Board of Directors

loha my name is Ernie (Eleneki Owai Kano Akua Alika Kalani Yuen) most people call me “Pineapple” since I am from Hawaii. I currently serve as the President of Las Vegas Pride. I am on my third term and my 8th year as a director on the SNAPI board. It was been a wonderful experience being part of the Las Vegas LGBT community. With the help of my fellow board members we have raise thousands and thousands of dollars for our community, help built strong relationships between many other nonprofit organizations. My mother always told me “if you’re going to bitch about the problem you better be part of the solution”. For those for you that knew my mother, she was a very small but wise lady that carried a very large stick! LOL! I would like to encourage other people in our community to get involved, be part of this wonderful organization.

Many of my friends have challenged me to come up with some creative ideas for new events here in Las Vegas, “to bring Las Vegas Pride out of the bars and back in our community”. I have made it my personal goal to lead this year’s board to follow our mission statement, which is "...to educate the community by invoking, promoting, and celebrating lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender pride.” I have challenged every board member to come up with creative ways to strive to follow our mission’s statement, to promote growth in our education committee, to do more outreach. I know many presidents make a lot of promises, but I promise you, many new events and great outreach programs that will educate and touch many people in the LGBT community. It is going to be a lot of work to create and manage many of these new events, but I feel our community is worth it!

Many changes are already taking place, this year Pride has changed its date from being in the beginning of Summer (April/May) to the end of Summer/Fall (September). We all feel it is a positive move, the weather is awesome, and it gives us time to visit other west coast prides, to promote Las Vegas as a destination Pride, a “Must Attend Event”. Please stay in touch with our web site for there will be changes every week. Please be our friend on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. 2010/2011 is going to be an exciting year for us! Please again I encourage all of you to get involved and be part of our community.

I have been part of this Las Vegas community since 1998, I have seen many things come and go, The one thing that I have not seen change is the sense of dignity and pride this community has. I have met a lot of people, made some good friends and become “family” to many others. I love this community, I love this city, yes Hawaii will always be my home, but Las Vegas is an awesome place to be. Now it is time to show my Pride, care to join me?

rady McGill was born in Las Vegas and has always enjoyed giving back to his community. Brady spent much of his youth volunteering in community outreach with his family's church and continued in his adolescence in The Boy Scouts of America. In High School, Brady was involved actively with The Future Business Leaders of America, for which he served as Chapter President. During his time with FBLA, Brady organized many fund raising and charitable events, most notably, a partnership with the March of Dimes. Brady began volunteer work with SNAPI in 2008 as a part of the LOVE program, promoting Las Vegas Pride. Brady now serves on the SNAPI Board of Directors to give back to our community and encourage the growth of our LGBT community.

atthew Cox is the Employee and Community Relations Coordinator for MedicWest Ambulance. Matthew works throughout the community to educate the public about life threatening emergencies, and the importance of the 911 system. Matthew was appointed to the SNAPI board in June 2006, and has been serving as treasurer since September of 2006. In addition Matthew is a member of the North Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce, and volunteers his medical services to the Special Olympics, Every 15 Minutes, and NGRA. Matthew lives in North Las Vegas with his partner Jon of 13 years.

orn in Aberdeen, Washington in 1978, Andy grew up in several small towns across the south western areas of Washington State. In 2007 Andy moved to Las Vegas and shortly thereafter began to get involved with Las Vegas PRIDE. In 2009 he traveled with Las Vegas PRIDE to represent the Organization’s events in Phoenix, Arizona. Beginning his involvement with Las Vegas PRIDE in order to show his support of JewDi Vine, Miss Las Vegas PRIDE 2009, he soon became a valuable member of the PRIDE Parade Committee. After his extensive volunteer work at the 2009 PRIDE Celebration, Andy decided to increase his volunteer participation and began to travel with SNAPI attending many events as a representative of Las Vegas PRIDE including L.A. and Palm Springs PRIDE, NCOD, AFAN’s Black & White Party, HRC’s Annual Las Vegas Gala, and more. Furthering his involvement, Andy joined the board of directors at the 2010 annual meeting.

ric is the partner of Justin Liming and the oldest son of John and Laura Agostino. He has two brothers, Devon and Lance and a sister, Katie. Eric was born in Long Beach California, but raised in Lincoln, Illinois. He is a Retail Foods Manager for Aramark at the Las Vegas Convention Center. IHe graduated from Lincoln Community High School, where I was involved with show choir and theater. After high school Eric enrolled at Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois. His major was acting. A little after half a year into college Eric came out to himself, his family and friends, he was 19 years old. Between his sophomore and junior year of college Eric attended his very first PRIDE Festival in Minneapolis, MN while working that summer for a children’s theatre. After college he moved to New York to pursue his dream of becoming a stage actor. After three months of getting caught up in the NYC gay scene, Eric received a phone call from his Mother saying they were moving the family to Las Vegas, Nevada! He immediately got a ticket and flew out the next day – March 15th, 2005. By March 16th, 2005 he was working at Get Booked – throwing himself into the Las Vegas LGBT community. Eric left Get Booked and started working for QVegas as an advertising executive and becoming even more deeply involved in the LGBT community. He became involved in a lot of different events and met a lot of people and friends in the LGBT community that he still has to this day while working for QVegas.

After realizing he wasn’t very good at being an advertising executive Eric got his work cards, walked into Hamburger Mary’s and said he was ready to work. Hamburger Mary’s was an experience he’ll never forget nor will he ever let Hamburger Mary’s be forgotten. The crew members, owners, and managers became his gay family. While working at Hamburger Mary’s he really started to get involved with volunteering for SNAPI by helping with PRIDE events, making costumes, and helping with entertainment backstage at the festival. 2009 PRIDE Eric became a member of the parade committee and assisted with making showboy and showgirl costumes and running the judges stage for the parade while assisting his husband, Ms. Las Vegas Pride 2009 – JewDi Vine, with his reign. In 2010 he got more involved in the food and beverage aspect of PRIDE while still helping assist with the parade. Eric, with a few of his employees who volunteered, ran the SNAPI Hot Dog stand which turned out to be a huge success!

Each year PRIDE grows and becomes more successful and Eric is excited to be part of that growth and part of an organization that gives back to the LGBT community. Eric looks forward to all the future growth and successes that SNAPI has to offer.

riginally from Honolulu, Hawaii, Brandon moved to Las Vegas in September 2001 and became active in the community almost immediately. Educated in South Dakota and the University of Hawaii, Brandon came out in 1993 and began performing in the art of female impersonation and working in the nightclub scene in Hawaii. He has worked extensively in the gay nightlife business in Las Vegas for the last 9 years and has contributed time and effort to such organizations as SNAPI, NGRA, AFAN, Golden Rainbow and the Sin Sity Sisters. Brandon is also Miss Las Vegas Pride 2010 as Diva Delafuente.

native of Fargo, ND and Minneapolis, MN, Justin moved to Las Vegas in December of 2003 and began working at Hamburger Mary's. While working there, he became involved with SNAPI by volunteering his time singing the National Anthem at the Pride festival and coordinating their Youth Pageants. At that time, the character JewDi Vine was created and opened up another set of doors. Justin began hosting events for SNAPI throughout the community, including SNAPI Bingo and developed relationships with other non-profits; organizing fund raising events. Justin soon found his calling and began working on his craft and furthering his efforts to raise awareness, education and money for not only the LGBT Community, but Las Vegas as a whole. His background in the performing arts, public relations and volunteering for other non-profits has earned him a spot in Las Vegas where he truly wants to make a difference. In 2009, Justin (JewDi Vine) was crowned Ms. Las Vegas Pride which took him on a year long adventure promoting Las Vegas Pride by attending pride events around the West Coast. The true reward he found during his reign was the difference you CAN make in people's lives, especially our youth, by educating, bringing awareness and promoting diversity. It's not about changing how people think...it's about opening our eyes to a more positive and educated community. This is Justin's second year on the board of SNAPI, serving last year as a Board of Director.

Justin is highly involved in the Las Vegas community with NGRA, Sin Sity Sisters, AFAN, The Royal Court, HRC, So Crush and The American Red Cross. He can be seen five nights a week performing as JewDi Vine throughout Las Vegas and in California. Along with his partner of five years, Eric, they are excited for all the new events and upcoming Pride festival set for September 2011!

dam Zujewski is 29 years old and has lived in Las Vegas for approximately 10 years. He and his partner have been togetheer for 2 years now. Adam is currently co-chairing the volunteer and special event committees. He looks forward to helping serve the LGBT community in anyway possible.