Meet the Team
Shannon Fortner
They/ThemFounder Executive Director - President
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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/HimVice President
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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.
Leah Brown
She/TheyTreasurer
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Leah Brown is a multidisciplinary artist and community-builder who believes creativity can foster connection, challenge isolation, and strengthen communities. Based in Sarasota, her work centers embodiment, mental health advocacy, and belonging.
For more than a decade, Leah has dedicated her time to building a strong advocacy network. Her background includes leadership and volunteer roles with organizations spanning multi-state advocacy efforts alongside marginalized communities through education, peer support, and trauma-informed care. Professionally, she also brings experience in human resources, workforce development, event coordination, and organizational leadership.
Through her creative practice, Leah explores the ways art can help people feel witnessed, empowered, and more at home in themselves. Her work often centers body acceptance, emotional truth, curiosity, and permission, inviting others to see themselves with more compassion and possibility.
As a member of the Fabulous Arts Foundation board, Leah is excited to help cultivate inclusive opportunities for LGBTQIA+ artists, strengthen community partnerships, and expand access to creative experiences that encourage expression, connection, and belonging.
She/HerSarah Smith
Board of Directors
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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.
He/TheyJohn Fraun
Board of Directors
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John Fraun (he/they) is a Sarasota-based artist, educator, and development professional with over fifteen years of interdisciplinary experience spanning two-dimensional media, drag performance, and mixed-media assemblage. Originally from Providence, Rhode Island, John’s artistic practice utilizes found materials and detritus to explore hyperconsumerism, lived experiences of illness, trauma, and addiction, and the physical and emotional tensions of the HIV+ body.
Alongside their studio practice, John brings over a decade of hands-on experience in arts administration and nonprofit development. They currently serve as the Development Coordinator at SPAACES in Sarasota, where they manage CRM systems, donor workflows, and strategic fundraising initiatives like the "Visionary Circle." John’s development career also includes securing more than $100,000 in grant funding as a Development Specialist for Cat Depot, Inc., and conducting critical capital campaign prospect research for the Sarasota Orchestra.
Deeply committed to art education and mentorship, John is an adjunct instructor of Art History at the State College of Florida and works closely with local galleries. They hold a Bachelor of Arts in Art History from Rhode Island College and a Master of Arts in Art History from the University of South Florida. John's unique perspective as both an active, conceptually rigorous creator and a highly skilled nonprofit strategist allows them to bridge the gap between artistic vision and organizational sustainability.
Boyd Parris
He/TheyBoard of Directors
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Boyd is an accomplished hairdresser, successful salon owner, and creative professional whose career has spanned entrepreneurship, education, and advocacy. As the owner of a successful salon in Atlanta, they built a loyal and diverse clientele while earning a reputation for creativity, technical excellence, and exceptional client care.
In addition to salon ownership, Boyd served as Creative Director–North America for Framesi Professional Hair Care, headquartered in Milan, Italy. In that role, they developed trend forecasts and led creative marketing campaigns that enhanced brand awareness and supported sales initiatives throughout North America.
After relocating to Sarasota in 2013, Boyd continued a lifelong commitment to community service and LGBTQ+ advocacy. Locally they have volunteered with several organizations, including ALSO Youth, Easterseals Southwest Florida, and The Ringling Museum of Art, contributing their time and talents to programs that strengthen and enrich the community.
Today, Boyd continues to bring the same creativity, leadership, and commitment to service that defined their professional career, remaining actively engaged in supporting organizations that foster inclusion, education, and cultural enrichment.
She/HerNicole Pejovich
Secretary
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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
She/TheyQueer BIPOC Initiative Coordinator
Mental Health Admin
LMHC, MFTI, NCC, E-RYT
She/They
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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
Volunteer Coordinator
Carissa Marsh
She/HerAmbassadors
Andy Ensign
They/HeHeather Silvious
They/Them
Ron Pickering
He/Him
Hawthorne
They/ It / VirArt Gallery Chair & Emeritus board member
She/They-
Eska Palmer (b.New Brunswick, Canada) has spent more than 20 years capturing photographic art and over -“a decade teaching Photography. Palmer holds a Master’s in Art Education with an endorsement in Exceptional Student Education, and a Master’s in Fine Art for Photography. Eska received mentorship from Guggenheim fellow Zig Jackson- the first Native American to have photographic works of art in the Library of Congress. During her MFA at Savannah College of Art and Design she also worked as an Assistant Professor alongside Ansel Adam’s right-hand man, Tom Fischer. Her work has been featured in hundreds of online publications, local and national galleries, and exhibited in Florida museums such as the Ringling Museum (Sarasota), the Frost Museum (Miami) and the Rubell museum (Miami). Currently, Palmer runs the Photographic Technologies Department at the State College of Florida as a full time Professor and the Program Director. In November, Palmer was awarded a $277,861$ Perkins EUM Technology Grant for her program. Eska works closely with her students to advise and assist with scholarships and grants- broadening the gap of accessibility. Eska also serves the community as a Board Member for The Fabulous Arts Foundation and is currently the Art Gallery Committee Chair. Eska lives in Sarasota with her partner, and their 2 year old daughter.
Eska Palmer
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.