Meet Staten Island OutLOUD's Board of Directors & Staff
(Staten Island OutLOUD has no paid staff; we're all volunteers.)
Roger McClanahan, President
Roger McClanahan studied at Oxford University, and received his B.A. from the University of California - Berkeley. He was formerly the Government Affairs Officer of the Wildlife Conservation Society, and has an extensive background as an independent fund raising consultant for a variety of nonprofit organizations, during the course of over twenty years. For a number of years, he taught nonprofit management at New York University. Mr. McClanahan has lived on Staten Island for over ten years, and has volunteered with a variety of cultural organizations. He has served on the Boards of a wide variety of New York City arts and cultural organizations. Mr. McClanahan is presently retired.
Kathleen Galvez, Vice President
Kathleen Galvez studied at the Sorbonne in Paris, received her undergraduate degree in French from Georgetown University, her law degree from St. John’s University, and a Masters in Liberal Studies from the College of Staten Island. She also studied Spanish at Georgetown, at the College of Staten island, and at Universidad Centroamericana in Managua, Nicaragua. Ms. Galvez has served as special counsel at the College of Staten Island for over 35 years. She has volunteered as President of the St. George Civic Association, and with many other Staten Island community organizations. She has written short fiction in Spanish, and volunteers her services with OutLOUD’s multi-lingual community events.
Virginia Allen, Secretary
Virginia Allen is a retired surgical nurse, educated at Cornell University, the College of Staten Island, and NYC Department of Hospitals’ Central School for Practical Nurses. She was one of the heroic “Black Angels” – nurses who worked in Seaview Hospital’s TB ward, where many white staff refused to serve. She is past President of the Staten Island North Shore Chapter of the National Council of Negro Women, and served on the boards of the Staten Island chapter of the New York Urban League, and the Coalition of Staten Island Women’s Organizations. She also served on the College of Staten Island’s Vocational Education Advisory Board. Ms. Allen has volunteered as a Reading Tutor with SI Mental Health Services, NYC Board of Education, and Community Health Action of Staten Island. Ms. Allen has received numerous awards for her years of community service, including the Staten Island Advance Woman of Achievement Award. She has a special interest in African-American history, and volunteers with many OutLOUD programs.
Joan Harrison, Treasurer
Joan Harrison attended Hunter College, and Université Laval, Quebec, Canada. She is a public relations and communications consultant who has worked throughout the US and Europe. In 1983, Ms Harrison began working as a press officer at the United Nations. She subsequently owned her own public relations firm, which specialized in marketing European goods to the US. Ms. Harrison has a special interest in the cultural heritage of Staten Island’s diverse ethnic communities, in Scottish and Asian literature, and in matters concerning new American citizens. Ms. Harrison has volunteered with Staten Island Academy’s diversity projects, and assists with OutLOUD’s multi-cultural programs. She and her family have lived on Staten Island for over 12 years.
Richard Currie, Board Member-At-Large
Professor Richard Currie was born in Brooklyn, raised in Queens, and has lived on Staten Island since 1968. He earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas. He then did his graduate work at New York University, receiving his MA degree in English Literature, his MA in Philosophy, and his PhD in English. His specialty is Victorian Literature; he has published numerous articles on Charles Dickens, George Eliot, Wilkie Collins and Robert Browning. For nearly 45 years, Prof. Currie has taught at the College of Staten Island and at its predecessor, Staten Island Community College. He retired in 2008, but continues to teach at CSI on a part-time basis. Prof. Currie and his wife Margaret make their home in Rosebank.
Michele Evans-Arrindell, Board Member-At-Large
Michele Evans Arrindell lives in St. George, Staten Island, with her family. She received her BA from Pace University and her JD from Cornell University. She is supervisor of the family law department of DC 37 Municipal Employees Legal Services. A Staten Island resident since 1996, Michele is an active community volunteer, especially with St. Peters Elementary School Parents Association. She enjoys reading, gourmet cooking, travel, and fashion. Michele, her husband and son have been very active Staten Island OutLOUD participants and supporters for a number of years.
Doris Nielsen, Board Member-At-Large
Doris Nielsen, a lifelong Staten Islander, has taught on all educational levels, from elementary school to college. A product of NYC public schools, she earned her BA from Hunter College and her MS from Richmond College. Her many interests include music, art, literature, conservation, animal welfare and history. Doris has a special interest in Staten Island history, because her mother’s family settled here before the American Revolution; her father emigrated to the US from Denmark. An active volunteer throughout her adult life, Doris worked closely with social activist Dorothy Day, who was her dear friend for many years. In addition to her active volunteer schedule with Staten Island OutLOUD, Doris continues her many years of community service as a therapy dog trainer. Doris coordinates OutLOUD’s children’s program, Paws & Read OutLOUD for Kidz, and curates other special events.
Beth Gorrie, Executive Director (A volunteer position: OutLOUD has no paid staff.)
Beth volunteers her time as Executive Director of Staten Island OutLOUD, which she established in September, 2001. She's a graduate of Columbia University Law School and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago's Goodman Theatre School. As an actor during the first five years of her working life, she performed in films screened at the Whitney Museum, Paris' Centre Pompidou, and in various other European venues. Beth taught and directed at the University of Chicago; she appeared with Chicago Theatre of the Deaf, and in a variety of Off-Off Broadway productions. Prior to law school, she helped run a residence for homeless women. A former partner at a New York law firm, she later did community work in East Harlem; she currently works on general commercial litigation matters. Beth leads OutLOUD's program research and community outreach; she curates events and manages operations. Beth has adapted 25 global classics as spoken-word performances which she's produced for Staten Island OutLOUD.