About Us
Empowering LGBTQ+ youth and their allies and creating inclusive communities.
ALSO Youth was created in 1992 by individuals who were alarmed at the statistics documenting high rates of suicide among gay and lesbian teens. In cooperation with other local organizations such as Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG); Planned Parenthood; and YMCA Youth and Family Services, volunteers were recruited to conduct a support group for Sarasota area youth. Upon realizing that more comprehensive services were needed throughout the community, ALSO’s founders initiated contact with school officials and implemented a training program for educators. The types of services and numbers of youth and community members served have steadily increased.
Today, ALSO Youth is a non-profit organization providing peer support services, community enrichment, scholarships, free counseling, and so much more for LGBTQ+ youth ages 10 to 24, their families and friends, and the community.
Staff
Mel Gosselin (she/her)
Executive Director
Caitlin Brunk (she/they)
Outreach Coordinator
Molly Saunders (she/her)
Program Manager
Sherry Perkins (she/her)
Program Assistant
Board of Directors
President
Sheila Weiss (she/her)- Sheila Weiss worked in sales for more than 40 years for consumer health companies as well as a large international drug wholesaler. She graduated from Marietta College with a B.A. in Management and Economics and has a master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. She serves on the Board of ALSO Youth and is currently the President. In addition, she co-founded the PFLAG Chapter of Sarasota and serves as the Secretary of the Board. She is the mother of two daughters and has three stepchildren. She enjoys golf, gardening, reading, and sewing. Her most recent projects are centered on sewing for her granddaughters.
Vice-President
Scott Swan (he/him)- Scott and his husband, Michael, moved to Sarasota from Cincinnati, OH in 2018, for his role as Vice President and Senior Fiduciary Advisor with PNC Private Bank. He is responsible for the execution of the terms of client financial and estate guidance. He works with clients and advisors to develop and carry out the terms of their estate and financial plans. Prior to joining the PNC Private Bank Sarasota team, he worked for both PNC Wealth Management and Private Client Reserve of US Bank in Cincinnati, working closely with high net worth, multi-generational families, and their trusted advisors. Scott has over 30years of banking, trust, and investment experience, having started his career with PNC Bank in 1988. Scott graduated with a bachelor’s in economics from DePauw University. Scott is a member of the Southwest Florida Estate Planning Council. He serves as a board member for ALSO Youth and on the steering committee of Equality Florida Suncoast chapter. He has served on the Planned Giving Committee for the Public Broadcasting System network in Cincinnati, CET, and Trustee of the Episcopal Community Services Foundation. Scott has volunteered extensively throughout his career with several not-for profit organizations, including Junior Achievement, People Working Cooperatively, Interfaith Hospitality Network and Freestore Foodbank. Scott is the father of three adult children and stepfather to his husband’s adult daughter.
Secretary
Renee Autumn Ray (she/her) - was raised in Jacksonville, Florida, and Birmingham, Alabama, but found Sarasota to be the place she wished to return to during the pandemic with her wife and her dogs at her side. Renee received her master's degree at the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, where she studied urban planning. She has since used this knowledge to develop her career as a strategist for a startup company that uses artificial intelligence to improve transit systems. While Renee travels often for her work, she still has made volunteering for ALSO Youth a priority. When Renee is not traveling for work or volunteering for ALSO Youth, she is most likely to be found riding her bicycle around the city or reading mysteries in her pool. She even recently took up birding!
Treasurer
Matthew Mitchell (he/him) - Matthew is a resident of Sarasota, Florida since 2021, and proud to be part of a 4th generation of family members that have been coming to Sarasota for almost 50 years. Matthew originally hails from the Midwest, born in Iowa and growing up in Chicago. On the professional front, Matthew is an advisor, investor, and educator to Food and Beverage start ups, venture capital firms, and university students. Prior to semi-retiring, he had long-term international career with the Coca-Cola Company. While there, he worked in over 20 countries via diverse roles in M&A, Corporate Strategy, R&D and Finance. Most recently he was the SVP of Emerging Growth, a group he created and founded in Tokyo, Japan. In his free time, he is an avid runner, traveler, and proud supporter of Duke University Basketball (his alma mater). He also has an MBA from the University of South Carolina.
Board Members at Large
Craig Kaplan (he/him)-Craig Kaplan graduated from Rowan University with a B.A. in Marketing and Communications. He serves on the Board of ALSO Youth as Secretary. In addition, he is also involved in the Sarasota community with a passion for environmental causes. Prior to moving to Sarasota, FL 3 years ago, Craig was also very involved in LGBTQ+ causes in NYC & helped HRC in Washington DC raise media awareness via his position at USA Today. Craig Kaplan worked in national media sales for almost 30 years for and most recently works for an advertising technology company. Craig has been involved with multiple technology start-up companies over the past few years.
Beth Roth (she/her) - Originally from Massachusetts, Beth attended the University of New Hampshire where she earned her bachelor's degree in English. Beth served on the development board at the University of New Hampshire's College of Life Science & Agriculture, was a 4-H leader for many years, and has consistently been an active community member throughout her life. Beth joined ALSO Youth as a volunteer at the beginning of 2022 and decided to join the board in 2023.
Renee Ryckman (she/her) - Renee Ryckman received her Bachelor of Nursing Science from the University of North Dakota, and her MBA from Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. After pursuing a career in health care administration, she turned her focus to entrepreneurship. In 2009, she co-founded an online media business. She then turned her passion for escape rooms into the creation of Escape Countdown, with stores in Sarasota, Tampa, and Ft. Myers. Renee finds joy in giving back to her adopted home of Sarasota volunteering with many non-profit organizations and has a special place in her heart for children’s health and education. She is a former board member of the Sarasota County Chamber of Commerce and Leadership Sarasota County.
Mike Keane (he/him) - Mike is a man of the world! He started his life on the west coast, then traveled to Germany during his time in the Army. Mike completed his Bachelor's degree in Computer Science at Seton Hall in New Jersey, then obtained his MBA from the Thunderbird School of Global Management in Phoenix. His career has spanned various companies in Connecticut, New York, and Florida in IT auditing, Project Management, and data privacy. Mike is thrilled to have been able to finish his career in Florida, and to retire in Sarasota in 2021. He joined ALSO Youth as a volunteer in 2022 and joined the board in 2023.
Mark Cole (he/him) - Mark Cole holds a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre from Auburn University and a Master of Fine Arts in Theatre from the University of Minnesota. After an early career as an actor and stage manager in New York, Mark began a new adventure in nonprofit management and fundraising with stints at Miami City Ballet, Arizona Theatre Company and Miami Dade College. He currently provides fundraising strategy to nonprofits seeking to fund their missions. Mark moved to Sarasota with his husband John and their husky Dash in 2021. Previous board service includes New World School for the Arts, Philanthropy Miami and the Association of Fundraising Professionals.
Annie Berkness (she/her) - Annie brings a wealth of experience in communications, strategy, and program design. She is currently an Analyst in Learning Design Planning & Operations at Salesforce, leveraging her skills in stakeholder management, content development, and program management. Annie has a deep personal commitment to supporting LGBTQ+ youth, driven by her own experiences and the challenges faced by her family. She has volunteered extensively in children's ministries, local sports leagues, and is a member of Salesforce’s LGBTQ+ Equality Group, "Outforce." Annie enjoys travel, cars, board games, and the arts. She is passionate about contributing to the mission of ALSO Youth and supporting the mental health and well-being of LGBTQ+ youth in Sarasota.
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