Meet the Team

Senior Leadership Team

  • Joe is an operational turnaround and financial restructuring expert. For over 25 years, he has been working with companies in a wide variety of industries and not-for-profit agencies helping them achieve operational optimization and scale.

    Joe received his MBA from NYU Stern School of Business and holds a California CPA License (active).

    Alouf@TheSpahrCenter.org

  • Joe Tuohy comes to The Spahr Center from the SF LGBT Center where he served as Senior Director of Operations. Previously he worked for seven years at PRC, where he served as both Chief Operating Officer and Chief Strategy Officer. He has over 30 years of experience in nonprofit fundraising, operations and management.

    His career began at San Francisco Ballet, and later he served as Director of the Bay Area Dance Series. He spent ten years in New York working with School of Visual Arts and Second Stage Theatre, and for five years served as Treasurer of the Board of Directors of Visual AIDS. Recently he served as the Development Chair of the Board of Directors of the Castro Country Club.

    He has a B.A. from UC Berkeley in English Literature and Interdisciplinary Studies and undertook graduate work in Art Criticism and Writing at School of Visual Arts.

Team

  • Will relocated in 2000 from SF's Castro to San Rafael, and almost immediately began volunteering for the Marin AIDS Project (now The Spahr Center). He joined Marin AIDS Project in 2004 as an HIV educator after retiring as a training manager for Citibank. Will co-founded Thrive, Spahr’s support group for long-term survivors of HIV, and he also coordinates some of Spahr’s senior programs.

    WBoemer@TheSpahrCenter.org

  • Maria has worked as an HIV case manager for The Spahr Center since 2011 and in this role, she attends to the needs of people living with HIV/AIDS from different walks of life and backgrounds. Maria also facilitates the weekly Latino HIV support group. She earned her Bachelors of Arts in Spanish and Social Science from California State University, Chico. She previously worked for New Connections in Contra Costa County where she provided psychosocial services for people living with HIV. In her free time, Maria enjoys hiking and exploring new places.

    MCamacho@TheSpahrCenter.org

  • Lauren has been an active member of her local LGBTQ community since she realized she was a lesbian while growing up in Novato. While in college, Lauren furthered her involvement in LGBTQ organizing with Gamma Rho Lambda, Pride Admit Weekend, and Queer Alliance. Lauren first got involved with The Spahr Center through the Light the Way in 40 Days Fundraising Campaign. Lauren earned their B.A. in Sociology with Honors at University of California, Los Angeles where they conducted a sociological research project on how LGBTQ people find a sense of belonging in West Hollywood gay bars.

  • Bio coming soon

    PChavez@TheSpahrCenter.org

  • Emily was born in San Francisco and raised between the City and Marin County. She received her BA in Human Relations at Golden Gate University and began work with survivors of interpersonal violence, sexual assault and labor exploitation - working with numerous nonprofit agencies throughout the Bay Area. She completed her MA in Interdisciplinary Studies at Sonoma State University and is currently completing her Doctorate in Education, focusing on culturally-safe and trauma-informed care for HIV-positive mothers. In her free time Emily loves travelling with her two children, family days at the beach and exploring local restaurants with dear friends.

  • Grey first discovered The Spahr Center as a volunteer in 2021 where they co-led a LGBTQ+ Middle School Advocacy Group. Since volunteering, they have continued their path towards completing their B.A in Psychology at San Francisco State University and will be graduating in 2026. Beyond their interest in working with Marin County’s LGBTQ+ community, Grey has an extensive background in supporting and advocating for Autistic youth and adults. In their free time you can find Grey working on various knitting projects and enjoying the beaches in Point Reyes with their wife and two dogs.

  • Justice completed his undergraduate degree for Public Health at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa. He is currently trying to pursue a career in Epidemiology as well as taking classes at San Francisco State University to receive a certification for Geographic Information Sciences (GIS). If anyone has the guts to challenge him in Super Smash Brothers, should be wary of my jigglypuff.

    JAllred@TheSpahrCenter.org

  • Since 2012, Renato M. Talhadas has been an active Bay Area professional advocating for civic service and social justice causes. Born in Brazil, Renato was raised in Florida where he earned his Bachelor’s in sociology and moved to California as part of Teach for America and taught K-12 throughout the Bay Area. While noticing mental health issues in tech, Renato left his employment as a social media specialist and dropped out of law school to pursue his Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy and Clinical Counseling, with a specialization in addictions and theology.

    After many years as a Program Director, Renato still works as a therapist for SF AGUILAS: EL AMBIENTE supporting the culturally sensitive environment of gay/bisexual Latinos, especially those struggling with addictions, homelessness, asylum and HIV/AIDS. Renato is passionate about the Portuguese speaking residents who are often discriminated against, marginalized, and left unnoticed as members of the LatinX communities.

    Renato has traveled to 30 countries through volunteer and missions’ programs and has ran three marathons.

    RTalhadas@TheSpahrCenter.org

  • I was born and raised in Sonoma County. I graduated from Cal State Fullerton with a Bachelor's degree in Public Health and a minor in Chicano Studies. During college, I was a part of Best Buddies, a club where you are paired with students with disabilities from a local adult transition program to build a friendship. I like to volunteer and give back to the community. I volunteered with the Santa Rosa Community Clinics as a peer health educator for 4 years. In 2022 I was an intern in Ghana at the West Africa AIDS Foundation.

    I love to take pictures, videos and spend time with my loved ones. I also enjoy traveling, learning languages, and cultures

  • Arly comes to The Spahr Center from the Public Library of Science (PLOS) nonprofit in San Francisco, where she worked for 3.5 years, supporting free public access to international scientific research. Before that, she worked as an auditor in SF with one of the Big Four U. S. accounting firms, PricewaterhouseCoopers.

    Arly holds an M.S. in Accountancy from CSU East Bay, a B.A. in Broadcasting Communications from San Francisco State University, and an active CPA License in the State of California. In her free time, she is involved as an IRS-certified tax preparer with the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) program, which provides free basic tax return preparation to qualified individuals in need. She also loves theatre, ballet, art films, fitness activities and books about finance, history, science and philosophy. She is a lifelong Bay Area resident and proud supporter of the LBGTQ+ community.

  • Jennifer is a certified licensed phlebotomist that started with The Spahr Center at the end of 2023. She received her license from CalRegional back in October 2023 and is excited to bring her skills to the harm reduction program. Jennifer is passionate about helping others and engaging with the community. In her free time, Jennifer likes to spend time with family and friends, cooking, and binge watching tv shows. She loves traveling and exploring new places with her boyfriend as well.

  • Lillian Myers (she/they) is a Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) trainee, as well as a Drama Therapy trainee (RDT), working towards earning an M.A. in Counseling Psychology, with a concentration in Drama Therapy, at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) in downtown San Francisco. Lillian is supervised by Jason Newman, LMFT #10091. In 2012, Lillian earned their BFA in performance with a minor in early childhood education from Naropa University (a Buddhist-inspired contemplative university). Lillian has been a professional teaching artist for over 16 years, specializing in working with groups and nuero-divergent youth. Presently, she works at the Living Arts Counseling Center which focuses on harnessing the power of Expressive Arts in Healing and personal growth. Lillian is a performing and visual artist whose work has been seen in such places as the de Young museum. In addition, they are a certified yoga instructor. Lillian identifies as queer, genderfluid, white, Jewish and is a fifth-generation San Franciscan.

Interns

Join our cohort of interns. Apply today <here>.

  • Claire is a Marriage and Family therapist trainee working towards an M.A. in Counseling Psychology at the University of San Francisco. Claire is supervised by Jason Newman, LMFT #10091. She received a degree in Psychology and a degree in Musicology from University of California Los Angeles. Claire started her mental health career working at a positive psychology non profit called Corstone. Claire has also worked as a researcher at University of Edinburgh and University of California Santa Barbara studying close relationships and resiliency. Claire is passionate about empowering queer youth through strength based psychology. Claire spends her free time singing jazz, classical music, and writing music on her guitar and ukulele.

  • Charlotte is a social work intern with The Spahr Center’s Mental Health Program and the Training Institute. They received their BA in Psychology and Gender and Women’s Studies from the University of Denver in 2019. They are a second year student at UC Berkeley in the Masters of Social Welfare program, with a concentration in Strengthening Children, Youth and Families. Charlotte is pursuing a Pupil Personnel Services Credential (PPSC) in order to serve students and families as a school-based provider after they graduate this spring. Charlotte loves working with queer and trans young people and their families, as well as educating teachers, staff, and students to improve school and community environments for queer and trans people. In their free time, Charlotte loves playing soccer, spending time with friends and family, and cuddling with their dog. Charlotte is queer, white, trans/nonbinary and grew up in Marin.

  • Andrew is a Development Intern. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Communication from USC in 2017. He is from Marin County and has lived in the Bay Area for almost his entire life. He is excited about working at purpose-driven organizations and wants to create positive change in his community. Outside of work, Andrew enjoys spending time with his friends and family. He loves sports, dogs, cooking, tv shows, movies and exploring the San Francisco Bay Area.

  • Jace is a white, non-binary Clinical Intern pursuing a Master's in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at San Francisco State University. Prior to interning at The Spahr Center, Jace worked as a Certified Peer Support Specialist, providing person-centered, strengths-based individual and group support services. As a non-binary person, Jace is passionate about partnering with non-binary, transgender, and queer youth and adults in their journeys of self-discovery and self-acceptance. Jace strives to build therapeutic relationships based on trust, authenticity, empowerment, and social justice.

  • Cassidy is a Marriage and Family therapist trainee obtaining a M.A. in Counseling Psychology at the University of San Francisco. She earned her B.S. in Psychological and Brain Sciences at UC Santa Barbara along with a minor in LGBTQ Studies. Cassidy is supervised by Jason Newman, LMFT #10091. In her free time, she enjoys running, reading, and playing soccer.

Board of Directors

Board Chair: Amy Schroeder, (She/Her), Attorney, Vice Chair, Marin County Women’s Commission

Treasurer/Secretary: Nhan Pham, MBA (He/Him), Director of Operations, City of Sacramento

Directors:

Cristine Alilovich (She/Her), City Manager, San Rafael

Rick Hess (He/Him), Community Volunteer

Marisa Ulloa (She/Her), Recruiting Leader, Apple, Inc.

Join the team at The Spahr Center!