
Meet the Team
Get to Know Us
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Hilary Otey
CO-FOUNDER & GENERAL MANAGER
(she/her)Hilary handles the day-to-day operations of Queermunity. Originally from Oklahoma, she made her way to the Twin Cities via Boston in 2010. She’s collected a bit (a lot) of experience that supports her Queermunity work like a BA in Sociology and Gender Studies, an MBA, background in program development, fundraising, and more.
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Kayla Barth
CO-FOUNDER & STRATEGY MANAGER
(she/her)Kayla oversees strategy and building operations. Raised in the hinterlands of northern Minnesota, she joined the army, was deployed overseas and returned to Minnesota. She has extensive experience in construction management and overseeing large engineering projects.
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Kyra Crawford Calvert
PROGRAMS & TECHNICAL MANAGER
(she/her)Kyra curates Queermunity's internal programming, event operations, and technical logistics. She is a multi-hyphenate developer and artist who has worked with numerous local and international organizations to build programs, systems, brands, connections, and experiences.
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June De
FOOD & BEVERAGE DIRECTOR
(all pronouns)June is the chef/owner of Bella Chow Minneapolis and the mind behind Queermunity’s seasonal café menus. A James Beard-nominated chef, June’s wide culinary expertise has graced the screens of Diner's, Drive-Ins, and Dives as well as Street Food USA on Netflix.
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Alex Palacios
RESOURCE & RESILIENCE PROGRAM MANAGER
(they/them)Alex was born in Honduras, of Garifuna descent, and raised in The Bronx, NY. In the last eight years since moving to the Twin Cities, Alex has emerged as a community leader and activist. They currently work as an Early Intervention Specialist at The Youth and AIDS Projects, linking trans youth and their families to HIV prevention services. Additionally, Alex has served as Chair for Stonewall DFL, the LGBTQ+ caucus of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor party of Minnesota; has served on the Minnesota Council for HIV/AIDS Care and Prevention; was one of POZ Magazine’s POZ 100 in 2019, honoring Transgender, Nonbinary and Gender Non-conforming HIV advocates; and is a proud member of the Black LGBTQIA+ Migrant Project.
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Rachel Herrmann
RESOURCE & RESILIENCE PROGRAM COORDINATOR
(she/her)Rachel Herrmann is a senior in St Catherine University's Bachelor of Social Work Program with a double minor in Psychology and Sociology. She hopes to complete a master's degree, become a therapist for queer folk, and help create more resources for improving mental health. When she isn't overworking herself, Rachel loves running Dungeons and Dragons for her friends and cooking a good meal (please recommend her your favorite recipes).
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Ash Cocchiarella
COMMUNICATIONS INTERN
(they/them)Ash assists with content creation for social media. They are currently studying nursing at St. Catherine's University. Alongside being an intern with Queermunity, Ash is collaborating in a research project looking to increase the pool of knowledge about queer experience and identity. You can find them often in nature, taking photos, or at the Renaissance Festival showing how a trans viking may have experienced life with the MN Viking Encampment.
Queermunity Advisory Committee
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Lucinda Pepper
(they/them)
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Yolanda Roth
(she/her)
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Boo McCaleb
(he/him)
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Chou Moua
(he/him)