jb beeson
Deputy Executive Director

jb @ nyacyouth.org
800.541.6922, x12

jb beeson is the Deputy Executive Director for the National Youth Advocacy Coalition. jb first came to NYAC as an intern to work on the “Queer the Vote” initiative in the fall of 2008. After coordinating and managing much of NYAC's You Know Different social marketing campaign and the National LGBTQI Young Adult Tobacco Needs Assessment, jb took on the Deputy position in February of 2010.

jb holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara in Political Science and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer studies. As a queer person of color, jb felt passionate to be involved with much of the queer, racial, and economic justice activism and organizing on campus. Their time spent working for the Youth Advocacy and Leadership Institute, an activist education camp for LGBTQ youth, sparked her passion for working for queer youth and youth of color. They also led UCSB's Queer Commission and was the Anti-Racism Community intern at the Resource Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity during their campus career. jb is a dedicated alumni of the Center for Progressive Leadership's New Leaders Fellow program and continues their work with CPL on leadership development and training.

An implant from the southwest deserts and California beaches, jb likes spending time exploring Washington, DC and catching up with all the sights and events the city has to offer. jb also enjoys making long to-do lists that include gender play and performance, making art, reading progressive/political anthologies, yoga, and blogging (and checking those things off the lists make them feel even better!).

Shayden Gonzalez
Program Coordinator

shayden @ nyacyouth.org
800.541.6922, x18

Shayden Gonzalez joined NYAC in August of 2010 as Program Coordinator, he is excited to bring his own special blend of dry humor, creativity, and curriculum building.

Shay(den) holds a BA from Eugene Lang College in Greenwich Village, NYC. There he double concentrated in Psychology and Writing culminating in a quantitative psych study and a 'zine exploring modifications people choose for their bodies that are psychopathologized. Excited to be a part of a campus the expanded out into a major city Shay(den) interned with a local harm reduction program and was an active member and event organizer for Moxie (the feminist org at the New School), D.E.M.T (an org developed to engage the school around Lesbian myths and stereotypes), and DATfree. Prior to coming to the NYAC family Shay(den) was the Sexual Health Coordinator for Streetwork Project, a drop-in center for homeless and transient youth in Manhattan where he actively developed groups and workshops with and for young people around gender, race, class and how they relate to sex and sexuality.

Shay(den) is a self-identified nerd and likes to spend his time adventuring, baking tasty treats, crafting, debating for the sport of it, listening to music, reading theory and/or graphic novels, skateboarding, thinking up new gender neutral pronouns, writing, and fixing computers when the situation arises. You can also call him shay.

Sean Maloney, MSW
Director of Development and Operations

sean @ nyacyouth.org
800.541.6922, x10

Sean Maloney joined the National Youth Advocacy Coalition as Director of Development and Operations in July of 2010. In this position, Sean is responsible for helping to build the capacity of the organization as well as enabling staff and volunteers to make NYAC's programs a sustainable effort.

Sean joins NYAC after most recently serving the LGBT Community Center of Central Pennsylvania. There he implemented programming in an eight county region, lead fundraising initiatives and established a network of resources for LGBT identified individuals living in Central PA. Sean has also worked with the LGBT Resource Center at Syracuse University, the Designated AIDS Center at University Hospital in Syracuse and with the Southern Tier AIDS Program in Binghamton, New York.

As a native of Upstate New York, Sean attended Binghamton University where he received a Bachelors of Science in Human Development and Syracuse University where he received a Masters in Social Work. Sean is a country boy at heart so at any given time you can probably find him listening to country music on his iPod and wandering around Washington, DC looking very lost and slightly confused. He is most likely to make a joke to lighten the mood in the office, and if he looks serious it's probably just because he's trying to do math. Set that aside, Sean is delighted to be a DC transplant living in Mt. Vernon Triangle with his partner Jason.

Shannon Murphy
Program Coordinator

shannon @ nyacyouth.org
800.541.6922, x24

Shannon Murphy joined the National Youth Advocacy Coalition as a Program Coordinator in February 2010.   At NYAC, Shannon is responsible for coordinating the organization’s Latin@ regional coalitions, designing and implementing the Latin@ social marketing campaign and providing capacity-building and technical assistance for NYAC’s Latin@ LGBTQ youth-serving partners.  

Prior to NYAC, Shannon worked at LIFT, a national anti-poverty organization based in Washington, DC.  As an Americorps*VISTA member in the Bronx for two years and then the organization’s first regional Northeast staff member, Shannon had the opportunity to recruit and train college students to work one-on-one with low-income individuals in need of social services.  Shannon found working alongside campus leaders and community members to be inspiring, and has since committed her life towards fighting for social justice for disenfranchised communities.    

Shannon holds a Bachelor’s degree from Syracuse University in Sociology as well as Spanish Language, Literature and Linguistics.  Shannon is an avid cross-stitcher and cupcake baker and in her spare time enjoys indulging in both activities.  A recent Brooklyn transplant, Shannon is enjoying getting to know Washington, DC, where she lives with her partner, Carolina.

Gregory Varnum
Executive Director

gregory @ nyacyouth.org
800.541.6922, x19
Twitter - @GregVarnum
AIM - GregVarnum
Skype - GregVarnum
Facebook - LinkedIn

Gregory Varnum joined the National Youth Advocacy Coalition as acting executive director in March 2008 and was appointed executive director in December 2008. As NYAC continues to evolve, Gregory is strengthening the organization's infrastructure and strategic planning. Gregory has worked towards reintroducing the “NYAC” brand, reestablishing relationships with partner organizations and contributors, developing NYAC's board of directors and revamping NYAC's programs.

Showing an entrepreneurial spirit at a young age, Gregory founded his first computer company at the age of thirteen. While his company went on to win local business awards, Gregory also pursued his interest in another industry - radio. He became an on-air personality and the youngest commercial radio promotions director in the country before graduating from high school. He went on to put his knowledge of marketing and communications to use as public relations coordinator of Michigan DECA, a fully staffed statewide organization of high school marketing students.

Prior to joining NYAC, Gregory served as director of youth initiatives and information technology at the Triangle Foundation (now Equality Michigan), the leading LGBT civil rights, anti-violence and advocacy organization in Michigan. During his time as a LGBTQ youth activist in Michigan, Gregory received recognition for his innovative and cost-effective programs, many of which advanced HIV/AIDS awareness, gender, racial, religious and economic equality in addition to their primary focus of LGBT equality. He received national recognition for his work establishing one of the first youth advocacy programs based at a statewide LGBT advocacy organization, advancing policies benefiting LGBTQ students and creating the first national summer camp for LGBTQA youth engaged in community organizing.

Gregory holds a bachelor's degree in political science from Eastern Michigan University. He is owner and president of Varnum Enterprises, a non-profit consulting company. Gregory has volunteered countless hours for numerous LGBT causes including: NYAC's National Transgender Review Board; co-chair of the youth engagement subcommittee for the 20th Creating Change conference sponsored by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force; and public policy advisor for the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan.

Currently he is serving on the and The Woodhull Freedom Foundation and Federation board of directors; and the Harvey Milk Foundation Advisory Board.  Gregory lives in Silver Spring, Maryland with his partner, Bobby, and their two dogs, Lincoln and Tribble.