We Need You!

Chris  Jones has been a resident of St. Petersburg for 18 years. He has been  active in many events over the years as a market vendor, as well as  fundraising event coordinator with King of Peace MCC while serving on  their board of directors from 2005-2008. He attended Sunstate Academy in  Clearwater for massage therapy and became a licensed massage therapist  in 2011. He has owned his own private massage practice now for 3 years  and currently has a studio on Central Avenue. In September 2017 he founded the monthly Second Saturdays on Central  vendor market, which has just celebrated its first year at Old Key West  bar & grill on Central Avenue.  
 

He became involved in Come Out St. Pete in 2017, participating as a  vendor with his wood carvings and was elected onto the board of  directors in 2018, in which he was the coordinator for the vendor  market. He was recently re-elected and currently serves as co-chair for  2019's Come Out St. Pete event and is looking forward to the opportunity  to attempt make a difference and become more involved within our LGBTQ  community! He draws inspiration by his late husband, Fred Burns in that we may  never know what a difference we may have made in someone's life, but we  should at least do our best to help them in any way we can!

Bill was born and raised in West Michigan. He has one daughter that  lives in Ohio. From a very early age, Bill knew he had a love for music.  In 1986 he decided that he wanted to play music for other people.  In  2013 he decided to move to Saint Petersburg to DJ year round.  He loves  the Grand Central District and decided to join the Come Out St Pete  board in 2018.

Jessie  is a Florida native, born in West Palm Beach and living in Pinellas  County for over 20 years. Driven to learn about and influence business  strategy, she studied at USF - St. Pete, attaining her Bachelor of  Science in Business Management. 

As  a Certified Diversity Professional, Jessie is laser-focused on creating  and sustaining diverse, inclusive, and equitable conditions at work and  within our communities. It is her calling to find meaningful and  innovative ways to foster an environment where all people can feel a  sense of belonging, comfort, and safety being their authentic self.

Jessie  was attracted to Come OUT St. Pete in July 2020 because of its advocacy  for the LGBTQ+ community and its mission promoting equality for all.  She is excited for the future of Come OUT St. Pete and looks forward to  building bridges and forming intersectional solidarity between all  social groups and identities.

Bio coming soon!

David  Smith is a Texas native, “Army Kid”, and college grad who has been  living in the St. Pete area since August, 2015. He graduated with his BA  in Music in May 2014, and has gone on to regularly share his vocal  talents throughout the area with St. Pete Opera, Opera Tampa, and the  Cathedral Church of Saint Peter... as well as local LGBT bars on karaoke  nights!  

David spent a short time working with Metro Inclusive Wellness, which  helped him to become more aware of the needs facing the LGBT+ community.  He has also begun to become involved in politics as it pertains  specifically to Black American Descendants of Chattel Slavery via #ADOS,  and hopes to take his passions for these groups and help foster a new,  honest, and deeper allyship, one which will create new inclusive spaces  for Black people within the LGBT+ community.

Jaeda  moved to Saint Petersburg in 2010 and quickly made a name for herself.  

Within the following years she won multiple coveted local pageants such  as Miss Saint Pete Pride (2011), Miss Tampa Bay Gay America (2011), and  Miss Mardi Gras (2012) to name a few. In the years to follow she  branched out into community and political activism; organizing multiple  rallies, protests, benefits, and was sought out for endorsement by  multiple Saint Petersburg City Council Members and local legislators.  

Her love for all things makeup and glam had led her in a leadership path  with MAC Cosmetics and makeup artistry resulting in her work being  published internationally in multiple major publications.  

Her duty to public service has lead her to the Board of Come OUT St.  Pete where she is excited to put her ideas forward to not only benefit  the Come OUT St. Pete organization but the Tampa Bay LGBTQIA community  as a whole.

Jayson was born and raised in West Palm Beach, FL. He graduated from  Palm Beach Lakes High School and went on to study computer and basic  electronics at New England Institute of Technology. Jayson has been a  resident of St. Petersburg for a total of 12 years. He has been an  executive in the retail industry and has been active in creating focus  groups, corporate training programs, employee retention strategies as  well as many other initiatives.   
 

In September 2018, he decided to leave the retail industry after 27 years  and transitioned into the entertainment industry as a local DJ (He goes by the name DJ Jayson). This has  allowed him to become more involved in the community and local events.  By having the experience he does in retail and other industries, he  brings a lot of creative and innovative ideas to Come Out St. Pete and  its focus. 

Matthieu was born and raised in Kingston Jamaica WI. Growing up in the Caribbean he learned from an early age that family is important but equally important is chosen family. Surrounding one’s self with genuine friends who can share and care for each other deeply.   

Matthieu has lived in a few major cities but he and his rescue pets moved to St Petersburg in 2019. He is passionate about actively uplifting the undeserved populous. Being raised in one of the most homophobic places imaginable, Matthieu has made it of upmost importance to be a fierce advocated for human rights, equality, and racial justice.  

As a minority business owner, Matthieu’s practice is dedicated to educating and assisting individuals and fellow business owners to achieving financial security/stability. In his free time he enjoys traveling, cuisine, cooking, spending time outdoors, cars, gardening, entertaining.

Sharon Zimmerman, MSW and Executive Director of a youth serving organization, is an expert in the field of nonprofit leadership and organizational development; 

Sharon has 24 years of experience implementing programs and services, managing operations, delivering innovative solutions, fundraising, supporting staff and volunteers, and leading organizations through growth and change. Sharon is also an instructor, field education supervisor, and academic and field advisor for graduate students at the School of Social Work at Boston University. 

The common thread in Sharon’s work has been helping individuals to improve the quality of their lives, helping organizations to build capacity, and helping communities to prosper. She has a deep commitment to social justice and human rights, and to finding economic, social, and political solutions to a just world.

Bio coming soon!