Margaret Brown, PhD, MPH (she/they) received her doctorate in community health education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and has 20 years of teaching experience, ranging from middle school to collegiate level. She has also been involved with community organizing and public health initiatives in prisons and international communities.
Margaret currently works at Appalachian State University in the Public Health and Exercise Science Department. They teach classes in the Public Health program and are involved in research and service opportunities. Outside of her work as Appalachian State University faculty, she enjoys reading, running, baking, watching sports, and exploring the wonderful mountains of Western North Carolina.
Nancy Daley-Moore, PhD, MPH, CPH, CHES® is an Associate Professor of Health Science at Truman State University in Kirksville, MO. She received an MPH in epidemiology and a PhD in health promotion and behavior from the University of Georgia. Her research areas explore wellness perceptions among college students, identifying how people talk about sex, perceptions about abortion, and the incorporation of technology in the classroom. At Truman, she teaches human sexuality, women’s health, and a course about HIV. She is one of the campus Safe Zone facilitators, and she advises (and trains) students in both the Women’s Resource Center and the Sexual Health Advocacy Group (SHAG) on Truman’s campus to implement sexual health peer education programming.
Ariel Davis, MPH, has worked in public health for 10 years. She has experience in crisis intervention, harm reduction, mental health care, suicide prevention, and serving underserved populations. Ariel has been involved in projects related to bystander intervention, condom use, and domestic violence prevention.
Ariel holds a Master’s in Public Health and a Graduate Certificate in Health Education from New York Medical College. Her favorite topics to discuss and facilitate include consent, contraception, and gender identity. Recently, she assumed the role of regional coordinator for the New York City region at the Research Foundation of The City University of New York. She will be assisting with a National Institutes of Health-funded randomized controlled trial for a socialization and sex education program targeting youth with mild to moderate intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Ariel’s goal is to educate, empower, and enlighten youth through comprehensive sex education and research, particularly focusing on the Black and Brown youth in her community.
Alexis Diaz, LMSW, is a licensed social worker in New York state who specializes in working with youth, families, and communities. Alexis is passionate about working within communities of color and queer communities to celebrate our beauty and complexity, elevate our voices, and make our strengths visible.
Kelly Jean Gainor, MEd, serves as the training manager for ETR, where she concentrates on developing and implementing virtual training programs of educators in various evidence-based interventions. Prior to joining ETR, Kelly worked at multiple nonprofit organizations, directly delivering evidence-based education to youth, providing professional development and training for educators and youth-serving professionals, and creating lesson plans for diverse groups of all ages, orientations and identities.
Kelly pursued her undergraduate studies in communications at Cornell University and later earned a master’s degree in human sexuality education from Widener University. Her favorite teaching and training topics are body image and LGBTQ+ education. Notably, Kelly had four lesson plans published in the teaching manual Orientation: Teaching about Identity, Attraction and Behavior.
Lauren Garcia, MPH (she/her/ella) serves as the public health project coordinator at CityMatCH. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in biology and film from Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York, and a Master of Public Health degree with a concentration in global health – sexual and reproductive health from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia.
Prior to joining the team at CityMatCH, Lauren has been actively engaged in various activism, clinical, nonprofit, and research positions. Her professional background includes advocacy, development, program planning, and research. Lauren’s passion lies in sexual and reproductive health and justice, with a specific focus on abortion access and reducing barriers to care. In her free time, she enjoys creating SciComm content, scrapbooking, solo traveling, and spending quality time with her dogs Parker (13 years old) and Coco ( seven months old).
Ali Glaser, MSW, CSE, CPCC, ACC, serves as PPNCSNJ’s vice president of community services. Throughout her leadership, Planned Parenthood has received national recognition for exceptional professional training and community education initiatives. Ali is an executive performance coach, a professor of social work at Rutgers University, a dynamic trainer and facilitator, and an author. Ali authored the chapter “Creating Partnership Synergy through Transformational Leadership” for the textbook The Role of Combined Action in Enhancing Organization’s Effectiveness. She is also the author of Developing a High School Mentor Program and served as a contributing author to Unequal Partners: Teaching about Power, Consent, and Healthy Relationships. Ali is passionate about ensuring access to comprehensive, inclusive, quality sex education, as well as coaching, developing, and supporting leaders, and helping people to live their lives with intention, passion, and purpose.
Eliza Greenberg (she/her) received her Bachelor of Business Administration degree in business management and her bachelor’s degree in hospitality and tourism management from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She currently works at the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Massachusetts. There, she assists with the coordination of educational courses and support groups for individuals living with mental health conditions, and for caregivers or loved ones acting in supportive roles. Additionally, she has taken a lead role on the planning committees for the 2022 NAMI Massachusetts Annual Convention and the annual 2023 NAMIWalks Massachusetts fundraising event. Her drive to reduce stigmas surrounding both mental health and sex education is rooted in her belief that everyone deserves easy access to comprehensive and inclusive resources on both topics. She is excited and honored to be a part of the National Sex Ed Conference planning committee, where she can help to create safe spaces for people to learn and educate openly.
Lauren Hall, CHES®, is the Director of Education at Planned Parenthood of Northern, Central, and Southern New Jersey, provides inclusive sexuality education to empower individuals with the knowledge, skills, and resources for optimal sexual health and wellness.
Shayne Judge MPH, CHES® is a public health professional who has dedicated her career to advocating for comprehensive and inclusive sex education for all. Previously, Shayne worked as a peer educator during college, and later worked as a PrEP counselor for The Babs Siperstein Proud Center, where she provided support and education to individuals seeking HIV prevention medication. She then joined Planned Parenthood, where she created and continues to lead the peer education program “Spill The T.E.A!” Shayne has continued to grow in her role, becoming the youth development manager, highlighting her ability to engage with youth and create a safe and welcoming environment for learning. Shayne is fiercely dedicated to promoting body autonomy and empowering those who identify as women or femme.
Catherine Kanari is a dedicated young leader serving as a policy and advocacy assistant at the African Sex Workers Alliance (ASWA). With a wealth of experience in advocacy, campaign planning, community-led research, and feminism principles, Catherine is deeply committed to human rights and social justice. Her areas of focus include gender based violence, the engagement of young people in decision-making processes, and sexual reproductive health rights. Catherine’s dedication and passion have led her to be part of a team overseeing the implementation of initiatives in three southern African countries: Mozambique, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. The primary objective is to advocate for the unmet sexual reproductive and health rights needs of young sex workers in Africa.
Catherine takes pride in being a human rights defender and young feminist, finding fulfillment within ASWA, an organization that strives to address the intersectional challenges faced by diverse young people. Embracing the values of accountability, courage, curiosity, and inclusiveness, she continually evaluates herself and her contributions to create positive change in the lives of marginalized communities.
Olivia Friday LoneMan, MEd (she/her) is an enrolled member of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma. With over a decade of experience in sexual and reproductive health education, she currently serves as the senior education program manager at Planned Parenthood of Northern New England. Primarily focusing her efforts on working with historically and intentionally marginalized communities, Olivia firmly believes in the freedom, healing, and power that people-centered anti-racist sexuality education can bring. In her personal life, Olivia resides in Southern Maine with her eight-year-old kiddo Roxy. During their free time, they love traveling together on road trips across the United States to see family and friends.
Cory M. Neering, MS, is PPNCSNJ’s chief executive officer and president, bringing a wealth of experience, skills and an extensive background within the Planned Parenthood family. Having served as an elected official for six years in South Florida, Cory is a high-level thinker with over 20 years of experience in leadership and management. His expertise lies in community partnerships, diversity, equity, and inclusion, governmental relations, stakeholder management, and strategic plan development. Cory specializes in building and developing strong community alliances that promote local participation, demonstrating his results-oriented, visionary approach and a proven track record of implementing best practices and promoting accountability.
Tara Norman (she/her) serves as PPNCSNJ’s director of diversity, inclusion, and health equity. As a people-focused professional, Tara is passionate about aligning with missions that advocate for and serve communities of color. Her commitment lies in ensuring that diversity, equity, and inclusion are meaningfully reflected in organizational advocacy, culture, healthcare delivery, and legislation.
Tara takes great pride in providing everyone with the necessary resources to lead empowered and healthy lives. She is a dedicated advocate, educator, and leader in the ongoing fight against systemic barriers and improving health outcomes. Tara holds true to the words of Stacey Abrams, who said, “When we show up, act boldly, and practice the best ways to be wrong, we fail forward. No matter where we end up, we’ve grown from where we began.” Tara deeply values the opportunity to learn, grow, and take action in the pursuit of social justice and racial equity.
Kat Pheysey (she/her), PhD, MEd, MSW, is a sexuality consultant, counselor and educator who specializes in providing services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and those who support them. As an able-bodied, neurotypical queer woman, Kat is mindful of the privilege she holds while working in the field of disability and sexuality.
Originally from the United Kingdom, Kat completed her bachelor’s degree in psychology with a focus on neuropsychology at the University of North Wales, Bangor. After moving to the United States, Kat pursued further and obtained a Master of Social Work degree from the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College, becoming a Licensed Master Social Worker in 2014.
Kat’s educational journey then shifted toward sexuality and she earned a Master of Education degree in human sexuality from Widener University in 2018. Kat earned her doctorate in human sexuality from Widener University in 2021 and her research focused on “Factors that Affect the Intended Behaviors of Paid Staff Towards the Sexuality of People with IDD”.
Gabrielle Rios (she/her) has dedicated over a decade to education, working with people of all abilities and backgrounds in both private and public settings. She has experience teaching learners of all ages, ranging from early childhood to adulthood. In 2012, she earned her a Bachelor of Science degree in nonprofit leadership and management from Arizona State University. She currently works as a community educator at Planned Parenthood of Southwestern Oregon, where she teaches and develops curricula covering various topics related to sexual health. Her teaching approach is characterized by creativity, playfulness, trauma informed practices, and a commitment to radical acceptance. Outside of the classroom, Gabrielle advocates for reproductive equality as a proud Catholic for Choice, and engages in theatrical performances and tap dancing.
Grace Schoenberger, MNO (she/her) currently serves as the program director for The Center for Sex Education (CSE). She has been planning and delivering inclusive, comprehensive sexuality education throughout her career. Her vision is that by empowering people to make informed decisions about their reproductive and sexual health, they can begin to develop and advocate for safer and healthier relationships in their own lives. Since earning her Master of Nonprofit Organizations degree from Case Western Reserve University in 2019, she has provided project management consultation to the Collaborative for Sexual Health Equity and Learning to help build the organization’s capacity and impact.
Before her tenure at the CSE, she served seven years at the Ohio Center for Sex Education at Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio, providing leadership, education, and program development across Northeast Ohio. During that time, she acted as the project and instructional design lead for two sexuality education curricula titled Get Connected Adult Peer Education and Get Connected: Virtual Sex Ed for High School, using her experience adapting existing curricula to virtual audiences.
Bill Taverner, MA, CSE, ABS, serves as the CSE’s executive director, contributing more than 25 years of leadership in sex education. He also holds the roles of editor-in-chief of the American Journal of Sexuality Education and founder and president of the Sex Ed Lecture Series. Throughout his esteemed career, Bill has authored or edited more than 85 publications, spanning chapters, college readers, curricula, journal articles, lesson plans, and other contributions to sexuality education. His latest book, Sex Education Research: A Look Between the Sheets, presents a collection of 24 essays written by 70 contributing authors in an accessible, jargon-free style.
Bill, a staunch advocate for sex education, has twice addressed U.S. Congressional briefings. In recognition of his unwavering dedication and leadership in sex education, he has earned national awards, including several from the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists, as well as the Academy for Adolescent Health’s Social Justice Award for commitment to racial and social justice. Recently, Bill was conferred the title of Diplomate by the American Board of Sexology.