Editor's note: this is the fourth and final in our Black History Month series of posts highlighting our local queer BIPOC community. We saved the best for last.
Q: How did you get into event planning?
A: I was a theater tech kid at Governor’s School for the Arts, so I did a lot of the set, building, lighting, sound, stage management. That’s where I get a lot of my event experience from, or just the interest. I switched over to live events, and I was doing some of the theater shows. One of the City’s event coordinators engaged me, and I ended up at Seven Venues as an intern for a semester. I loved every moment of it. From there I got a job at Sea World Parks Entertainment Busch Gardens. And that’s kind of how I started my journey in managing events.
Q: What led you to get involved with Hampton Roads Pride?
A: I discovered we had a Pride Festival while I was interning with Seven Venues. But that was in 2019 right before the pandemic. I joined Pride as a member and volunteered to do some social media work. Then I joined the board, and for those first few years I learned how to fund raise, went through all the trials and tribulations of COVID, and worked to keep the organization relevant during the shutdown. After the pandemic I started my own entertainment management business, JAM Entertainment, working with different artists and brands on engaging in a positive way. So that’s where I am now.
Q: What kind of time does that leave you for the huge commitment required by Hampton Roads Pride, especially now that you’re President?
A: It’s been quite interesting. The good thing about being an entrepreneur is I get to make my own schedule. I’m able to be flexible with my team and delegate things. There’s a good team of people here in the region that helps me out when it comes to brand management and PR. That gives me an opportunity to focus a little bit more with Pride.
Q: As President of Hampton Roads Pride what do you want to accomplish?
A: We need more diversity. We need a rotation of entertainment on the stages that aren’t the same every year. And we need to hit every part of our community. One of the top priorities we’ve discussed over the last couple of months is how we continue to elevate that outreach. How do we as a nonprofit all volunteer Board continue to have contingencies in place, continue to make sure the organization stays sustainable.
