Our Volunteer Board
Chair: Tyler Frakes (he/him)
A preacher's child of the 80's, Tyler is the chair of the board and involved in making executive decisions for the group. Tyler loves crocs, chickens, tattoos, and taking on new creative projects. Tyler is an amazing leader in the group, making connection look effortless. He works to strengthen the bond between our organization and every Southwest resident through interpersonal expertise. There isn't another like him, cheers!
E-Mail: tyler@thealliance.gay
Vice Chair:
Brooke Henderson (she/her)
Brooke Henderson is a passionate advocate
for diversity and inclusion in the tourism industry. She brings her experience of working with local La Plata County businesses to Visit Durango as their Partnership and Operations Manager. With an infectious enthusiasm, she works hard to ensure visitors feel welcome at every touchpoint along their journey in Durango. Brooke is an avid outdoor enthusiast who loves running with her furry friend and relaxing in her yard with her family.
E-Mail: brooke@thealliance.gay
Community Relations:
Lazarus Omni (she/they)
Lazarus is the owner of Omni Adventures, specializing in high elevation style bagels, or, adventure fuel. Their unique skills as a business owner brings a fresh perspective to the board, making them perfect to lead our Community Relations committee. They hope to accomplish two visions when working with The Alliance: To solidify the queer community as an integral part of the Durango community through community outreach and nonprofit partnerships. Secondly, they seek to create well-rounded events and services that represent the entirety of the queer community. We look forward to seeing what they do!
E-Mail: lazarus@thealliance.gay
Youth & Family Resources:
Annie Dulaney (she/her)
Annie graduated from The Fort and decided to make Durango her home. When she is not working you can often find her at the Durango Dog Park or Oxbow Park trying to exhaust her Husky, Yeti. As our Youth & Family resources chair, Annie plays a very important role in helping create safe avenues for growth among queer youth, and resources for parents navigating their child's identity.
E-Mail: annie@thealliance.gay
Internal Wellness:
Blair Martinez (he/him)
Blair, our internal wellness chair, transplanted from Arizona and found himself with us here in Durango Colorado. His passion for creating spaces aimed at the safety and security of the community are what led him to volunteering for The Alliance. He loves spending time with his two doggies and husband; they always are finding new adventures! His role has been crucial in the communication of the group, and he always finds ways to make us better as a whole.
E-Mail: blair@thealliance.gay
Branding:
Andy Mathews (he/they)
Andy is a funky queer in the Durango area with a passion for creating and cultivating harmonious spaces for sweetiepies to exist. He brings cheer and laughter to the board as well as a unique talent for marketing and design. He is a stand-up comedian and performs at various events throughout the year. He doesn't want you to know anything else about him, except: You can catch him hula-hooping in his well-trimmed, beautifully maintained lawn (he takes care of the grass) or walking his doggy in the mountains. If you have any really good mocktail recipes, please send them his way!
E-Mail: andrew@thealliance.gay
Secretary:
JoAnn Smotherman (she/her)
JoAnn values community and has always made a habit of serving the community. When she had the opportunity to leave Texas, she spent three years picking the perfect town, and found Durango. As soon as she got here, she searched for and found The Alliance and reported for duty. She keeps us organized, on top of everything, and changes the oil in our cars. She is, effectively, The Alliance's mother.
E-Mail: joann@thealliance.gay
Safety & Security Chair:
Liza Williams (she/her)
Liza is the 6th generation of her family to reside her in Durango. She has been volunteering with events for The Alliance since she was 18 years old. She serves on the board because everyone has a right in their community to feel safe, respected, recognized, included, and most importantly, heard.
E-Mail: liza@thealliance.gay
Production
Selena Trujillo (she/whatever)
Stage manager, theater tech, digital sorcerer, and overall bad-ass. Selena has not only been involved with The Alliance, but her thespian community. She's stage managed productions of RENT, Rocky Horror, Cabaret, and so many more. Through her help with The Alliance, she has given us an opportunity to take shows and events to bigger and better levels; she tightens up production, event security, you name it. We wish she was real, but alas, she is only three gremlins in a trenchcoat. It says so on her website: selenatrujillo.com Regardless, we love those gremlins!
E-Mail: selena@thealliance.gay
Resource Development: Stephen O'Brien (he/him)
Stephen moved to Durango in 2008; in 2021 he signed up to help The Alliance plan Pride. The community he found within the town became a family, and his short-term volunteering gig became a long term commitment. Stephen as resource development, makes sure we have what we need to bring the Southwest Queer community together. Go Stephen!
E-Mail: stephen@TheAlliance.gay
Past Chair/Current Mentor:
Brian Joy (he/him)
Brian found the Durango queer community at The Alliance's First Friday Happy Hour. That first event introduced him to the Durango family of queers; he’s been an active member in the community ever since. He served The Alliance Board as Chair for a year before passing the reigns to Tyler. He now serves as an advisor and mentor.
General information questions can be directed to JoAnn@TheAlliance.gay, or on any of our social media (found at top of page).
