New Chairman For Mahoning Valley Pride Center

Greetings Friends,

An emergency Board meeting was called and it is with regret that both Brian Wells and Nicole Peterson decided to step down as co-chairs to attend to their busy lives after graduation from college this past June. I am proud and humbled to have been nominated and voted-in to fulfill their remaining term as Chairman. We definitely want to thank them for their years of hard work bringing the Pride Center from the basement of the Unitarian Church to it’s new facility, thanks to Don Rowinsky and his generous donation, and wish them well in their futures. I want to personally thank them for all they have done, and I am excited to come aboard and embrace their goals of making the Pride Center a welcoming place for all of the Mahoning Valley’s LGBT community.

Our first goal is to increase the Pride Center’s membership, and create a solid foundation for future growth. With the great success of Youngstown’s first Gay Pride Celebration this past June, we are looking forward to building on that visibility and creating a safe place to meet, fellowship, counsel, learn, grow, and accept. We must build on the successes of the past and work together throughout our LGBT community, to show the Mahoning Valley that we are here, and a resource to those that are questioning themselves or are afraid they have no where to go and no one to talk to. My vision is to create a Pride Center that serves as a meeting place and resource to all of our organizations as we seek to grow in the community. To do that we will need active members, enthusiastic volunteers, wise counsel, and a commitment to get it done.

I wish to thank the Pride Center Board for having faith in me to help lead the organization. Along with the retiring co-chairs, I would like to thank my fellow officers, Secretary Louis Gastelum, Treasurer Joey Kramar, Trustee K Davis, Trustee Laura Price, and Constant Volunteer Laura Davis, for keeping their commitment to the Pride Center during this transition. I hope you will join us for our first support meeting as we come out of the Summer Break, on Wednesday, September 2nd, 7:30pm at the Pride Center. The Board will also be meeting that evening at 6:30pm if you would like to come and give your support, suggestions, and volunteer for future activities. I look forward to seeing our Pride Center grow more and accomplish more as we keep to our mission of promoting community development, and a sense of security among our LGBT community and to any in the Mahoning Valley questioning their identities. Please feel free to email or call me at anytime for any questions, discussions, suggestions, or help.

Sincerely,
Scott Fullerton
Mahoning Valley Pride Center Chairman
MahoningValleyPrideCenter(at)yahoo.com or Ytownredux(at)yahoo.com

P.S. The Mahoning Valley Pride Center is now on Twitter. Our account name is "MVPrideCenter" I hope all our LGBT Tweeters out there will follow us for updates, announcements, and reminders.