Staff
Southern Arizona Senior Pride Staff
Mary O’Donoghue: Executive Director
modonoghue@soazseniorpride.org
pronouns: she/her/hers
Prior to being named Senior Pride’s Executive Director in 2023, Mary served the local community of older adults as Pima Council on Aging’s Volunteer Services Manager. Her duties included the administration of the Neighbors Care Alliance program. Mary has lived in Southern Arizona since 2021 after previously residing in Florida, Ohio, Kansas and Missouri.
Mary’s experience in executive leadership and community-based program development has progressed from the leadership of two separate shelters for women and children fleeing domestic violence and the oversight of daily operations for community-based services for adults and residential group homes for youth, to person-centered case management services for children and their families and the direction of professional and direct care staff serving 100+ individuals with developmental disabilities and/or mental health needs.
Throughout her professional life and community involvement experiences, including 10+ years as an executive leader, Mary has advocated, educated, and built programs to support and serve the LGBTQI+ community. She brings dedication and passion for the mission and vision of the organization with extensive experience in strategic planning, establishing financial stability and growth, and developing and maintaining organizational processes.
Cesar Egurrola: Development Manager
development@soazseniorpride.org
pronouns: he/him/his
As Development Manager, Cesar oversees grant strategy and reporting, cultivates donor relations and stewardship, implements planned-giving initiatives, and designs fundraising campaigns that elevate the organization’s regional presence. His valuable experience securing resources, managing grants, and building strong community partnerships throughout Tucson, makes him a natural fit to lead Senior Pride’s development efforts.
With a clear focus on strengthening support systems for vulnerable populations, Cesar’s career is rooted in advocacy and dedicated service to the local LGBTQI+ community. Working for Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation, he expanded vital programming through successful federal grant acquisition and management for HIV prevention. At the University of Arizona Petersen HIV Clinics, he developed and directed care initiatives, oversaw complex data-driven reporting systems, and tracked key outcomes to ensure grant compliance.
Outside of work, Cesar stays active by hiking the Sonoran Desert’s beautiful trails, practicing yoga, and playing pickleball. He proudly sits on the board of Tucson’s first LGBTQI+ kickball league. He loves his family and friends almost as much as his cat, Artemis.
Lev Meadow: Business & Operations Manager
business@soazseniorpride.org
pronouns: they/them/theirs
Lev was born on Ohlone land in Oakland, CA, and they have had the privilege of calling Tohono O’odham and Yoeme Yaqui land their home for over 8 years. Lev is deeply passionate about making a difference in the social service field, and they are thrilled to contribute to the invaluable work of Senior Pride—and serving the LGBTQI+ community.
Throughout Lev’s professional journey, they have spent time as a therapist in private practice, where they had the honor of supporting individuals within the LGBTQI+ community. In addition to their therapeutic work, they bring over five years of experience in non-profit business management and bookkeeping, combining compassion with strong organizational skills in their role with Senior Pride.
Outside of work, Lev embraces life with enthusiasm and joy. They love spending playful moments with their adorable short-long dog, whipping up delicious meals in the kitchen, cycling through beautiful landscapes, and diving into any body of water they can find.
Ames Meeks: Program Manager
programs@soazseniorpride.org
pronouns: she/they
Ames Meeks serves as Program Manager with Southern Arizona Senior Pride, where she collaboratively grows community-focused services and programs designed to support and celebrate our LGBTQI+ elders in all aspects of their lives. Ames is also an interdisciplinary artist, death doula, and Co-Director of the Arizona Queer Archives (AQA), where they are building upon existing collections and programs that preserve queer stories. Prior to joining Senior Pride and AQA, they worked in the realm of digital archiving, where she built and facilitated programs for both personal and collective memory keeping and legacy work.
As an artist and death doula, Ames enjoys building compassionate, creative spaces for reflecting on care work, grief/love, and legacy. They’ve been working with these themes in their own art practice, primarily through zine-making (mini magazines) and artists’ books, for nearly two decades. From March 2020 to August 2025, they shared their personal, feminist zine library and love of DIY publishing with the local Tucson community via their zine bike, known as Outspokin’ & Bookish.
With over a decade of experience as an academic arts and humanities librarian, they are a resourceful sense-maker and have a passion for many forms of community engagement that enrich the lives of others. Teaching information literacy (remember that?), LGBTQI+ outreach, and integrating makerspace technology in the humanities were among their favorite aspects of this work. Libraries and librarianship also instilled a strong sense of curiosity and life-long learning as key values in their work and life.
Ames collects decks of cards, mostly tarot, and zines on everything from lichen to space queers to mental health; they could (happily) give a 20 minute presentation on Dobermans without any prep; they are extraordinarily bad at sports but love playful activities, which prompted them to start “Queer Recess,” a monthly gathering they hosted for over a year. Ames is from rural Illinois originally, but has lived in many places, including: Reno, Chicago, Portland, DC, Chicago (again), Atlanta, Flagstaff, and Tucson. You might find them at cultural events and in queer spaces around Tucson, which has been their home for the last seven years; they are often accompanied by their beloved dog, Theodore.
TC Tolbert: Program Manager
programs@soazseniorpride.org
pronouns: he/him/hey gurrrl
TC Tolbert serves as Program Manager with Southern Arizona Senior Pride, where s/he supports and develops volunteer opportunities and community engagement. TC is a transqueer poet, which means he loves to learn and never ceases to experience a simultaneous grief and deep love any time s/he pays attention to the world.
TC began as an educator working with adjudicated youth in wilderness programs almost 30 years ago and has gone on to teach creative writing, social skills, and grief practices across the educational spectrum, including in universities, community colleges, prisons, elementary schools, senior centers, literary arts centers, and LGBTQ+ youth centers. In fact, TC was volunteering at Wingspan (in the Eon youth program) when Senior Pride first began! TC regularly volunteers for books to prisoners programs and housing programs for those coming out of incarceration, in addition to co-founding Building Out Safer Spaces (BOSS) (with Victor Valencia), a nonprofit supporting women, queer, trans, and femme of center folx in the trades. TC teaches writers who are currently incarcerated and s/he facilitates Trans/Space, a weekly free online poetry series for trans and queer writers. He was nationally recognized with an Academy of American Poets’ Laureate Fellowship for his work with over a thousand trans, non-binary, and queer folks as Tucson’s Poet Laureate (2017-2025).
If he could only pick one, TC would rather walk up a mountain than walk down; on the Enneagram, he’s a 1; you might be able to tell from this bio that he was born a Capricorn. When TC started testosterone, he chose Oct 21 so he could become a Libra – that was almost 20 years ago and s/he’s still searching for balance. TC was born and raised in Hixson, TN as a speaking-in-tongues Pentecostal and s/he eventually came out as queer, feminist, anti-racist, and trans-masc. Since 2003, TC has lived in Tucson, which occupies the traditional territories of the Tohono O’odham and Pascua Yaqui peoples.
For TC, collaboration, community, and experiencing the absolute wonder of what happens when people come together for a common cause are the essentials of life. He can think of no greater cause at this moment than valuing, uplifting, and supporting our LGBTQ+ seniors, on whose strong and courageous shoulders we stand and strive to build a better world.
Harrison Orr: Communications Coordinator
media@soazseniorpride.org
pronouns: he/him/his
As Communications Coordinator, Harrison works to expand Senior Pride’s organizational reach by managing the Friday E-News, social media, marketing materials, and the website.
Harrison brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to his role. Before joining Senior Pride’s staff in October 2024, he volunteered with the organization for three years. During that time, he proved to be an invaluable asset, helping to grow our social, cultural, and arts offerings for LGBTQI+ seniors.
Previously, at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tucson, he oversaw a diverse range of education programs, including intergenerational visual and performing arts workshops developed for LGBTQI+ participants.
A proud Wildcat, Harrison earned a BFA in Media Arts and an MA in Art & Visual Culture Education at The University of Arizona. He is a loving dog dad to his goofy chihuahua, Bonney. With his warm smile and friendly sense of humor, Harrison is always ready to lend a helping hand!
Ryder Rodgers: Community Cares Program Coordinator
ccp@soazseniorpride.org
pronouns: he/him/his
Hailing from Tucson, Arizona, Ryder has dedicated most of his forty years to this vibrant community. His new office at Senior Pride offers a nostalgic view of his former elementary school across the street, highlighting the deep roots and connections he has in the area.
Ryder brings a rich and diverse background to his role, having worked as a teacher across various educational levels, a social worker providing direct care, and the Executive Director of Casa Libre, a now-closed queer literary arts nonprofit. He has also managed music venues and performance art centers, and most recently served as the Director of Venue and Events at Splinter Collective, where he engaged in housing justice programs and mutual aid efforts for unhoused neighbors.
In 2018, Ryder led a powerful storytelling workshop at Senior Pride, culminating in a performance and anthology release where older adults shared their coming out stories. This transformative experience resonated deeply and inspired Ryder to come out himself.
In his role as Program Coordinator for Senior Pride’s Community Cares Program (CCP), Ryder aims to reduce isolation in the older LGBTQI+ community by providing vital services and programs.
Ryder holds a BA in English and Creative Writing from Portland State University and an MFA in Poetry from the University of Alabama. In his free time, he enjoys making music, crafting poetry, reading, and roller skating.
Erin Russ: Advance Medical Care Planning & Trans Support Coordinator
eol@soazseniorpride.org
pronouns: she/ her/they/them
Erin Russ grew up roaming the rural regions of Central New York as a scout. After College she was commissioned into the Army as an Infantry officer. She served for 12 years, holding key staff positions at all levels, including the Division and Theater of Operations level and roaming the wilds of Texas, Georgia, New York, and Alaska. Erin was cited for developing model individual and collective training programs both in the military and afterwards.
Erin has over forty years as a community, corporate, and military trainer/educator, and has been active as a transgender and LGBTQ+ Senior community advocate, community educator for over two decades. She is a past Godat Award Recipient and a 2019/2020 Fellow for the Tucson Public Voices Fellowship. She was instrumental in changing attitudes and policies regarding transgender and other queer people across southern Arizona in public and private businesses, local and state government, academia, social services agencies and medical and mental health facilities including the Southern Arizona Veterans Administration Health Care System, where she provided training to primary care and mental health teams as well as VA Vocational Rehabilitation teams across Arizona.
She developed and implemented internal customer service processes and HR policies for several businesses and trained Human Resources and senior management staff on integrating transgender personnel. She was instrumental in training a major shelter provider in best practices for serving the transgender community. Erin currently assists LGBTQ+ people to complete their Advance Medical Planning documents and is developing resources to ensure “Solo Seniors” can find competent, supportive powers of attorney.
Clel Howard: Volunteer Coordinator
volunteer@soazseniorpride.org
pronouns: she/ her/ hers
In her role at Senior Pride, Clel Howard recruits, trains, and supports our diverse cohort of talented volunteers. She is passionate about enhancing the lives of LGBTQI+ older adults through creative, healthy, and supportive aging programs and services.
With over a decade of experience in non-profit Human Resources, volunteer coordination, and community education, Clel’s passion is connecting people to opportunities that enable them to do what they love. Prior to joining Senior Pride’s staff, she held roles at various local organizations, including BICAS and Splinter Collective, where she worked closely with volunteer and community members on a daily basis.
Clel earned a BLA in Cooperative Economics and Collective Business at Evergreen State College in 2015. She has also completed certificate programs in Human Resources, sexual assault and domestic abuse survivor advocacy, and mediation facilitation.
Clel and her child have called Chukson home since 2017. Outside of work, she loves spending time with family, playing piano, quilting, dancing, writing, and enjoying nature, especially plant life. She is also an avid volunteer herself, lending her time and expertise to various local organizations, including the Center for Community Dialogue.
Kim Hamel-Brown: Executive Assistant
adminsupport@soazseniorpride.org
pronouns: she/her/hers
Raised in Southern California, Kim has lived in Arizona the last 40+ years, 10 of which have been here in Tucson. She happily considers herself a Tucsonan.
Kim’s path has not been a traditional one. Her work life started in the mortgage industry which led her to the City of Phoenix’s Housing Department processing loans for low-income families to repair their homes and then doing accounting support for the department. Her career of almost 20 years really took off when she began managing a caseload of 160 city-owned houses where low to moderate-income households would rent to own. The last few years there, she oversaw multiple 100+ unit apartment complexes for low-income seniors and persons with disabilities, managing the aspects of an overall budget of approximately $670,000 that covered maintenance, social services, and HUD compliances. She medically retired in 2006. In the years following, she worked part-time as an Admin Assistant for a large janitorial company.
In Phoenix, she volunteered for over 2 years at the Arizona Humane Society where she fostered sick kittens and worked on location to socialize kittens/cats and answer questions from the public. In Tucson, she volunteered for 2 years with The Tucson Botanical Gardens, helping maintain the gardens.
Kim has been with Senior Pride for over 2 years as a volunteer and now as Program Assistant since April 2023. She has a passion for the older community and feels like she found her niche with Senior Pride.
Kim shares a home with her wife, Chris, and their two pups. In her spare time, she loves tending to her plants, playing with the pups, and getting out in their little travel trailer and exploring state parks.