The Pride Center was created by the Founding members in January 2011. The founding members are: Christine Smith, Joanie Dovekas, Deborah Rezac, Steve Zywicki, and four original interns: Jack Melberg, Rory Cowart, Miranda Seitz, and Kit Wise.
![](https://cahsseffect.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/christine-smith.jpg)
![](https://cahsseffect.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/joanie-dovekas.jpg)
![](https://cahsseffect.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/debra-rezac.png)
![](https://cahsseffect.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/steve-zywicki.png)
![](https://cahsseffect.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/stacie-christian.png)
The Pride Center’s original name was The LGBTQA Resource Center but changed its name to The Pride Center in 2014. The center’s initial focus was to provide a safe space for students to socialize and get educational tools. Once the need was known it took time for them to locate some space. They wanted a space that was visible to the students, they decided on a room that was an old storage closet. In the beginning, The Pride Center were two small rooms, an office, and a social room. The Pride Center started with no funding, they were all volunteering their time and eventually got a grant from an outside source.
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Stacie Christian started in May 2011 in The Pride Center working 10hrs a week. The Pride Center now has Stacie Christian as a full time staff member/ director and now there are 14 interns.
Mai J. Lo Lee started the first Lavender Graduation at UWGB, which is a graduation that recognizes LGBTQ+ students that are graduating. The Pride Center has grown, there are now three rooms an office, a quiet room, and a social room. The Pride Center now serves roughly 80 students daily. The Pride Center has come a long way and will hopefully continue to grow.
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By Sydney Vandenbusch
Sydney is a UW-Green Bay student with a major in Public Administration with an emphasis in Nonprofit and Emergency Management and a minor in Human Development and Political Science. Sydney is also a UW-Green Bay Pride Center Intern.