Mission
Founded in 1998 by the creators of the Academy Award®-winning short film TREVOR, The Trevor Project is the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) young people ages 13–24.
The mission of The Trevor Project is to end suicide among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning young people. The organization works to fulfill this mission through four strategies:
- Provide crisis counseling to LGBTQ young people thinking of suicide.
- Offer resources, supportive counseling, and a sense of community to LGBTQ young people to reduce the risk that they become suicidal.
- Educate young people and adults who interact with young people on LGTBQ-competent suicide prevention, risk detection, and response.
- Advocate for laws and policies that will reduce suicide among LGBTQ young people.
We are dedicated to focusing on ways to expand awareness of all our lifesaving programs so that youth who do not know about our services have access to them.
Founders
In 1994, producers Randy Stone and Peggy Rajski saw writer/performer James Lecesne bring to life Trevor, a character he created as part of his award-winning one-man show Word of Mouth. Convinced Trevor’s story would make a wonderful short film, Stone and Rajski invited Lecesne to adapt it into a screenplay. Rajski directed the movie and TREVOR went on to win many prestigious awards including the Academy Award® for Best Live Action Short Film.
TREVOR Screenwriter: James Lecesne
“With TREVOR, I saw the power of a story… what a story could do and how it could travel out into the world like a little satellite. Something that happened in 1994 is continuing to grow and change and affect people’s lives.”
TREVOR Director/Producer: Peggy Rajski
“Somebody once said, it takes a village to raise a child, and I feel like Trevor’s the village for so many people who need it. We’re moved by the fact that this has grown so much bigger than anything we’d thought it would be.”
TREVOR Producer: Randy Stone (August 26, 1958–February 12, 2007)
“This project was a perfect experience for us. From the beginning, it seemed to be blessed. Everybody we asked to help said yes.”
The Oscar-winning film eventually launched a national movement. When producer Randy Stone secured an airing on HBO with Ellen DeGeneres hosting, director/producer Peggy Rajski discovered there was no real place for young people like Trevor to turn when facing challenges similar to his. She quickly recruited mental health experts and figured out how to build the infrastructure necessary for a nationwide 24-hour crisis line, and writer James Lecesne secured the funds to start it. On the night their funny and moving coming-of-age story premiered on HBO in 1998, these visionary filmmakers launched the Trevor Lifeline, the first national crisis intervention and suicide prevention lifeline for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning youth.
Since then, hundreds of thousands of young people in crisis have reached out to The Trevor Project’s multiple in-person and online lifesaving, life-affirming resources—Trevor Lifeline, TrevorChat, TrevorSpace, and Trevor Education Workshops.
Board of Directors
Board of Directors list reflective of August 1, 2015 (FY16)
Chris C. Allieri
Philip Armstrong
Ben Boyd
Lindsay Chambers
Brian J. Dorsey
Lara Embry Ph.D
Jeffrey Fishberger, MD
Zack Hicks
Meredith Kadlec
Michael J. Norton
Tyler Oakley
Amit Paley
Peggy Rajski
Ruben Ramirez
Adam Shankman
Stacy Smithers
Linda Spooner
Jeffrey Paul Wolff
Brian Winterfeldt
View the current Board list here
Staff
Staff list reflective of August 1, 2015 (FY16)
Abbe Land, Executive Director & CEO
Adam Hunt, Crisis Services Manager
Amit Routh, Senior Manager of Peer Support Programs
Amy Lanteigne, Research & Data Manager
Amy Loudermilk, Assoc. Director of Government Affairs
Ashby Dodge, Clinical Director
Brandon Stinchfield, Sr. Foundations and Corporate Grants Mgr.
Brent Webster, Events Manager
Brett Harrison, Outreach Coordinator
Brian Stiles, Operations Manager
Brock Dumville, Senior Crisis Services Manager
Caitlyn Duer, Grant Writer
Chris Bright, Crisis Services Coordinator – Training
Chris Angel Murphy, TrevorSpace Coordinator – Operations
Danielle Orner, Senior Education Manager
David Bond, Vice President of Programs
Elissa Hawker, Crisis Services Shift Supervisor
Eva Steers-Smith, Senior Operations Manager
Fadra Baker, Crisis Services Coordinator
Ish Green, Crisis Services Coordinator
Jack McCurley, Vice President of Advancement
Jason Daniel, Fair Senior Major Gifts Officer
Jeremy Ancalade, Vice President of Operations
Joie DeRitis, Crisis Services Coordinator – Training
Jonathan Foulk, Senior Corporate Development Officer
Kim Chatham, Crisis Services Coordinator – Operations
Kris Mortier, Crisis Services Shift Supervisor
Laura Ann Sims, Crisis Services Coordinator – Training
Lauren Feldman, Crisis Services Shift Supervisor
Lauren Lydiard, Crisis Services Coordinator
Matt Zaslow, Events Director
Melissa Galvin, Crisis Services Coordinator – Operations
Paloma Woo, Senior Crisis Services Manager
Rachel Harlich, TrevorSpace Community Coordinator
Rebecca Pine, Development Manager
Rene Porter, Human Resources Director
Renee Bever, Crisis Services Coordinator – Operations
Richard Rocha, Executive Administrator
Rory Gory, Digital Marketing Specialist
Sandra Leon, Senior Community Engagement Manager
Scarlet Watts, Associate Development Director
Siobhan Mangal, Community Engagement Coordinator
Stephanie Mesones Alvarado, Development Officer – Individuals
Steve Mendelsohn, Deputy Executive Director
Tracy Ferrell, Database Manager
Vanessa Paolantonio, Sr. Marketing Designer
Addtionally, there were 23 crisis workers in FY16.
View the current staff list here
Advisory Council
The Advisory Board is a group of individuals who bring unique knowledge and skills that compliment Trevor’s Board of Directors, staff, and committee members. The Advisory Board allows Trevor to create and maintain formal and visible relationships with leaders in the community and people with highly respected skills in certain related fields such as Mental Health, Communication, Education, and Public Policy.
Bryan Cochran Ph. D.
Albert Killen-Harvey LCSW
Robert Garofalo MPH
Scott Leibowitz M.D.
Ann P. Haas, Ph.D.
Ana Mari Cauce Ph.D.
Douglas C. Haldeman. Ph.D.
Brian Mustanski Ph.D.
Amanda Hirsch Ph.D.
Johanna Olson M.D.
Leadership Council
The Leadership Council is a group of dedicated past board members who continue their work with The Trevor Project by supporting Trevor’s programs, strategic initiatives, lending expertise, and advocating for public policy that advances Trevor’s mission.
Tim Aldrete
Richard Ayoub
Lisa Brende
Andre Caraco
Al Duncan
Brenda R Freiberg
Michael Graham
Bonnie Graves
Scott McPhail
Sean McManus
Jim Murphy
Brian Pendleton
Jerry J. Ruiz
Al Strasburg
Ricky Strauss
Ron Valdez
Jorge Valencia
Scott Zimmerman
Contact
For general questions or comments, contact The Trevor Project at [email protected].