Jeff (he/him) is co-founder/board president of the Oakland LGBTQ Community Center and Chair of the newly formed Lakeshore LGBTQ Cultural District Committee established 2023 and recently voted as a board member for Oakland Pride. Born and raised in Charleston, SC, Jeff has been a resident of Oakland for over 20 years and is deeply dedicated to Oakland's LGBTQ community. He's employed as a Neurosurgical scrub nurse in the Operating Room at the University of California, San Francisco for over 20 years. He serves as a patient care advocate in the operating room. He is also a preceptor for new employees in a variety of surgical specialties and is one of the original scrub nurses on the UCSF surgical stereotactic movement disorder team that performs craniotomies for deep brain stimulation (DBS) and the treatment of Parkinson's Disease. His formal training also encompassed working in OB/GYN surgery, general surgery, orthopedic surgery, plastic surgery, microvascular surgery, and urologic surgery. He also Co-Chaired several committees in the OR; the Workplace Safety Council, Staff Enhancement Committee, Staff Mentorship Program to enhance the recognition of ethnic minorities and issues related to staff diversity in the workplace and the Social Advocacy Council. 

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Jeff served 11 years in the Navy/Marines Infantry Unit as a Certified Religious Program Specialist in the Chaplain's Officer. He was assigned to the U.S.S. Carl Vincent and was stationed in Japan for several years. 

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Jeff has been active in labor relations. He attended California Union Leadership School and served as a member of the San Francisco Labor Council and Vice President of Patient Care Technical (AFSCME 3299) for 6 years. 

Jeff has been active as a community volunteer. He served as a member of the Bay Area Big Brother/Big Sister Association. He was the volunteer coordinator for Oakland Pride, participated in Pridefest, served as Table Captain for San Francisco HRC and a member of SF Steering Committee and one of the original members of the Bayard Rustin LGBTQ Coalition supporting People of Color in the San Francisco Bay Area and a member of Lambda Legal.