I will never forget the first time I spoke with Shea. We scheduled a phone call about the One Orlando Alliance and her interest in joining our board of directors. At the One Orlando Alliance, we believe that those most impacted by any social problem should be at the forefront leading on community solutions. Shea has brought a wealth of knowledge and professional experience on housing, and we needed help with some of the initiatives related to homelessness. We are also increasing our engagement with the transgender community and Shea stood out when she attended the first National Trans Visibility March in Washington, D.C.
I knew Shea embodied so many of our values, but I was tasked with talking with prospective board members to assess their commitment to our organization and our collective mission of true belonging and equity for all LGBTQ+ Central Floridians. It didn’t take more than two sentences into our conversation for me to realize I was dealing with a force to be reckoned with, and I wanted her on our team.
Since that moment, I have seen Shea take her rightful place as a leader in our LGBTQ+ community in Central Florida. Her entrepreneurial spirit and wisdom coming from her lived experience equipped her to start Real, Inclusion, Sustainable, & Employment (R.I.S.E.). This initiative will become a leading organization on building important life and professional skills many in the transgender community don’t have because of the lack of opportunity rooted in transphobia, hate and discrimination. Shea wants to make sure others in our community have equal access to opportunity by providing them with job interviewing and resume writing skills, financial literacy and assistance with building their own self-esteem to dream big.
Even as I write this short piece, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the opportunity to work alongside such an incredible leader. Her leadership inspires me to try to become a better version of myself. It comes from the heart and it centers people at the margin of our community. Central Florida is lucky to have Shea in it and her voice is critical as we work together against transphobic policies, hateful rhetoric and ongoing violence against the transgender and Black communities.
Shea is often the most levelheaded in any conversation. It always amazes me how she can speak her truth and keep calm. It is incumbent upon all of us to uplift her voice and support R.I.S.E. I am lucky to call her a friend and colleague. I can’t wait to see what comes next for Shea.
She is the real deal!
To view the full list of Watermark’s Remarkable People of 2021, click here.
