Meet the Team
It starts with passion. Our Board of Directors, Executive Director and staff members understand the assignment - end HIV. It takes this outstanding team to accomplish TAB’s mission and organizational goals.
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UPDATE FROM BOARD PRESIDENT CYNTHIA SOMMERS
As the final leaves of Fall have dropped and the snowflakes begin to fly, I want to welcome three new members to the TAB Board of Directors: Joey Hunt, Kaylie Reed and Hilary Taylor. Each of these women bring a wealth of experience, a deep passion for our cause and a renewed enthusiasm as we head into planning TAB 2025. Together, we are refocusing on the core values that drive our mission, vision, and financial goals. One of our most exciting initiatives is the elevation of our student education initiatives, particularly the Student Fashion Show and Student HIV Awareness Project. With a new record of over 110 students participating in the Student Fashion Show this year, I hope you will mark your calendars for their show on February 13th and 14th,come support these passionate local students!We are also making steady progress towards our long-term vision of establishing a "forever home" for TAB, and I’m excited to announce that we are already almost halfway through our Capital Campaign raise, a pivotal milestone in bringing this dream to life. In addition, we are expanding our mission to emphasize the importance of sexual health, not just in relation to HIV but all sexually transmitted diseases. As some of the fastest rates of HIV infection are in the 13-26 age group, this is a sobering and urgent focus for us. Thank you for continuing to support TAB by purchasing tickets to the Gala Fashion Shows, donating and volunteering.
If you have any questions or would like to learn more about our organization, the Capital Campaign, or how to get involved in our annual events, please do not hesitate to reach out to myself, any TAB board member, or Executive Director, Jessica Galbo. We look forward to working with you to further our mission and make an even greater impact in our community!
Sincerely, Cynthia Sommers, TAB Board President
Staff
Executive Director
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Start Date August 25, 2025
Laya Barak is a Director, Choreographer, Educator, and Fundraiser with over 20 years of experience leading large-scale productions and community-driven events in New York City and beyond. She served as Director of Broadway Bares, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS’ largest annual fundraiser, from 2018 to 2023, overseeing every aspect of the production and collaborating with a team of over 200 Broadway performers and creatives. Since 2021, she has directed and choreographed the Telluride AIDS Benefit Fashion Show and has since relocated to Telluride full-time. An entrepreneur, she founded and built her company Broth Masters over the past decade, and is also a certified Pilates instructor, teaching clients in both NYC and Telluride. Her work has been featured in Elle, The New York Times, Playbill, and Rolling Stone.
Operations Director
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As the Operations Director of TAB, not only does Stephen lead the team with precision but also showcases his versatile talents as a web designer and a captivating model in our shows.
With a unique blend of expertise in mountain guiding and computer science, Stephen seamlessly navigates the challenges of both the rugged outdoors and the non-profit sector. His journey with TAB has not only contributed to our mission but has also witnessed a remarkable evolution in his fashion sense.
Director of Motion + Stills
Production Manager
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John has been working on TAB for as long as he can remember. He loves the show for how it brings together people from all walks of life to support the cause. It's all about the medicine, he says. Enjoy the show, and outbid your neighbor!
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Sawyer Gieseke is a Director and Cinematographer specializing in bluegrass and folk music. With a passion for storytelling through film, he travels across the country capturing festivals and live performances, currently working on a documentary within the bluegrass world. Sawyer moved to Telluride in 2022 and is honored to be part of his third Telluride AIDS Benefit Fashion Show, using his craft to support a cause that brings creativity and community together.
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With 25 years of experience as a makeup artist, I have had the pleasure of working in film, television, and editorial magazine work across New York City, Los Angeles, and throughout the country. My passion for beauty and creativity has led me to collaborate on diverse projects in film, streaming, and music. While I have been honored with several awards recognizing my dedication to the art of makeup, the most powerful part of my work is connecting with people and helping them feel beautiful. My journey in this industry continues to inspire me as I strive to create stunning looks that leave a lasting impression.
Lead Makeup Artist
Lead Hair Stylist
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Lindsay Reimann, a longtime local and hair stylist at Bang Bang Salon, has been a dedicated participant and supporter of TAB for over 20 years. She has served as a volunteer model, a board member, and now leads the hair team as the head artist. With her passion for hair, makeup, and fashion, TAB is the perfect place for her to channel her creativity and commitment to raising awareness and funds for HIV health and education.
Artistic Director/Choreographer
Choreographer
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A proud Dominican native and Miami-trained artist, Julius is fresh off filming Kiss of the Spiderwoman with Jennifer Lopez and choreographing for Virgin Voyages, Kesha, and the 77th Annual Tony Awards alongside Ariana DeBose. Based in New York City, Julius’s screen credits include West Side Story (Spielberg), Law & Order, FBI: Most Wanted, The Greatest Showman, Annie, and Starz’s Run The World.
On Broadway, he’s appeared in Moulin Rouge!, Frozen, Escape to Margaritaville, On Your Feet!, Finding Neverland, Wonderland, and Twyla Tharp’s Come Fly Away. His live stage work includes performances with Beyoncé, Adam Lambert, Kylie Minogue, and the Radio City Rockettes, as well as appearances at the Academy Awards, MTV, and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
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Gabriel Reyes, a New York-based choreographer is excited to be joining the 2026 Telluride TAB fundraising event. His recent credits include dancing in the 2025 film, Kiss of the Spider Woman, with Jennifer Lopez, and stage musicals like Legally Blonde at The Muny! He has performed in the iconic ballroom known as The Rainbow Room, and Radio City Music Hall for the 2017 Tony Awards, as well as two national tours: 1st National tour of On Your Feet and Saturday Night Fever. @gabrielreyes_king
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Bio coming soon
Communications Manager
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Shae LaPlace is a creative, results-driven marketing leader with 12 years of experience shaping brand strategy, creative direction, and integrated campaigns. She recently founded her own agency, partnering with small businesses and mission-driven organizations to build thoughtful brands and meaningful community impact.
A lifelong advocate, Shae has volunteered with organizations dedicated to fighting HIV/AIDS since the age of 12. The mission of Telluride AIDS Benefit is both deeply personal and profoundly inspiring. She joined the TAB team in 2025 and is honored to bring her strategic vision, creative leadership, and passion for storytelling to such a dynamic event and vital cause.
Accountant
Volunteer Coordinator & House Manager
Wearable Art Chair
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Involved as a “Free Box Designer” since the early years of TAB, Kathleen now helps wrangle local designers and backstage dressers along with creating an annual outfit out of a thousand condoms. She stays involved to honor her mentor, Robert Presley, for whom the benefit was founded and to help bring light to the ever changing face of AIDS and HIV around the globe.
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Dawn Katz serves as the Communities That Care Manager for TCHNetwork and brings over two decades of experience working with children and families in San Miguel County. Over her 29 years in Telluride, Dawn has primarily worked as an early childhood educator and director. She firmly believes that collaboration, dedication, and the hard work of a village are essential to building a stronger community.
Since 1997, Dawn has volunteered in various roles for the Telluride AIDS Benefit, showcasing her longstanding commitment to supporting this important cause and cherished local event. In her downtime, she enjoys traveling, hiking, camping, and spending quality time with friends and family at the lake
she/her/hers
Board of Directors
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Board Chair
Cynthia possesses a strong background in fashion, fundraising and a deep appreciation for the organization and its work.
After moving to Telluride in 1999, one of the first events she attended was the TAB Fashion Show. The energy of the evening and the greater cause struck a chord, and she knew her involvement with the organization would one day take on a greater roll.
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Board Member
As an active member of the fundraising community in Atlanta, Ford was a founding organizer of the Atlanta Cotillion in 2002, which has raised over $2 million for AID Atlanta to provide medications to individuals without insurance or access to healthcare, and provides testing and education. He worked on the event committee and with corporate sponsors to build the event to a consistent sustainable funding source. He has also worked on the fundraising boards of DIFFA (Design Industry Foundation Fighting AIDS), AID Atlanta, AIDS Walk Atlanta, Jerusalem House and Joining Hearts.
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Moe Farah’s involvement with the Telluride AIDS Benefit began on the runway, where he has volunteered as a model in multiple fashion shows since moving to Telluride. This role continues his lifelong commitment to HIV/AIDS and LGBTQ+ advocacy, which previously included serving on JPMorgan's Pride North America board and supporting fundraisers for the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and The LGBT Centers of New York and Los Angeles. Professionally, Moe brings over a decade of product and program leadership experience to the board. He currently serves as a Vice President at Goldman Sachs, leading initiatives for the Apple Card, and has held prior leadership roles at JPMorgan Chase and Expedia. Moe is honored to serve on the Board, bringing his professional skills in strategic planning and program execution to an organization he is personally dedicated to. He is eager to help advance TAB’s mission of funding prevention, education, and care through creativity and community engagement.
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Board Member
Matt says he joined the TAB board because one of the most outstanding members of our community asked him to: Ron Gilmer. He serves to continue his undying and relentless quest to educate the public about this disease. His goal is to play some small part in the worldwide eradication of AIDS.
Originally from Oyster Bay Cove, NY, Matthew has been a Telluride resident since 2000 and a broker associate for Telluride Sotheby's International Realty for over 20 years.
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Board Member
Shannon has an extensive dance background that includes ballet, jazz, tap and hip hop training. Shannon has organized annual dance camps in Lamardelle, Haiti, where for many years she along with other teachers, staff and students have spread the love of dance during a weeklong camp for 150 Haitian students.
By way of Shannon’s position with the DSOA, she is excited to share all of her industry specific knowledge and experience with dance studios throughout the world.
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Board Member
Hilary Taylor feels so fortunate to have called Telluride home for 15 years. "It is a dream come true to live here."
Originally from Durham, North Carolina she grew up skiing in Colorado. She earned a bachelor of science degree from Vanderbilt University studying human and organizational development and communications. She is just as much a city person having lived in Chicago and London before moving to 300 days of sunshine in Telluride. She finds it natural to promote the Telluride lifestyle and loves her career in real estate. She loves giving back and is a regular volunteer for causes that are near and dear to her including the Telluride AIDS Benefit, One to One Mentoring, festivals, senior lunches, highway clean-ups and much more.
Becoming ingrained in this community and developing meaningful relationships is of utmost importance to Hilary. She loves meeting new people, hearing their stories, and collaborating on what to experience in this charming town and fun adult-playground. While she loves skiing, summer is Hilary's favorite time of year! When not working, she savors time with her husband Carson and two quickly growing boys.
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Board Member
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Board Member
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Board Member
Sarah has worked in the HIV and AIDS field for more than twenty years, and has been involved with the Telluride AIDS Benefit since 2015. She found her calling to join the fight against HIV when she was a teenager. Watching a close family friend valiantly battle the disease until his death in 1998 inspired her to battle the disease in her own way, on whatever fronts she could. Sarah holds a Masters in Public Health from UC Berkeley, and her work has taken her to many corners of the HIV world, including testing, counseling, educational outreach, clean-syringe exchange programs and global public policy.
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Elena Levin first began working with TAB in 2022 as the stylist and remained involved with the fashion acquisitions team year-round. Elena is excited to bring her event production and business experience to the TAB board.
She is involved in many facets of production and costuming in Telluride, including performances with Telluride Theatre, the House of Shimmy Shake, and the Telluride Dance Collective. Growing up sewing, she learned about clothing construction, and developed a passion for the craftsmanship and designs of vintage and historic fashion.
Elena has a BS from the University of Michigan, and has had many entrepreneurial endeavors, including owning several food businesses in Telluride. She currently serves on the Telluride Town Council where she focuses her energy on affordable housing, historic preservation, the arts, cultural events, and community support.
She looks forward to celebrating the advancements in HIV prevention and treatment, and highlighting the ways that queer culture has shaped fashion today!"
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Board Member
Joey started working with the Telluride AIDS Benefit in 2013 as a student educator and model, and proceeded to direct the high school show in 2018. She attributes her involvement with TAB and exposure to the beneficiaries work in advocacy and treatment to pursue a public health career in HIV research to better understand the disproportionate impact of HIV on communities across the globe. Joey has worked across a breadth of research projects ranging from social and behavioral factors impacting adherence to anti-retroviral medication, to basic science projects investigating biological HIV and COVID-19 outcomes in a cohort in Uganda.
Joey is currently pursuing her PhD in Epidemiology at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University. She is excited to combine her love for TAB with her dedication to public health research in an effort to support TAB's mission to fight, fund, and educate for years to come.
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Board Member
Ryan grew up coming to Telluride and moved here full time in 2009. He established his dental practice in Telluride and Norwood that same year.
Dr. Grady's first exposure to TAB was in 2010 when he was a model in the show. Ryan has always been a strong supporter of TAB and HIV/AIDS research, and he is now currently pursuing starting a Dental Clinic for HIV/AIDS patients in Africa.
Advisory Board
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Board Member + Founding Member
Daiva is a fiercely proud former Baltimoron, transplanted to Colorado half her life ago to build Telluride’s gondola transportation system. Although birthing chairlifts was not part of her initial goal after a Cold War-era B.A. in Russian Studies, she quickly decided to bed down in the box canyon to see what would unfold.
The founder and a previous Artistic Director of the Telluride AIDS Benefit Fashion Show, she’s now a traveling minstrel for Mountainfilm on Tour. She’s earned an M.A. in Diplomacy and International Conflict Resolution, mostly for fun. And in her spare time, this proud Lithuanian mom of one can be found writing and performing poetry, putting on the Telluride Literary Arts Festival, and wandering local forests on the hunt for mushrooms. She’s also a passionate pro at finding herself lost in neighboring deserts and canyons.
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Board Member
In 1992, Jessica was working for the Sheridan Arts Foundation when the first TAB Fashion Show was held at the Sheridan Opera House. She could not have predicted then, her future level of involvement with the organization.
A teacher at Telluride High School, Jessica has been involved in the facilitation of THS AIDS Education Day, the TAB Student Show and HIV/AIDS outreach since 2007. She delights in witnessing young people give of themselves for the benefit of others, to grow through the experience of working together for a cause and developing an awareness of the impact of HIV/AIDS around the world.
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Board Member
A local educator, administrator and counselor, Sandy has been on the TAB Board since 1999. Together with Amy Kimberly, Sandy began the HIV/AIDS educational programs in the Telluride School District, which provide cohesive HIV/AIDS education for students grades 7-12.
Although recently retired from teaching, Sandy is very active in her TAB role as an HIV/AIDS education liaison. Sandy created the TAB Student Fashion Show, which incorporates an HIV/AIDS educational theme and inspires young new activists and leaders for the cause each year. The TAB Student Show has been a community event favorite since 2001.
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Board Member
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Board Member + Founding Member
Ron was volunteering for AIDS activities in 1988 in Palm Beach, Florida, working with Mother’s Cupboard when he met his future partner, Robert Presley, for whom the Telluride AIDS Benefit was conceived. While living in San Francisco he served as the kitchen manager at Project Open Hand, feeding 1800 AIDS clients every day. And locally Ron has served on various Colorado AIDS councils from 1998-2012.
A highly involved Telluride community member, Ron served as Board Chairman for the Telluride Commission for Community Assistance Arts and Special Events (CCAASE) from 2002-2014, Co-Chair of the Capital Campaign Committee for the R1 School District in 2003-2004, which built the Michael Palm Theater and Telluride Foundation Board Member from 2003-2013.
Being gay and living in Telluride for 22 years, and having lost two lovers to AIDS, Ron wanted to show that gay people can make a difference and be contributing members of their communities. He currently lives in Grand Junction, CO with 2 cats and 300 orchids.