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.
Jo Jones | Senior Police Officer | Houston Police Department
Office of Community Affairs
LGBTQIA+ Liaison
Senior Police Officer Jo Jones has served 18 years with the Houston Police Department. In 2014, Sr. Police Officer Jones was assigned to HPD’s Recruiting Division. In Houston Police Department Recruiting Division, she recruited thousands of potential applicants from around the country. In 2019, Sr. Police Officer Jones was assigned to HPD’s Office of Community Affairs as the LGBTQIA+ Liaison. “It’s my job to make sure my community is heard by HPD, and likewise to make sure the community understands the concerns of HPD.” She feels it is her duty to go above and beyond to ensure that the community understands that the police are there to help them, through good times and bad. She is dedicated to building trust and cooperation between the Houston Police Department and the LGBTQIA+ communities. She works to provide information to community members regarding hate crimes and personal safety. Also, as a portion of HPD’s Multicultural Bus Tour, Sr. Police Officer Jones is responsible for recruiting various LGBTQIA+ community members for police cadet discussions that allows better understanding to serve members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Sr. Police Officer Jones holds degrees in Criminal Justice and Administration of Justice.
A proud native Houstonian, Marisa Fretwell has dedicated her life to advocacy, education, and outreach within the LGBTQ+ community and beyond. From her early years attending HATCH meetings in high school, she has been a passionate activist, using her platform to promote inclusivity, education, and support for underserved communities.
As the Director of Barber and Cosmetology at Northwest Educational Center, Marisa not only shapes the future of aspiring professionals but also integrates community service and outreach into her work. She actively organizes events that range from public speaking engagements to educational workshops and large-scale community initiatives, all with the mission of fostering acceptance, understanding, and opportunity.
Her advocacy extends into mental health awareness, where she openly shares her experiences to inspire resilience and self-acceptance. She has worked extensively with local schools and organizations to create safe spaces, promote education, and provide essential resources.
Community Contributions & Collaborations
Marisa’s impact is far-reaching, with deep-rooted partnerships across Houston, including:
• TDCJ (Texas Department of Criminal Justice) – Speaking at women’s prisons, providing mentorship and education.
• Pride Houston – Organized volunteers and led efforts to collect water and resources for the community for over two years.
• Houston Health Department – Served Houston’s homeless community, ensuring access to essential services.
• Houston Police Department & Sheldon Theragood’s Homeless Street Outreach Festival – Partnered to provide outreach, assistance, and resources.
• Salem Lutheran Church – Provided free haircuts for underprivileged community members.
• Salvation Army of Houston Area Command – Brought education and free haircuts to local youth in need.
• Houston ISD Alternative Schools – Offered education and vocational training to help at-risk students build better futures.
• Edward Pollard (Houston City Council Member) Job Fair – Connected community members with career and training opportunities.
• Grizzly Hood News (Street Activist & Journalist) – Collaborated to spread awareness on pressing social issues.
• Houston Millennials (Ivan Sanchez) – Advocated for youth leadership and career development.
• Crossroads Genius Campers (Event with Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee) – Provided mentorship and educational opportunities for young leaders.
• Drug Addiction & Abuse Advocacy – Works to bring awareness and resources to those struggling with addiction.
Recognitions & Accolades
Marisa’s unwavering commitment to service and advocacy has earned her numerous awards, including a Certificate of Congressional Recognition from the 18th District of Texas, honoring her dedication to uplifting marginalized communities.
Her work exemplifies the power of activism, compassion, and resilience. Whether through mentorship, education, or direct outreach, Marisa Fretwell continues to be a trailblazer in LGBTQ+ advocacy and community empowerment, making an indelible impact on individual Houstonians and beyond.
Kendall has been an active member of Houston’s LGBTQ+ community for 19 years, working to uplift, advocate for, and celebrate queer people. She is a co-founder of QJews, a celebratory space for Houston’s LGBTQ+ Jewish community. As the chair of Rice Alumni Pride, Rice University’s LGBTQ+ alumni organization, Kendall works to support students through scholarships, program funding, and more, foster community engagement, and advocate for LGBTQ+ advancement both on and off campus. Back when she was a student, she was a founder of the university’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion conference and was named a Woman of Power by Outsmart Magazine.
Kendall is an involved member of the Houston LGBTQ+ Political Caucus and a card-carrying Harris County volunteer deputy voter registrar. She has fought for LGBTQ+ rights at the Texas State Capitol, in City Hall, and beyond, knocked on doors for LGBTQ+ candidates. Kendall also serves the community through volunteering with Montrose Grace Place and The Montrose Center. Kendall believes in the importance of intersectionality and uplifting and centering marginalized people in the LGBTQ+ community. Beyond her advocacy for LGBTQ+ equality, Kendall is passionate about ending the stigma surrounding mental health. She encourages open nonjudgmental conversations about mental health and seeking help. She encourages everyone in the LGBTQ+ community to prioritize mental and physical wellbeing as foundational.
In her professional life, Kendall is a senior consultant at Slalom Inc. where she helps organizations be more effective through engaging employees. Her colleagues have called her “natural leader and gifted consultant” and praised her “leadership, passion, and stewardship of our values”. She leads Slalom’s Houston LGBTQ+ employee resource group which is dedicated to fostering inclusion and belonging in the workplace.
She has fostered 9 rescue dogs in the past year, and enjoys weightlifting, acroyoga, and travel. A longtime Pride parade bead-thrower, Kendall has marched in almost every Houston Pride Parade for the past 12 years—and now, she is honored to be considered for Pride Grand Marshal, continuing her mission to uplift and empower Houston’s LGBTQ+ community.
Porscha Brown has been a practicing attorney since 2015. She graduated with a Bachelors of Arts in Criminal Justice from Sam Houston State in 2011, received her law degree from Thurgood Marshall School of Law in 2015, and her Master’s in Public Administration from University of Texas in Arlington in 2018. She is a proud Public Defender and advocate for the LGBTQ+ Community. She has been featured on a variety of speaking engagements regarding Criminal Justice and LGBTQ+ issues. She currently serves as a Board Member for the Harris County Managed Assigned Counsel Office, Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association, and the Houston LGBTQ+ Political Caucus. For the past two years she served as Vice President for the Houston LGBTQ+ Political Caucus. While she was in law school locally at the Thurgood Marshall School of Law, she was awarded the Stonewall Law Association of Houston’s Bar Scholarship for her work in the LGBT community. She was also a founding member of her law school’s LGBT+ association, OUTLAW. Additionally, she has been a recipient of the Jim Owen’s Newcomer of the Year Award from the Houston LGBTQ+ Political Caucus. In her free time, Porscha enjoys listening to podcasts, the outdoors, and spending time with her fiancé Samantha, their dogs, family and friends.
