2026 Board of Directors

She/Her/They/Them

Initiative: Together Across America

Kathy Clem is the 2026 Chair of MS Capital City Pride's Board of Directors, originally born and raised in Florida, is a transplant to MS. She has been the executive director of The Good Samaritan Center since 1999. In that capacity, she works to make sure struggling families in the greater Jackson area, as well as Jones County, receive year-round services including case management, info and referral counseling, advocacy, clothing, and food. The organization has also grown to include HUB for the Hungry where food is rescued and given to food-insecure families. Kathy has sat on a number of non-profit boards for charities that deal with homelessness, hunger relief, diversity and inclusion, ultra and trail running, triathlons, women and craft beer, and neighborhood development. She is a graduate of Leadership Greater Jackson and has a business degree from Belhaven University. She is the oldest of five children and loves her family very much.  Kathy’s hobbies include craft beer and cocktails, travel, being outside (whether hiking in the mountains or swimming at the beach), cooking for others, and live music. She joined the Mississippi Capital City Pride in 2020 as a Pride planning committee member and has been on the Pride Festival planning team ever since. Her extensive knowledge and leadership of planning fundraising races throughout the Capital City led her to coordinate MS Capital City Pride’s annual Rainbow Run 5k, which includes a run, walk, and a children’s fun run. This is her first year as a member of the MS Capital City Pride Board. Kathy wants to be a positive presence that is always uplifting, insightful, supportive, and encouraging. She looks for opportunities for those around her to serve.  Helping people is what fills her heart. Creating safe places for all queer individuals and their allies, especially youth, has become a huge passion for her. 

She/Her/Hers

 Initiative: Spectrum Sessions

Laura Heller first joined MS Capital City Pride's "It's Pride Y'all!" Planning Committee in 2021 and has been part of the organization since then. She now also serves as Chair-Elect to the Board of Directors.  Her passion is promoting safe and fun spaces for the LGBTQIA+ community in Jackson, MS.  She hopes that all events can be places where the entire LGBTQIA+ community, and allies, can come together to celebrate authenticity and a hope for a better world. For 2026, her initiative Spectrum Sessions will feature panel discussions that bring the LGBTQIA+ Community and its allies together to learn from and support each other. Laura works as an archivist, helping to collect, preserve, and make accessible the history of all Mississippians. Laura is also the moderator for the MSCCP LGBTQ+ Book Club in the Jackson area, sometimes connecting readers to authors of LGBTQIA+ books!  She also coordinates monthly community walking events for the Queer Walking Club - Jackson, MS.  In her spare time, she dabbles in embroidery, felt crafts, poetry, creative writing, genealogical research, and 5k walks. Laura and her wife Ashley have two fur children: River (dog) and Thelma (cat).  They try to go camping at MS State Parks as much as possible! 

She/Her/Hers

Initiative: 

Merry Barnes is the Secretary for MS Capital City Pride's Board of Directors. She is currently serving as the Director of School and Teen Programs at the Mississippi Museum of Art. She previously taught middle school art in Jackson Public Schools for nine years and has always played a role in creating spaces and opportunities for young people in our state. As a lifelong resident, Merry is devoted to advocating for others and building a better and more united Mississippi.

He/Him/His

Initiative: LGBTQ+ Resource Guide - Jackson Area

Jerry Hand has served on the Board for two years and has found MS Capital City Pride to be a chosen family since moving to Jackson, Mississippi.  Jerry is deeply committed to building a community that is safe, inclusive, and welcoming, especially for LGBTQ+ youth.  In 2024, Jerry served as Chair of the Pride Planning Committee, helping lead one of the organization's most visible and impactful annual events, the "It's Pride Y'all!" Festival. This year, Jerry's primary initiative is the creation of an LGBTQ+ Resource Guide for the Jackson metro area, designed to help queer people identify affirming businesses, services, and support resources where they can feel safe and supported. 

He/Him/His

Initiative: Too Gay to Throw Away

Danny Tovar has been actively involved with MS Capital City Pride for the last several years as Co-Chair Elect of the "It's Pride Y'all!" Planning Committee in 2022 and as Co-Chair of the Committee in 2023. He is a Project Design Manager with a professional background in Interior Design. He prides himself in being a designer always, in all ways! He is engaged to a wonderful man and is a doggie dad of two sweet pups. Originally from Los Angeles, he moved to the South to pursue his higher education at Tuskegee University and later at SCAD - Atlanta. He fell in love with the rich culture of the South, specifically the LGBTQIA+ inclusivity in Atlanta, and once he moved to Jackson, he has committed to help provide the LGBTQIA+ community safe spaces to be loved and accepted! He also served as the Programming Committee Chair for 2024.

He/Him/His

Initiative: LGBTQIA+ & Trans Community Resource & Employment Access Platform

 Stan Nichols has been actively involved with MS Capital City Pride for several years as Co-Chair Elect of the “It’s Pride Ya’ll!” Planning Committee in 2022 and as Co-Chair in 2023.  Originally from Belzoni, MS, Stan is a 1983 graduate of Mississippi College with a degree in Music Education and Voice.  After teaching band for nine years, Stan left education to pursue a career in furniture sales and management.  After living in Charlotte, NC, for many years, Stan moved back to MS in 2010 to be closer to family. He is currently the manager of the Jack Myers House. Stan has a deep love for MS Capital City Pride and its mission and is excited to be a part of an organization that does so much for the community that he loves.  

She/Her/They/Them

 Initiative: Mental Health Access for LGBTQIA+ & Service Industry Community

Lauren Ng joined MS Capital City Pride in 2023 and served as 2025 Committee Co-Chair. A lifelong Mississippian, she is passionate about building spaces where authenticity, inclusion, and community thrive. Lauren has been an active member of the Jackson Roller Derby community for over eight years, where she has found deep connection, diversity, and empowerment. Through her work with MS Capital City Pride, she is committed to celebrating LGBTQIA+ voices, expanding visibility, and strengthening the fabric of Jackson’s growing queer community. 

She/Her/Hers

Initiative: Pride + Power

 Greta Kemp Martin is a longtime Mississippi advocate, attorney, and community builder who loves nothing more than rolling up her sleeves to make things better for Jackson and the state as a whole. Originally from Tishomingo County, Greta has called the metro Jackson area home for nearly 20 years.

Greta serves on the Board of Directors of MS Capital City Pride and is spearheading the organization’s 2026 board initiative, Pride + Power—a community-driven effort focused on strengthening LGBTQ+ belonging through practical civic education, connection to trusted resources, and partnerships that help people navigate real-life barriers with more support and less confusion.

Outside of MS Capital City Pride, Greta is the Board Chair of Faith in Women, serves on the board of the Women’s Foundation of Mississippi, and is a member of the Mississippi Access to Justice Committee. She has spent the last 15 years as an attorney primarily supporting mission-driven nonprofit organizations and civil rights work.

At home, Greta lives with her husband, Drew, and her three bonus kids—Turner, Harrison, and McNeil—plus the household dog trio: Dolly, Arya, and Biden. When she’s not in work mode, you can usually find her baking sourdough, journaling, or doing something cozy that involves a playlist and a to-do list.