Gary has served as an Advisory Board member since 2012 while coordinating the Annual Pride Picnic kitchen since 2008. Gary is a graduate of the Indiana University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Science in HRIM. From 1999 to 2012 he was an active member and then executive officer of the non-profit Burgh Bears social club in Pittsburgh, PA. He has coordinated the annual bear social weekend Drenched Fur in Erie, PA since 2005. Currently Gary is employed by the Erie County Department of Health as the HIV Disease Intervention Specialist, serving as a community member of the HIV Planning Group in coordination with the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Along with advising the Pride Board, he chairs the Erie County HIV Task Force, serves on the City of Erie's LGBTQIA+ Advisory Council, the Erie Gay News Editorial Board, and is a proud member of the AFSCME Union Local 2666.