![LGBTQLogo2023Wide[whitetextweb].png](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/1be631_26d7f43f6c4543b186eecb8f233a98e7~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_355,h_48,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/LGBTQLogo2023Wide%5Bwhitetextweb%5D.png){kind=small}
Board of Directors
The Board of Directors for the LGBTQ COALITION OF ASHTABULA COUNTY, INC.
is the legal and governing body for the organization.
Peter Scardino
President
As an out and proud gay man and a native resident of Ashtabula County, and as a man who was tormented relentlessly in grade school and high school as a child and teenager, and as an adult who has always been passionate about advocating for the vulnerable and marginalized, I felt being involved in the Coalition was essential for me! I'm a father, a son, a brother, and a mental health guardianship caseworker. I feel I have something to offer on the board, and when asked to serve, I said yes.
Kim Pickard
Vice President
​Kimberly Pickard has been an educator in Ashtabula County for over ten years. She and her husband have raised two kids and are enjoying having them as friends now that they are young adults. She homeschooled both her children through elementary school before going back to work. In working with the Coalition Kimberly hopes to raise awareness and acceptance of the lgbtq+ community in Ashtabula County.
Timothy Lord
Secretary
Timothy Lord is a 2008 graduate of Kent State University’s English Department. During his time there, he was repeatedly honored for both his academic prowess and his creative writing abilities.
Following graduation, he pursued writing and has continued to hone his craft while maintaining daytime employment in a number of service-related fields where he has further developed his understanding of and compassion toward LGBTQ+ individuals and others in need.
After moving to Ashtabula County in 2022 and seeing the tremendous need for programs and resources to assist all kinds of people in need, Lord became an outspoken voice in the community for social justice by highlighting the assistance and resources available and by continuing to help people connect with those resources.
As a board member for the LGBTQ+ Coalition of Ashtabula County, he has sought to connect individuals with community resources and develop a curriculum to educate both members of the LGBT community and the community at large about issues relating to LGBTQ+ individuals.
As part of his overall goal with the LGBTQ+ Coalition of Ashtabula County, Lord hopes to cultivate a good working relationship with similar organizations in nearby counties and looks forward to collaborating with those organizations for socialization and further exposure to resources that can help Ashtabula County residents in need.
Christina Thompson
Treasurer
Christina is a lifelong resident of Ashtabula and a graduate of Kent State University. She has made a decades-long career in the mental health and social services field. She is a family person and loves traveling and spending time with her fiancé and daughter. She is proud to proclaim that she is a bisexual Christian. As such, she is passionate about building up the community, so that other LGBTQ+ people feel, loved, supported, and thrive in the places that we live, work, and worship. She currently works as a Team Lead and Office-Based Case Manager at Signature Health in Ashtabula.
Amanda Lester
Amanda Lester is a proud member of the gay community in Ashtabula where she was born and raised. She is an educator who recently resigned to stay home with her two young kids. Her favorite part of teaching was connecting with young kids and being an example that there is light at the end of the darkness that so many LGBTQ+ youth experience. She enjoys learning new things, spending time outdoors with her wife and children, and exploring all things Ashtabula.
![LGBTQLogo2023Block[whitetextweb].png](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/1be631_ed18c975a6754679b8cca6509d11a598~mv2.png/v1/crop/x_0,y_112,w_750,h_654/fill/w_61,h_54,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/LGBTQLogo2023Block%5Bwhitetextweb%5D.png)
Melissa Fields
Melissa Fields (she, her, hers) is a LGBTQ+ Ally and an advocate for social justice and inclusivity. She earned undergraduate degrees in Social Work and Psychology from Miami University, and a Master's of Social Work from the University of Cincinnati. Melissa has worked for Signature Health for 18 years, currently managing forensic services, and serves as a volunteer guardian for Catholic Charities. She lives in Ashtabula City with her husband and two sons.