Gay Community Center of Richmond: Cultural and social programming, event and meeting space and Diversity Thrift serving Central Virginia Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender residents

John Melleky, CFRE, Board Chair

John R. Melleky is the President of 3 fold Consulting, LLC, formally known as M2 Events & Consulting, a company he formed in 2000. John has spent almost 20 years in the event management, nonprofit, fundraising services and association management fields. His clients for events and meetings have included the Association of Fundraising Professionals, YWCA Outstanding Women’s Awards for 2002, the Central Virginia Foodbank and The Salvation Army. As a member of the Veronica Whitehead & Co. team John has worked on conferences and meetings for Time Warner, FORTUNE magazine, Warner Music, MasterCard and the Hartford. Most recently, he served as the Operations Director for Real Simple magazine’s Get Organized New York Tag Sale in Central Park.

He has also been a member and Past President of the Richmond Junior Chamber of Commerce, served on the Virginia Jaycees Executive Committee and served for three years on the state Training Task Force, including one year as chairman. From 2004-2007, John took over the Chairman position of Richmond’s largest single day event, the Ukrop’s Christmas Parade. As Chair, sponsorships increased by 35% new revenue streams including grandstand seats, program sales, and memberships were developed, and a strategic planning process was undertaken.

John also has been involved in computers and project management in the public and nonprofit sectors since 1985. After working in the technical realm of programming and analysis for 10 years, he began a career as a fundraiser by working for United Way Services and the University of Richmond. This latter position allowed him to craft skills in utilizing technology to meet fundraising goals, analyze and implement procedures for all aspects of fundraising, and serve as a project leader for a software conversion. John has a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Richmond and an MBA from Virginia Commonwealth University, with concentrations in Marketing and Information Systems.

Beth Marschak, Chair Elect

Beth Marschak grew up in Richmond and was actively engaged in the social change movements of the 1960’s and 1970’s- Civil Rights, the Women’s Liberation Movement, the Ecology Movement, the Peace Movement, and Lesbian and Gay Liberation. She came out as a lesbian in the early 1970's, and openly identified as a lesbian in her civil rights and human rights activism.

By the time she graduated from Westhampton College, University of Richmond, with a BA in political science in 1972, Beth had already helped to start a women’s group on campus, and a local chapter of the National Women’s Political Caucus. She was actively engaged with SCLC (Southern Christian Leadership Conference) for many marches and other actions and was an active member of the Woody Guthrie Community Center. She participated in Gay Awareness in Perspective and helped to start Richmond-Lesbian Feminists in 1975. Beth was instrumental in starting a number of coalition efforts including the Virginia Coalition for Lesbian and Gay Rights (VCLGR) and the Richmond Lesbian and Gay Pride Coalition.

Starting as a representative of the Lesbian Caucus, Beth served on the National Steering Committee of the National Women’s Political Caucus for 16 years. Here in Richmond, she served on the Board of the Richmond YWCA for 8 years. In 1978, she was appointed by President Jimmy Carter to the International Women's Year Continuing Committee. And, in 1988, as a Jesse Jackson Delegate, she served as the first "out" Virginia delegate to a national presidential convention.

Beth Marschak's work and advocacy garnered the Richmond Human Rights Coalition Human Rights Award in 1983, and the Richmond YWCA Outstanding Woman of the Year Award in Human Relations in 1990. The Richmond Lesbian and Gay Pride Coalition recognized Beth with awards in 1990, 1993 and 1999. In 2008, Beth co-authored the book Lesbian and Gay Richmond. On November 1, 2008, she conducted the first bus tour featuring the history of the LGBT community for the Valentine Richmond History Center, where she is a master tour guide. In 2009 she was recognized by Equality Virginia as one of 20 Outstanding Virginians. She continues to be an activist for civil rights and human rights.

Claire Guthrie Gastañaga, Treasurer

Claire is the owner and chief strategist of CG2 Consulting – a consulting firm principally engaged in providing strategic legislative services and public policy advice to government and not-for-profit organizations and trade associations.

Ms. Gastañaga has more than twenty-five years of legal and government relations experience at the federal, state and local levels. She has served as a senior advisor to the leadership of the Virginia General Assembly holding positions including Chief of Staff and Counsel to the Speaker of the Virginia House, Legislative Counsel to the Democratic Leader, Legislative Counsel to the House Democratic Caucus, counsel to the House Courts of Justice Committee and the House Committee on Finance, and redistricting counsel to the Joint Democratic Caucus and the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus.

Ms. Gastañaga currently represents nonprofit organizations before the Virginia General Assembly, including Equality Virginia, the Virginia Coalition of Latino Organizations, and the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance, whose interests and concerns are often unheard or controversial. She is an advocate for fair contracting and equal economic opportunity for women and minority business owners, and she’s consulted with women (and men) candidates at the state and local level, including the first African American woman to run for Lieutenant Governor in Virginia. The Governor recently reappointed her as the 3rd Congressional District representative on the Virginia Small Business Advisory Board.

From 1986-1994, Ms. Gastañaga was Chief Deputy Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General of the Human and Natural Resources Division in the Virginia Attorney General's Office. She is the first woman ever to serve as Virginia's Chief Deputy. As Chief Deputy, Ms. Gastañaga supervised all of the legal work, oversaw personnel and day-to-day operations and guided the legislative activities of the Office of the Attorney General -- a public law firm with an annual budget exceeding $15 million and over 250 employees. She also argued cases in the United States Supreme Court and the Supreme Court of Virginia.

In 2003, Ms. Gastañaga was selected as the SBA Virginia Women in Business Advocate of the Year, and in 2004 Ms. Gastañaga was recognized as the National Association of Women Business Owners’ Chapter Public Policy Advocate of the Year. In 2006, she was recognized for her advocacy by the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance. In 2007 she was nominated for the MUSE Award for Creativity in business sponsored by the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

Robyn Deane, Secretary

Robyn Deane's professional experience includes a 4-Year degree from Penn State, many years of professional selling, some medical practice consulting, management, and even some administration. Underpinning Robyn's work has been a desire to be of value facilitated by a passion for communication. In Robyn's own words:

"Who am I and why am I here? That has been a lifelong question and, interestingly enough, within that question you’ll also find the answer. I am a person that has lived most of her life as a ‘him’ behaving in way and living my life as the perceived consensus of the rest of the world would suggest I should have so done. From that experience has come one of the values that I cherish most and one that hopefully is rumbling around within the lives of three fantastic children, my own, that I’ve been a party to raising and, as well, the lives of as many people as I can corner into a conversation: “Question everything; make a wake!” Restated in stuffier terms, it would be to challenge the status quo and then make a difference. To that end, I am a person that has found her voice and is now continually searching for the next forum.

The basics of my personal experience are not all that different with the probable exception that over a period of many years, I have developed a set of skills and evolved as a person in a social environment far more hostile than most people would dare imagine. As I said in April of 2010 at a VCU rally, when I came out as not only a heterosexual male-to-female transsexual in transition, but as the former brother-in-law to the Commonwealth of Virginia’s present governor: I don’t wake up in the morning worried about who I am; rather, I worry more about the angst felt by those that are bothered by my presence in their world. I’ve learned to pray for those that bring me the greatest angst and to love them unconditionally. 

I try to make at least one person’s life better for having been touched by me. I don’t know who it will be or need to know that I’ve done it; I need only treat each person as if they are the one!"

Jean Abbot

Jean grew up on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. She earned a B.A. in psychology from Mary Washington College in Fredericksburg.

Jean worked for in geriatric social work for 14 years, spent 23 years with the Coast Guard Reserve, and has worked for 15 years in real estate renovation. Jean lives in Ashland with her partner.

Charles Dyson

Charles Dyson is a lifelong resident of the area. He and his sisters were the fourth generation raised on his family's farm in Ashland, VA.

A Phi Beta Kappa, Charles holds separate bachelor's degrees in Communication and Psychology from Virginia Tech, and was named the Outstanding Student in Communication Theory by the Department of Communication in 2002. During his time in Blacksburg, Charles also taught public speaking, wrote a thesis on the Native American rights movement, and earned his master's degree.

In early 2006, Charles joined the staff of Equality Virginia at the start of the campaign against the so-called Marriage Amendment. He remained with Equality Virginia for four years, as Business Manager, Development Associate, and most recently Communication Manager.

Today, Charles works for United Way of Greater Richmond & Petersburg as the Manager of Direct Marketing. He lives downtown with his spouse of seven years, Jack Marshall.

Lisa Furr

Lisa Furr is the Project Coordinator for the Central Virginia’s Task Force on Domestic Violence in Later Life, a part of the Virginia Center on Aging at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA. A member and vice –president of the Board for the Virginia Coalition for the Prevention of Elder Abuse, Lisa also chairs their conference committee. Lisa also has served on the governing body (board) of the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance and is a state wide trainer for the Alliance.

She previously was at Safe Harbor, a domestic violence program, as the associate director of special services in charge of the shelter and education, then as the Community Educator and Volunteer Coordinator. Prior to that she worked as the Program Coordinator for ROSMY from 1998 to 2002 where she managed youth services; volunteers and coordinated outreach and educational programs. Lisa also served as the Volunteer Services Coordinator for over 200 volunteers at Richmond AIDS Ministry and worked as a Hotline Counselor for the Virginia Department of Health’ AIDS/ STD Hotline.

Over the years she has worked as a camp director, educator, and for a few years as a travel agent. Some of the workshops she’s conducted locally, statewide and nationally have been on such topics as community partnerships, sexual assault in later life, domestic violence’s effects on children, domestic violence in the lesbian and gay community, understanding white privilege, conflict resolution and the faith communities response to domestic violence. She has over twenty –five years experience in group dynamics, training, diversity, and human resource management. Lisa holds a Master’s degree from the Presbyterian School of Christian Education. She and her partner, Dorothy Fillmore, live in the northside of Richmond.

Larry Green

Larry moved back to Virginia in 2010 after retiring December 2009. Over the last 30 plus years he lived and worked in New York City and Boston. He was an employee of Merrill Lynch for 42 years. At the time of retirement, Larry was a V.P. in the Compliance Department.

Larry returned to Virginia to be closer to family and friends. He is the father of one daughter and grandfather of 4. Of the four grandchildren, the oldest is gay.

Evette Roots

Biography and photograph to follow

Crystal Suber

Crystal Suber is a financial advisor with Mid-Atlantic Financial Group, an office of MetLife. She has a degree in economics from Virginia State University, where she graduated with honors. With ten year’s experience in finance, she has helped individuals and businesses all over Virginia to better manage resources and improve their financial situations.

She is a member of the Richmond Business Alliance and the Petersburg Chamber of Commerce. Crystal has been dedicated to servicing the community since her days as a candystriper at Southside Regional Medical Center and member of the Key Club at Petersburg High School. Crystal has served on the Finance Committee with Gay Community Center of Richmond and as secretary and treasurer of Alpha Psi Kappa, Inc. She regularly volunteers with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and Hands On Greater Richmond. Crystal also donated two years to marketing support for Community Memorial Hospital in South Hill, Virginia. She is also presently serving on the board for Rebuilding Together Tri-cities.

Crystal chooses to spend her spare time giving back to the community. Her passion is helping people. She also enjoys basketball, tennis, and music.