Our Board Members
Emily Ryan
Board Chair
Emily’s (She/Her) professional background is mostly in writing and editing, with a bachelor’s in Creative Writing from BSU and 13 years of experience with journalism, fiction, poetry, technical communication, and content management in various roles at Idaho Media Corporation…
Javier Smith
Board Treasurer
Javier Smith (He/Him/They) has been serving on the The Community Center board since 2014 but has been serving the LGBTQ+ community for decades.
He grew up in North Idaho/Eastern Washington and was involved with college and local queer advocacy groups in Pullman, WA and…
Nicole Leahy
Board Secretary
Nicole Leahy (she/her) grew up in Boise, Idaho. She left for education and pursued her science career in 1989, not to return until late June 2024. During her time away from Boise, she came out as a transwoman. Although dedicated to her career, she always sought out volunteer opportunities and has campaigned for marriage equality in four states…
Liz Hansen
Board Member
Liz Hansen (she/they) is from a small town in Northern Utah. In college they were involved with the local queer organization — the Pride House — in Logan, Utah. At the Pride House, they participated in activities hosted there and saw the importance of having a space to form an accepting community…
Judy Cross
Board Member
Judy Cross (she/her) has been involved in TCC since it transitioned from “Your Family, Friends, and Neighbors” to “The Community Center” in the late 1990s, and she has been a board member on and off since 2003.
She retired from 40 years at St Luke’s as the 1st Clinical Nurse Specialist in Idaho but continues to provide care coordination and advocacy for patients with complex medical needs…
Michael Rotchford
Board Member
Michael Rotchford brings a deep commitment to building inclusive, sustainable community organizations. He is passionate about creating and supporting LGBTQIA+-affirming spaces where all people can thrive.
Drawing on more than a decade leading marketing, communications, and demand generation teams at Healthwise and now WebMD Ignite, along with current service on the board of Building Hope Today…
Ted
Board Member
Ted (he/him) grew up in northwestern Pennsylvania and traveled to Boise for the first time on the train in 1977 to visit his sister and her family. Ted traveled to Boise many times after, for graduations and other family events. He eventually moved to Boise in 2016 and purchased a home in 2020. He discovered TCC while taking a class that required an internship in order to learn about other organizations in the community…
Kayla
Board Member
Kayla (she/her) grew up in Northern Idaho and has lived in Boise throughout her adult life. She works in HR and is especially passionate about advocating for marginalized communities. Kayla discovered The Community Center while seeking local resources and began volunteering in January 2025. In January 2026, she became a member of the board…