Our Leadership

Our Leadership

Our Team

Since 2002, SC Equality has championed, and celebrated LGBTQ individuals and families in across South Carolina. Our leadership is key to our success. They provide guidance in our determination in fighting for full lived equality South Carolina. We remain a lean, fiscally disciplined organization and are an unstoppable force in the fight against bigotry and the struggle to build a better state, a state in which LGBTQ people can be healthy, equal, and complete members of society.

Doug Yates

Board Chair, SC Equality

Doug Yates lives in Columbia where he is an anesthesiologist in practice with Anesthesiology Consultants of Columbia. He has been in the practice of anesthesiology for 25 years. He received his B.A. from the University of Arkansas, his M.D. from Tulane University School of Medicine, and his specialty training in anesthesiology from Wake Forest University. He joined the SC Equality Board in 2009.

Roy Willey

Board Chair, SC Equality Coalition

Roy’s love of people and community drive his passion for life. In that vein he is a trial lawyer focusing his professional career representing individuals whose lives have been upended due to catastrophic injury, death of a loved one, or the unfair and bad faith practices of insurance companies and other corporate miscreants. But Roy recognizes that while his individual work on behalf of individual clients helps to level the playing field and ensure equality for all, large scale impact is most quickly accomplished through the political realm. In that vein Roy also serves as Special Counsel and Advisor to the Mayor of Charleston and is involved in a host of community and political activities. In his spare he enjoys spending time with his wife Kelsey, son Penn, and their Boykin Spaniel Sullivan in their home city of Charleston.

Dianne Odom

Treasurer

Dianne Odom is a Certified Public Accountant, practicing in Irmo, South Carolina. She has been licensed for I g years and graduated from the University of South Carolina. She joined the board of South Carolina Equality in 2009. Dianne serves as the Board Treasurer and lives in Irmo with her family.

Ann Willbrand

Board Secretary

Ann lives in Aiken with her partner Pat. She received a B.S in chemistry from Emory University and a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Florida State University. Ann was an organic chemistry professor for 22 years at USC Aiken and retired as an Associate Professor, in 2007. In 2004, Ann began working with SC Equality as a delegate from the CSRA Rainbow Alliance. She participated in the Fairness for All Families campaign in 2005-2006 and officially joined the SC Equality Board of Directors in June 2007. She is also an officer with PFLAG Aiken, the Aiken County Democratic Party, and the DCCM Food Pantry in Augusta GA. She serves as the SCE Board Secretary.

Veronica Walters

Board Member

Veronica resides in Myrtle Beach, SC. She attended UNC-Wilmington and received her BA in Theatre. Her background in local theatre production is extensive and includes several movies. She currently operates her own business, V. Walters Services. In 2005, she co-founded the T-Time support group and has been a presenter at the Southern Comfort Conference in Atlanta. Veronica was a Board member and past President (2009-10) of The Center Project LGBT community center in Myrtle Beach. Besides now being part of SC Equality, she is currently Vice President of Red Ribbon Friends, a LGBT fund raising organization that supports Careteam of Horry/Georgetown Counties, that provide services to directly assist persons with HIV/AIDS. Veronica joined the board in 2011.