Holiday with Heart Charity Gayla

Your Hosts for the Evening

David Bingham - David, a long time friend of founding member David Hindall, is not sure when he first attended the Gayla. David became a member of the board of directors when some of the founding members wished to step back from their leadership roles for this event. David’s role on the committee is to do whatever he is told, and be quick about it. He can always be counted on to mix a cocktail or lick a few stamps. In addition to his charity work through Holiday with Heart, David is the board chairman (Senior Warden) at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church where he is active in feeding the poor and providing leadership for the church. Professionally, David is an advanced practice nurse providing psychiatric care through the community mental health organization, Harbor. In March of 2010, David began providing psychiatric care to members of the HIV community through the Ryan White Program at UTMC.

Rick Cornett - Rick first attend the event in 1991 and has been an active supporter ever since. In 2005 Rick joined the board of directors when the new committee was formed and has proudly served to help raise funds and awareness for causes in the Northwest Ohio GLBT community. In the past he has worked with SRO, Decked Out, Sex, Drag and Rock & Roll, and, most recently, the Toledo Pride Festival and parade. Rick is involved in all aspects of the event but his main focus is publicity, advertising and promotion to ensure the event receives proper coverage in the local media. Rick is a staff writer with the Toledo Free Press with a reoccouring column on GLBT issues. He also writes three columns for Pride's Eye magazine and also serves as their photographer. Rick serves as the liason between the event and the Toledo gay bar community collecting new names for our mailing list and encouraging new people to attend. He was responsible for naming the organization Holiday with Heart and collaborates in the website design. A professional floral designer for over thirty years Rick is employed by ProMedica at the Flower Market in Toledo.

Ed Hoffman - The founders of the Christmas Dinner Dance were Ed Hoffman, Dick Flock and David Hindall. Coming from various positions in the Northwest Ohio businesses, these individuals decided to create an event that would bring the GLBT community together during the holidays. Over the years all three of these men have supported multiple charitable organizations but the dinner dance, which began in 1977 with 16 people in attendance, has been their most enduring hallmark.

Andrew Larsen - Andrew first attended the Holiday with Heart Gayla in 2009. Encouraged by Wayne and Rick, Andrew graciously joined the board of directors to help support the organization in whatever capacity he can. Andrew has been in charge of creating the event's online presence, including establishing the Facebook page, and the total redesign and maintenance of the organization's website. Andrew also maintains the mailing list, organizes the seating chart, and serves as a liason with Owens Community College, the University of Toledo, and Bowling Green State University's respecitve LGBT student organizations. Andrew is a state licensed massage therapist who practices in Toledo and is also an adjunct faculty member of the Massage Therapy Program at Owens Community College.

Steve Maenle - Steve began working to support the local LGBT community as a student at the University of Toledo working with three other students to form the first official University recognized Gay Lesbian Student Union. In addition to providing education, public awareness and training specific to the LGBT population, Steve worked with the Office of Affirmative Action to get language protecting against discrimination based on sexual orientation included in regulations governing conduct on the campus.After starting to attend the Holiday With Heart event in 2009 with his partner, Chris McBurney, this interest in activism was rekindled. Steve began volunteering with the committee last year, and was pleased to be asked to join as a Committee member in 2013. Steve is looking forward to working with this smart, fun, dedicated group by continuing the work of developing corporate sponsorships.Steve works as a developmental disabilities professional. His work includes serving as a member of the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities Behavior Support Advisory Committee, Statewide Positive Culture Initiative Committee, and served as the Program Director for Sunshine Children’s Home for almost 10 years. Steve now works as a Program Administrator with Ohio’s largest non-profit provider of developmental disabilities services, CRSI. Steve is a Toledo native currently residing in the Close Park neighborhood. In addition to another exciting Holiday With Heart event this December, he and Chris will also be celebrating a 10 year anniversary together.

Wayne North - Wayne first attended in 2005 as a guest of some friends and has not missed a year since. Wayne's first Gayla was also the event at which he met his partner, David Bingham. Wayne began working with the Gayla as an understudy to the founders. He made formal application to the State and Federal government, and Holiday with Heart became a recognized charity the next year. As a board member, Wayne works with the other members to create a fun and memorable evening for the guests while raising significant financial support for the charities. His goal has been to expand participation in the event to include a wider representation of the GLBT community. In other roles, he has been associated with Assistance Dogs of America since 1981 and served as Board President for 6 years. He is also active in St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Toledo. Wayne manages the financial aspect of the organization. A licensed veterinarian in the State of Ohio and Michigan, he has been in private practice in Perrysburg, Ohio since 1978.

Kenyetta White - Kennyetta White first attended the Holiday with Heart Gala in 2005. She is very active in the community and serves on a multitude of state, regional, and local HIV boards such as the Ohio Drug Assistance Program (ODAP), Regional Advisory Group (RAG), and Minority Health Coalition among others. She co-founded the Sistah’s Taking Care of Sistah’s program and received a proclamation for this work from the Toledo City Council. She is currently pursuing her MPH degree and works full time as the financial counselor and Minority Outreach Coordinator for the UTMC Ryan White Program. She is also very active in her church and is the single mom of a 17 year old daughter.

Volunteers

Billy Mann - Since a young age Billy Mann has been involved with philanthropy and fundraising. A native Toledoan, Billy was exposed to his current employer the Boys & Girls Club of Toledo in 1995. Over the years he has organized Christmas gift drives for Club families, passed out goodies at the annual Christmas Party and has volunteered his time at the annual fishing derby and at the Club’s Power Hour program. In 2004 at the age of 18, Billy also achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. Billy is a 2009 Graduate of Loyola University Chicago, with Degrees in Marketing, Public Relations and Advertising. While in Chicago, he worked for The March of Dimes on their Signature Chef Auction, United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Chicago as Assistant Events Director, and also the Union League Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago as a Development Intern. As President of the Loyola University Marketing Club Billy created unique event experiences including, bringing Donald Trump’s Apprentice winner, Bill Rancic, and past Saks 5 Avenue CEO, Christina Johnson Wolf, as keynote speakers. With family and job offerings in Ohio, Billy moved back to Toledo in the winter of 2009 to work for the Boys & Girls Clubs and American Rent-All. Through his work at American Rent-All, Billy saw the behind the scenes operations of many successful Toledo events. Recently, Billy is now the full time Development Coordinator for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Toledo, and handles their signature fundraiser, Barefoot at the Beach, among other events. Billy was a 2012 nominee for the “20 under 40” in Toledo. He is also a third generation board member of the Downtown Toledo Kiwanis Club. Billy has been a volunteer for the Holiday with Heart Charity Gayla for 2 years now, and actively aids the committee with décor and arrangements at the event.