The Board

Ailsa Craig - Co-Founder and Co-Chair

Is a cultural sociologist and queer and trans activist whose work focuses on art, inequality, gender, sexuality and community. A professor and administrator at Memorial University, Ailsa is invested in bringing academic insights into practice that builds and explores vibrant community, and has helped build and/or worked with a wide range of queer and trans initiatives in NL and Ontario, including the Intergenerational LGBT Artist Residency, Make it Better NL, The Trans Needs Coalition, Toronto Pride, Xtra! Magazine, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, and the LGBT Youthline.

Laura Riche (she/her) - Co-Chair

Is a public servant with the Federal Government. Laura uses her leadership position to advance issues affecting the 2SLGBTQAI+ in the workplace and strives to make a difference in the community as a whole through her volunteer work. Laura holds a Bachelor of Arts in Cultural Anthropology and a Master of Arts with a focus in Leadership and Organizational Behaviour. In her spare time, Laura enjoys spending weekends at the cabin with family and friends.

Stefan James (He/Him/They) - Secretary

Is a musician, music educator and researcher from St. John’s, NL. Stefan is currently completing a music education degree at Memorial. Stefan maintains a private studio in the metro area where he teaches brass and piano lessons. He is also a professional academic tutor working with junior and high-school students in science/math/humanities. Stefan has been an active board member of QuadrangleNL since August 2021, and is currently serving on the executive as secretary. In his spare time, Stefan loves to spend time outdoors with dogs or playing board games with his family.

Dr. Sulaimon Giwa (he/him)

Is an Assistant Professor in the School Social Work with a cross-appointment to the Department of Sociology (Police Studies) at Memorial University. He is the Endowed Chair in Criminology and Criminal Justice at St. Thomas University. An interdisciplinary scholar who self-identifies as same-gender-loving, Dr. Giwa’s empirical and theoretical research is informed by an intersectional and critical race approach to social justice, to advance understanding about the experiences of racialized and gender and sexually diverse groups with systems of oppression. His research and writings have appeared in top-ranked international journals. Dr. Giwa serves as the convener for the Research Exchange Group on Gender, Sexuality, and Health at the Newfoundland and Labrador Centre for Applied Health Research, and has collaborated with the St. John’s Pride Inc. on different initiatives, including coauthoring the report Restoring Confidence in Pride: The Way Forward. Dr. Giwa is an active member of the Anti-Racism Coalition of Newfoundland and Labrador, among other social justice movement groups.

Nikolas Mesher (he/him) - Member at Large Labrador Rep

Is an Indigenous Transgender man from Labrador. He’s a member of the NunatuKavut Inuit, who reside across the southern & central portions of Labrador. He has a passion for cats, caffeine, and the outdoors. Nikolas has been involved in assisting and hosting 2SLGBTQIA+ activities & events across Newfoundland and Labrador over the last decade. Nikolas has been an active board member of the Quadrangle NL non-profit organization as an Indigenous representative from the Labrador region of Newfoundland and Labrador since August 2021, he has a drive for creating safe & inclusive spaces for people of all ages within the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Aside from the volunteer work Nikolas gives to the community he is also a Red Seal certified Journey Person Carpenter and has been working in the trade since 2016, his career has allowed him to travel along the coasts of Labrador as well as into the territory of Nunavut. In his spare time if he’s not spoiling his cats or spending time with family, you can find him in his garage crafting something out of wood!

Heather Brown - Treasurer

Catherine Hutchens - Member at Large