Meet the team
Executive
Brad Pritchett
Interim CEO
Brad (he/him) has served as Equality Texas’s Interim CEO since August 2024. He first joined the team as Field Director in February 2021. Brad has a long history of activism and leadership in the Lone Star state, including driving policy and advocacy strategies at the ACLU of Texas and managing operations at the Harris County Democratic Party. He was a key organizer in the push to establish nondiscrimination protections for the city of Houston, and has been deeply involved in Houston’s LGBTQIA+ community. He lives in the Houston Heights with his husband and their two beagles.
Communications
Johnathan Gooch
Communications Director
Johnathan (he/him) joined Equality Texas in April 2022 as the organization's first Communications Director. Since then he has built out the communications department and strategy, including spearheading an appeal to the UN about the crisis in Texas. His past experience is anchored in human rights including teaching International Humanitarian Law for the American Red Cross, and offering legal and political support to the Chagos Refugees Group in their campaign to return home. He is the former Editor-in-Chief of the Texas International Law Journal, and holds a Juris Doctorate from the University of Texas School of Law. Outside of the office, you might find him shearing alpacas or hiking through the Texas Hill Country.
Matthew Tan
Brand Manager
Matt (he/they) is the Brand Manager at Equality Texas. Before Equality Texas they worked as a UX/UI designer in Austin and studied graphic design at Austin Community College. As a second-generation Cambodian-Chinese person, who grew up in Texas, they are passionate about putting their skills to good use advocating for LGBTQIA+ rights in the state and across the country. Off the clock, you might find them sipping a vanilla latte, reading in bed, or snuggled up with their two dogs, Issey and Fyodor.
Naveen Farrani
Communications Associate
Naveen (they/them) joined Equality Texas as Communications Associate in February 2023. They first got involved with community organizing while in undergrad in New York. They hold a Master of Arts from NYU, where they focused on race, gender, and sexuality studies. When they’re not writing newsletters or creating TikToks, Naveen can be found listening to an audiobook, sipping on a fun cocktail, or climbing some fake rocks. Naveen and their wife live in Austin.
Development
Justin McCormick
Development Director
Justin (he/him) joined Equality Texas as the Development Director in July 2022. Justin’s past experience is anchored in event planning and stakeholder engagement, including serving as Director of Alumni Engagement for his fraternity. He also owned and operated one of the few LGBTQIA-owned event and floral companies in Arkansas. When not travelling or floating a river, he and husband Jerred can be found spending time with their son Hayden and dogs Hamish and Fitz.
Caden Campbell
Development Manager
Caden (he/him) is the Development Manager at Equality Texas. His previous experience includes serving as a stewardship writer for a non-profit big cat rescue and sanctuary. His academic work and research interests include exploring the historical “outsider” in largely cis-heteronormative societies. Caden co-authored a chapter in Genny Beeman’s “Trans People in Higher Education,” which explored the personal experiences of a queer librarian and trans student at a Southern women’s college. Today, he lives in Austin with animal companions Gumbo and Rigatoni (stage name, Carbarella).
Jacob Kalbfleisch
Database Manager
Jacob (he/him) is the Database Manager at Equality Texas. Before Equality Texas, he leveraged his passion for events, data, and donor relations at Annie’s List and Tarrant County. Outside of work, Jacob spends his time playing video or board games, travelling, reading queer lit, or grabbing a drink with friends.
Field
Sofia Sepulveda
Field Director
Sofia (she/her) is the Field Director at Equality Texas. She has nearly a decade of experience organizing for healthcare and environmental justice in San Antonio. She is the co-founder of Trans Power San Antonio and organizer of the inaugural Women’s March in San Antonio. She sits on the board of Healthcare-Now, the Transgender Education Network of Texas, and the Community Advisory Board for CentroMed in San Antonio. In her free time you might find her doing yoga, hiking, cooking or spending time with her dog Maggie and her cat hunty.
Gordy Carmona
Community Engagement & Advocacy Strategist, North Texas
Gordy (they/them) joined the Equality Texas team in March 2022 and currently serves as Community Engagement and Advocacy Strategist for the DFW area. Before working at Equality Texas, Gordy served on the board of directors of GALA, and volunteered with Equality Texas. They were part of the first cohort of Equality Leaders. They grew up all over Texas but have called Plano home for the majority of their adult life.
Serena Arzu
Community Engagement & Advocacy Strategist, Gulf Coast
Serena (she/they) is the Community Engagement and Advocacy Strategist for the Gulf Coast region. Before joining Equality Texas, they worked with Jane’s Due Process, raising awareness about legal obstacles to accessing reproductive health. Serena has collaborated with local organizations like Hoochies of Houston, and founded EC for Houston, which focuses on accessing reproductive health care in Houston. In her free time, Serena enjoys reading about physics and indulging her curiosity about the universe.
Government Affairs
Miriam Laeky
Government Affairs Director
Miriam (she/her) joined Equality Texas as the Government Affairs Director in the spring of 2024. Before Equality Texas, Miriam served as the Executive Director of the Texas Legislative Black Caucus. She has deep political and community organizing experience with grassroots campaigns in Texas and Georgia, as well as experience working with the Texas House Democratic Caucus, Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis. Miriam is originally from Allen, TX and is a proud first-generation Ethiopian/Eritrean-American.
Angela Hale
Senior Advisor
Angela (she/her) is the longest serving member of the Equality Texas team. She has deep experience in communications and politics across the state of Texas. She is an Emmy award-winning TV reporter and veteran journalist. Angela also served in executive leadership for Speaker of the House and Office of the Attorney General. During the 2019 legislative session, she led the Texas Welcomes All Business Coalition defeating dozens of discriminatory bills. Angela also served as the Equality Texas Interim CEO in the summer and fall of 2019.
Elsie Kindall
Government Affairs Associate
Elsie (they/she) is the Government Affairs Associate at Equality Texas. During college they started a queer sex education program, and later worked as a research assistant in graduate school. Elsie holds a bachelor’s degree in educational studies from Colgate University and a Master of Public Policy degree in Education Policy from Vanderbilt University. Elsie lives in Dallas where you can find them gaming with longtime friends.
Operations
Steen Major
Director of People & Systems
Steen (they/she) joined Equality Texas in July 2022, and currently serves as Director of People and Systems. They first became involved in LGBTQIA+ advocacy as a member of Trinity Church of Austin. After pursuing graduate work on alternative religious communities, queer studies, and literature, Steen taught and wrote as an independent scholar. They have also provided administrative support for a variety of nonprofits. Steen lives in a suburb of Austin with their elementary-aged child and a backyard full of rabbits, caterpillars, honeybees, and lizards.
Nickoli Benkert
Operations Associate
Nickoli (he/him) first joined Equality Texas during the 87th Texas Legislative Session, assisting with legislative analysis, field outreach, and financial reporting efforts. He is currently working toward his Juris Doctorate at the University of Texas School of Law. He lives in Austin, Texas and is passionate about political advocacy to achieve equality and civil protections for all LGBTQ+ Texans.
Susan Hillman
Office Volunteer
Susan (she/her) started volunteering with Equality Texas in May 2022. She provides administrative, organizational and development support. She has over ten years of comprehensive experience in health and human services. She also has an extensive volunteer background with direct services and advocacy organizations including Planned Parenthood, AIDS Services of Austin, and The SAFE Alliance. She is the proud mother of two and loves hiking and camping with her husband.
Thuy Nguyen
Office Volunteer
Thuy (she/her) has served as a part-time office volunteer since September 2024, helping answer general email inquiries, processing internship applications, and general office housekeeping. A new-ish Austin transplant, Thuy was previously active with QLaw the GLBT Bar Association of Washington, supporting Referendum 74 resulting in Washington State being one of the first three states to legalize same-sex marriage at the ballot box in 2012. When she’s not volunteering, you’ll find her in the library shelves or a used bookstore.