About Us
About Us
Rooted in History, Rising with Purpose
Nevada County Pride began in the 1980s with potlucks in living rooms, a lifeline for gay men seeking community and support. Decades later, in 2022, a new wave of queer leadership reignited that spirit—launching shared resources like a community events calendar, sparking healthcare advocacy, and hosting the historic 2023 CA LGBT+ Caucus Rural Listening Tour. That same year, we threw our first full-day Pride Festival, welcomed 650+ attendees, and officially became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
Today, NCP is a dynamic, all-inclusive network celebrating LGBTQ+ life in western Nevada County through events, education, and support spaces—from potlucks to Pride Picnics. Our values—Visibility, Initiative, Respect, Collaboration, Resilience, and Empowerment—fuel everything we do. Looking ahead, we're doubling down on visibility, cross-county partnerships, intergenerational engagement, and the dream of a permanent community center. This isn’t just a movement—it’s a home. Join us.
The Board
The Board
Rick Partridge (he/him/his) Chairperson
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Rick is a retired Human Resources professional who relocated full-time to Nevada City from San Jose in April 2021 after living here part-time since 2017. His 30-year career in HR included senior roles in Tech, Consumer Products and Non-profits. He spent the most recent 12 years teaching in the HR Management at San Jose State. Throughout his HR career, he also contributed in a variety of roles in the community, including Ronald McDonald House at Stanford Board, Chair of the City of San Jose’s Diversity Committee and led the search committee for the Executive Director for San Jose’s DeFrank LGBT Community Center. In 2021 he became a steering committee member of Nevada County Pride, that later became the Board of Directors, where he now serves as chairperson. He is a graduate of Nevada County Citizen's Academy (2021) and Sheriff's Community Academy (2022). He started as a volunteer with Color Me Human in May 2021, assisting with DEI Training design and delivery and events and was elected to the CMH Board in 2022. In 2023, he was invited to join Nevada County’s Equity and Inclusion Leadership Alliance.
Kimberly “Pepper” Pepe (she/her/hers) Vice-Chairperson
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Pepper began her activism journey in the 80s with the San Joaquin AIDS Foundation, helping bring the AIDS Memorial Quilt to Northern California. She's volunteered with Act Up, Matthew Shepard Foundation, and Indivisible Women Nevada County. Pepper has also worked in non-profits, including managing a Domestic Violence shelter, as a Life Coach in jails and prisons, and serving as Outreach Director at The Hospitality House and as General Manager at The Center for the Arts. As a Keller Williams Realtor, she's involved in the KW Rainbow Network, connecting LGBTQ+ agents with the community. Pepper is a founding member of the Nevada County Pride Board, serving as Vice Chair and Events Coordinator
Andrew (Drew) Rust (he/him/his) Treasurer
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Andrew grew up in Lincoln Nebraska and has been married to Dane Saint John since September 2008 and have been partners since 1983. He came out in 1978 and once he did, there was never going back, and had the drive to be involved and support the community. While in Lincoln, he helped start a Gay Crisis Line and coordinated a fundraising event that brought gay literature to the community. He also spent some years in Denver Colorado and was involved in the Gay Games of 1986 and the March on Washington.
Drew has been a part of the Nevada County Pride Potluck since 1995, when they started spending time here. He moved here permanently in 2014 and saw the need to have the organization grow to be more than just a potluck group - to one today that provides activities, support, and programs that enrich our lives. He currently serves as the Treasurer and Potluck Co-Coordinator.
Nicole (she/her/hers)
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Nicole has been on the Nevada County Pride Board since 2023. Originally from British Columbia, Canada, she has called Grass Valley home for the past 10 years. She has over 8 years of experience in the events sector as the Nationwide Staffing Manager for a conference childcare company and she also works in Social Services for the County and is a Caregiver for seniors. Her events and staffing experience has allowed her to jump right in to volunteer coordinating and being an integral part of the NCP events committee. Educationally, her background is in Environmental Sciences, Traditional Chinese Medicine and she is also a Certified Master Health Coach. Nicole has been a volunteer her whole life and has been on several boards for various environmental, social, and animal welfare nonprofits. In her spare time, she is outside in the woods hiking, camping, and backpacking with her two pups, Scruffy and Izzie.
Megan Wells (they/she)
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Megan Wells is thrilled to be serving on the Nevada County Pride Board as it melds their passion for community building, protecting, and uplifting the queer community and working alongside dedicated changemakers.
With a background in summer camp, staff development, and operations, Megan brings a diverse array of passions and skills to the board. She has deep roots in Nevada County and has moved back after living in the Bay Area and Denver for 15+ years. Their hope is to rediscover the gems of the foothills while actively fighting the hate and ignorance that plagues the marginalized population of the county.
Megan contributes to her community through work with Sierra Roots, NC Mutual Aid and various organizations supporting Nevada County’s aging and unhoused populations.
When not immersed in community work, Megan focuses on playing a lot and can often be found adventuring with her partner and pup.
Danielle Vanaman (she/her/hers)
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Danielle is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and the Program Director for Stanford Sierra Youth and Families’ Nevada County Programs. Prior to beginning this position two years ago, she spent 16 years as a leader in the nonprofit mental health field in a variety of programs and capacities and has dedicated her career to ensuring that the most vulnerable and underserved youth in our communities have their voices heard and needs met. This includes a passion for supporting LGBTQ+ youth and elevating their stories across the various systems that support them.
She and her wife, Cari, are parents of two school-aged children in our local schools and are passionate about opportunities to connect LGBTQ+ families in the community.
In 2023 she co-hosted the Pride Family Picnic and was successful at helping garner support and funding for the event from several community agencies and partners. Danielle joined the Nevada County Pride Board in 2024 due to her desire to develop a deeper connection to and understanding of the existing supports and needs for the local LGBTQ+ community and to help represent the voices and needs of the LGBTQ+ youth.
Maciel Dotson (she/her/hers) Secretary
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Maciel Dotson
(she/her/hers)I moved to Nevada County in 2020 when I bought my forever home with my husband, Jason. I have over a decade of experience in many capacities at different non-profits. I am now applying to graduate programs and hoping to serve my community as a marriage and family therapist with a queer lens.
My nonprofit work has always centered around supporting families. I was a birth doula supporting LGBTQA+ families in Little Rock, Arkansas at a time when gay marriage not yet federally legalized from 2010-2014. I later moved back to my hometown of Dayton, Nevada, where I became a paralegal supporting victims of domestic violence in family law cases and helping trafficking and domestic violence victims get their visas at Volunteer Attorneys for Rural Nevadans. I then took a position as the Lead Home Visitor for Community Chest, serving families with young children and providing wrap-around services to help them thrive. I have a wide range of nonprofit experience from grant management to creating and running new programs that serve the most vulnerable populations.
As a bisexual woman in a straight presenting marriage, I have felt the struggle of trying to find and fit into a community. I hope to bring a unique voice to the board and be a helper wherever I can. I am passionate about listening to the needs of the community and then finding the resources to meet those needs.
Kacey Hadick (he/him/his)
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Kacey Hadick is a nonprofit leader with over nine years of experience at the international 501(c)(3) heritage organization CyArk, where he serves as Director. In this role, Kacey works to preserve historic places, elevate underrepresented histories, provide training opportunities, and drive meaningful changes through fundraising, grant writing, and program development. His expertise spans a diverse portfolio of international and domestic projects, blending cultural preservation with digital storytelling initiatives. With a degree in international development, Kacey is passionate about the power of community activism to create meaningful and lasting impact.
Before relocating to Grass Valley in 2024, Kacey contributed to advocacy through volunteer work at the Pacific Center for Human Growth in Berkeley, CA, and the Turin chapter of Arcigay, the leading Italian LGBTQ+ nonprofit. Additionally, he has served as an advisor for other nonprofits and a mentor for young professionals. These experiences have deepened his commitment to equity, inclusion, and community building, values that remain at the core of both his professional work and personal life.
What the Board Is
Our all-volunteer Board of Directors finds hosts to support our ongoing potlucks, and coordinates events and the calendar among all the local LGBTQ+ community events. Our monthly Board meetings are open to the community and take place the third Friday of each month at 10:30 AM, unless there is a schedule issue. The meetings are held in the community room at the Madelyn Helling Library at the Rood Center. Please go to our calendar to confirm meeting information. If you are interested in attending a Board meeting, or being on the Board, please email us at info@nevadacountypride.org.
The Board consists of a Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer, and members at large. Other roles, which may be filled by Directors or other volunteers, are Potluck Coordinator, Media/Communications Coordinator, Events Coordinator, Volunteer Coordinator, Mailing List Coordinator. The duties and responsibilities of each position are:
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The Chairperson shall be the chief executive officer of the organization and preside at all meetings of the Board of Directors. The Vice-Chairperson shall perform the duties of the Chairperson when the Chairperson is absent.escription text goes here
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The Secretary shall give notice of all meetings of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee, shall keep an accurate list of the directors, and shall have the authority to certify any records, or copies of records, as the official records of the organization. The Secretary shall maintain the minutes of the Board of Directors' meetings and all committee meetings.
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The Treasurer shall be responsible for conducting the financial affairs of the organization as directed and authorized by the Board of Directors and Executive Committee, if any, and shall make reports of the organization's finances as required, but no less often than at each meeting of the Board of Directors.
The Treasurer attends all potlucks to collect the $5 fee and keeps track of the number of attendees. The Treasurer requires receipts for all money disbursed and regularly reports account balances and expenditures to the Board. At year’s end, the Board decides how to distribute any surplus funds. Typically, a donation is made to a local non-profit organization.
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Item descripThe Potluck Coordinator does outreach into the community and finds a diverse pool of hosts and negotiates dates and times for the potlucks and then shares that information for publication on the website calendar. The information is also shared with the Media/Communications Coordinator who will send out email invitations. The potluck supplies (4-5 totes of paper plates, spoons, knives, forks, serving utensils, table cloths, etc.) are funded by Nevada County Pride. The Potluck Coordinator arranges the handover of the supplies from one host to the next.tion
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The Events Coordinator has oversight of all the events that the organization approves to participate in. This may include Pride events, and other community events such as the Nevada County Fair. Typically volunteers assist the Events Coordinator with staffing events.
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The Volunteer Coordinator recruits, trains and deploys volunteers to help at all our events and staffs the table that we set up at a variety of community events we attend. Our amazing volunteers help out in all the other areas listed on this page.
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The Media/Communications Coordinator maintains and modifies the Nevada County Pride website which is hosted by Squarespace. The Calendar now serves as the one-stop place for the community to see events so the Coordinator needs to be active on social media (i.e., FB Queer Forum, etc) to pull events of interest. With the input of the Board, as needed, updates are made on a timely basis. The Coordinator also sends out the email updates from Mailchimp, collecting potluck details from the Potluck Coordinator, along with other events of interest to members.
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The Mailing List Coordinator cultivates new participants, replies to emails and requests to receive the e-newsletter, and reviews mailing list requests via the Contact form submission. Since potlucks are held in private homes there is some degree of vetting necessary by reviewing the information. The Mailing List Coordinator maintains the Mailchimp email list used to send out information about events, locations, hours, driving directions, etc.
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Board Members-at-Large generally work with outreach to specific groups in the community and support other activities of the organization such helping the host during the potluck by receiving the food and drinks, setting up the buffet, and cleaning up and collecting the trash and recyclables at the end of the event. They may also help direct parking and by escorting those with disabilities into and out of the venue. They are asked to chair at least one Board Committee.
The Board Role
Being a member of our board provides an excellent opportunity to give back to the LGBTQ+ community while using unique skills and expertise to support a critical need. Because we have no paid staff, we are a “working” Board, meaning all members have essential duties to support the organization.
Recruitment for new members typically comes from our volunteers and others who have served on committees of the Board, although this is not mandatory. Board member candidates are requested to attend a minimum of two Board Meetings as guests before being considered. Board term is one year, with additional 1-year term options.
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determining the mission and purposes of the organization
strategic and organizational planning
ensuring strong financial oversight and management
fundraising and resource development
approving, executing and monitoring the organization’s programs and services
enhancing the organization’s advocacy, public image and visibility
assessing its own performance as the governing body of the organization
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know the organization’s mission, policies, programs, and needs
faithfully read and understand the organization’s financial statements
serve as active advocates and ambassadors for the organization and fully engage in identifying and securing the financial resources and partnerships necessary for the organization to advance its mission
leverage connections, networks, and resources to develop collective action to fully achieve the organization’s mission
give a meaningful personal financial donation
help identify personal connections that can benefit the organization’s fundraising and reputational standing, and can influence public policy
prepare for, attend, and conscientiously participate in board meetings
participate fully in one or more committees and events
follow the organization’s bylaws, policies, and board resolutions
provide your name and address to be listed in corporate filings, which are public documents
sign an annual conflict-of-interest disclosure and update it during the year if necessary, as well as disclose potential conflicts before meetings and actual conflicts during meetings
maintain confidentiality about all internal matters of the organization
Committed, passionate, and skillful board members strengthen an organization like Nevada County Pride, and, in turn, the future of our community for all.
From the Chair
From the Chair
