Board & Staff

We Are Family is led by a dedicated staff and Board of Directors. It is an organization that is sustained by South Carolina young people, donors, and volunteers.

Staff

DOMENICO RUGGERIO - executive director

(They/HE) domenicor@waf.org

Raised in the Philippines and on Long Island, Domenico Ruggerio is a transformative leader and social justice educator. They earned a master’s degree in humanistic/multicultural education at SUNY New Paltz, and a B.A. in sociology and anthropology at Colgate University. Prior to joining We Are Family, they served as the director of education, advocacy, and systems transformation at Teach For America South Carolina.

Previously, they held administrative positions in higher education that supported and empowered students of color and LGBTQ+ students and communities. They ran the Bonner Program at the College of Charleston— an access to education leadership program that centers service learning and civic engagement in larger social justice contexts. Domenico also directed the ALANA (African American/Black, Latinx, Asian/Asian American and Native American) Cultural Center and LGBTQ Center at Vassar College, was an academic advisor at Bard College, and was the assistant director of the Multicultural Resource Center at Oberlin College in Ohio.

Domenico is one of the co-founders and facilitators of the Transformative Teaching Collective, a predominantly female, LGBTQ+, and BIPOC-owned cooperative that provides social justice education and consultation to non-profit organizations, university faculty and student groups, government organizations, k-12 teachers, volunteer groups, and faith-based organizations. They are also formally certified in social justice mediation from the Social Justice Mediation Institute, UMass Amherst, and has skills in multipartial mediation, facilitation, and conflict resolution.

In their free time, Domenico serves on the boards of the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art, Charleston City Paper, and is an active member and vice president of the Charleston Blockade Rugby Club— the state’s first queer and inclusive sports team. In 2023, they were awarded the LGBT+ Icon Award by the Carolinas LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce, a Forty Under 40 honoree by the Charleston Regional Business Journal, and a Jefferson Award by Multiplying Good South Carolina.

cora webb - program director

(any pronouns) coraw@waf.org

Cora Webb (any pronouns) is the current Program Director of We Are Family and has been working with WAF since 2018. They graduated from the College of Charleston, double majoring in Women’s and Gender Studies and Public Health and are currently interested in farming, arts programming, and general organizing skills that will aid in their movement work.

Jonatan Guerrero Ramirez - Closet Case and Community Events Director

(He/Him/Él) jonatanr@waf.org

A graduate of the Art institute of Charleston and a proud DACA recipient, Jonatan began his career even before moving to Charleston in 2014. Growing up in the small town of Waynesboro Georgia, Jonatan's biggest influence was music and theatre, which led him to be featured in Teen Vogue Magazine. His passion for working with community members and collaborating with influencers grew his passion to bring inclusion into the world. Jonatan’s collaborative work can be seen in Charleston Fashion Week, Southern Living Magazine, Bravo TV, Nickelodeon Studios, HRC, Buzzfeed, ACLU, NPR, Latinos in the South , and BEAU Magazine.

Jonatan is an honoree of the 2020's Honor41 list and currently sits on The City of Charleston's Latinx Advisory Council. His passion for helping youth extends into the classroom where he teaches with YoArt Inc. as an adjunct teacher. When he is not working, he loves to watch Disney movies, up-cycling old furniture and garden with his boyfriend and 2 cats, Milo and Yuki.

Jessica Gaines - Development Manager

(sHE/Her) jessicag@waf.org

Originally from Tennessee, Jessica has called South Carolina home for most of her life. Jessica is passionate about making a difference in the lives of others. She is energetic and career driven, which is demonstrated in her day-to-day activities. She is a proud 2011 graduate of the University of South Carolina with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. Jessica is currently back in school to get her master’s degree in human services.

With a long career history in corporate America, Jessica learned how to be an effective leader, quickly adjust to change and be a team player. Jessica found her passion for non-profit and development work a few years ago, as the Development Manager for Pride Link, a non-profit focusing on the health and wellbeing of LGBTQ+ individuals in the Upstate. Jessica is very active in the community and has served on multiple boards including, the Urban League of the Upstate Young Professionals and the Upstate LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce. Jessica is also a mentor for Fostering Great Ideas and a proud member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Incorporated.

Jessica has a bold style and a positive outlook on life. She is super excited to serve as the Development Manager for We Are Family and continue to make a difference in the lives of the LGBTQ+ community in South Carolina!

Chandler Massengale, LISW-CP - director of mental health programs

(they/she) chandlerm@waf.org

A social worker, therapist, advocate, and member of the WAF family, Chandler Massengale is known for wearing many hats.  She began her career as Registered Behavioral Technician, working in Applied Behavior Analysis with children and adolescents on the autism spectrum. This experience sparked a curiosity in understanding behavior as well as the individual strengths and needs that everyone has. As a social worker first and foremost, Chandler is committed to social justice, service, and integrity. 

She is a proud alumna of both College of Charleston where she received her B.A. in Psychology in 2017 and Louisiana State University (Geaux Tigers!) where she received her Master’s Degree in Social Work in 2020. During her time as an undergraduate, she served as the Social Media and Marketing Co-Chair for the Cougar Counseling Team (now Students 4 Support) for which she received the Student Activism and Leadership Achievement Hall of Leaders Award for creating and running social media accounts to provide education and combat the stigma surrounding mental health.

While receiving their master’s degree, Chandler interned under an independently licensed social worker to gain better understanding of mental health treatment through the use of the Systems Perspective and at We Are Family, a team she is happy to have the opportunity to rejoin. Chandler’s favorite things are animals, plants, crystals, and organization tools.

Cal Boyce - Volunteer Coordinator and Closet Case Thrift Associate

(HE/HIM) CLOSETCASETHRIFT@WAF.ORG

Cal is a proud queer trans man, and his heart lies with the transgender community. Cal's favorite part of working at WAF is being able to provide gender affirming gear and resources to LGBTQ youth and Charleston community members alike. He seeks to be a positive, creative, and affirming presence.

He was awarded a Pure Mathematics degree from College of Charleston Honors College in 2020. In the past, Cal has worked as a middle/ high school Math and test prep tutor. He enjoys finding creative solutions to problems, and spends his free time solving puzzle cubes and listening to podcasts: Translash Media, Maintenance Phase, and If Books Could Kill. 

Board of Directors

Interested in joining the board? Visit our board application page for details on how to apply today!

SEAn Holleran- Chair

First National Bank- Vice President of Retail and Small Business Banking

Helen O. Bourdier- Secretary

Wells Fargo Bank- Assistant Vice President, Branch Manager

Lauren Edwards- Treasurer

Condon Family Law & Mediation- Partner 

nichols Condon

Blackbaud, Inc- Principal Customer Success Manager; Blackbaud Charleston LGBTQA+ PRIDE Affinity Group, Co-leader  

Jayson gulick

Youth Member; College of Charleston, Student

sarah Harbin-coleman

Park Circle Counseling- Owner

AMEERA MEDINA

ULTA Beauty- MAC Lead Makeup Artist

ANNA LEIGH Tangeman

Youth Member

Jay Witkowski

Restaurateur/Entrepreneur; Owner- El Jefe Texican Cantina

christopher zuver

The Boeing Company- Senior Research Engineer;  Boeing Employees Pride Alliance (BEPA), Enterprise President