Rosie Keating (she/her) serves as Youth Programs & Services Co- Chair. She is an LISW-S who is passionate about supporting LGBTQ+ youth, and creating spaces where all young people feel free to be themselves and feel supported in their growth. She is dedicated to strengthening community connection and belonging. In her free time she enjoys spending time in nature, exploring new places, and making meaningful memories with community and loved ones. With experience working with children, teens, and families, she is committed to fostering connection, empowerment, and inclusion through her role as a board member.

Ariel Mertz (she/her) serves as Governance & Records Chair. She is a board member with a background in social services and grant management. She brings experience in advocacy and program development, and is passionate about justice, equity, and creating inclusive spaces where all young people can thrive.

Miya Browning (she/her) serves as Youth Safety & Inclusive Access Chair. She is an artist serving as a board member, dedicated to strengthening the community through creativity. She believes art is a powerful tool for expression, healing, and connection, and is committed to using her voice to help guide and support the organization’s vision. 

Kristina Bringman (she/her) serves as Community Partnerships & Outreach Chair and as Fund Development & Donor Engagement Co-Chair. With a background in nonprofit development, education, and publishing, and advanced degrees in English and Gender & Sexuality Studies, Kristina brings both experience and expertise to our board. Kristina—in her role as a board trustee—helps with grant writing, edits and proofreads marketing materials, collaborates with other trustees on event planning and execution, and works to strengthen community partnerships.

Sara Roseberry (she/her/dude) serves as Events & Campaigns Co-Chair. She is the assistant general manager at an intentionally inclusive yet artfully quirky restaurant in Dayton's Oregon District. Sara has a background in behavioral work and passion for community support. She has worked in long term memory care as well as with a variety of children, ranging in ages on the neurodivergent spectrum.
Sara also worked directly with Dayton's Q+ youth for 3 years through the Visible & Resilient education program. She's been a Q+ board member since the board started!

Kataushia Thomas (She/Her) serves as the Finance & Stewardship Chair. She is a strategic leader and creative mentor dedicated to building vibrant, resilient communities. By blending extensive expertise in healthcare operations with a lifelong passion for the arts, she champions "self-care" as a foundational tool for both personal and professional success.

As the founder of Melanin Flame Candle Company and an active board member, Kataushia leverages her platform to empower the next generation. She is particularly passionate about mentoring youth through creative expression, hosting immersive, hands-on workshops that encourage young individuals to explore their potential and lead with confidence. By bridging the gap between professional leadership and creative outreach, Kataushia is committed to fostering supportive environments where people can grow, heal, and innovate together.

Andie Hock (she/her) serves as Events & Campaigns Chair. She is a transgender woman who supports her local Q+ community in many ways.  Andie is retired, but she is active in her local community in ways such as being a member of the local Public Health Q+ Health Alliance, serving as Support Director for her local PFLAG chapter, and as a board member and youth facilitator for Thrive Youth Collective, our local Q+ youth center.  Andie sees her transgender journey as enabling her to express her most authentic self, and to help others express their authentic selves as well.

Gwen Warner (she/her) is an educator from Delaware, Ohio, who has a passion for working with youths of all ages. Her journey working with youths started as an after school drama teacher for elementary students in 2017, which was followed by several years in the performing arts, where she frequently served as a mentor and supervisor for student interns. This continued until she left theater during the pandemic, which landed her a job as a substitute teacher, and subsequently she became a teacher candidate with Wright State University. A new addition to the Thrive Youth Collective, Gwen is hoping to use her degree in Education to help bring new perspectives and opportunities to members of the community. She has a special focus on helping individuals with differing abilities find ways to not only survive, but to thrive in their daily lives, as well as creating equitable options for all individuals. She is a firm believer that infinite diversity creates infinite possibilities, and the future will be built by embracing that diversity, an attitude she tries to bring into everything she does.

Tim Farquhar (he/him) serves as Vice Chair. He is a  Dayton native and a founding member of The Rubi Girls. He believes firmly that if you take care of your community, your community will take care of you — he knows that starts with our youth. Tim is honored to be a Trustee of THRIVE Youth Collective.

Erin Terpstra (she/her) serves as Board Chair. She’s been part of the Q+ community since the early days of the Q+ Health Alliance and remains deeply committed to helping build spaces where LGBTQ+ youth feel seen, supported, and affirmed. She currently serves on the Board for Thrive Youth Collective (formerly Q+ Youth Center), supporting efforts to create inclusive, youth-centered programming and meaningful community connections. With a background as a nurse in public and population health, Erin brings a strong understanding of how social determinants of health impact communities and is passionate about helping bridge those gaps. At the heart of her work is a commitment to co-creating environments where young people can show up fully as themselves, build confidence, and thrive.

Richelle Frabotta (she/her) serves as Youth Programs & Services Chair. She is the visionary behind Thrive Youth Collective and the author of the evidence-informed prevention curriculum, Visible & Resilient in Community and Self (V&R). She is a nationally recognized sex/ual/ity educator, public health professional, and community builder with more than 30 years of experience advancing inclusive education and programming that meets people where they are. She brings together research, practice, and voices with lived experience to increase health access and equity with marginalized communities.  As a native Daytonian, Richelle is proud to work and live in such a relationship-driven county with pro-active people who know how to survive systems that weren’t built for them. Shout out to friends and neighbors who practice seeing, hearing, and valuing young people…as they show up.

Ja’la Faulks (They/She) serves as the Youth Services & Programming Co-Chair for Thrive Youth Collective, where she aims to develop engaging, inclusive programming for youth and community members. As a community organizer and educator, she is deeply passionate about creating spaces rooted in connection, healing, creativity, and accessibility. Her work centers on uplifting underserved communities while fostering environments where young people can safely grow, express themselves, and thrive.

Michelle Chaplin Partlow (she/her), as an educator, taught for 40 years then became a principal and professor. I have worked with children of all ages. My mission in life is to to be an ally and advocate for transgender/non-binary children and teens. Teaching others about this is important and I have spoken to many groups, schools, and organizations. I also teach courses on this subject. When I lived in Philadelphia I was a volunteer for Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). Their department known as “Gender and Sexuality Development Program ” is well known. I’ve been a volunteer in this program for 9 years as the co-facilitator for grandparents of transgender /non-binary children. Community Service is something I value and I am honored to be included in Thrive Youth Collective.