OUR TEAM
Pride = People
At the heart of Charlotte Pride is our people — a team of passionate and dedicated community members who serve in various capacities to fulfill Charlotte Pride’s mission.
To help ensure you receive the quickest response and that we respect our volunteer board members’ work-life balance, please see staff listings and contact info below.
CHARLOTTE PRIDE
Board of DIRECTORS
Riley Murray
(she/they)
Board President
Riley Murray moved from Santa Barbara, California to Charlotte in 2005 and began working with Charlotte Pride that same year. While Riley’s position in Charlotte Pride has shifted throughout the years, she has consistently worked in the logistics team – ensuring the festival and parade run smoothly. Riley has been planning and attending Pride events for over 18 years and her favorite part is seeing the people who are attending their first Pride, regardless of if they are 13 or 70. The joy and community created at Pride events motivate Riley to continue growing the festival and parade. Outside of Charlotte Pride, Riley is a Global Logistics Manager, a parent to four, and grandparent to 12.
Will Martin
(he/him)
Board Vice President
Will Martin is a freelance audio visual technician based in the Charlotte, N.C. region. He has been in the corporate A/V field for the past 25 years and during that time has also worked as a Grip on countless commercials, in-house video productions, short and feature films. Before that he worked nine years on the exhibition side at a local movie theatre chain. Working his way from an usher into the projection booth and then into management. He is an Eagle Scout and a Board Member of the Charlotte Film Society. Will joined the Charlotte Pride Board of Directors in September 2020, after serving several years as a volunteer for Reel Out Charlotte and as Co-Director of the Charlotte Pride Festival & Parade operations team.
Angel Truesdale
(she/her)
Board Secretary
Angel Truesdale is a native Charlottean and has spent over 12 years working in libraries. Currently, she is an Assistant Professor and the Social Sciences and Business Librarian at UNC Charlotte. Angel assists the Belk College of Business students, faculty, and staff with business research and library instruction. As an educator, she is excited to teach varied groups about information literacy and social awareness. Angel enjoys watching films and has programmed several events focused on the Black American experience. Additionally, she appreciates learning about cinematic storytelling as a narrative tool, the documentary practice, and undervalued voices in cinema. Her other interests include DEIA, entrepreneurship in marginalized communities, facilitation, critical librarianship, international law, transformative justice, and housing equity.
Lupe Silva
(he/him)
Board Treasurer
After moving to Charlotte at the end of 2018, Lupe began volunteering with Charlotte Pride in 2019. He quickly joined the Reel Out team where he realized a passion for watching and discussing LGBTQ+ short and feature films. When he isn’t volunteering with Charlotte Pride, he might be volunteering at the local independent theatre, playing cornhole or kickball on the weekends. Lupe has been a professional corporate travel agent for the past 15 years. To help relax during a busy work day he is known to flex his green thumb and tend to his many potted plants.
Daniel Valdez
(he/him)
Board Director
Daniel is the Senior Director of External Affairs at Welcoming America. He has more than 10 years in nonprofit management working with organizations like the Hispanic Federation, Crisis Assistance Ministry, the Latin American Coalition and Carolinas CARE Partnership. He is passionate about using his talents and experience to advance the mission of organizations working on systemic changes in an effort to make the world a better place for all. Daniel was born in Acapulco, Mexico and grew up in North Carolina. He holds a B.A. in History and Latin American Studies from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Daniel has served on the boards of The Charlotte Lesbian and Gay Fund, The Bruce Iron Camp Fund, and Reel Out Charlotte. Daniel served as president of the Charlotte Pride Board of Directors from 2017 to 2021.
Lee Robertson
(he/him)
Board Director
Lee joined Charlotte Pride in 2017 after serving on its Board of Advisors. Lee is an attorney at Robertson & Associates, where he practices construction and commercial litigation, representing business and contractor clients in all types of disputes. Lee is a lifelong Charlottean who has extensive experience advising nonprofit LGBTQ organizations on matters of policy and governance. Lee is also heavily engaged with the Mecklenburg County Bar, the YMCA of Greater Charlotte, and the Charlotte School of Law Alumni Association. Lee earned his B.A. in History from NC State and his JD from the Charlotte School of Law.
Darren Smith
(he/him)
Board Director
Darren Smith brings a wealth of experience in operations, finance, and community service to Charlotte Pride. He most recently worked as the Director of Operations and Finance for Time Out Youth, the only organization serving LGBTQIA+ youth in the region. His diverse career has seen him be instrumental in developing and implementing systems that ensure organizations run smoothly, allowing them to effectively and efficiently serve their communities. As a US Army veteran, his leadership skills and commitment to excellence were honed and refined. Darren’s deep-rooted passion for advocacy is reflected in his prior service on the boards of several LGBTQ organizations including the Human Rights Campaign, Joy As Resistance, and Central Alabama Pride. He has also contributed as a member of the Denver LGBTQ Commission and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Community Relations Committee.
CHARLOTTE PRIDE
Staff
Meredith Thompson
(she/her)
Managing Director
Meredith Thompson joined Charlotte Pride in April 2022. A longtime Charlottean, Meredith owns Canine Café, a pet retail and treat manufacturing business in South End, along with her wife. After graduating from Davidson College with a B.A. in English, Meredith enjoyed a career in public relations and marketing, working for Crown Communications, a small, woman-owned firm in Uptown, prior to embarking on a chapter of entrepreneurship and business ownership. Meredith brings years of business creation and development, relationship-building, volunteer coordinating, and event planning experience. Her history of volunteerism includes work for local organizations that serve marginalized communities, such as Supportive Housing Communities, Roof Above, and Nations Ford Elementary. Having served on the governing body of her church, Meredith brings an interest in interfaith organizing, along with a passion for inclusion, uplift, and equity to her work. In her free time, Meredith enjoys cooking vegan meals with her wife, hiking with her rescue dogs, kayaking, and paddle boarding.
Maurice Clark
(he/him)
Programs Coordinator
Maurice Clark first joined Charlotte Pride in 2022 as a volunteer and quickly became a core volunteer leader overseeing hundreds of weekend volunteers during the Charlotte Pride Festival and Parade Weekend. Originally from New Jersey, He moved to the Queen City in 2008 and fell in love with the area. Maurice has spent much of his career in the hospitality industry with years of experience in event planning and management. As his love for volunteering with Charlotte Pride grew, Maurice jumped at the chance to join the staff as our new programs coordinator and deepen his commitment to the LGBTQ community
John Walton-Tate
(he/him)
Operations & Finance Manager
John is a Low Country native and has been in the Charlotte area for the more than 15 years. John started volunteering with Charlotte Pride in 2017 and fell in love with the mission of the organization. John has been a staple at Charlotte Pride events since then. He has held many lead roles within the organization, including serving as a board director for 2 years. Bringing in his many years of experience in the Logistics and HR field, John joined the staff team in June 2024. In his free time, John is usually visiting one of the area’s many wineries or on an adventure with his husband exploring one of his other passions, traveling.
