The board

Rev. Dr. Jamie Washington, Chair

Jamie Washington is President of the Washington Consulting Group, a multicultural organizational development firm, and a senior consultant with The Equity Consulting Group of California, and Elsie Y. Cross and Associates. He served as an educator and administrator in higher education for over 20 years, most recently as Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC). He has also held leadership positions in ACPA, NASPA, ACHUO-I, MACUHO, MCPA, APA, NGLTF, The Campaign to End Homophobia and the National Black Lesbian and Gay Leadership Forum.

Rev. Countess Cooper, Secretary – Treasurer

Countess Clarke Cooper is a minister, musician and public servant.  For the past 21 years, she has served in various capacities at the U.S. Department of Education including accountant, management analyst, and supervisory institutional review specialist.  Her first love, however, is music and ministry.  Currently, she works with three churches as team pastor, Sanctuary choir/ensemble director, and worship leader.  Rev. Cooper’s ministerial service also extends into the military sector as a Chaplain, Captain in the U.S. Air Force Reserves.  Reverend Cooper is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ (UCC).

Rev. Father Merrick Moses

Father Moses is an ordained Old Catholic Priest, urban Monastic, writer, community activist and teacher living in Baltimore, MD. A native New Yorker and graduate of Morgan State University. Father Moses was one of the first Black Transmen ordained within the Old Catholic Movement in Baltimore.  The first Black field organizer for Equality MD’s LGBT civil rights organization. Having provided wide ranging leadership in local and national equality and social justice movements, Father Moses is also a Community Liaison in the Office of the State’s Attorney for Baltimore City.

Durryle Brooks, Ph.D.

Durryle Brooks, Ph.D.Durryle Brooks is the Founder and President of Love and Justice Consulting, a diversity and social justice education capacity building firm with love at its center. He has worked to increase the capacity of leaders to engage difference at the intersections in order to bring about positive change in our cultures, communities, organizations and society at large.  His fields of research interest include; LGBT Resiliency & Empowerment, Adolescent Sexual & Reproductive Health, Black Masculinities, Intersectionality Theories, Black Student Achievement. Darryle holds degrees from St. Mary’s College of Maryland, San Francisco State University and the University of   Massachusetts, Amherst. He is an Adjunct Professor at Towson University.