Leslie Anderson
(they/them, first name)
Leslie is a certified project manager and Agile practitioner with more than 30 years of professional leadership, strategy, management, programming, and analysis experience, in the private and public sector arenas of eCommerce, defense contracting, civilian government, human resources, health care, tax administration, and construction project management.
Currently a Solutions Architect manager for K2 Construction Consultants, Leslie has worked at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physical Laboratory (JHUAPL) as a radar graphics programmer before and during the Gulf War, and for a major web hosting company with international clients.
Leslie is a Project Management Institute Project Management Professional (PMI-PMP) and Agile Certified Professional (PMI-ACP). They have a Master’s Degree in Computer Science from Johns Hopkins University and a double-major Bachelor’s degree from Goucher College in Mathematics and Computer Science. Leslie has received various performance and team building awards for her work on enterprise business technical projects.
A board member of Annapolis Pride and Vice President of the Annapolis/Anne Arundel County Chapter of PFLAG. Leslie lives in Gambrills, Maryland with their husband and their college Sophomore who is currently attending New York University.
Leslie enjoys travel, fine food, and friendships, including those they have made in the LGBTQ+ community. Leslie is a voracious reader of books, including those from the Crofton Library.
Chris Broadwell
Katie Connolly
(they/them)
Treasurer & Internal Affairs Committee Chair
Katie Connolly has over 12 years of accounting experience in the private and public sectors. Currently, they manage the budget for the City of Annapolis. Katie looks forward to bringing their experience to Annapolis Pride to help advance its mission and expand its reach. Katie lives on the Eastern Shore with their wife and two sons. They try to live every day by following the adage, “Be who you needed when you were younger”. With that in mind, they are passionate about creating safe and affirming spaces while increasing visibility and awareness of the LGBTQIA+ community.
Katie will serve as Treasurer and Chair of the Internal Affairs committee.
Jaden Farris
(he/him)
Jaden is committed to building a safe and inclusive community in Anne Arundel County. This is evidenced through Jaden’s inquiry-based approach in identifying the root causes of inequity in Anne Arundel County community, and then working collaboratively with other’s to find solutions. Jaden, among other leaders in the LGBTQ+ community successfully lobbied the Anne Arundel County Board of Education in passing the Safe and Inclusive Environment’s for LGBTQ+ Students. In February of 2022, Jaden successfully passed an LGBTQ+ Studies Course for Anne Arundel County Public School’s students – for which he developed.
Jaden wears many hats throughout the AACPS community and at-large. He has served as Vice President of the Regional Student Government for AACPS – helping to lead the direction of student voice in AACPS, a social justice leader within many school-wide and district-wide clubs and organizations, and as a member of the Superintendent’s Advisory Council, amongst other hats. He currently interns in the AACPS Office of Equity and Accelerated Student Achievement, where he assists in the development of Equity Professional Development and offers guidance on school culture best practices. He is currently a high school Senior at South River High School. He resides in Crownsville.
Christine Feldmann
(she/her)
Christine Feldmann (she/her) currently serves as the director of marketing and communications where she provides strategic communications advice for the Anne Arundel County Public Library CEO and Board of Trustees. She is responsible for all communications efforts on behalf of the library’s 16 branches and more than 300 full-time staff.
Formerly, she served as deputy director of communications for Comptroller Peter Franchot and in positions of increasing responsibility for former Governor William Donald Schaefer during his tenure as Comptroller. Before officially joining state government, Ms. Feldmann was the communications manager for the Maryland Commission for Celebration 2000, an organization designed to commemorate the millennium. She began her career in special events at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and in media relations at the U. S. Naval Academy.
Feldmann has a Master of Public Policy and Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Maryland. She has guest lectured at the University of Maryland’s School of Public Policy and Anne Arundel Community College. In addition to her public relations work, she also serves as the grants administrator for St. Margaret’s Church where she is responsible for the program that has given out more than $2 million since its inception. She and her husband Ray, live in Annapolis with their twins, Connor and Grace (13)
Mastin Fowler
(he/him)
Mastin joins Annapolis Pride as a board member and co-chair of the Governance Committee. He manages a department of legal professionals from the D.C. office of an international law firm based in New York City, where he has spent most of his days (and some nights) since 2014. Prior to transitioning into management, Mastin was a senior paralegal supporting a global team representing key firm clients with governmental and internal investigations relating to anti-corruption and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Recognizing the need to build and nurture welcoming, safe, inclusive, and supportive professional spaces, he is an active member in his firm’s U.S. Spectrum LGBT+ Affinity Network’s Communication Committee and in the International Practice Management Association’s D.C. Chapter and Emerging Trends Committee.
Mastin is a graduate of George Mason University where he majored in Geography and double-minored in Urban Studies and Sub-Saharan African Studies. He has called Virginia, Hawaii, NYC, and D.C. (the longest at 23+ years) home, but is now an Annapolitan (since 2020), where he lives just off of West Street with his husband (Chris) and dog (Frankie).
When he’s not in front of his laptop, Mastin is usually spending time with his family, traveling, riding his bike, walking around town (usual spots are City Dock, Poplar Trail, Eastport, Murray Hill, or Quiet Waters), reading, listening to music, napping, or in search of, or already drinking, a coffee or seltzer. Mastin is thrilled for this opportunity to serve on the Annapolis Pride Board of Directors to continue to help build the organization and to bring his experience, skills, and
constructive activism to Annapolis and beyond.
Anne Gotimer
(she/her)
Anne Gotimer currently works for Luminis Health as the Manager of WellBeing and Engagement. She describes her role as one that “helps the helpers”. Anne has spent the past decade in healthcare and is a former educator. She brings a passion for connecting people and using education to expand hearts and minds. She looks forward to bringing her experience to Annapolis Pride to help advance its mission and expand its reach. She currently lives in Annapolis with her husband, Colin, and pets Tesla (cat) and Sadie (puggle). She enjoys cooking, drawing, and running races.
Chris Haley
(he/him)
Director of Research for the Study of the Legacy of Slavery in Maryland at the Maryland State Archives, Director of the Utopia Film Festival in Prince George’s County, and current Annapolis Film Festival Advisory Board Member. Additionally, he has served on the following boards: Kunta Kinte-Alex Haley Foundation, Historic London Town Foundation, Jake Savage Foundation and the Annapolis Arts Alliance Foundation. His script for the 2004 The RECONCILIATION WALK for SLAVERY and PENITENCE held in Annapolis on September 29 helped garner the Maryland Tourism Council Global Marketing Award for the Kunta Kinte-Alex Haley Foundation. He has spoken on genealogy, African American history and self-empowerment on many occasions including: the 2002 African American Genealogical Conference in Los Angeles, California, the 2000 Millennium of Ethiopia Celebration in Washington, DC, the 2008 and 2007 Federation of Genealogical Societies Conventions, the 2013 Texas Library Association, the 2014 Afro American Historical & Genealogical Society in Nashville, Tennessee, 2014 Presidents’ Day Address in the Maryland Old House of Delegates Chamber and at the 2016 International Roots Festival in The Gambia. The story of his DNA test that resulted in his discovery and reunion with relatives from the British Isles in 2009 was covered by innumerable news outlets including USA Today and the Huffington Post.
As an actor, performer, writer, and director, he is co-director of the documentary, Unmarked, currently airing on PBS.ORG under the REEL SOUTH series, and accepted into, among others, the New Orleans and Savannah Film Festivals, on the state of often unknown burial sites of free and enslaved African Americans. He has appeared on HBO’s, The Wire, TV ONE’s, For My Man, ID Network’s, Relatively Evil, the PBS Special, Partners of The Heart, and in productions of Aint Misbehavin’, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar, Six Degrees of Separation and Godspell. As a writer, he has had his poetry published in Washington DC’s, Hill Rag, and his script for The Studio garnered him a 2001 Individual Artist’s Award from the Anne Arundel County Arts Council.
Dennis McGowan
(he/him)
Dennis is committed to bringing more visibility to the LGBTQ+ community. As a proud uncle, it is important for him to be an example of living authentically and being inclusive. Originally from Pennsylvania, McGowan started his career at PwC specializing in auditing public and private companies in the financial services industry. As Vice President of Professional Practice at the Center for Audit Quality, McGowan currently leads a team of audit executives to advance technical and policy-oriented projects to identify, develop, and seek consensus on issues affecting the public company auditing profession.
McGowan is a Certified Public Accountant licensed in Pennsylvania, and holds a BS in Business Administration from La Salle University. Dennis looks forward to bringing his professional expertise and experience to further support the mission of Annapolis Pride. When not working or traveling, McGowan can be found exploring Annapolis with his boyfriend Kevin and their perfect dogs Guinness (a rescue) and Maggie (a golden doodle).
Roberta Pardo
(she/her)
Development Committee Chair
A native of Brazil with dual citizenship, accomplished artist Roberta Pardo has lived in Maryland since 2000. She spent most of her youth traveling the world and is fluent in six languages. Prior to focusing on art, she was an international horse rider and trainer, competing for her native country in numerous international competitions. Her great passion is Street Art for its connection between art and environment. Her background is in Industrial Design and Fine Arts and was educated at FAAP (Fundaçāo Armando Alvez Penteado) in Sao Paulo, Brazil and Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California.
Roberta resides in Severna Park, Maryland with her husband and three children, and is highly involved with the art scene in the area. For nearly 10 years, she has been a strong and effective advocate for diversity, human rights, education, and women’s empowerment. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Arts Council of Anne Arundel County, Maryland Commission for Women, Annapolis Pride, and Indian Creek School.
Jazzmyn Proctor
(she/they)
Jazzmyn is committed to advocacy and lifting the voices of the LGBTQIA+ community in Annapolis and the surrounding areas. She is currently a graduate student at Hood College studying Clinical Mental Health Counseling. With experience in community outreach and engagement, she is excited to be able to bridge connections and assist in reaching a broader audience to advance the Annapolis Pride mission. She enjoys reading, cooking, and being outside.
Eric Lund
(he/him)
Eric first moved to the Annapolis area in 1986 fresh out of high school and knew he had found his permanent home. He has been active in local Annapolis theater since that time working in many facets include directing, acting, lighting design and stage managing for the Annapolis Symphony. Eric is honored to help the dedicated people of Annapolis Pride build and strengthen the presence of the LGBTQ+ community in Annapolis and Maryland.
When not helping to bring pride to Annapolis Eric works as a software engineer for the Baltimore Shock Trauma Center research department.
Josh Seefried
(he/him)
Josh Seefried is an Air Force veteran and co-founder of OutServe-SLDN, the association of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender members of the U.S. Military. A graduate from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 2009, Josh was formerly known by his pseudonym JD Smith during his campaign to end the discrimination against lesbians, gays and bisexuals serving openly in the United States military.
Using social networking tools such as Facebook, Seefried organized LGBT active-duty military personnel into an underground association OutServe. To preclude outing himself as gay while serving on active duty in the Air Force, a violation of the then- Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy for which he could have been prosecuted and discharged, he assumed the leadership role and interacted with the media and officials in the Pentagon and the White House using only his pseudonym. He appeared on CNN, HLN, and MSNBC in shadow; additionally, his comments continue to be regularly sought after by the media as a representative of lesbian, gay, and bisexual actively-serving military members.
Josh currently works as the external lead for Strategic Communications of the Office of Information and Technology and Chairs the LGBTQ+ Sub-Group at Veteran Affairs.
Sarah Sample
(she/her)
Events Committee Chair
Sarah will take over as chair of the events committee leading the wildly successful Annapolis Pride Parade and Festival scheduled for June 3, 2023. She has 10 years of experience in entertainment venue finance, booking, and marketing, having spent 7 years at Live Nation Entertainment and 3 with Rams Head Group. Sarah left Live Nation in 2019 to work in local government. She is currently an Associate Policy Director for the Maryland Association of Counties, a non-partisan, non-profit that represents the needs of local government to the Maryland General Assembly.
Joe Toolan
(he/him)
Board Chair
Joe’s day job is at the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation as Manager of Chesapeake Bay Programs. He leads the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ) work in the Chesapeake, and implements grant programs for a total impact of almost $90 million a year. He has a background in community stewardship, behavior change, and building capacity in and networks of non-profit organizations. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Geographical Sciences with a concentration in Environment Systems and Natural Resource Management from the University of Maryland, College Park and an Executive Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Georgetown University.
Joe, born in Guatemala, was adopted in the 90s and grew up just outside of Annapolis. He identifies as a queer, Latinx, indigenous, transracial international adoptee and environmentalist. He is excited to bring his prospective and intersectional identities to Annapolis Pride to advance its mission. Outside of Annapolis Pride, Joe is likely listening to music, talking to friends, or finding his next creative endeavor. Joe is also the Chair of the State of Maryland Commission on LGBTQ Affairs, a Planning Committee Member for the Naturally Latinos Conference, and a Planning Committee Member for the Chesapeake Watershed Forum.
Tim Williams
(he/him)
Board Vice Chair & Governance Chair
Tim spent more than 35 years on the staff of a large nonprofit organization, and before that worked on Capitol Hill and for the Maryland General Assembly. He received a bachelor’s degree in Government and Politics from the University of Maryland. His professional experience includes federal and state advocacy, communications, volunteer engagement, program management, grant development and administration, and executive management. He also staffed a board strategic planning committee. As a volunteer, he served on the board of Equality Maryland and as Chair of the Equality Maryland Political Action Committee.
Tim has two adult daughters, both AACPS teachers working in Annapolis, and three grandchildren. He and Jessie, his partner of 20 years, are also devoted dog dads to a six-year-old rescue pointer named Remmie.
Tim has been amazed by the rapid growth of Annapolis Pride and wants to use his skills and experience to strengthen the organization and broaden its already-significant impact.
