President
Kayla Shell - Dell

Vice President 
Steve Sears - WGBH

Vice President of Development
Julie Hogan - Xerox

Treasurer
Tom Johnson - Clorox

Secretary
Eleanor Mercado - Paul Hastings LLP

Directors

• Mike Feldman - Hewlett Packard
• Donna Griffin - Chubb
• George A. Kalogridis - The Walt Disney Company
• Charles Lickel - IBM
• Patrick O'Donnell - Deloitte
• Angie Wilson - Ernst & Young

Emeritus

• Tara Bunch - Hewlett Packard

Board Officers

Kayla Shell
President

Kayla Shell serves as Legal Director of Dell’s Large Enterprise Sales Division. She has been at Dell since May 1998 serving in various assignments as a sales, marketing, advertising, and e-commerce attorney. She was previously at Shell Oil Company in Houston for several years. Kayla serves as Co-Chair of the Executive Advisory Board of PRIDE, Dell’s GLBT network group. During Kayla’s leadership of PRIDE, Dell became an O&E Summit sponsor and has scored 100% on HRC’s Corporate Equality Index Survey. Kayla is a Federal Club Council Member of the Human Rights Campaign and actively supports Equality Texas, a GLBT lobbying organization, and Atticus Circle, and GLBT allies organization. Kayla lives in Austin with her partner, Randi Shade, and their children.

Steve Sears
Vice President

Steve Sears is National Marketing Director for NOVA, the long-running, award-winning science documentary series on PBS. He joined NOVA in September 2008.

Prior to joining NOVA, Steve was a 21-year marketing veteran of PepsiCo, Inc. where he served in a wide variety of roles including national oversight of such brands as Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, Aquafina, Lay’s, Ruffles, Cheetos, and Fritos. From 1998 through 2001, he was chief marketing officer for Frito-Lay’s business unit in Australia.

Steve received his MBA from the Kellogg School at Northwestern University and his BS in Accounting from the University of Kansas. He and his partner, John Lavryssen, balance their time between Boston and western Massachusetts, where they own and operate The Brandt House Bed & Breakfast.

Julie Hogan
Vice President of Development

Julie A. Hogan is vice president for the San Francisco Bay Area.  She is responsible for Xerox sales, technical services delivery, and professional services.

During her 22 years at Xerox, Hogan’s roles have spanned the services business as well as the country. She joined Xerox as a customer services engineer, held various services operations management positions, and general management assignments to include strategy, planning, and technology infrastructure.  Most recently, she served as vice president, Xerox Services for the Pacific Region.

Prior to joining Xerox in 1987, Hogan served in the United States Navy providing technical support for classified defense computer systems and intelligence projects.

Hogan was awarded her master’s degrees in business administration from the McColl School of Business at Queens University in Charlotte, North Carolina in 2001. She attended the Executive Development Program at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in Chicago in 2004. Additionally, she is a Xerox Lean Six Sigma certified green belt.

Hogan is originally from Chicago, Illinois. She currently resides in San Ramon, California with her partner Allison.  Hogan is a jazz & blues musician and when not playing the drums, she enjoys wine tasting in Napa and Sonoma Valley.

Tom Johnson
Treasurer

Like many individuals, Tom Johnson has had an interesting journey from a closeted entry-level role to one as an “out” leader in a U.S. corporation.  Tom is currently Vice President and Corporate Controller at The Clorox Company, where he is responsible for ensuring the integrity of financial reporting and delivering financial, real estate and facility services to the company’s business units. He also plays a lead role in developing the Finance organization and its capabilities to deliver against the company strategy. Prior to his current role, Tom was Vice President of Finance for the company’s Specialty Products Division.

Tom joined Clorox 20 years ago and has served in a variety of roles in Finance, Marketing and Business Development. He emerged from the corporate closet when the company asked him to accept relocation as part of an International assignment. This event was the beginning of efforts that Tom co-led to bring domestic partner benefits and other equitable policies to Clorox, which eventually resulted in the company’s perfect score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index. Tom believes that corporations will continue to lead the way resulting in full equality for GLBT people inside and outside the workplace.  Tom is also one of the founding members of Clorox Pride, the company’s employee resource group for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender employees and their advocates.

Tom is a CPA and holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Michigan State University. He and his partner, Bruce Genaro, spend their time skiing, hiking and practicing yoga in San Rafael and Lake Tahoe.  They are active with many organizations, especially those aimed at ensuring equal rights to GLBT people.   

Eleanor Mercado
Secretary

Eleanor Mercado is a litigation associate with the law firm of Paul Hastings LLP.  Prior to joining Paul Hastings, she was a law clerk for the Honorable Daniel A. Barker on the Arizona Court of Appeals.  She practices in the areas of complex business litigation, including the defense of private class action litigation in securities, ERISA, and shareholder derivative actions.  She also represents individuals and corporations in criminal and regulatory matters, including securities, antitrust, and Foreign Corrupt Practices investigations.

In 1999, Eleanor graduated cum laude from the University of Southern California with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Philosophy.  In 2005, she graduated from the University of Southern California Gould School of Law where she was a board member of the Public Interest Law Foundation and served on the staff of the Interdisciplinary Law Journal.

Directors

Mike Feldman

Mike Feldman is HP’s Vice President and General Manager of the Managed Enterprise Solutions Go to Market Unit in the Imaging and Printing Group’s Americas Organization.

Mike and his team are driving direct sales of the IPG product, solutions and Managed Print Services portfolio to named enterprise and public sector customers throughout the Americas. In this role, Mike has responsibility for delivering against the Managed Print Services GTMU financial commitments.

Prior to this role, he served as Vice President of WW Sales and Marketing for HP’s Imaging and Printing Group, where he was responsible for leading the worldwide sales strategy focused on driving greater revenue. He provided functional leadership to the WW sales force and was instrumental in developing globally consistent sales roles, compensation, and metrics. Mike also drove the global marketing strategy including branding, messaging, communications, advertising, PR and AR relationships.  

Since joining HP in 1988, Mike has held senior positions in all three of HP’s main business units. Before joining HP, Mike worked for IBM in New York.

He holds a bachelor's degree in marketing from Pace University. He resides in Los Angeles with his partner, Art Jalandoni.

Donna Griffin

As Chief Diversity Officer at Chubb, Donna is responsible for providing leadership and oversight of corporate activities that drive Chubb’s diversity strategy, working closely with business unit leaders and Human Resources. Donna is responsible for Chubb’s minority talent management strategy and diversity education efforts across the organization as well as being an advocate for Chubb’s diversity efforts and accomplishments externally.

A 27-year employee of Chubb, Donna served for 14 years, beginning in 1994 as Director of Worldwide Operations. In this position Donna was responsible for global support to underwriting, claims and broker customer service. Prior to that, Donna served in a variety of senior P&L positions in underwriting, marketing and branch administration. Donna holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Education from Rhode Island College, and she has completed executive development programs at Penn State, Wharton and Harvard.

Apart from her primary business focus, Donna is the founding corporate sponsor of Chubb’s Black Employee Network and has served on Chubb’s Women's Development Council, and the Gay and Lesbian Employee Network. Outside of Chubb, she serves on the Strategic Planning Committee for Executive Women of New Jersey and the Advisory Board for the Rutgers Institute for Women’s Leadership. Donna is a past board member for the New Jersey Battered Women’s Services and the Women’s Fund of New Jersey. In 2003, she was recognized by New Jersey Business Magazine as one of the year’s 25 Women of Influence. In 2006, the New Jersey Star Ledger named her one of the 10 Most Powerful Women in New Jersey Business. In 2010 New Jersey Business Magazine included Donna as one of the “Best 50” women in New Jersey business. In 2011 The National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce named Donna Outstanding Corporate Leader in Diversity.

Donna’s career at Chubb represents a proven track record of effecting positive cultural change; an ability to create and drive long-term strategies; a global perspective; a vast business network within the industry and worldwide; and an understanding of the particular challenges facing women in business.

George A. Kalogridis

As president of the Disneyland Resort, George oversees a workforce of 21,000 Cast Members at the 506-acre resort, which comprises the world-famous Disneyland Park, Disney California Adventure Park, the Disneyland Hotel, Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, the Paradise Pier Hotel and Downtown Disney.

George began his career at Walt Disney World in 1971 as a busboy at the Contemporary Resort. Throughout his 40 years with Walt Disney Parks & Resorts, George has held numerous executive positions, gaining a breadth of experience from all aspects of the operation.

From 2006 until his current Disneyland Resort appointment, George served as chief operating officer for Disneyland Resort Paris and was responsible for leading the daily operations of the Resort’s two theme parks, seven hotels and the Disney Village.
Prior to his role in Paris, George served as senior vice president of Resort Operations for the Disneyland Resort. In addition to his leadership roles in both Paris and Anaheim, George served as vice president of Travel Operations at Walt Disney World in Orlando.
 
George is active in the local community, and currently serves on CHOC Children's Hospital Board of Directors and the University of California, Irvine Paul Merage School of Business Dean’s Advisory Board.

Charles Lickel

Charles Lickel serves as Vice President of Software Research for IBM. Recognized as a leader of diversity within IBM, he was appointed co-chair of the IBM GLBT diversity task force by then-Chairman Lou Gerstner. Demonstrating his particular interest in driving changes to bring equality in the workplace, in 2001 he was honored as one of the Gay Financial Network 25 for his effectiveness in shaping a diversity-friendly climate at work, as well as for service as a role model in business leadership. In 2009, he received the Harvey Milk Alumni Award from University at Albany. Additionally, Charles shares his talents as a Senior Fellow of the American Leadership Forum, sits on the advisory boards of The Guidance Center, SUNY Albany, Pace University and the NJ Institute of Technology, and is a member of the Human Rights Campaign. Charles earned his BS from the State University of New York at Albany. He currently lives in Tarrytown, NY with his partner.

Patrick O'Donnell

Patrick is a Principal in the New York office of Deloitte & Touche (Deloitte) and provides advisory and attest services to large, multi-national clients in the manufacturing industry.  Patrick was admitted to the partnership in 2006 and has been with Deloitte since 1997.  Prior to joining Deloitte, Patrick worked for the Bank of New York and on Wall Street.

In addition to serving Deloitte clients, Patrick holds a leadership role and has direct involvement in several firm initiatives focused on talent recruitment, development and retention.  Patrick also serves as the partner advisor for the New York chapter of Deloitte’s LGBT business resource group and is a member of the Northeast region’s Diversity & Inclusion Council.  As partner advisor, Patrick mentors the chapter’s leadership team; oversees the group’s activities with respect to professional development opportunities within Deloitte and with other firms and companies; and organizes and participates in community service activities with multiple area LGBT organizations.  Patrick also serves on the firm’s national LGBT advisory team. 

Patrick earned an MBA in Finance from Fordham University in New York and a BA in Communication and Business from The American University in Washington DC.  Patrick grew up in New Jersey and currently resides in New York City with his partner John.

Angie Wilson

Angie is a partner with Ernst & Young with more than 15 years of experience in the Assurance and Advisory Business Services practice.  She leads the firm’s Health Sciences practice in Los Angeles and has significant experience in serving all sectors within health sciences including pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, hospitals, managed care organizations, pharmacy benefit management companies, long term care and hospice.  Angie has extensive experience serving clients that are SEC registrants, including the direct involvement in several IPO’s and secondary offerings.  She has also assisted many clients in private placement offerings and merger and acquisition activities.   

Angie leads the firm’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered inclusiveness and diversity efforts for the West Sub Area and is a member of the firm's West Sub Area Inclusiveness Steering Committee.
 
Angie is a CPA and received an accounting degree from the University of Tulsa and an MBA from Arizona State University.  Angie and her partner Sofie enjoy spending time with their two young children and playing golf (both are ex professional golfers).  Angie is also a member of United Way Women Leaders, Southern California Biomedical Council and the Human Rights Campaign Federal Club.

Emeritus

Tara Bunch
President Emeritus

Tara Bunch is currently the vice president of Global Customer Support Operations. She is responsible for delivering customer support services across all of HP’s consumer products as well as directing HP’s commercial and enterprise printing services and support portfolio.

Tara began her career at HP in 1985 in the Computer Systems Division. During her career, she has held a variety of management and executive leadership positions in manufacturing operations, as well as product research and development. Prior to her current role, Bunch was vice president and general manager of HP’s Digital Camera and Photography Solutions businesses.

Tara received her Bachelors Degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1985 from the University of California, Berkeley and received her Masters Degree in Business Administration in 1989 from the University of Santa Clara California.

Tara lives in Colorado with her partner, Susan, seven year old daughter, Emily, and four year old twin sons, Ian and Aidan.