Our People

All aspects of Rainbow SIG are governed by volunteer professionals in the field of education abroad, who are committed to creating safe spaces for and uplifting the voices of the LGBTQIA+ community to create equal opportunities for all.

Leadership Team

The Board

Hannah Benson (she/her)
Co-Chair, 2024-2027

Michael Marcelli
Treasurer, 2024-

Shawna Parker (she/her)
Former Co-Chair, 2022-2024

Rick Russo
Treasurer, 1998-

Jason Schroeder (he/him)
Co-Chair, 2022-2026

Scott Tayloe
Former Co-Chair, 2015-2017

The Board was established in 2024 when Rainbow SIG became a 501(c)(3) organization. The Board is responsible for:

Providing guidance and institutional knowledge to current Rainbow SIG leadership
Making final decisions on organizational structure and spending

Co-Chairs

Robin Deering (she/her)
Term: 2024-2026
IES Global
Contact@RainbowSIG.org

Ryan Geiger (he/him)
Term: 2024-2026
Penn State University
Co-Chair@RainbowSIG.org

Hannah Benson (she/her)
Term: 2024-2027
IES Global
Co-Chair@RainbowSIG.org

Co-Chairs serve overlapping terms, with one new co-chair elected at each Annual Business Meeting. Co-Chairs are responsible for:

Serving as the primary spokespersons for the Rainbow SIG
Identifying yearly goals for the SIG, with input from leadership and board, in accordance with the SIG’s stated mission
Planning, leading, and executing the annual Rainbow SIG happenings at NAFSA, including the Annual Business Meeting and Rainbow Reception
Coordinating and manage all elections and recruitment of volunteers to help with the work of the Rainbow SIG
Being responsible for all media and external relations for the Rainbow SIG in a manner consistent with the views of the Rainbow SIG as a whole
Authorizing expenditures of funds
Preparing a written annual report of activities
Communicating with and solicit input from Rainbow SIG members

Membership Coordinator & Listserv Manager

Susan Carty
Term: 1993-
Indiana University
Contact@RainbowSIG.org

Membership Coordinator & Listserv Manager is responsible for:

Maintaining a database of membership records
Coordinating the recording of the minutes of Annual Business Meetings and quarterly meetings
Managing the Rainbow SIG Listserv

Treasurers

Michael Marcelli
Term: 2024-
University of California
Donations@RainbowSIG.org

Rick Russo
Term: 1998-
University of California, Berkeley
Donations@RainbowSIG.org

Treasurers are responsible for:

Acting as account manager for all Rainbow SIG funds
Preparing an annual financial report
Providing the Co-Chairs with relevant information needed for responsible financial management

Content Team

Newsletter Co-Editors

Valerie Nickels
Term: 2025-2027
University of California, San Diego
Contact@RainbowSIG.org

Brittany Dhooge (she/they)
Term: 2026-2028
University of Massachusetts Boston
Contact@RainbowSIG.org

Newsletter Editors are responsible for:

Producing and sending a quarterly newsletter email to membership (Summer, Fall, Winter, and Spring), along with special editions where needed
Soliciting content for the newsletter from Rainbow SIG leadership and membership
Collaborating with Website Managers and Social Media Coordinator to ensure smooth flow of information between SIG channels

Digital Communications Coordinators

Amanda Sawyers (she/her)
Term: 2026-2028
East Tennessee State University
Contact@RainbowSIG.org

Digital Communications Coordinators are responsible for:

Making regular updates to Rainbow SIG’s website to keep up with current events and initiatives and ensure that information is up to date and relevant to SIG members
Making design and structural updates to website as needed
Ideating and publishing fun and engaging content on social media platforms, including LinkedIn and Facebook
Brainstorming ways to grow and improve our social media presence
Collaborating with Newsletter Editors to ensure smooth flow of information between SIG channels

Special Projects Team

Fundraising Liaisons

Jason Schroeder (he/him)
Term: 2026-2028
IES Abroad
Contact@RainbowSIG.org

Kyle Schmude (he/him)
Term: 2025-2027
Technical University Vienna
Contact@RainbowSIG.org

Fundraising Liaisons are responsible for:

Assisting with fundraising campaigns by soliciting sponsorship and thanking donors
Ensuring fulfilment of Rainbow SIG’s commitments to sponsors, as outlined in the Fundraising & Sponsorship menu
Maintaining updated list of Rainbow SIG sponsors
Liaising with fund for Education Abroad (FEA) as needed, in collaboration with Co-Chairs
Raising awareness of Rainbow Scholarship in collaboration with the Social Media Coordinators, Newsletter Editors, and Website Managers
Liaising with Rainbow Scholars to share their study abroad experiences with donors and the wider SIG community

Historian & Pronoun Coordinators

Kei Mamiya (he/they)
Term: 2024-2026
Mississippi State University
Contact@RainbowSIG.org

Ash Trebisacci (they/them)
Term: 2025-2027
Brandeis University
Contact@RainbowSIG.org

Historians and Pronoun Coordinators are responsible for:

Gathering historical context and content from the SIG’s history and work on related projects
Overseeing the collection, organization, and maintenance of Rainbow SIG records
Assisting with the recording of the minutes of Annual Business Meetings and quarterly meetings
Ideating creative ways to promote the use of inclusive pronouns in the field and at NAFSA

Regional Representative Team

Regions I-XII

Region IJoelle Leinbach (she/her)
Fund for Education Abroad
Contact@RainbowSIG.org

Region IIDrew Dexter Ross (they/them)
Arizona State University
Contact@RainbowSIG.org

Region III
Kevin Bayley (he/him)
Angelo State University
Contact@RainbowSIG.org

Region III

Tiffany Duong (she/her)
Rice University
Contact@RainbowSIG.org

Region IVPeter Shapiro (he/him)
DIS Study Abroad in Scandinavia
Contact@RainbowSIG.org

Region IVPhoebe Nishimoto (she/her)
University of Iowa
Contact@RainbowSIG.org

Region VKal Spencer (they/them)
Saginaw Valley State University
Contact@RainbowSIG.org

Region VI
Natalie Gilbert
University of Notre Dame
Contact@RainbowSIG.org

Region VIVanessa Lanning (she/her)
Ball State University
Contact@RainbowSIG.org

Region VIIAngela Luedke (she/her)
University of North Carolina
Contact@RainbowSIG.org

Region VIIKylie Holloway (she/her)
Wake Forest University
Contact@RainbowSIG.org

Region VIIJulie Maxwell (she/her)
Duke University
Contact@RainbowSIG.org

Region VIINicole Meanor (she/her)
ISEP
Contact@RainbowSIG.org

Region VIIILou Deemer (he/they)
University of Pittsburgh
Contact@RainbowSIG.org

Region VIIIAshley Alberghini (she/her)
Contact@RainbowSIG.org

Region VIIIKarl Jacobs
AIFS Abroad
Contact@RainbowSIG.org

Region X

Jonathan Hakim (he/him)
USAC
Contact@RainbowSIG.org

Region XI
Shawna Parker (she/her)
CASE Marketing
Contact@RainbowSIG.org

Region XI

Eric Wirth
University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Contact@RainbowSIG.org

Region XIITravis Pentz (he/him)
University of California, San Francisco
Contact@RainbowSIG.org

Region XIIClaudio Castaneda (he/him)
Diversity Abroad
Contact@RainbowSIG.org

Region XIIMatthew Williams
University of Southern California
Contact@RainbowSIG.org

Region II
Max Courval (he/him)
University of Utah
Contact@RainbowSIG.org

Region I-XII Representatives are responsible for:

Organizing a Rainbow SIG gathering and/or meeting at the NAFSA regional conference, collaborating and ideating with the Community Engagement Coordinator where needed
Encouraging Rainbow SIG involvement and participation at the NAFSA regional level through promotion of LGBTQ+ activities and events and facilitation of community-building spaces for queer colleagues
Providing summary of regional SIG-related events to SIG leadership
Advocating for the interests of the SIG at the regional level
Reporting to Co-Chairs regarding trends in the region and how the SIG can contribute to local LGBTQIA+-led initiatives in international education
Informing website manager, newsletter editors, and social media coordinators of regional events, information, and resources that are relevant to the Rainbow SIG community

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