Shelly Fitzgerald is the Chair of the Board of Directors for Shelly’s Voice. She is also currently the Donor Relations Manager for Indiana Youth Group (IYG). She was formerly on the board at IYG as well as the Director of Programs for the Ariadne Getty Foundation. Prior to her involvement with Shelly's Voice, she was the Director of Guidance Counseling for Roncalli High School.
Stephanie Gumerson is a graduate of Roncalli High School (class of 99’). She is a mother to 13 year old twins. She has a degree in nursing but has worked in the social work field for the past 6 years. She currently works at Adult and Child Mental Health as a school based skills specialist where she services the needs of children with emotional disabilities. She is a member of the LGBTQ task force committee at Adult and Child. She has also volunteered in the past with big brothers/big sisters and Johnson County Special Olympics. In her spare time, she enjoys going hiking, listening to music/concerts, and wine tasting. She is interested in being a part of Shelly’s Voice to help advocate for all those individuals whom are struggling and fighting to feel accepted as their true authentic self.
Broghan currently works for the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute as a Grant Manager for the Victims' Services division. She is also pursuing her Master's of Science in Criminal Justice through the University of Oklahoma. I am an alumnus of Indiana University, where I got my bachelors in Public Affairs. I also volunteer with Habitat for Humanity and the Indy Gay Market.
Paula Wagner went to Ball State University as an undergrad receiving a Bachelor's degree in Marketing. Afterwards, she worked at Illinois Institute of Technology located on the south side of Chicago, where she worked in the student union building overseeing the student staff and executing setups for events within the building's spaces. Paula then moved with her husband Ryan to Florida where she received her Master's degree in Interior Design and Historic Preservation. Eventually she had children and ultimately decided to stay at home while they grew up. During this time she had to learn how to be an advocate for her son Jacob, who was a quadriplegic with cerebral palsy. She advocated for him within the healthcare and public school systems. Paula and her daughter Erin were big educators regarding disabilities and overall differences between kids at Jacob's school, speaking to each classroom at least once a year. Paula also became a dance mom and even participated in some parent dances performing at numerous recitals and competing against other parent groups at a few competitions!
Eli has been serving as the Executive Director of Shelly’s Voice since January of 2022. As Executive Director he maintains the mission and the development of the organization. Additionally he oversees all operational aspects of the organization including the youth chapter, he works closely with the Chair of the board of directors to ensure that the governing body (the board) has full knowledge of the operations of the organization. He is currently a Junior at Brebeuf Jesuit, and is the Co-President for Brebeuf’s GSA. He is also serving as Co-President for HeforShe club. Since joining Shelly's Voice he has assisted to establish the youth chapter as well as the board of directors.
Claire Curran has been involved with Shelly’s Voice since February of 2022. She is currently serving as the Director of the Youth Advocacy Program for Shelly’s Voice. In this role, she leads our youth advocacy team in their meetings as well as events, to further the mission of Shelly’s Voice. She works closely with the Executive Director of Shelly’s Voice closely to ensure that the youth chapter is fulfilling the mission of Shelly’s Voice. Additionally, she is a Junior at Brebeuf Jesuit, is the Director of events advertising for Confront the Climate Crisis, and is the Vice President of the Brebeuf GSA.
Jorie DePalma is the Director of Events for Shelly’s Voice. She has been involved with Shelly’s Voice since it was founded in 2018. She was instrumental in Shelly’s Voice being able to host project PRISM, which was a community GSA for highschoolers who’s school either didn’t have a GSA or they weren’t allowed to have a GSA. She is a former school social worker, but recently got her LCSW and now works for IU health as an EAP Counselor.
Kayla Storrs is the Director of Equity and Inclusion for Shelly’s Voice. She is currently the Director of Equity and Inclusion at Brebeuf Jesuit. She has 2 bachelors degrees from the University of Oklahoma, one in health studies and the other in African American Studies. She also has a Masters of Public Health, and is currently in the dissertation phase of her Ph.D. Kayla will work as a liaison between Shelly’s Voice, and other Indiana non-profits that work with marginalized people, who aren’t within the LGBTQ+ community. Kayla is also fluent in Spanish!
Dr. Jill Walls earned her Ph.D. in Human and Development and Family Studies from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Currently, she is an Associate Professor and Chairperson in the Department of Early Childhood, Youth, and Family Studies at Ball State University. Jill teaches undergraduate courses on topics such as family relationships, parenting, and family policy. She is a member of the Noblesville Diversity Coalition and has been a long-standing advocate for human rights and social justice. She resides in Noblesville, Indiana with her husband and their two daughters.
Erica is the mother of Elijah Mahan, one of the founding members of Shelly's Voice. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Social Work from the University of Indianapolis and have been serving in the field for over 20 years. During that time, she has worked with youth and families from diverse backgrounds in home, community, school and facility settings. Currently, she is the Behavioral Health Specialist serving all students and families of the Clark-Pleasant Community School Corporation. She serves on a number of boards and coalitions, such as; the Johnson County Community Corrections Advisory Board, Suicide Prevention Coalition, Child Advocacy Center/Sexual Assault Response Team, Turning Point Domestic Violence Coalition, Juvenile Justice Positive Intervention Team and the Q+ Council.
Dr. Paul Porter is Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the National Speech and Debate Association-- the largest middle and high school speech and debate organization in the nation. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in communication studies from Ball State and Eastern Michigan University, as well as a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from Indiana State. Paul has worked on the development of programs and initiatives designed to help create inclusive environments for diverse college student populations, as well as diversity strategic plans and program assessments. He has given numerous presentations on diversity, equity, and inclusion across the state of Indiana and nationwide. Dr. Porter lives in Fort Wayne, Indiana with his wife Larissa and mini schnauzer, Leo.
