Our Team
Tyler Larsen- Peer Support Intern
Laura Erceg - Director
I am honored to be the first Director of Southern Oregon Coast Pride. I founded Queers & Allies (Q&A) of Coos county with my friend, Beka Young, in 2015, and am thrilled to see the transformation from a stand-alone program to the establishment of Southern Oregon Coast Pride.
We are now able to offer multiple on-going programs through our strong volunteer based and increased capacity of adding staff positions.
When I’m not at the office, you’ll catch me reading a good book (or a trashy one), snuggling with my cats, or out on the water. I love food, cleaning (oddly), and music.
I look forward to meeting you!
Tyler Larsen (he/him) Being born and raised in Coos County while identifying as a queer trans man, Tyler understands the needs of LGBTQ+ youth in Southern Oregon. He began volunteering with Southern Oregon Coast Pride in January 2024 and has passionately worked towards reforming the same systems that failed him. His goal is to ensure that, “queer youth are getting the resources they deserve. The ones I deserved and didn’t get.”
Tyler has helped facilitate and present allyship trainings for local organizations, acted as a consultant for the Gender Affirmation Closet, and as of September 2024, began an internship as a Peer Support Specialist for Pride youth.
A student at Southwestern Oregon Community College, Tyler is working towards his aspiration of becoming a therapist.
He enjoys sharing random facts about the RMS Titanic, never failing to add, “The ship, not the movie,” whenever he does. In his free time, he often spends quality time with his family, proudly taking on the role of, “Uncle Ler,” to his three young nieces and nephew.
Steering Committee
Sarah Kacell (they/she) grew up in the California Bay Area and moved to Coos county in January 2020 and moved to Curry county January 2022. Sarah is passionate about training and education about queer identities. Sarah is married to her amazing wife, April, and they have 2 dogs named Sampson and Fish. Sarah and April enjoy bonfires and s’mores on the beach and going for nature walks, especially in the redwoods.
Ken Denton (he/him)
Ken has a long history of supporting the 2SLGBTQ+ community. As an ally himself, he was instrumental in connecting Gloria Dei Lutheran church (a sponsor of events and host of our youth group) with Pride and is our Pride in the Park cook (who now shares that duty with the next generation). He has been active for 40+ years in social justice issues, starting with his time in the Forest Service. At that time, he responded to a co-worker’s dismissal of an anti-discrimination statement and sent the negative comments and his retort out to the entire network. A couple of weeks later a friend forwarded the subsequent long string of supportive comments back to him and he reflects, “I want to keep being that guy” who speaks up.
Karen Savage (she/they)
Karen retired from the military after traveling to strange, exotic lands and meeting different, unusual people. She moved to the Southern Oregon coast because it reminded her of the Sierra Nevada mountains that she grew up near —only more lush and with the ocean really close.
She is volunteering for SOCP because she wants to live in a world where being LGBTQ is unremarkable, and she wants to help make that happen.
Kelcy Mathews (she/her)
Kelcy likes to being a part of meaningful planning efforts for our community. “I came as part of my job, to do community outreach, what I got in return was a grateful heart from getting to know all these amazing people”. Kelcy loves fashion, but also loves comfort. You may find her on a zoom meeting in her Nike sweatpants surrounded by many plants, or perhaps spot her in town in a flowing black dress and black converse heels- you never know, and neither does she. When Kelcy’s not trying to find a good way to end this paragraph, she’s spending time at home surrounded by her cats, plants, loving husband and many many blankets.
Lori Forman (she/her)
Lori saves lives. She is a youth librarian, so of course she does. How many of us were saved by reading the right book at the right time?
Lori is an amazing community member who supports her community full-time and enjoys quiet, restful evenings (and ideally mornings) while sipping on coffee and enjoying the ocean. She stepped into this role with such energy and has become our lighthouse in Curry county. All roads lead to Lori, and we are so grateful she is a part of this team (though she does tend to avoid the camera).
Debbie Graham (she/her)
Debbie made her way to Port Orford OR in 2018 from McKeesport PA - with a little (5 decade) layover in Southern California where she raised two wonderfully open minded and tolerant children. With a heap load of courage, Debbie finally found her way to live her truth, though later in life, and landed in the lovely community of Long Beach. It’s here where she also found her inner activist and excitedly participated in marches and protests in support of those who are marginalized. In So Cal, Debbie met her now wife, Tami. Together they participated in and helped to create LGBTQIA events in Long Beach.
Always passionate about helping people, Debbie finds herself in a new role, HR Professional, of a major employer on the Southern Coast of Oregon. She spends many hours working with team members providing guidance, coaching, an ear for listening, as well as a few laughs. A truly rewarding experience.
Debbie enjoys writing, wood crafting, listening to music – usually country and classic rock and living in a state where she can don flannel most of the year.
Robert Clark (he/him)
Robert retired from public education in 2021, after 30+ years as a teacher, site principal, and a district office administrator. The last 14 years of Robert’s career was as the Chief Business Officer for both small and larger school district in California. He oversaw the many aspects of school district’s operations, and more specifically the budget.
Robert and his husband met in June 1992 at the San Francisco Pride Weekend Pink Saturday Night events, and have been together ever since. They made their homes in San Francisco and Oakland both before relocating to Coos Bay in 2020 to retire.
