Meet our wonderfully amazing CVP Team!

Executive Director/Founder

Dr. Jon McFarland (he/him/his) is originally from Hawaii where he earned his B.Ed. and M.A. from the University of Hawai’i, Mānoa. He received his doctorate in Educational Leadership from California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, California. He has nearly three decades of teaching experience and has taught at multiple levels of education including working 16 years at the same Title I comprehensive high school in Ventura County in southern California before joining the faculty at California State University, Stanislaus where he is an Assistant Professor of Teacher Education in the Single Subject Credential Program. 

Jon is a champion for K-12 student advocacy and marginalized populations. He has incorporated that fervor by rewriting an inclusive curriculum that brings a greater awareness of LGBTQ+ students in teacher education. He has expanded his pedagogical practice to provide quality professional development for educational partners in K-12 schools and school districts throughout California.

Jon is a published author and researcher on LGBTQ+ issues in K-12 schools. He has presented at national and international conferences on various topics concerning queer issues in education. He is currently working on a book to help guide educators establish a culture of care to best serve their LGBTQ+ K-12 students.   

Founder

Eric Olson-Diehl is a compassionate professional with a diverse background in social services and education. With a strong commitment to supporting the LGBTQIA community, Eric has dedicated his career to empowering individuals and fostering inclusivity. From his work as a Therapeutic Behavioral Specialist to his role as a Program Supervisor, Eric has demonstrated his commitment to fostering inclusive environments and providing compassionate care. Eric brings a genuine desire to uplift and support the LGBTQIA community and continues to contribute to its well-being through his expertise and advocacy.

Student Advocate

Peer Group Facilitator:

LGBTQIA+ Community Group

LGBTQIA+ Youth Community Group

I am passionate about health and food sciences, and the human body, brain, and mind. I deeply enjoy connecting with and providing for my fellow Queer and Trans communities! I plan on continuing to learn about people's intersectional experiences to be able to provide them with the best resources, education, and care I possibly can.

Student Advocate

Community Activities Lead

Josiah Beharry is a recent graduate of the University of California Merced, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Critical Race and Ethnic Studies with a minor in Writing Studies; graduating magna cum laude, in the top 4 percent of his class. He prides himself in being a writer with published poetry in the UC Merced Vernal Pool and can often be found cooking and working out in his free time. He enjoys listening and vibing to neo-soul, R&B, and drill music. He has experience as a Gateway Academy Program Developer, Lead, and Mentor at UC Merced Bright Student Success Center, developing a summer academy to prepare and inform underrepresented high school students on college readiness and character development skills. He also has experience as a Fellow in Emerging Leaders Institute at American Civil Liberty Union, developing a capstone project to help increase testing and reading levels of students in the central valley and impact the school to prison pipeline. He has skills in creativity, versatility, critical thinking, queer of color critique, and conscientiousness and attention to detail. He is aspiring to pursue a Phd in Interdisciplinary Humanities, to expand knowledge in liberatory pedagogy and decolonizing curriculum grounded in arts-based education and trauma-rooted healing. 

Peer Group Facilitator:

Adults, Youth, and TGI

Bryn has lived all over California, with a majority of time spent in the Bay Area. Social justice has always been a focus for Bryn, including choosing to major in American Studies with an emphasis on income inequality, public policy, and education. They have spent years working in public education in a variety of capacities, and bring lived experience & empathy to every endeavor in support of our LGBTQIA+/2S community.

Team Member

Valor Smallwood is a trans non-binary woman pursuing their PhD at UC Merced. They study paleontology, and fuse their passion for activism and science in all that they do. Being a black trans woman in her discipline where people like her are extremely uncommon, she feels a strong need to improve diversity and inclusiveness for all. They are a strong advocate for the people around them, on- and off-campus, and she loves writing about fantasy settings as a way to create images of the kind of world she wants to help create through her work. She also enjoys attending various events around town, especially pride-related events. If you ever see her at one of these events, feel free to come up and say hi! She'll be the best-dressed person there 😉

Director Community Relations

*Bio Coming Soon

Team Member

Born in Dover, Delaware, I moved often throughout my early life before eventually finding my home in California’s Central Valley, a community I’m proud to live in and serve. I’m a proud father of three and work locally as a teacher, coach, and real estate agent, roles that allow me to build meaningful relationships with families across our region.

As a proud gay dad, being involved with Central Valley Pride is especially important to me. I believe visibility, representation, and community support matter. Through my involvement with Central Valley Pride, I’m committed to helping create a more welcoming, connected, and supportive environment for LGBTQ+ individuals and families throughout the Central Valley.

Team Member

*Bio Coming Soon