Ingersoll Leadership

Marsha Botzer - Founder and co-chair

Marsha has served the LGBTIQ community in various roles for over 30 years. She was an early member of Hands Off Washington, a founding board member of Equal Rights Washington and the Seattle LGBT Center, and has served as a board member of Pride Foundation, the Safe Schools Coalition, Lambert House, Seattle Counseling Service, the Seattle LBGT Commission, Washington State DSHS Advisory Committee, and Equality Washington.  Marsha is currently national co-chair of The Task Force, a position that she also held in 2005-6. She is a founding member of the Out In Front Leadership Project, and is currently involved in creating a Leadership Training Program for the LGBTIQ Community. Marsha founded Ingersoll Gender Center and continues to serve the organization.

In 2008 Marsha served as a national co-chair of the Obama Pride Campaign. In 2009 she served on the Leadership Committee for the Equality Across America March in Washington DC.  In 2004 Marsha received the Horace Mann "Victories for Humanity" Award from Antioch University, and the Virginia Prince Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Federation for Gender Education.   In 2007 Marsha received The Task Force Leadership Award.

Breanna Anderson - Co-chair

Breanna Anderson is a Seattle-area community organizer, educator and activist for Transgender and Queer issues.  She has been involved in grass-roots community activism since coming out in 1990, at the age of 33, volunteering and in leadership of organizations such as Q-Patrol, Freedom Day Committee (Pride parade organizers), Seattle LGBT Community Center, Washington Transgender Equality Project, Out in Front LGBT Training program and Ingersoll Gender Center.  Breanna is currently focusing on transgender issues, education and community building efforts.

Breanna is an out and open queer, transgender woman and is partnered for 15 years with Ryan Blackhawke who is also a long-time queer and trans-activist.  Breanna has three fabulous adult children.

Professionally, Breanna is a software designer and entrepreneur specializing in web publishing technology and helped start-up MSNBC.com in 1995.

Amanda Straker - Secretary

Amanda is an experienced administrator and team leader with a background in database management and development, team building and multi-organizational communications and logistics.  In the past, she cut her teeth within service driven companies while learning to navigate the intricacies of corporate bureaucracy.  Most recently she was transferred to Ohio and tasked with developing a streamlined database and reporting program for her last employer.  After a recent lay off from work she returned to Washington to focus on becoming active within and contributing to the transgender community as well as her continuing education.  Amanda currently attends Highline Community College and plans to transfer to Evergreen State College with the goal of pursuing a career devoted to the gender variant community.  She has also found a niche on the internet by leading a forum for LGBT members and is developing a website in support of that effort. 

As a deeply passionate woman, Amanda is driven by her desire for equality, her love of people and her caring for others.  She is one who is strong in her convictions and will not compromise for half-measures that fall short of a real result.  Sometimes considered stubborn, she works tirelessly within a team or individually for the greater good while considering the consequences to the minority.  She believes that a concerted effort by many can make the impossible a reality, turn wrong into right and hate into acceptance and understanding. 

Al Ankney

Bio coming soon.

Elayne Wylie-Weichers

Elayne has worked with Ingersoll since 2007, just in time to help them move to their new digs at Seattle Counseling Center. She volunteers for Ingersoll by training and scheduling facilitators, and also serves on the board. Elayne has also focused on gathering information on competent healthcare providers for our community, and vetting them to ensure the best experience for our community. Recently, she has begun working on the boards of Seattle Out & Proud and Out & Equal Seattle, with an emphasis on outreach.

Elayne is self-employed as a film producer and as a consultant working with schools, corporations and community organizations.

Ryan Blackhawke

Ryan Blackhawke has been a community activist with a
focus on LGBT equality for over 25 years. He cut his activism teeth with ACT UP
in the early 90's while organizing the Louisiana contingent for the 1993 March
on Washington. Shortly after the 1993 March on Washington, Ryan returned to Louisiana
and formed the first GSA on his college campus.  After moving to Seattle in the mid-90's, he volunteered
for Freedom Day Committee, former producer of the LGBT Pride March & Rally
and managed online communications as a volunteer for the Seattle LGBT Center.
In addition to his work for LGBT equality, Ryan served as state co-coordinator
for Sensible Washington during the 2011 campaign for marijuana legalization.

Ryan's work with Ingersoll Gender Center is
extensive.  He is a seasoned facilitator
of Ingersoll's weekly peer support groups and is an experienced public speaker
about issues related to gender identity & expression. Ryan currently serves
as the Director of Communications & Outreach on Ingersoll's board.