DANIEL VALDEZ
2023 Parade Grand Marshal

The Grand Marshal of the Charlotte Pride Parade represents the best of LGBTQ leadership, service, and community. The Grand Marshal is the honorary lead of the parade riding behind the honor guard and is among the first to be recognized by the parade emcees.

Daniel Valdez (he/him) is Chief External Affairs Officer at Welcoming America. With more than fifteen years of nonprofit management experience, he is passionate about helping advance the mission of organizations and communities working on systemic changes to bring greater prosperity and opportunity for everyone.

Daniel’s work has centered around advocacy and education efforts on issues like civic engagement, immigrant rights, racial justice, health disparities, and economic mobility. This has led him to work and volunteer with a number of local organizations such as the Latin American Coalition, Carolinas CARE Partnership, Crisis Assistance Ministry, Wayfinders, Hispanic Federation, Communities in School – Charlotte Mecklenburg, Charlotte Bilingual Preschool, and the Levine Museum of the New South.

As a proud member of our Charlotte queer community, Daniel has served in various capacities to support our LGBTQ+ organizations for more than a decade. He served as a Board Member and Grants Committee Chair with the Plus Collective (formerly the Charlotte Lesbian and Gay Fund), Co-Chaired Reel Out Charlotte (formally the GayCharlotte Film Festival), and was the President of the Board of Directors of Charlotte Pride from 2017-2021. He is currently in his 8th year on the board of Charlotte Pride.

Daniel holds a B.A. in History and Latin American Studies from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and a certificate in Nonprofit Management from Duke University. He was born in Acapulco, Mexico and has called the Charlotte region home for 25 years. In his spare time Daniel enjoys hiking, cooking, spending time with friends and family, and exploring new cities.

For his service and dedication to the mission of Charlotte Pride, Daniel was presented with the Stonewall Award, Charlotte Pride’s highest recognition, in 2022.

TERESA DAVIS
2023 Parade Grand Marshal – In Memoriam

The Grand Marshal of the Charlotte Pride Parade represents the best of LGBTQ leadership, service, and community. The Grand Marshal is the honorary lead of the parade riding behind the honor guard and is among the first to be recognized by the parade emcees.

Teresa Davis is honored this year as the Grand Marshal – In Memoriam of the 2023 Bank of America Charlotte Pride Parade.

Teresa was born in May of 1963, and spent most of her childhood in Johnson City, Tennessee. She spent her high school years in the Midwest, and her college years in St. Louis, Missouri, receiving her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Piano Performance from the St. Louis Conservatory of Music. She then attended the Law School at St. Louis University where she received her law degree, and was admitted to the bar in Missouri.

In 1993, Teresa joined the Air Force, where she served six years as an active duty United States Air Force Judge Advocate, stationed primarily in Japan, and then transferring to Washington, DC. After her Active Duty service, she remained in the Air Force as a reservist until 2013. When she retired from the Air Force, she was at the rank of Major.

She was ultimately admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, and the Missouri Supreme Court.

After the Air Force, Teresa served as the Acting Assistant Director of the FOIA/Privacy Act Unit for the Department of Justice Executive Office for United States Attorneys, FOIA/Privacy Act Unit. She supervised six attorneys and more than twenty paralegals and staff assistants. She also created, directed, and appeared in monthly training videos broadcast through the Department of Justice National Advocacy Center, where she frequently taught courses on FOIA, the Privacy Act, and records retention.

In June 2003, Teresa and her Spouse moved to Charlotte, NC, where Teresa joined TSA as a Field Attorney for Charlotte, North Carolina and South Carolina. She also covered a temporary assignment in Atlanta between 2017 and 2019 as a Supervisory Field Attorney for Georgia and South Carolina.

Since 2019, Teresa served as Ethics Counsel to the Transportation Security Administration, providing ethics guidance and advice across the agency.

Teresa had always been very active in the Charlotte Community since her arrival in 2003. She worked on several committees and non-profit Boards, including that of the Charlotte LGBT Center and the Carolinas LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce, where she served as President. And in 2009, with the help of her Spouse and friends, she founded Charlotte’s Reel Out Annual Film Festival, which is now going into its 24th year.

Teresa passed away peacefully on February 15, 2023, after a long illness. She is survived by her Spouse of nearly 24 years, Victoria Eves, and her brother Michael Davis, of Atlanta, Georgia.

KAREN GRACI
2023 Outstanding Ally Award Recipient

Given annually to an individual to honor those who have stalwartly supported the LGBTQ community with a demonstrated, ongoing passion, and commitment to better LGBTQ lives.

As the first Executive Director for PFLAG Charlotte, Karen leads the organization’s efforts to create a caring, just and affirming community for LGBTQ+ individuals and those who love them. Leading with love, PFLAG Charlotte supports families, educates allies, and advocates for equality to ensure LGBTQT+ people are safe, celebrated, empowered, and loved.

Prior to her role as Executive Director, Karen served as PFLAG Charlotte’s Board Chair & President from 2019 – 2021 and as Healthcare Outreach Manager from 2017 – 2019.

Previously, Karen spent thirteen years with Deloitte in Washington, D.C., Wilton, CT, and Charlotte, NC, with leadership roles in national recruiting and national human resources.

Married, Karen and her husband, Jeff, live in Charlotte. They have two fabulous young adult daughters and an awesome cockapoo.

SARAH T. MOORE
2023 Youth Catalyst Award Recipient

Given annually to an individual to recognize a young adult leader under the age of 24 who is an “up-and-coming” leader within the community and/or whose contributions to the community have carried significant impact over the last year.

Sarah is a sophomore journalism student at Elon University . She has been engaged in LGBTQ+ activism on both a local and national level since she was 14, working with organizations such as Time Out Youth, GLSEN and Charlotte Pride. Sarah also led LGBTQ+ advocacy efforts in her high school and continues to be engaged with the LGBTQ+ community on her college campus. Sarah first started volunteering with Charlotte Pride when she was 16 as a member of the festival coordination team and returned this summer as an inaugural summer intern, a program sponsored by The Principal Foundation. In her free time, Sarah enjoys board games with friends and family, bird watching and spending time with her pets.

2022
Harvey Milk Award: The Hon. Tamara Sheffield
Outstanding Ally Award: Dr. Holly Savoy
Young Catalyst Award: Devin Green
Stonewall Award: Daniel Valdez
Grand Marshal & Legacy Award Recipient: Debbie Warren

2020-2021
Harvey Milk Award: O’Neale Atkinson
Outstanding Ally Award: Darryl White, Sr.
Legacy Award: Shann Fulton
Legacy Award — In Memoriam: Johnny Johnson (1958-2020)

2019
Harvey Milk Award: James Rice III
Outstanding Ally Award: Ashley Nurkin
Young Catalyst Award: Audrey Ansel
Stonewall Award: Matt Comer
Grand Marshals: Charlotte Black Pride and The Hon. John S. Arrowood, N.C. Court of Appeals

2018
Harvey Milk Award: Gerald Gurss and J. Donte Prayer
Outstanding Ally Award: Liz Fitzgerald
Young Catalyst Award: Nikolai Mather
Stonewall Award: Richard Grimstad and Craig Hopkins
Grand Marshals: Richard Grimstad and Craig Hopkins

2017
Harvey Milk Award: The Hon. Al Austin, Charlotte City Council; and The Hon. LaWana Mayfield, Charlotte City Council
Outstanding Ally Award: Diane Troy
Young Catalyst Award: Vinnie Holt and Rebby Kern
Grand Marshals: Monica Helms and The Hon. Jeff Jackson, N.C. Senate

2016
Harvey Milk Award: Candis Cox and Matt Hirschy
Outstanding Ally Award: The Hon. Jennifer Roberts, Mayor of Charlotte
Young Catalyst Award: Ashley Williams
Stonewall Award: Riley Murray
Legacy Award — Inaugural Recipients: Dr. Rhett Brown and Sue Henry
Legacy Award — In Memoriam: Blake Brockington (1996-2015) and Donaldson Wells King (1942-2014)
Grand Marshal: The Hon. Jennifer Roberts, Mayor of Charlotte

2015
Harvey Milk Award: Joshua Burford
Outstanding Ally Award: The Hon. John Autry, Charlotte City Council
Young Catalyst Award: Gabby Hubert
Stonewall Award: Dave Webb
Grand Marshals: Jermaine Nakia Lee and The Rev. Jasmine Beach-Ferrara

2014
Harvey Milk Award: Tonda Taylor
Outstanding Ally Award: The Rev. Dr. Nancy Kraft
Young Catalyst Award: Andraya Williams
Grand Marshals: The Hon. Patsy Kinsy and The Hon. LaWana Mayfield, Charlotte City Council

2013 — Inaugural Awards
Harvey Milk Award: Janice Covington
Outstanding Ally Award: Beverly and Bill McIntyre
Young Catalyst Award: Juan Carlos Ramos
Grand Marshals: Wesley Mancini and Bishop Tonyia Rawls