MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD -- MoCo Pride Center's Board of Directors announced today that Rev. Shelly M. Mohnkern has accepted a position on the Board of Directors. Mohnkern is a Montgomery County native, having lived here all but eight years when she and her spouse returned in 1994. She is a mental health therapist in the county, and, with her addition, brings the nine-member board up to to six total members.
"We are very excited to have Shelly join us as a Board member," says Ezra Towne, Board of Directors Chairperson, "The MoCo Pride Center wants to lean in on mental health issues facing our community, and Shelly brings a wealth of knowledge and passion in this area."
Mohnkern has been involved in advocacy and education in the LGBTQIA+ community since the early 90's when she volunteered at the Colorado AIDS Project offices in Denver. While holding no formal positions with advocacy groups, she has been a steadfast volunteer and has attended events and rallies as both an educated ally and community member. As an ordained Pagan minister, she has been performing clergy tasks including handfasting, marriage, and memorial services for the LGBTQIA+ community for over 20 years.
Recently, Mohnkern returned to school and obtained a master's degree from Loyola University Maryland in clinical mental health counseling and spiritual integration. She is now working toward a full licensure as a mental health counselor, with a focus in gender and LGBTQIA+ affirmative therapies, navigating non-traditional relationships, and military and first-responder supportive therapy.
The Board of Directors is still actively accepting applications for anyone interested in join. Find out more and view the application on the organization's website.
About MoCo Pride Center Established in 2017, the MoCo Pride Center is a 501(c)(3) organization designed to serve the LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer) community and its allies in Montgomery County, Maryland. We strive to be the leading organization for LGBTQ resources and advocacy in our county. Our mission is to organize, support, educate, and provide outreach to the LGBTQ community and its allies.
The MoCo Pride Center will be built to:
Promote dignity and respect for all individuals;
Encourage authenticity and honesty in self-expression;
Connect community members and create a network of support for youth, adults, and families;
Organize and engage the LGBTQ community and our allies to build a movement to advance the rights, dignity and respect of all members of our community
Follow us on social media at @mocopridecenter For questions or comments, please email hello@mocopridecenter.org