[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 114 (Friday, June 30, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E632-E633]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HONORING DISTINGUISHED LEADERS IN CENTRAL FLORIDA FOR PRIDE MONTH
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HON. DARREN SOTO
of florida
in the house of representatives
Friday, June 30, 2023
Mr. SOTO. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor distinguished leaders in
Central Florida for Pride Month: Kimberly A. Holdridge, Andrea
Montanez, Billy Looper and Tom Christ, Jessica Beers, Jorge Lanza,
Joseph ``Joey'' Knoll, Svetlana ``Lana'' Dunn, and Tatiana Quiroga.
Kimberly A. Holdridge
Kimberly A. Holdridge is a labor leader with the International
Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local 631 in Orlando, Florida.
In 1993, Kim became the financial secretary of the Local and remained
in that role for two decades. In June of 2020, Kim was elected to serve
as a business representative for the same group and has just begun her
second term in this prestigious role. During her career, she has served
on the Florida AFL-CIO Executive Board where she currently serves as
chairman of the Finance Committee and as executive vice president of
the Central Florida AFL-CIO. In addition to the elected position of the
local union, she was elected by acclamation to the role of district
secretary/treasurer of the IATSE District 14 in 2006, representing
thousands of theater and film craftspeople in Florida, Puerto Rico, and
the U.S. Virgin Islands. In 2006, Kimberly was selected by the Central
Florida LGBTQ community as Female Role Model of the Year and by the
AFL-CIO as a Rising Star within the labor movement. In 2009, she
received the IATSE International Presidents Award. Within the greater
Central Florida community, Kim received many appointments to city and
county boards. She is also chair of the Public Art Board, chair of the
city and county Municipal Planning Board, and a member of the
nominating board for the City of Orlando. Additionally, she serves as
Chairman of the Board for the Mental Health Association of Central
Florida.
The LGBTQ community has seen plenty of Kim in action. She has served
as president of the Orlando Gay Chorus and the Rainbow Democratic Club
and is the chair of the Orange County Democratic Executive Committee.
Currently, she is proud to serve on the International IATSE Pride
Committee and as secretary of the Central Florida Pride at Work
Chapter. Kim resides in the heart of the City of Orlando with her
partner of 30 years, Denise Holdridge, whom she married in 2014 in
Providence, Rhode Island before gay marriage became permissible within
the state of Florida. Lastly, Kim served in the armed forces of the
United States Air Force Reserves in the early 1980s as a sheet metal
specialist just prior to ``Don't Ask, Don't Tell.'' She is a champion
for working families and is doing whatever she can to create
opportunities for everyone to thrive and live their best lives.
Andrea Montanez
Andrea Montanez (she/her/ella) is an openly proud immigrant
transgender Latinx woman from Colombia. She serves as the LGBTQ+
immigration organizer lead for Hope CommUnity Center and is a Contigo
Fund community board member. Andrea's role is to bring visibility and
educate communities on the intersections of being an immigrant and
transgender.
A long-standing community builder through volunteerism, Andrea is a
board member at Peer Support Space, whose mission is to build and be a
local hub for diverse, peer-led recovery communities. In addition, she
is the co-director of outreach at Come Out with Pride Orlando, whose
focus is to produce an annual Pride event that fosters a sense of
community, encourages LGBTQ+ citizens to live openly and with pride,
and educates the general public about our shared cultural heritage.
Andrea is also in charge of the ``ventanilla de inclusion'' at the
Consulmex in Orlando. She is also a captain at Equality Florida.
Billy Looper and Tom Christ
With entrepreneurial backgrounds, Billy Looper and Tom Christ began
producing large LGBTQ+ events at Walt Disney World Resorts in 2009. One
Magical Weekend has included events at Disney's Typhoon Lagoon
Waterpark, Disney Hollywood Studios, Epcot, and the House of Blues at
Disney Springs. As one part of one of the longest-running events in our
history, Billy and Tom are proud to contribute to Gay Disney and
welcome guests from all over the world year after year to Orlando. They
are especially proud to host over 250 alumni from Bliss Healthcare's
Transformation program over the past three years at Riptide, providing
a safe place for their trans friends at TransBeach. In 2018, they co-
founded the Kindred Pride Foundation, whose mission is to honor the
original Gay and Lesbian Day at Magic Kingdom attendees back in 1991
and continue the RED Shirt Pride Days kickoff to Pride Month, now in
its 32nd year. The Kindred Pride Foundation values diversity,
inclusion, equality, safe expression, and kindness and contributes to
the community by producing the Pride Cup--an LGBTQ+ multi-sport
tournament each year. The Diversity in Sports Summit included a forum
of eight collegiate and professional athletes telling their inspiring
``coming out'' stories in front of business and sports leaders in
Orlando. They invite you to join them for Santa's Bike Force--an annual
tradition since 2003 where they give out ``first time'' bikes to
deserving kids. Their LGBTQ+ marketing company is a Certified LGBT
Business Enterprise, and they are proud members of the Pride Chamber
and the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce.
Jessica Beers
Jessica Beers currently serves as the executive director of the
Kissimmee Sports Commission. In her role, Jessica provides oversight of
the administration and management of the Kissimmee Sports Commission.
She is also responsible for identifying and pursuing new strategic
partnerships on behalf of Experience Kissimmee.
Before her new role, she served as a leader in the sports,
entertainment, and transportation industries. Her past employers
include Brightline Trains Florida, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the
Orlando City Soccer Club, and the Dr. Phillips Center for the
Performing Arts.
Jessica played for and volunteered with the CFSLeague--an amateur
softball league for all persons with an emphasis on LGBTQIA+
participation.
She was also a staff member who supported the ownership's decision to
install 49 rainbow-colored seats at Exploria Stadium to honor Pulse
victims and survivors.
As a sports enthusiast, Jessica also supports the Pride Cup--an
annual LGBTQ+ multi-sport competition held the first weekend in June in
Osceola and Orange Counties.
Jessica graduated Magna Cum Laude with her Master of Arts in Early
Childhood Education from Concordia University, St. Paul, and currently
resides in Central Florida with her wife Gina Lutz.
She serves on the Howard Phillips Center Community Leadership Council
and is an active member of the Central Florida WISE Chapter.
Jorge Lanza
Jorge Lanza (he/him) serves as the Kissimmee program manager for the
LGBT+ Center Orlando, Inc., also known as The Center. His commitment to
serving the LGBTQ+ community began the night of the Pulse Nightclub
tragedy when he responded to the needs
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of survivors and victims as a volunteer at ORMC's Emergency Department.
His journey with The Center began in 2017 as a volunteer. A year
later, he was hired on as The Center Kissimmee's HIV coordinator. In
2022, Jorge was promoted to his current role managing The Center
Kissimmee. During his tenure, Jorge has been instrumental in the growth
of The Center Kissimmee, providing a sex-positive safe space for HIV
and HEP-C testing for underrepresented communities, including those
with limited English proficiency. He is committed to breaking barriers
to testing by providing services during non-traditional hours to
accommodate the needs of the community. Under his watch, HIV testing at
The Center Kissimmee has grown from an average of 200 tests annually to
more than 700 tests annually.
Jorge's service includes collaboration with the Osceola County Health
Department on numerous events, including hosting a vaccination drive
for Monkeypox and other communicable diseases, as well as community
health fairs, including co-hosting Osceola County's first World AIDS
Day Health Fair in 2021 and again in 2022. Additional partnerships
stewarded by Jorge include those with Club Orlando, Valencia College,
the City of Kissimmee, Kissimmee Main Street, Harmony Healthcare
Orlando, and Walmart Pharmacy.
Joseph ``Joey'' Knoll
Joseph ``Joey'' Knoll (he/him) is the founder and president of
SPEKTRUM Health, a charitable community-based health center that caters
to the LGBTQA+ community in Orlando, Florida. He has a wealth of
experience working in a variety of healthcare practice settings with
over 20 years of nursing experience. Starting as a nursing assistant in
New York at the age of 16, he worked his way up the nursing ladder to
become a licensed practical nurse (LPN), then a registered nurse (RN),
and ultimately a nurse practitioner (NP). One of his favorite roles was
as a nursing instructor, teaching pharmacology classes for 10 years. He
has additional formal training and experience in health policy, risk
management, and health law. He also served on the executive board of
the Florida Association of Nurse Practitioners (FLANP) for eight years.
Clinically, he specializes in LGBT primary care with a special focus on
mental health management, HIV treatment and prevention, STD treatment
and prevention, and gender-affirming care for transgender individuals.
He is also an active member of the World Professional Association for
Transgender Health (WPATH). Nursing and advocacy are at the heart of
everything he does, and he believes all humans deserve equal quality
and affirming healthcare in all settings. For fun, he enjoys the beach,
sun, sand, and water. Though Joey does not have any human children, he
is happy to have two four-legged companions, Kimber and Speck.
Svetlana ``Lana'' Dunn
Svetlana ``Lana'' Dunn (she/her) is the chief operating officer for
SPEKTRUM Health, a charitable community-based health center that caters
to the LGBTQA+ community in Orlando, Florida. Born and raised in the
Pacific Northwest, Lana's early experiences as a transgender woman
struggling to understand her own place in the world helped shape her
deep empathy and passion for social justice. Lana's advocacy efforts
extend far beyond her role at SPEKTRUM Health. She is a prominent voice
in the fight for transgender equality, advocating for policy changes,
increased awareness, and improved healthcare practices at both the
state and national levels. Recognizing the importance of collaboration
and inclusivity, Lana actively engages with community members,
patients, and advocacy groups to ensure their voices are heard and
their needs are met. She firmly believes in the power of education and
empowerment, working tirelessly to promote transgender rights, mental
health support, and access to gender-affirming healthcare services. She
believes in the healing power of art and creativity and often channels
her passion into various artistic endeavors. Through her multifaceted
approach to life and work, Lana inspires others to embrace their
authentic selves and create a world where transgender individuals are
celebrated and supported without discrimination. Lana's unwavering
commitment to transgender equality and her exceptional leadership at
SPEKTRUM Health have made a profound impact on the lives of countless
individuals. Her tireless dedication and advocacy continue to drive
positive change, shaping a more inclusive and equitable future for the
LGBTQA+ community in Orlando and beyond.
Tatiana Quiroga
Tatiana Quiroga (she/ella) is a committed and seasoned leader with 20
years of experience in diversity and inclusion, pragmatic planning, and
working in the nonprofit sector. She is an enthusiastic activist for
the LGBTQIA+ and Latinx community who has held various advocacy roles.
Most recently, she has been appointed as the first executive director
for Come Out with Pride, Inc. Prior, she was the director of family
equity & diversity with Family Equality, a national nonprofit
advocating for LGBTQIA+ families. In addition, Tatiana also serves on
the board of directors for Zebra Youth as co-chair. She earned her
Master of Arts in Mental Health Counseling from Rollins College, a
certificate in diversity, equity, and inclusion from Cornell
University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of
Central Florida. Originally from La Paz, Bolivia, Tatiana immigrated to
the U.S. and is a strong advocate for social justice, racial and gender
equity, and the LGBTQIA+ movement. She lives in the Orlando area with
her wife and two kiddos.
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