Board Members
Mariah Moore ED (She/Her)
House of Tulip
Transgender Law Center
Mariah Moore is a national transgender rights activist from New Orleans, LA. Her work includes fighting to ensure equity, equality, and safety for the transgender community, especially Black transgender women. Mariah has worked tirelessly in New Orleans to bring awareness to communities that have been adversely affected by laws and policies that are discriminatory.
Mariah serves on the LGBTQ Task Force which was created by New Orleans Mayor, LaToya Cantrell. She also works with the CANS Can't Stand campaign, which is a campaign that was created to bring awareness to and hopefully abolish the crimes against nature law that has historically targeted LGBTQ people of color, specifically Black transgender women. Mariah is a Victory Empowerment Alumni, which is a program that identifies LGBTQ community members who wish to run for office and provides campaign training and support. Mariah is also involved with SONG, through the Lorde’s Werq! fellowship. Through sharing her lived experiences as well as the work she does at Transgender Law Center as a National Organizer, she continues to change hearts and minds so that all LGBTQ people can live free from fear.
Dr.Tomika Washington (She/Her)
Dr. Tomika Washington is a native of New Orleans, Louisiana. Her 20 years of experience teaching and leading school campuses spans across disciplines in grades 4th through 12th. Dr. Washington’s work as teacher, master teacher, assistant principal, and principal in charter schools after Hurricane Katrina started her work in public education reform. She has served students in charter schools the past several years in the Algiers Charter Schools Association. Dr. Washington also served within ACSA, as a High School English Teacher and English & Social Studies Master Teacher and Principal. In the past 4 years she served at the network level as ACSA’s Director of Secondary Education & Academic Policy and Director of High School Performance and Accountability. In these roles, she transformed the high school campus through establishing clear systems & processes as it relates to academics & culture and created viable CTE pathways for all graduates. In addition to her work as a local educator, she is also an advocate and supporter of women and girls reaching their full potential. Her work as a Sunday School Superintendent, Mentor, and Coach speaks to her true calling of supporting others with reaching their full potential. Dr. Washington received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Secondary English, and a Master of Arts in Urban Education from Southern University at New Orleans and A Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Leadership/Administration from Capella University in Minneapolis Minnesota.
Nathalie Nia Faulk (They/Them)
Nathalie Nia Faulk (They/Them) is a self described ebony southern belle born in Lafayette, Louisiana and living in New Orleans for the last eight years. Since her childhood, her work has lived at the the intersections of performance, history and storytelling, healing justice, individual and organizational development, and community building. They use these competencies as tools for the liberation of all people, centering trans and gender non confirming black and brown people. Currently, they serve as A Human Rights Commissioner for the City of New Orleans, Co-Director of Southern Organizer Academy as well as Co-Director of Last Call Oral History Project, and as the Cultural Organizing Programs Coordinator for Alternate ROOTS. In addition to her service as Board member of Transcending Women, they currently serve both BreakOUT! and the LOUD Queer Youth Theater advisory Boards. They believe that everyone is inherently valuable and beautiful and collectively, we can manifest everything!
Vincenzo Pasquantonio (They/Them)
Vincenzo Pasquantonio (they/them/theirs, he/him,his) is an organizer and political activist in New Orleans, Louisiana. In 2018, Vincenzo was appointed the Executive Director of the City of New Orleans Human Relations Commission by Mayor LaToya Cantrell, and also served as the founding Director of the City of New Orleans Office of Human Rights and Equity, an office established by executive order to advise the administration on human rights policy issues. Under Vincenzo's tenure, the office led a successful effort to enshrine a Human Rights Commission in the City’s Home Rule Charter, granting the new commission the power to enforce the city’s local anti-discrimination laws. The office office also submitted the City’s first Universal Periodic Review report to the United Nations, advocated for the implementation of racial equity initiatives under the new Mayor’s administration, and established an LGBTQ+ Task Force focused on Black and Transgender residents. Vincenzo left New Orleans City government in 2020 and currently serves as a member of the U.S. Human Rights Cities Alliance steering committee where he advocates for human rights standards and best practices for cities in the Deep South.
Lynisha Phillips is a native of New Orleans, Louisiana and a mother of three. In her professional life. She has extensive experience in multi family management. She demonstrated customer service excellence, business acumen, and strategic plan in ability. possess a collaborative approach in leadership with aptitude to foster a team-oriented environment while imparting knowledge to others on how to increase productivity. Utilize diverse property sales tactics, including qualification, persuasion, strategy, and closing. Armed with solid communications and interpersonal skills to establish and maintain rapport with tenants, both new and current, and staff.
Dr. Stephanie Gaskill (She/Her)
Stephanie Gaskill has a passion for education. Whether she’s teaching in high school equivalency or higher education settings, she loves most to be in the classroom with students. She believes everyone has the right to an education, regardless of circumstance. Stephanie is also a scholar; her dissertation research on religion and incarceration in Louisiana started her on a path to investigate the full depth and breadth of injustice in the state’s criminal legal system. Ever since she met Executive Director Wendi Cooper at the state capitol in 2017, Stephanie has been inspired by the mission of TRANScending Women, and she is committed to working with all women to reach their goals.