Staff

Morey Riordan - Founding Director

He/Him/His

Morey has been involved in HIV activism and work for over 25 years. He has served as the Executive Director of four nonprofit organizations, including Women Organized to Respond to Life-threatening Disease (WORLD) and the Sperm Bank of California, a feminist sperm bank focused primarily on LGBT family creation. Morey led the effort to become the first fully-licensed sperm bank in the US to accept gay men as sperm donors, despite stigma-driven opposition from the FDA and other regulators.

He served as Vice President of Access & Innovation at AIDS United and managed several national grantmaking initiatives for nearly seven years. Following this, Morey became Principal at Riordan Strategies, working as a consultant to funders and community-based organizations focused on creating a more just and equitable world. Currently, Morey continues to consult with several funders and is also the Founding Director of the Transgender Strategy Center.

Aryah Lester - Deputy Director

She/Her/Hers

Aryah Lester, a nationally-awarded author, speaker, and educator, is a woman of trans experience from New York living in Washington DC.

Aryah is an Advisory Board member of Unity Coalition (UC|CU), and is also national Board Chair of STARR - the nation’s first transgender organization, which was founded by Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson. Aryah founded Trans-Miami while sustaining the work of her organization, the National Alliance of Transgender Advocates and Leaders (NATAL). She speaks with universities as a guest lecturer, and is a consultant with government agencies such as the Department of Justice and Homeland Security.

Aryah has received many awards and her work is featured in numerous national articles; recently, and has worked at NMAC. Aryah has received many awards and her work is featured in numerous national articles; recently, she was inducted into the national Trans100 list. She currently serves as the Deputy Director of Transgender Strategy Center.

Reagin Wiklund - Operations Manager

He/Him/His

Reagin Wiklund is the Operations Manager for TSC where he manages internal operations, finance, and program tracking and implementation. Supporting the Founding Director in setting and achieving organizational growth goals.

Reagin has worked as a consultant for initiatives and organizations that focus on improving health outcomes for transgender individuals. He partnered with Riordan Strategies to manage an Elton John AIDS Foundation initiative focused on improving health outcomes for transgender people and black gay and bisexual men. Reagin also worked at Fenway Health on a HRSA funded initiative, aiming to improve health outcomes for people living with HIV.

He holds a certificate of Financial Success for Nonprofits from Cornell University and graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science from Syracuse University, with a business degree in Supply Chain Management and Management. He was awarded an Emerging Leadership Award at the National Transgender Visibility March in September 2019 and was a POZ 100 2019 Honoree, for POZ Magazine’s 10th annual POZ 100, celebrating TGNCNB advocates who are making a difference in the fight against the HIV/AIDS.

Jordan Blaza Olsen - Training & TA Manager

She/Her/Hers

Jordan Blaza Olsen is an experienced Public Health Advisor who has worked in the HIV/AIDS health and wellness industry since 1996. Jordan was a CDC Price Fellow for HIV Prevention Leadership, a member of the DHHS Leadership Campaign on AIDS Transgender Forum, and a founding member of UCSF’s Center of Excellence for Transgender Health. She is a highly skilled training facilitator, educational program developer, capacity builder and technical assistance provider.

She graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Health from Walden University, a member of The National Society of Leadership and Success and Alpha Sigma Lambda Honor Society. Jordan is an excellent healthcare services professional who believes that a genuine interest in the well-being of others is key to accomplishing many things regardless of available resources.

Carsen Rhys Beckwith - Special Projects Manager

They/Them/Theirs

Carsen Beckwith is an alumnus of American University, where they graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies. Moving into the public health sphere following graduation, Carsen worked with community-based organizations and health departments with HIV programming to provide technical assistance, capacity building, and educational opportunities to staff and leaders. Their consultative work is rooted in addressing health disparities within queer communities, organizational development, harm reduction, reproductive justice and creating pathways to meaningful community engagement.

They are currently pursuing a graduate degree in social work, focusing on violence and injury prevention and sexual health education. They hope to use this degree to grow their skills and continue to advocate and develop resources for transgender and gender non-conforming people.