Our Team
Staff at Lambda Literary
J. CLAPP
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Jozie (J. Clapp) Clapp (she/they) is a social justice advocate, comedian, performer, strategist, and community builder turned non-profit executive. J. Clapp is well known for her ability to see the potential of an organization and be instrumental in its growth and sustainability with expertise in youth homelessness, LGBTQ+ social services, youth programming, academic access, academic success, and domestic violence. J. Clapp leads with purpose, heart, and a great commitment to uplifting the voices and experiences of those most marginalized among us. Access and equity are her core beliefs.
Clapp is known for her work in development alongside purpose driven missions. Previously, she served as senior vice president of development at Point Source Youth. She laid the foundation as the first full-time executive director of The LGBTQ Center of Durham where she was able to septuple the budget and increase the team from 3 staff to 15 during her tenure. J. Clapp stewarded The LGBTQ Center of Durham to become the home of the North Carolina LGBTQ Domestic Violence Response Initiative. Prior to joining the LGBTQ Center of Durham team, J. Clapp prevented pride festivities in Durham from being canceled. She corralled a team and activated the community to rebuild a community-focused pride. J. Clapp was the inaugural director of the David M. Rubenstein Scholars Program at Duke University serving low-income, first-generation college students and received the Campus Impact Award for her dedication to and support of LGBTQ+ students of color.
Clapp is also known for her drag persona, Vivica C. Coxx, who is a social justice comedy performer known for bringing real issues to the stage. Vivica C. Coxx has been featured on The View, CNN, and Here & Now for her work providing liberation education in a North Carolina middle school. She has also been featured in YES! Magazine for her commitment to serving queer and trans people of color. Much of J. Clapp’s passion for organizational health and storytelling stems from witnessing the flourishing of programs for which Vivica C. Coxx has fundraised.
Outside of work and performance, J. Clapp can be found at home with her spouse and their tragically adorable dogs. She does enjoy a good frolic through the woods and extensive travel.
MONICA CARTER
DIRECTOR OF LGBTQ WRITERS IN SCHOOLS (LGBTQWIS)
Monica Carter (she/her) is a writer, poet and reviewer. She was a PEN Center USA Emerging Voices Fellow, a Lambda Literary Foundation LGBT Emerging Voices Fellow and a fiction graduate of the prestigious PEN Center’s MARK program. Her fiction has appeared in literary journals including The Rattling Wall, Black Clock, Cactus Heart, Bloom and the anthology Strange Cargo. Her nonfiction has appeared in publications including Black Clock, World Literature Today and Foreword Reviews. She served as a judge for the Best Translated Book Award in poetry and fiction from 2008-2015. Monica currently manages Lambda Literary’s LGBTQ Writers in Schools. She is currently finishing her first novel.
CHLOE FEFFER
RETREAT MANAGER
chloe feffer (they/he/she) is a writer and educator. They grew up in the Catskill Mountains of Upstate New York and are now based in Brooklyn, NY with their dog/sidekick, porsha. chloe’s first published piece of short fiction was recognized with a nomination for the PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers from The B’K Magazine, and their work has been supported by Tin House’s summer workshop and Fine Arts Work Center. For the rare IG appearance: @oh_chlo
JADA FOSTER
LGBTQWIS PROGRAM MANAGER
Jada Foster (she/they) is an education coordinator born and raised in Birmingham, AL. Their professional and personal goal is to cultivate arts-educated environments that acknowledge and celebrate those in marginalized communities. Before joining Lambda Literary, Jada was an Assistant Coordinator for the Alabama African American Civil Rights Heritage Sites Consortium, introducing Alabama’s African American history to high school students using various forms of Art History that centers the African diaspora. Utilizing their experience navigating performing arts spaces, Jada aims to instill social awareness amongst youth and artistic communities. Also, they are a self-proclaimed astrology enthusiast.
MAI TRAN
LGBTQWIS PROGRAM COORDINATOR
Mai Tran is a genderqueer Vietnamese American writer and communications strategist based in New York. Their work has appeared in Apogee, Vox, i-D, The Rumpus, and elsewhere. They previously served as a nonfiction coordinator for MFA App Review, increasing underrepresented writers’ access to fully-funded MFA programs, and as the Poetry Coalition Fellow for Lambda Literary.
MORGAN SAMMUT
LGBTQWIS PROGRAM COORDINATOR
Morgan J. Sammut is a prose and interactive fiction writer. A graduate of Mount Holyoke College where they studied English and computer science, Morgan combines their love of writing with technology to further explore the relation between form and narrative while weaving in themes of queer and trans identity (lots of queer robots). Their interactive piece “re:definition” was part of the 2022 International Conference on Interactive Digital Storytelling art exhibition. They were previously an intern with Lambda’s Writers Retreat. In their spare time, Morgan reads for Abode Press’ hybrid genre, crochets sweaters, and kisses their two cats directly on the nose.
KEVIN QIAN
BOOKKEEPER
Kevin Qian (He/Him) is an actor, producer, and all things storytelling based in New York City. Receiving his Bachelors of Science for Business Administration and Finance from the Georgia Institute of Technology, Kevin’s passion for supporting non-profits and the arts comes through in both his administrative support and on the stage itself. Kevin has supported groups such as Dad’s Garage Theatre (Finance Manager), New York Theatre Workshop (Finance Coordinator), and Essential Theatre (Bookeeper).
LAUREL LARSON-HARSCH
INDIVIDUAL GIVING MANAGER
Laurel Larson-Harsch is a writer, reader, and performance artist based in Brooklyn. She is a co-creator of STIGMATA, a transexual poetry zine. She has previously worked in development at The Nation magazine and New Yorkers For Children, an organization serving youth who have aged out of foster care. She has a Bachelors in English from Carleton College.
SUSANNE SALEHI
POETRY COALITION FELLOW
Susanne Salehi (she/they) is an Iranian American writer and editor who writes queer heroes. A Lambda Literary Emerging LGBTQ Voices fellow and regular contributor at the Lesbrary, her work also appears in By Her Sword: A Sapphic Fantasy Romance Anthology, the forthcoming Nearest and Dearest: an anthology of dyke domesticity, and the literary publications Fruitslice and Frazzled Lit. They hold an MA in medical anthropology and are currently finishing their MFA at Emerson College alongside their first novel. She is a gardener who collects silly tattoos—Frog & Toad and the screaming possum are her favs. Home is with their partner and two cats in the US South, which you can pry from their humid, sweaty hands (please don’t). She can be found @susannesalehi or susannesalehi.com.
Susanne will work to support the Lambda Literary Awards during their fellowship.
LONDON EVANS
SUMMER AWARDS INTERN
London Evans (she/her) is a graduate student finishing up her final year at Cal State Fullerton. She is a published poet inspired by the Female Gothic and Mary Shelley, currently finalizing her MA project on Frankenstein, queer theory, and feminism. In her free time, London has been a performer in two monthly productions of The Rocky Horror Picture Show in Southern California, where she combines her love for horror, Frankenstein, and promoting queer art.
Our Board Of Directors
Lambda Literary is proud to have a exceptional group of accomplished and dedicated professionals serve on our board. All board members active as of July 2025.
Gary Mobley, President
Gary Mobley (he/him) founded Propel Strategic Solutions, a consulting group, working within both the profit and nonprofit sectors. As a strategist, he has helped businesses chart their direction and performance by deploying successful leadership strategies, tactical decision making, and forward-thinking approaches. Previously, Gary was the Executive Director of Strategy and Analytics for the College Board’s Advanced Placement and Instruction division. He was responsible for building and supporting division-wide and product strategy definition projects; and analyzing strategic issues and opportunities that promoted responsive growth, equity, and access of its programs and services for students and the institutions they served. Gary served on the board of Alliance for Inclusion in the Arts is Americas, a leading advocate for full diversity in front and behind the scenes in American theatre, film, and television as well as Identity House, an all-volunteer community that provides peer counseling services to support and encourage LGBTQ+ adults.
ray daniels, secretary
Ray Daniels (he/him) serves as the Chief Communications Officer for the American Booksellers Association, bringing decades of experience in the nonprofit sector both as staff and board member. Throughout his career, Ray has been deeply involved in governance, strategic planning, and organizational infrastructure building. Ray’s extensive board experience includes significant roles with DC Black Pride, Griot Circle, and Reel Affirmations, where he has demonstrated his commitment to advocacy and leadership within LGBTQ+ communities.
Ashley blackmon, treasurer
Ashley Blackmon (she/her) is an experienced business leader with a successful track record leading marketing & growth strategy for consumer tech brands. Before starting her own consulting practice, Ashley was CMO of Pathstream, an Ed-Tech start-up focused on improving job prospects for underserved populations by teaching digital skills. Prior to that experience she was VP of Marketing for Zillow Group, where she led the growth strategy for the B2C and B2B sides of Zillow’s marketplace. Over the course of 7 years at Zillow she had the unique experience of building a department from the ground up, while establishing Zillow and its portfolio of brands as household names. She received her MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where she was an adjunct board member at The Equality Forum. She received her B.S. in Psychology at Brown University. Ashley currently lives in Oakland with her family.
michelle herrera-mulligan
Michelle Herrera-Mulligan (she/her) is the Executive Editor at Atria Press, and she has published groundbreaking fiction and non-fiction including Cyntoia Brown-Long’s NAACP-Award-nominated memoir Free Cyntoia; Koa Beck’s critically lauded White Feminism, and Susan Abulhawa’s novel, Against The Loveless World, a finalist for the Aspen Words Literary Prize. Michelle is passionate about fighting bans on LGBTQ+ books and engaging queer writers of color looking for hope, community, and opportunities.
Maulik Pancholy
Maulik Pancholy (he/him) is an actor, author, and activist recognized for his multifaceted contributions to the arts and social justice. An accomplished author, Maulik won a 2023 Lambda Literary Award for his novel Nikhil Out Loud, a 2020 Stonewall Honor for The Best at It, and has been involved in Lambda’s Writers in Schools program. As an activist, Maulik has long been an advocate for the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) and LGBTQIA+ communities. He was appointed by President Obama to serve on the President’s Advisory Commission on AAPIs, is a recipient of the Human Rights Campaign’s Visibility Award, and was named to Out Magazine’s Top 100 list. He also co-founded the anti-bullying nonprofit ActToChange.org, which envisions a world where every child can celebrate their identity.
Preston Gyuwon So
Preston Gyuwon So (he/they) is a queer American writer based in New York City and a globally recognized authority on the digital intersections of content, design, and code. A graduate of Harvard University with 21 years of experience in software and 18 years in digital content technologies, he is the author of four books for technologists: the design treatises Immersive Content and Usability and Voice Content and Usability, and the programming manuals Gatsby: The Definitive Guide and Decoupled Drupal in Practice.
He is Editor at A List Apart, a magazine for people who make websites; Founder of Decoupled Days, a non-profit software conference; and Director of Technology for Blasian March. Preston’s writing has appeared in The New York Times and Mochi Magazine, among other places. In 2016, Preston was elected Mr. International Rubber (MIR), becoming the first Asian male international fetish titleholder and the first MIR of color. A well-known activist for inclusion, safety, and codes of conduct in LGBTQ+ spaces, he can often be found immersing himself in languages that are endangered or underserved. Preston is working on a memoir and novel about the experiences of queer and kinky East Asian Americans.
Kristyn Carter
Kristyn Carter (she/they) is a communications strategist and writer born and raised in Philadelphia, PA. She is currently pursuing a BA in Strategic Communications at Penn State University. Her work has been featured in Bustle and Color Bloq, exploring themes of community, identity, and representation. With a background in public service and a strong commitment to equity, Kristyn is dedicated to uplifting emerging writers and amplifying inclusive narratives.
JOBERT ABUEVA
Jobert E. Abueva (he/him) is the award-winning author of Boy Wander – A Coming of Age Memoir (Rattling Good Yarns Press) and is the inaugural recipient of the Lambda Literary J. Michael Samuel Prize. Also, the Arch and Bruce Brown Foundation Literary Award for historical LGBTQ short fiction and two National Arts Club literary scholarships for non-fiction. He was named winner of the Writer’s Advice Flash Memoir contest. His writings have been featured in numerous publications and anthologies including The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Beyond Queer Words, Harrington Gay Men’s Fiction Quarterly, and With Love: What We Wish We Knew About Being Queer and Filipino in America. Jobert has had a wide-encompassing career as a global marketer and is currently General Manager, Global Philanthropy at ETS. Jobert holds degrees from the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor (BA) and Columbia Business School (MBA). He also serves on the WHYY Community Advisory Board as well as on the Board of Directors, ACME Screening Room, and shares his time between New Hope, PA and New York City.
Michael levesque
Michael Levesque is a Senior Vice President in Moody’s Corporate Finance Group. He joined Moody’s in 1998 and has had responsibility in the credit analysis for a variety of healthcare companies including drug manufacturers, drug distributors, medical device companies, managed care companies, health insurers, healthcare providers, and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs).
Prior to joining Moody’s, Michael worked for over 7 years as a healthcare actuary, serving in consulting positions at William M. Mercer, Inc. and at KMPG Peat Marwick, where he performed actuarial, employee benefits, and healthcare consulting services.
Michael received a B.S. in operations research from Cornell University. He is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries and a CFA charterholder.
TOBI HARPER PETRIE
Tobi Harper Petrie is Deputy and Marketing Director of Red Hen Press, Founder and Editor of Quill, Publisher of The Los Angeles Review, and Instructor in the UCLA Extension Writers’ Program for Publishing and Editing.
Kevin Stemmler
Kevin Stemmler is a retired Professor of English who remains dedicated to literature and literacy. His fiction, poetry and essays have appeared in Writing: The Translation of Memory, Paper Street, Heart: Human Equity Through Art, Gay & Lesbian Review Worldwide, and Pittsburgh Quarterly. He was a recipient of a 2008 Pennsylvania Council on the Arts Grant. He has served on a variety of academic and literary boards, including the International English Honor Society (Sigma Tau Delta) Board of Directors and is currently the organization’s Officer at Large. He has chaired several local, regional, and international conventions. He spent twenty years fundraising for Komen Pittsburgh’s Race for the Cure by initiating and running the Reading for the Cure literary event. He and his husband sponsor the Sigma Tau Delta Stemmler/Dennis LGBT& Award to honor emerging LGBT writers at the university level.
Sign up for the Lambda Literary newsletter.
E-newsletters run on the first Thursday of every month, though you may receive additional communications from our programs. We promise not to spam you!
Honoring LGBTQ+ Storytelling Since 1985
