Please read through the nominations below and click on a button to vote one you are ready. You are encouraged, but not required to vote in all categories.
Brandon Mack is a college admissions professional, educator, activist, and entrepreneur. His most recent position was as Interim Director of Operations at the International Association for College Admission Counseling, an organization dedicated to providing professional development opportunities for individuals who work with international students. Prior to that position, Mack was an Associate Director of Admission & Coordinator of Transfer Admission at Rice University. He has been in the field of college admissions for 13 years. Mack worked specifically on international recruitment in Africa, domestic recruitment strategies, and building counselor relationships. He has also worked on minority recruitment initiatives, community based organization partnerships, and community outreach efforts to educate students on highly selective college admissions. He also oversaw and managed the transfer admission process and was the liaison to the Rice School of Architecture. Mack has started his own consulting business, B. Mack Strategies, which provides consulting on college admissions, diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI), politics, and meeting/dialogue facilitation services.
In addition to his day job, Brandon Mack is a community activist and sociologist dedicated to issues related to the intersections of race, gender, and sexual orientation. He has conducted research on effemiphobia, the negativity related to effeminate gay men. His work has been featured in a GLAAD
Media Award winning article and he has presented his work at national conferences such as the National LGBTQ Task Force: Creating Change and NBJC’s Out on the Hill. He was a lead organizer with Black Lives Matter Houston. Screening Committee Chair of the Houston LGBTQ+ Political Caucus. He was the Research Coordinator for the Mayor’s LGBTQ+ Advisory Board.
Mack graduated from Rice University in 2006 with a Bachelors of Arts in Sociology & Political Science. In 2013, Mack earned a Masters of Education in Higher Education Administration & Supervision from the University of Houston. He is currently a Ph.D. student in the Higher Education Leadership & Policy Studies at the University of Houston.
Dylan, a native Houstonian and transgender man, is an artist, activist, and community leader. He began his transition in 2010, embarking on a lifelong journey of self-discovery and advocacy. In 2015, Dylan made history as the face of the nation’s first political ad featuring a transgender person during the HERO campaign. Notably, he’s the first openly transgender person elected to a major political party committee in Texas and serves as NAACP Brazoria County’s 2nd Vice President.
In addition to his community leadership roles, Dylan is the founder of Houston LGBTQIA Consulting LLC, a business dedicated to fostering inclusivity and providing tailored solutions for organizations seeking to create more inclusive environments for LGBTQIA+ individuals. Governor Greg Abbott’s 2022 executive order targeting transgender youth struck a personal chord, being released on Dylan’s birthday. Despite challenges, his advocacy remains resolute. Dylan’s story exemplifies resilience, inspiring others to embrace authenticity and fight for inclusivity.
With his art, activism, leadership, and consulting work, Dylan continues to drive change in Houston and beyond, leaving a lasting impact on LGBTQIA+ rights and representation.
Kevin D. Anderson (he/him pronouns) serves as the Founder/Chief Executive Officer, and Chief Curator of The T.R.U.T.H. Project, Inc. With over 17 years of frontline Public Health experience in non-profit, he brings a unique perspective utilizing a creative lens to showcase advocacy and artivism. As a curator, since 2009, Kevin’s love for the arts has produced one of the longest-running Queer centered open mic experiences in the country, titled heART&SOUL. After a few years of reflecting on the narrative of Queer artists of color, in 2013, Kevin created the non-profit, The T.R.U.T.H. (Telling Real Unapologetic Truth through Healing ) Project, Inc. The T.R.U.T.H. Project, Inc., is an educational and community mobilization platform focusing on Queer Communities of Color and allies that utilizes cultural art and programming to promote mental, emotional, and sexual health. The organization currently has four primary support programs that focus on various aspects of health and personal well-being. P.L.U.S. (Providing. Learning. Understanding Support.) provides a safe, confidential space for men and non-binary of color living with HIV to share their experiences and educate themselves and others about the HIV journey; Glow Up Yoga, a wellness space focused on the mind, stress, and spirit of Queer folx of color and allies; We T.H.R.I.V.E. (Teaching. Healing. Restoring. Investing In Vital Empowerment.), a confidential monthly space for long-term HIV survivors of color; and Phase T.W.O. (Together We Overcome), a support space for Black Gay Men 50+ living with HIV focusing on wellness and mental health.
During the onset of the pandemic, Kevin began exploring storytelling through a camara lens. After teaming up with photographers and videographers he realized that the narrative of sexual health could further be explored. Kevin has directed two short films, Black Boy Symphony, and, And We Rest on Giants. While Black Boy Symphony explores the narrative for Black Gay Men in the South during the pandemic, the Award-winning short documentary, And We Rest on Giants is a love story for those living with HIV and a glimpse of resilience when you begin to recognize your worth! In 2023, And We Rest on Giant received 5 Official Selections and Best Short Documentary at the National Black Film Festival and Best Short Documentary – Special Programming at the August Wilson Film Festival.
Anderson has been awarded the Arts & Humanities award from Houston Mayor, Sylvester Turner’s LGBTQ Advisory Board and the John Paul Barnich award for community justice from the LGBT Political Caucus. One of his most treasured achievements was serving as Creative Director in collaboration with the Texas Department of State Health Service during the state-wide launch of the Ending the HIV Epidemic plan during the Texas State Conference opening plenary. When Kevin is not curating stigma free spaces, you will find him vacationing with his husband or experiencing an art exhibition with a friend.
