Current Board Members:
Deana Spencer
President
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Deana's email
She is a lifelong resident of Battle Creek and works as a Branch Banker at PNC Bank. She is a proud mother of three adult children, Spencer, Taylor and Connor, has two wonderful children-in-laws, Lacey (Connor) and Shayne (Taylor), and is a proud Grammie with her partner Kim to their beautiful grandson Emmett. She has been involved with Battle Creek Pride since 2011 serving all but one of those years in a leadership role. She serves as a co-facilitator of our youth group Constellations and is most proud of the students that participate. Deana embraces the diverse history of her hometown and is committed to hanging the culture in Battle Creek and the surrounding areas to be more inclusive and equitable. She is dedicated to promoting equal rights for the LGBTQ+ community and all marginalized people through education, training, and understanding. Deana is an active and resourceful volunteer for several local and regional causes. She is a member of the City of Battle Creek Human Relations Board, the Suicide Prevention Coalition of Calhoun County, the Population Health Alliance Advisory Cabinet, the Carewell Services (Region 3B Area Agency on Aging) Policy Board also serving on the executive team and finance committee, the Battle Creek Community Foundation Fund for Battle Creek Grant Committee, the KCC Human Services Advisory Committee and the Calhoun County Coordinated Community Response Team. She is a concert lover, especially Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, she loves adventures anywhere she can get them. Life is worth loving, even during the hard times, because we learn so much and grow through the process.
Kim Langridge
Immediate Past President
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Kim's email
After serving for 3 years as one of the Co-Presidents, Kim now serves as the Battle Creek Pride Immediate Past President. In 2024, Kim continues in her role as a volunteer at the Resource Center and on the Pride Week Planning Committee, as well as attending tabling events, creating our outreach greeting cards, and helping out with the monthly Fresh Food Distribution. She is a Co-Facilitator for our Constellations Youth Group, and writes our monthly Newsletter. When she is not at Battle Creek Pride, Kim continues her 20+ year career as a senior copywriter for a Detroit-based ad agency. She has written several award-winning radio spots for clients that include ESPN's "College GameDay", the TBS TV series "Sex and the City", and the CBS TV series "The Big Bang Theory". She is also a former comedy writer, and co-wrote three episodes of the ABC TV series "Home Improvement". As a trans woman, Kim continues to offer support and guidance to other trans and non-binary folks including parents of youth that may be struggling. She is an incredible mentor and resource in navigating the name change and gender marker process. Kim is a lifelong resident of Marshall, enjoys watching sports on TV, especially baseball, she enjoys philosophy and the theories surrounding it, baking for her friends and family, has a comedic outlook on life, and considers herself tragically single.
Elaine Hadley
Treasurer
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Elaine's email
Elaine Hadley is a lifelong resident of Battle Creek. She is a U.S. Army veteran and retired in 2015 from her position as Financial Operations Liaison at the Hart, Dole Inouye Federal Center and is an advocate for veterans, especially those that identify under the LGBTQIA+ umbrella. She has one son, Aaron, and five beautiful grandchildren whom she adores. Elaine serves as a Mentor for an LGTBQ+ Subgroup in an all-women's online group – NoBS Weight Loss Program – founded by Corinne Crabtree of Nashville, Tennessee. She offers support, accountability, and encouragement for others in their weight loss and life journeys. She enjoys traveling with her friends to various places especially Canada and Northern Michigan. Elaine has served on the Battle Creek Pride Board of Directors and has held the position of Treasurer since 2017. As a Board member, she believes it is imperative that everyone in our LGBTQ+ community has a welcoming and safe place to gather for resources and support. “I love that we are always striving to be more inclusive,” she said, “and that we support other marginalized members of our community. As an organization, I want Battle Creek Pride to be a beacon where all are welcomed – just as I was when I first reached out. We need your voice, so come join us.”
Ian Gallagher
Director
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Ian's Email
Ian Gallagher was born in New Jersey, but grew up in the Homer area and moved to the Urbandale area in 2009. He now lives there with his partner Kyle, he has been a constant promoter of equality for all LGBTQ+ people in the Battle Creek area, and is very passionate about sexual health and HIV/AIDS advocacy in the LGBTQ+ Community. He has been part of Battle Creek Pride Since 2011, serving several of those years as the former Treasurer. Ian is an avid animal lover, making a recurring monthly donation to the Humane Society of South Central Michigan. He and Kyle have an orange tabby named Pumpkin, and a Chihuahua named Boston whom they adore. Ian formerly worked for several years at Systex in Battle Creek as a Material Handler and has recently made a career change, becoming a manager at his partner’s family restaurant, The Roosters Call in Kalamazoo. He and Kyle are training to eventually become the owners of the business in the next few years when the current owners are ready to retire.
Lori Smith
Director
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Lori's email
Lori Smith is a third-year Board member and a native of Battle Creek. She received an Associate of Arts degree in Communication from Kellogg Community College and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Family Life Education from Spring Arbor University. As a woman born with a physical disability, Lori has been a powerful advocate for herself and for the disability community serving as an Outreach Advocate for the Disability Resource Center (now the Disability Network Southwest Michigan) and as a chairperson for the Regional Interagency Consumer Committee – a local grassroots group that is funded and supported by the Michigan Developmental Disabilities Council. In high school she competed in the Games organized by the Cerebral Palsy International Sports and Recreation Association placing 1st place in seven divisions and 2nd place in one. She also competed in Ms. Wheelchair Michigan in the mid-90’s. Lori currently serves as the Vice President for The Arc of Calhoun County Board of Directors. She enjoys singing, listening to rock music, and laughing with close friends.
Michelle Salazar
Director
She/Her
Michelle's Email
Michelle Marcella Salazar is a compassionate advocate and community leader dedicated to making a positive impact in Battle Creek and beyond. With a diverse background spanning pharmacy, finance, non-profit work, and work in the public sector including her current role as the Lead Grant Coordinator for the City of Battle Creek’s Community Development Division, Michelle brings a unique blend of skills and experiences to her role as a Battle Creek Pride Board Member. Michelle is committed to community leadership in multiple areas and is currently participating with a dynamic and diverse group of leaders from the Kellogg Foundation’s priority places of Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico, and New Orleans. As a part of the WKKF Community Leadership Network with the Center for Creative Leadership, Michelle collaborates with fellow leaders to create transformational change for children, families, and communities, inspiring new pathways for collaboration and collective action. Michelle actively contributes to various committees, including the Battle Creek Coalition for Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation, the Homeless Coalition, and the Battle Creek Association of Realtors’ Committee for Diversity and Inclusion, where she helps foster change in racial equity and healing, addresses homelessness in our community and advocates for equitable practices in the housing market. Driven by a deep commitment to social justice and equity, Michelle's path led her to non-profit organizations such as SHARE Center and Voces, where she championed initiatives to support homeless individuals and Latinx families in Battle Creek. Her advocacy extended to the creation of innovative programs and policies, including housing advocacy efforts and multilingual employee recognition initiatives within the City of Battle Creek. Beyond her professional endeavors, Michelle is a dedicated entrepreneur, co-founding consulting business Rosa Luna and hospitality venture Breaking Bred. Through Breaking Bred, she launched the Breaking Bred Bazaar, providing a platform for local businesses while fostering community engagement and revitalization efforts in downtown Battle Creek. Michelle's leadership extends to her role on the Board of Directors for Battle Creek Pride, working to serve, support, educate, and unite the LGBTQ+ community with pride, integrity, and inclusion. She also plays an active role on the Board of Directors for Washington Heights United Methodist Church and Community, a beacon of H.O.P.E (Help, Opportunity, Purpose, and Empowerment), dedicated to serving and uplifting individuals within reach while encompassing holistic well-being. In her downtime, Michelle finds joy in cooking vegetarian dishes, exploring new recipes inspired by her reading of JOYFULL by Radhi Devlukia-Shetty. She cherishes moments spent with her dog, Bellamie, and her husband, Tristan, enjoying long walks and embracing the simple joys of life.
Pam McCoy
Board Member
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Pam's Email
Pam McCoy is a first-year Board member, but she’s been a loyal BC Pride volunteer since she chauffeured the Queen in the 2022 Pride Parade. When she’s not busy fundraising or attending Pride meetings, Pam is devoted to caring for her Aunt Faye, who is a real handful – but in a good way. The experience has given Pam an extensive knowledge of being a patient advocate, and she is always happy to help others navigate that sometimes difficult path. Protecting and supporting the voiceless is a longtime passion for her. Pam and husband Bill live in Albion, and have been married for nearly 40 years. They moved to Michigan from the space coast of Florida in 2004. Together, they have four children and several grandchildren, ranging in age from three to 24 – with two of them identifying as non-binary. Pam has a huge heart for animals. She is a volunteer transporter for an animal rescue, and once completely emptied a shelter of every feline – all 33 of them – in one swoop. Pam recalls that it was a very vocal car ride that day! In what little free time she has, Pam enjoys spending it with family, hosting the world’s best backyard barbeques with Pitmaster Bill, searching the Upper Peninsula for moose and waterfalls to photograph, and arguing with Charlie – her chatty African Grey Parrot. She rarely wins.
James Silva
Board Member
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James' Email
James was born in Sacramento California and was raised most of his life in Duluth, Minnesota. He has lived in Michigan since 2001 spending time in Grand Rapids, Lansing, and Kalamazoo. Battle Creek is now where he calls home after buying a house in the Lakeview area with his partner of 9 years. He currently works as an Assistant Branch Manager for a local Credit Union in Marshall, Michigan. James identifies as a pansexual cis-gender man in a homosexual relationship. He is the father of two amazing children. James is proactive in his community and wants to make his home more accepting of the LGBTQIA+ community. Having a transgender child, he hopes that the world will be a safer place not only for the community he identifies with but also for his children.
Katie Reasons
Board Member
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Katie's Email
Katie is new to the Board of Directors although she has been volunteering in the Pride Resource Center every week for a couple of years now and is an integral part of our Pride Festival Planning Committee for the second year in a row as well. In 2016 she became involved with the Calhoun County Democratic Party and is currently on the Membership Committee, the Communications committee, and is serving her third term on the Executive Board as Secretary and her first as Assistant Treasurer. She was born in Chicago and raised in the nearby suburbs, graduating from Western Michigan University, and has called Battle Creek home for the past 22 years. She retired from a job as National Sales Manager selling packaging in 2020 where she was lucky enough to travel the country regularly. She is married to wonderful man and has 2 grown children and a daughter in-law who are the lights of her life. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with friends and family, walking with her dog Otis, crafting and reading. She was born in Chicago and raised in the nearby suburbs, graduating from Western Michigan University, and has called Battle Creek home for the past 22 years. She retired from a job as National Sales Manager selling packaging in 2020 where she was lucky enough to travel the country regularly. She is married to wonderful man and has 2 grown children and a daughter in-law who are the lights of her life. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with friends and family, walking with her dog Otis, crafting and reading.
Jade Prigun
Board Member
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Jade's Email
Is a first year Board Member and greatly enjoys working on his digital art and has a passion for animals. He has experience working for KCC's LGBTQIA+ student club, Spectrum for a span of 4 years with 2 of those years serving as the President. Being able to put together both personal and community events for Spectrum was truly a job he loved and he can't wait to continue to put that passion into further action by supporting and leading event planning initiatives with Battle Creek Pride. Jade shares that “Being a part of and supporting the Trans community is a strong passion of mine and I hope to be able to support those in the community as they have supported me." He is working on re-imagining and re-developing our Trans Support Group and plans to serve as a facilitator of the group.
