Dr. Imani Woody has been an advocate of women, people of color and LGBTQ people for more than 25 years. She has served on the board of directors of the Mautner Project for Lesbians, Women in the Life Association, Whitman Walker Lesbian Services and is the former Chair of SAGE Metro DC. Dr. Woody was appointed Commissioner by former DC Mayor Vincent Gray and DC Mayor Muriel Bowser to the Office of LGBTQ Affairs. She was recently appointed Commissioner by Mayor Bowser to serve on the Global Age-Friendly Task Force.

Dr. Woody is the Program Officer for the 50+ Ministry of Metropolitan Community Churches and serves on the Board LGBT Technology Institute. She is the principal of IWF Consulting, LLC providing Board and Staff development. She has been a life coach for more than 10 years delivering Living Life Like It’s Golden, a program that empowers people, particularly people of color and women to live their lives more fully through visioning. 

As a veteran community organizer, Dr. Woody retired from AARP to start Mary’s House for Older Adults, a not-for-profit organization with the vision and commitment to serve LGBTQ/SGL elders experiencing housing insecurity and isolation. She has spoken out locally and nationally about LGBTQ/SGL individuals, aging and the specific jeopardies that LGBTQ/SGL elders of color face as they age. Dr. Woody brought these perspectives and decades of community praxis to the 2015 White House Summit on LGBT elder housing development. More recently, she secured an expert board of advisors and a commitment of $1.2 million from the District of Columbia to begin construction on the first Mary’s House dwelling, a 15-room community residence located in Southeast Washington, DC.

 Dr. Woody has a PhD in Human Services specializing in Management of Nonprofit agencies. Her thesis explored issues germane to older African American lesbians’ and gay males’ access to community services. Dr. Woody holds a Master of Human Services degree from Lincoln University and is a graduate of Georgetown University’s Paralegal Program. She has written countless articles on issues affecting women, LGBTQ/SGL elders, and people color communities. Dr. Woody is a nationally recognized subject matter expert on inclusion and diversity, specializing in the field of aging and LGBTQ/SGL elder issues.

Rozanne Look was the Director of Project Development for the non-profit housing developer Manna, Inc for 29 years. She managed an annual real estate development pipeline of 60-90 units, and has experience in rental, single family, condominium and cooperative development. She was formerly a project manager for Washington Inner City Self Help (WISH) where she provided both legal and housing development services to over 20 different tenant associations.

Prior to joining WISH, Ms. Look was managing attorney of the Housing Division of the DC Legal Aid Society, where she handled an extensive caseload in civil litigation as well as regulatory law and tenant purchase/conversion law. She served as president of the Beecher Cooperative for six years. She also served for five years as a member of the board of directors of the Washington Area Community Development Fund where she chaired the Loan Committee for three years.

Ms. Look served on the Board of Directors of the Coalition for Nonprofit Housing and Economic Development for over 20 years; served on the executive committee of the Coalition for over 10 years; and served for two years as the President.

Ms. Look received a JD Degree from Antioch Law School and a BS Degree from Illinois State University.

Andrea Macko, also serves as Assistant Secretary, and is one of the original signatory directors of Mary’s House. She and two other women sat around Dr. Woody’s kitchen table and affirmed the vision of LGBT housing for older adults in the Washington, DC area and beyond. Andrea is a native of Jamaica. She’s a communications specialist by skill and education and is currently an electronic programmer for the Department of Defense.

Andrea’s key skills include project management, and the ability to make order out of chaos. These serve her well in her current role on the Board as chair of the Operations Committee. She has been long-time and active member of the metropolitan Washington LGBTQ community and has seen our community grow and evolve with her participation in volunteer work. She has volunteered with many organizations and agencies that serve the LGBT community and in many different areas with varied responsibilities.

Andrea worked with PFLAG during its annual conference on the logistical side of professional meeting planning and with the Mautner Project during its annual Gala events, health fairs and outreach activities. She has worked with AARP as the volunteer lead logistical coordinator for its National Aging and Law Conference (approximately 1,500 people attended). Andrea has also worked with the AARP PRiSM, SAGE Metro DC and Mary’s House at Capitol Pride participating in outreach and recruitment. Andrea served as a member of the Board of Directors of DC Black Pride for 3 years as the curator and organizer for the acclaimed Film Festival. Currently, Andrea is an active participant in SAGE Metro DC and in the Metropolitan Community Church of Washington, DC where she holds a leadership position in the Welcoming/Ushers Ministry. She lives in the Brookland, Washington, DC with her wife and friend of more than 15 years.

Joi has provided exceptional leadership to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of operations at large organizations, such as Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority and AARP Foundation. She has optimized research-based improvement initiatives by making strategic recommendations for solutions in areas of operations, personnel, space, and budgets. As a result of the solutions Joi has recommended, the company has seen significant increases in customer satisfaction, employee morale, in addition to improvements to financial processes.

Recognized as a professional that demonstrates dynamic talents, Joi has proven to be a creative, analytical, highly dependable leader. She has led and monitored key projects, providing oversight and direction from conception to execution. Her ability to make sound business critical decisions has resolved the most complex problems. Joi is passionate in what she does, which truly makes her an asset in today’s business world.

John Henderson is a Community Economic Development Specialist whose areas of expertise are real estate development financing, non-profit management, neighborhood/commercial revitalization, work force development training, and community/resident engagement. John retired from the Dept of Housing and Urban Development where he managed several public housing authorities HOPE VI and Mixed-Finance real estate development projects.

Pamela A. Jafari is a multifaceted creative professional with over 30 years
of experience in the arts. A proud Washington, DC native, Pamela has
made significant contributions as an actor, director, producer, stage
manager, poet, and, more recently, as a playwright. Throughout her
distinguished career, she has passionately worked to uplift and amplify the
voices of women and the LGBTQ+ community by sharing stories that
reflect truth, diversity, and resilience.

Elizabeth "Liz" Mabry is committed to a world where all LGBTQ+SGL folks (especially older adults) can live in peace and safety while remaining open and fully self-expressed. She is a transactional attorney who lives in the Port Towns area with her wife and three cats.

Wallace Corbett was raised in the South. His parents taught him that acts of kindness come from the heart. When he discovered that he was HIV-positive in the late 1980’s, the love he received from his family carried him through his battles against AIDS. Wallace has worked in the Department of Radiology at George Washington University for the last 25 years. “I have seen so many of my brothers and sisters in their fight against AIDS and hope I have helped to make it easier for them along the way,” he says.