Petaluma Pride is run by an all-volunteer board.
Board of Directors
Board President: Hanan Huneidi (she/her)
Hanan is a Palestinian-American storyteller, activist, teacher, cook, advocate for the unhoused community, member of the queer community, and mother of two ages 20 and 17, who believes that Black Lives Matter. She has called the Bay Area home for the last 23 years, but as a native Seattleite she loves the rain and all things dark.
Vice President: Josh Simmons (he/they)
Josh is a booster for the commons and community professional in the tech industry. He is recognized globally for inclusive practices, and his career has been themed by leadership in times of crisis and making organizations more responsive to their stakeholders. A bi man with disabilities who is all too familiar with housing instability, Josh also recognizes his privilege and spends that on his advocacy and volunteer work.
Josh has lived up and down the North Coast, but calls Sonoma County home. He put down roots in Petaluma in 2016 where his partner, Christopher, joined him in 2017. Together, in keeping with their shared addiction to volunteerism, they co-organize North Bay Python, a nonprofit tech conference that is hosted annually in Petaluma. Over the past six years, Josh has led Open Source Initiative, a decades old nonprofit, through organizational development and transformation, an experience he wants to build on by helping Petaluma Pride become an organization that is here for posterity.
Treasurer and Event Coordinator: Jennifer Horos (she/they)
Jennifer is a trailblazing educator, mother to two, and loving partner. Her move to Sonoma County in 2015, from the Philadelphia area, set Jennifer on a path of self-discovery. Since coming out as pan in 2017, she has developed a deeper appreciation, understanding, and love for herself and others. With over 20 years as an immersion teacher and English/Spanish bilingual school psychologist in various school settings, Jennifer mentors mental health professionals and advocates for parents and families to promote culturally and linguistically fair and equitable practices for students with disabilities. With a special focus on protecting queer and trans youth, she is continually searching for ways to connect her passions with her skillset to benefit future generations.
Board Member At-Large and Volunteer Coordinator: Brandon Allen (he/she/they)
Brandon is a California Native and a member of the Mechoopda Indian Tribe of Chico Rancheria. Brandon identifies as Two-Spirit and has been living in Petaluma with his partner for over 8 years. In 2020, Brandon received a Master’s in Social Welfare from UC Berkeley and published a children’s book called “The Very Lonely Boy.” Brandon is a strong advocate for mental health support and is currently working on completing hours towards licensure as a full-time therapist. Brandon is passionate about helping others build and connect to their local community. Brandon believes that a strong healthy community has the power to create lasting change in a way that can benefit all members.
We’d like to thank all our past board members, including Caitlin Quinn, Zahyra Lizette Garcia, Tim Carter, Julie Shulman, Kay Rivers, D’Lynda Fischer, Joshua Bluegreen-Cripps, and Abby Harrod.
Liaisons
Liaisons help our board stay connected to the community and our valuable partners. They attend Board meetings whenever they are available to join and provide valuable insight to the Board members.
SRJC Student Liaison: Abby Harrod (she/her)
Abby is the president of the Queer Student Union on the Petaluma Campus of the Santa Rosa Junior College (SRJC). Along with experience serving as a student leader on councils at the SRJC and Cal State Fullerton, Abby was active in organizing demonstrations to fight for student rights with Students for Quality Education (SQE) while attending CSU Fullerton.
Julie Shulman (she/her)
Julie is a Professor at Sonoma State University where she is currently also the chair of the Department of Counseling. Dr. Shulman is a psychologist whose research, teaching, and clinical foci revolve around women's sexuality, feminist therapy, cultural competence and cultural humility in psychotherapy, and LGBTQ++-affirmative therapy. She supervises Counseling M.A. students in their mental health care services to the community at various local mental health agencies and schools; she is involved in local efforts to increase inclusion, equity, and diversity in Petaluma City Schools (TIDE); and she provides consultation locally on building gender-affirming school climates.