Meet the Team

Shannon Fortner

They/Them

Founder Executive Director - President

Person wearing checkered glasses, with a lip piercing, bow tie, and a collared shirt, smiling indoors.

  • They are a musician, performance artist, and community leader dedicated to using the arts as a catalyst for connection, healing, and social change. As the Founder and Executive Director of the Fabulous Arts Foundation, Shannon has spent over 15 years fostering inclusive spaces that uplift LGBTQIA+ voices through creative expression, advocacy, and mental health support.

    With a vocal style often described as a jazzy Björk, Shannon pushes artistic boundaries through immersive soundscapes, installations, and collaborations that inspire transformation. They founded the Harvey Milk Festival—now the Be Fabulous Music & Arts Pride Fest—which continues to serve as a dynamic platform for queer & Trans artists and allies to connect, celebrate, and amplify the message of equality.

    Shannon’s vision led to the creation of the Fab LGBTQ+ Center, a hub for creativity, mental wellness, and belonging in Sarasota. Through programs like the Swamp Yell Queer Art Collective, community exhibitions, and mental health partnerships, Shannon ensures that the arts remain an avenue for visibility, empowerment, and care.

    Driven by a belief in the power of community and collaboration, Shannon continues to build bridges between art and advocacy, working to create a world where everyone feels seen, heard, and free to be their authentic self.

    Community Focused, Community Driven!

Paul Salvador

He/Him

Vice President

A smiling man with short brown hair and light facial hair, wearing a patterned collared shirt, outdoors with trees and a blurred background.

  • Paul is a passionate advocate for equity, visibility, and inclusion within the LGBTQ+ community, with fifteen years of experience in nonprofit development and fundraising. He has led impactful initiatives to amplify underrepresented voices, secure critical funding, and build lasting partnerships. His work includes fostering LGBTQ+ allyship in sports at Athlete Ally, fighting for the safety of LGBTQ+ and HIV-positive immigrants at Immigration Equality, and co-founding inclusive fitness communities. Paul brings a strategic and collaborative approach to the Fabulous Arts Foundation board. As he puts it, “I believe the arts have a unique power to bring people together, spark important conversations, and celebrate our community’s diversity. I’m thrilled to support this work at FabAF.”

    Paul’s leadership style is grounded in empathy, creativity, and a deep commitment to social change. He has a proven track record of translating big ideas into actionable strategies, whether leading successful fundraising campaigns, driving community engagement, or advocating for policy change. He believes in the power of art and storytelling to connect people, shift perspectives, and create lasting impact. At FabAF, Paul is eager to support initiatives that celebrate diverse voices, nurture emerging talent, and bring meaningful, inclusive experiences to Sarasota’s arts community.

    Outside of work, Paul enjoys life on Florida’s beautiful Gulf Coast, where he makes the most of sunny days by running along Sarasota’s scenic bayside trails, perusing local farmers markets, and volunteering with local community organizations. Paul and his spouse share a love for exploration, and you can spot them in queer-owned cafes, restaurants, and bookstores in small towns and big cities around the country.

Close-up of a smiling woman with long blonde hair, wearing a black shirt with a white collar, standing in front of green foliage.
Close-up of a smiling woman with long blonde hair, wearing a black shirt with a white collar, standing in front of green foliage. 
She/Her

Sarah Smith

Board of Directors

  • Sarah is a passionate community advocate focused on grassroots organizing, partnership development, and inclusive programming. She lives in Sarasota and enjoys big dogs, backpacking, queer history, and building community through collaboration. As the founder of Queer Soccer Florida (QSFL), she has spent the past six years expanding access and increasing community engagement in Sarasota. She has worked to build a strong and active network dedicated to equity, access, and representation.

    Her efforts extend beyond the soccer pitch through initiatives like radical book clubs, community art projects, and donation drives.

    She has a background in biomedical research and is an professional outdoor guide.

    Science, community, and nature all play a role in guiding her activism efforts and maintaining a work/joy balance.

MJ Jianelli

He/Him

Treasurer

Close-up of a man with a beard, glasses, dressed in a business suit, and white dress shirt, smiling, with a light gray background and a circular blue border.

  • MJ Jianelli is a mission-driven healthcare leader with deep expertise in community engagement, clinical operations, and program development. As Director of Community Engagement and Prevention at Orenda Health & Wellness, MJ leads initiatives that strengthen access to HIV prevention, sexual-health services, mental health support, and integrative wellness care.

    With more than two decades of experience across community health organizations, MJ is known for building efficient systems, elevating patient experience, and guiding new medical practices from concept to launch. His leadership spans clinical workflows, EMR implementation, policy development, staff onboarding, grant-aligned program execution, and cross-sector partnership building.

    In addition, he serves on the Florida Department of Health Regional HIV/AIDS Council prevention arm as the Area 8 Community Representative covering seven counties, the Patient Care Alternate for the Florida Comprehensive Planning Network and is the Co-chair for the HIV By Laws. He is also the board treasurer for the The Fabulous Arts Foundation, a not for profit organization supporting and creating safe spaces for the LGBTQ+ community.

    In his spare time he enjoys music, cooking, growing his Orchids, reading and writing, staying active with his Old English Bulldog Gunner. Two fun facts- he hasn’t owned a T.V. in over a decade and he is a proud papa of 10 grandchildren!

    His purpose- “I live to adapt, learn and grow with evolutionary purpose honoring my human always and sharing all I can to positively impact the world”!

A smiling woman with short curly brown hair, wearing a white hoodie, taking a selfie outdoors in a wooded area with trees and green foliage.
A smiling woman with short curly brown hair, wearing a white hoodie, taking a selfie outdoors in a wooded area with trees and green foliage. 
She/Her

Nicole Pejovich

Secretary

  • Nicole Pejovich has spent over half her life in Sarasota and all her life loving the arts. Deeply committed to protecting LGBTQIA+ rights and creating safe, uplifting spaces for the local community, Nicole believes that making and sharing art is one of the most essential forms of human connection.

    She is inspired by the ways the Fabulous Arts Foundation brings people together through creativity, advocacy, and inclusion, and is honored to contribute to the organization’s mission.

    By day, Nicole is a freelance writer whose work has been featured in LGBTQ-centered publications such as Outcoast.com, The Windy City Times, and various nonprofit platforms. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading, being in nature, cooking, and spending time with her two kids, partner, and dog.

Grace Korley

Queer BIPOC Initiative Coordinator
Mental Health Admin
LMHC, MFTI, NCC, E-RYT

She/They
A smiling woman with long braided hair, wearing a brown top, against a beige background framed with a blue circle.

  • Grace Korley is a licensed mental health therapist  and mental health programming chair for Fabulous Arts Foundation. Their therapeutic approach is holistic, strength-based, and affirming—honoring diverse identities and lived experience as integral to shaping goals for sustainable wellness. Coming from a background in both group mental health private practice and community mental health settings, and private practice ownership. 

    Grace’s clinical work shares its mission with  Fabulous Arts Foundation, fighting for queer and trans rights in Florida, and acknowledging major discrepancies in access to quality mental healthcare, marginalized communities, and folks left out by traditional mental health services.

    My specialties include

    • BIPOC identities 

    • College Students

    •  Self-Esteem

    • Eating Disorders,Disordered Eating and Body Dysmorphia

    • Neurodivergence (ADHD/Autism /Sensory Processing Disorders)

    • Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

    •  LGBTQIAA+ identities

    • Immigrants/ or 1st Gen Immigrants

    •  Trauma Processing

    •  Generational Trauma

    •  Compassion Fatigue

    •  Family, Couples & Relationship Therapy

    •  Borderline Personality Disorder

    •  Bipolar Disorder

Carissa Marsh - Volunteer Coordinator

Volunteer Coordinator

Carissa Marsh

She/Her

Ambassadors

Andrew Ensign, Emeritus Board Member and Ambassador

Andy Ensign

They/He
Ron Pickering, Ambassador

Ron Pickering

He/Him
A smiling man wearing sunglasses, a tank top with a Superman logo, and a scarf around his neck in an outdoor setting with plants and a building in the background.

Hawthorne

They/ It / Vir

Let’s work together!

Become a Board Member or Ambassador today! Help shape the future of the Fabulous Arts Foundation! Whether you’re interested in serving on our Board of Directorsor becoming a Fab Ambassador, your passion and voice can help us grow our impact. Together, we create inclusive spaces where art, advocacy, and community thrive.

Be part of something bigger: Lead, inspire, and lift up our LGBTQIA+ community through the power of the arts.