Sam brings a wide range of skills and experience to your Board of Directors.  Serving as a social worker in the community for nearly 20 years primarily in the nonprofit sector, Sam began her career as a Sexual Assault Response Advocate with SACASA, providing crisis intervention to recent survivors. Sam continued her passion for crisis intervention by later supporting survivors of domestic violence with the local organization Emerge. In addition, she has extensive experience providing mental health services through many behavioral health agencies as well as serving our military in the mental health clinic on DMAFB. She has held a number of manager/director level positions.

A community organizer at heart, Sam has played an active role in a variety of community activist events such as Take Back the Night and Dine Out For Safety. Sam lives by the words “Well behaved women rarely make history”. In 2007, she was honored with the Vagina Warrior Award for her passion, efforts and dedication to ending violence against women.  Sam also enjoys sharing her passion through teaching and has been certified as an instructor in First Aid CPR & AED, CPI Non-Violent Crisis Intervention, Article IX, and Prevention & Support.

In her free time, Sam enjoys spending time with her five children, ranging in age from 9 to 19 years old and likes to refer to them as her future army of social workers and activists. They often attend community protest events together.  When they aren’t trying to change the world, Sam and her family also enjoy traveling and spending time in nature, where they feel the most connected to their Native roots. Both Sam and her children are musically inclined, participating in many performance arts including singing, dancing and acting; it’s not unusual to catch the whole family on their porch singing their own mashups for hours. Sam also enjoys gardening and animal rescue.

A life-long public servant, he is enthusiastic about serving the community and is proud to be a part of the Tucson Pride team. In his free time, Stephen enjoys rock and roll, watching baseball, teaching, and spending time with his husband, Jeff, his dog, and two cats.

Leveraging more than a decade of experience in Accounting and Finance, Stephen assumed the position of Treasurer in October of 2017. He oversees the development and execution of Tucson Pride's annual financial plan, conducts analysis of financial records, prepares and interprets financial reports, advises the Board of Directors on the development and implementation of internal controls, strategic planning, and standard operating procedures.

​In addition to his role as Treasurer, Stephen provides program and fundraising support to Tucson Pride, and is currently coordinating the 2018 Tucson Pride Parade.