the kitchen. When asked what drew Ms. Swift to Senior Pride, she shared it stems from her “desire to feel accepted and a part of my community as a queer person”. Ms. Swift is honored to be a part of the Southern Arizona Senior Pride board and move the mission forward by helping bring more visibility to LGBTQ seniors and the challenges they face every day.
Ms. Swift joined Senior Pride’s Board of Directors in January 2024. She serves as Treasurer and as a member of several committees. Prior to joining the Board, Ms. Swift was a volunteer serving on Senior Pride’s Finance Committee where her expertise and contributions have been valued.
Linda Phillips, PhD: Secretary
pronouns: she/her
After becoming a nurse with schooling at U of Pittsburgh and West Penn Hospital in Pittsburgh, in 1976, Dr. Phillips moved west to attend The University of Arizona. She finished her PhD in 1980 and after a short “gig” teaching at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, joined the U of A faculty. She was at U of A for 25 years in both faculty and administrative roles. She was then on faculty at UCLA for eight years and is now back doing research and teaching at the Arizona Center on Aging.
The expression “reframing aging” probably best captures Dr. Phillips’ philosophy. Improving the lives of older adults and educating people about the aging experience are the passions that have driven her life and career. Among her proudest accomplishments are stimulating interest in and commitment to research careers in aging studies, particularly among underrepresented students. At her retirement party from UCLA, Dr. Phillips said, “If I had a crown, my students would be the gems.” And she meant it. Another accomplishment is her over 40 year committed relationship, now marriage, to Jo Lene Unruh. She continues to be her anchor through calms and storms.
Dr. Phillips was attracted to Senior Pride because of her commitment to improving lives of older adults and her belief that the challenges and opportunities of aging for members of the LGBTQ+ community are not fully appreciated. Senior Pride has the potential to change that situation. She became associated with Senior Pride by participating in some activities and meeting other participants.
Kell Olson, JD: Board Member
pronouns: he/him
Mr. Olson first got involved with Southern Arizona Senior Pride near the time of its founding in 2004. At the time, he was working with Wingspan’s youth program and enjoyed coordinating intergenerational programs between youth and Senior Pride participants. Inspired by the continued work of Senior Pride staff and volunteers, Kell stayed in touch with the group as he moved into the legal field. He attended law school at the University of Arizona, served as a clerk at the Arizona Court of Appeals, and worked as a Deputy County Attorney for the Pima County Attorney’s Office.
Kell is now a civil rights attorney for Lambda Legal, where he works to advance the rights of LGBTQ+ people and people living with HIV. He has a particular interest in issues facing older LGBTQ+ adults. He has represented plaintiffs in cases across the country, including in challenges to censorship laws, discriminatory school policies, and barriers to health care. Kell has also represented people faced with employment discrimination and has litigated on behalf of incarcerated people to improve conditions for transgender people and those living with HIV.
Kell is passionate about bringing community members together to share their lives and stories, and about removing barriers to health and safety for LGBTQ people as we age. He has lived in Tucson for over 20 years, loves the desert, and spends his free time with his partner and two amazing children.
Hughes “Hughie” Skipper: Board Member
pronouns: he/him
Originally from Savannah, Georgia, Mr. Skipper, a Navy veteran with extensive travel experience, has embraced Tucson as his home for the past 7 years.
As a talented artist and singer, as well as the author of a recently published book, Mr. Skipper brings a rich tapestry of talents to our organization. His current role as a certified nursing assistant and caregiver gives him a deep understanding of the challenges faced by LGBTQI+ older adults.
A dedicated LGBTQI+ activist, Mr. Skipper is honored to support the mission of Senior Pride as a board member.
Amanda Sokan, PhD: Board Member
pronouns: she/her
After exploring political science, law, and healthcare administration over many years and across three continents, Dr. Sokan found gerontology—or it found her. Armed with a PhD in Gerontology from the University of Kentucky, she has made it her professional home, shaped by a commitment to affirming the inherent value, dignity, and personhood of every individual. Her work is grounded in ensuring that these principles are reflected in real-world action. This is especially meaningful in her work with older adults and the diverse communities within this population, including LGBTQI+ older adults.
This ethos guides everything she does—whether she is teaching, consulting, evaluating programs, supporting quality assurance efforts, or volunteering in her community. It is not just her professional focus; it is the lens through which she tries to navigate the world.
Dr. Sokan first connected with Senior Pride in 2016, shortly after moving to Tucson to join the University of Arizona. Senior Pride’s dedication to uplifting and supporting older LGBTQI+ adults resonated deeply, and she values the opportunity to serve on the board, contribute to governance and strategic planning, and help advance the organization’s mission.