We’re a diverse group of people who volunteer as servant leaders for the Austin Galano Club community. Meet our amazing team.
Loretta M.
she, her, hers
President
Fundraising
loretta@austingalano.org
I moved to Austin in 1992 and got sober five months later. I asked if there were any 12-Step LGBT groups. I wanted positive role models to show me how to live life sober as well as love and accept myself. Thankfully, the group where I went to my first meeting is still my home group today. I got involved in service from the start and made cherished, life-long friendships. My goal is to support the Galano Club as a vibrant part of Austin’s recovery community, where all are welcome.
Board Term: 2020-2022
Tré C.
he, him, his
Secretary
Communications
tre.c@austingalano.org
I’ve been sober since 12/08/2018. I’m a musician and visual designer from southeast Texas who survived 5 years of the Midwest. I enjoy my dog Dessner, reading books about history & politics, horror films, mental health, and foods that are both salty and sweet. I’m passionate about queer advocacy as well as helping others stay sober through the 12 Steps. Serving as a board member for AGC is a humbling opportunity that beautifully fulfills this intersection of my passions.
Board Term: 2020-2023
Jason D.
he, him, his
Events
jason.d@austingalano.org
I got sober in Los Angeles in 1998. After many years there, I took a leap of faith and switched careers that took me to D.C., and as of 2019 to Austin, TX as Director of Experience at an events company. In Los Angeles, I was entertainment chair for Hot N Dry for four years as well as fundraising for AALA (Los Angeles’ Round Up). While in D.C., I was the vice president of the Triangle Club. I’ve always found time to be of service to my home group and clubs, either as a board member or clean up guy. Before I officially moved to Austin, I came here every couple of months for work and jumped into Austin Galano Club. It made moving here so much easier, because I now had a home group and some friends. I look forward to doing what I can for AGC.
Board Term: 2021-2023
James Y.
he, him, his
Vice President
IT & Website
james.y@austingalano.org
Originally from Richmond, Virginia, I came to Austin in 2015, when I needed to get sober. I have had a home group at the Galano Club that entire time. As a board member I hope to carry on the Galano Club’s mission to provide a safe place to recover in the Austin community. I have a passion for travel and attending concerts. I look forward to serving each group and all of the members who have found a home here, just as I did.
Board Term: 2019-2021
Robert Q.
he, him, his
Facilities & Membership
robert@austingalano.org
I was born and raised in San Antonio and moved to Austin in 1996. I started my recovery journey on January 2, 1998 and have had the same home group ever since. I was part of the remodeling and cleaning team when Galano was formed. Along with other long-time members, I cleaned the club once a week for the first year or so. As a board member, I want to work together to continue to provide the community a safe place to meet and support each other on a daily basis.
Board Term: 2020-2022
Jessica R.
she, her, hers
Events & Communications
jessica.r@austingalano.org
Before I officially began my recovery in 2018, I would occasionally out the Galano Club as a place of comfort and safety. Since then, I’ve continued to explore how different groups with different identities approach recovery and experience the steps. My belief is that the variety of meeting styles and membership creates the opportunity for folx in recovery to make even deeper connections to others in order to stay sober. The Austin Galano Club is where that happens for myself and countless others, and so I take service to it as an honor and a matter of great importance. I live with my fiancé, Caleb, and our black kitty we named “Smooth” after the 1999 Santana and Rob Thomas jam.
Jamie S.
he, him, his
Treasurer
jamie.s@austingalano.org
Jamie has lived in Austin since graduating from Texas A&M in 1991. He began working at UT in 1991, graduated with a Master’s degree in Accounting in 1993, and has worked at UT ever since. He currently serves as the Interim Director of the UT Extended Campus. Previous positions include Associate Dean for Business Affairs for the College of Liberal Arts, and Associate Vice President for Shared Services. Jamie has also served on the board of directors of two homeowner associations.
Board Term: 2017-2022
Mel M.
he, him, his
Groups Liaison & Hospitality
mel.m@austingalano.org
I grew up in northern Ohio, but have been in Austin since 1991. I found Galano and an agnostic 12-Step meeting in 2019. “There were people there that showed me the steps in a way that made sense to me. Since that day, I thank the universe for Galano, because this club saved my life. As a board member, I want to ensure that Galano’s mission leads more people into recovery through how we act and how we can connect to our LGBTQIA+ community.
Board Term: 2020-2022
Marvin T.
he, him, his
Facilities
marvin.t@austingalano.org
I was born and raised in Corpus Christi and moved to Austin 2003. I started my recovery journey in 2004 and have over 15 years of recovery. I was one of the founding members to help get Galano started. I was instrumental in getting the doors open by stripping and waxing the floors to get things ready! On the board, I want to continue to provide a safe haven for the recovering community.
Board Term: 2020-2022
Matthew M.
he, him, his
Membership & Hospitality
matthew.m@austingalano.org
Born and raised in Austin Texas, I ended up at the Galano Club shortly after getting sober in 2014, and in many ways it has been a home ever since. Not only did it provide a space in which to be sober, but it also provided a space in which I could learn how to be a gay man comfortable in my own skin. Today, I am going to college to pursue a nursing degree. I have had the opportunity to do service work all over the world since getting sober. I’m not sure any of that would have been possible were it not for the love and support the club provided in early sobriety. I truly believe it would be safe to say that the Galano Club saves lives, and it is an honor to contribute to that in any way that I can.
Board Term: 2021-2023
What is Servant Leadership?
While servant leadership is a timeless concept, the phrase “servant leadership” was coined by Robert K. Greenleaf in “The Servant as Leader”, an essay that he first published in 1970. In that essay, Greenleaf said:[citation needed]
“The servant-leader is servant first… It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. That person is sharply different from one who is leader first, perhaps because of the need to assuage an unusual power drive or to acquire material possessions…The leader-first and the servant-first are two extreme types. Between them there are shadings and blends that are part of the infinite variety of human nature.”
“The difference manifests itself in the care taken by the servant-first to make sure that other people’s highest priority needs are being served. The best test, and difficult to administer, is: Do those served grow as persons? Do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants? And, what is the effect on the least privileged in society? Will they benefit or at least not be further deprived?“
Robert Greenleaf recognized that organizations as well as individuals could be servant-leaders. Indeed, he had great faith that servant-leader organizations could change the world. In his second major essay, “The Institution as Servant” (1972), Greenleaf articulated what is often called the “credo.” There he said:
“This is my thesis: caring for persons, the more able and the less able serving each other, is the rock upon which a good society is built. Whereas, until recently, caring was largely person to person, now most of it is mediated through institutions – often large, complex, powerful, impersonal; not always competent; sometimes corrupt. If a better society is to be built, one that is more just and more loving, one that provides greater creative opportunity for its people, then the most open course is to raise both the capacity to serve and the very performance as servant of existing major institutions by new regenerative forces operating within them.” [3]
