MTPC is run by an executive director who manages (and conducts much of) the organization’s daily work. The director supervises staff, interns, and community volunteers.
Interim Director: Jesse Begenyi
Jesse has been active in MTPC projects since 2009, including organizing the third annual Trans Youth and Parent Summit, coordinating community lobby days, leading trainings and workshops, organizing discussions and fundraising events, and acting as MTPC’s photographer and filmmaker. Jesse is the mastermind behind I AM: Trans People Speak, a video project designed to raise awareness about the diversity that exists within transgender communities by giving a voice to transgender individuals and their families, friends, and allies. Jesse’s work in making society a just place for all trans folks is part of a passion for ending all forms of oppression.
Jesse holds a BA in Visual & Media Arts with a specialization in Documentary Video Production from Emerson College and is a Master of Social Work candidate at Simmons College. When not advocating for trans equality, working to end LGBT partner abuse and supporting survivors, or writing papers for school, Jesse can be found in a three-cat household knitting and watching movies.
You can contact Jesse at jesseb@masstpc.org.
Office Staff
Community Organizer and Development Assistant: Robson Govine, robson@masstpc.org
Robson became involved with MTPC in February 2013 as a development intern and in March happily stepped into the community organizer and development assistant role. He looks forward to helping create and implement MTPC’s Community Advocate Program, learning from his fellow community members and contributing all that he can to help achieve MTPC’s goals and mission.
Robson holds a B.A. in English with a concentration in poetry from Central Connecticut State University. After completing his degree, he relocated to Boston to serve a year in Americorps, where he discovered his passion for non-profit and youth work. Over the past year and a half, Robson he has helped co-advise a local church youth group, assisting in community involvement and social justice education. More recently, he has begun volunteering with Youth on Fire. Robson is also a member of the Trailblazers softball team for gender non-conforming and trans people.
Office Manager: Lee W., lee@masstpc.org
Lee began as an MTPC intern in May 2011 and stayed on to become the office manager after earning a BA in Counseling from Lesley University. She maintains the community calendar, MTPC wiki, and databases and helps run MTPC’s social media. Lee is passionate about the Trans Prisoner Project, data entry, coffee, and cats. If you call our office, Lee is likely to be the person on the other end of the line greeting you with a smile.
Communications Director: Mel Goldsipe, mel@masstpc.org
After reading about the fantastic success with the Transgender Equal Rights Bill, Mel joined MTPC to be a part of the campaign for public accommodations protection. She holds a BS in Psychology from Tennessee Tech University, a certificate in Professional Communication, and graduate work in Gender/Cultural Studies at Simmons College. She is especially interested in working to create a more just world for our youth.
Prior to joining MTPC, Mel worked in scholarly book publishing for more than a decade as a manuscript editor at the MIT Press. She believes university presses serve a vital function in providing cutting-edge information to students, academic researchers, and leaders in the professional world. She spends spare time reading and attending concerts, plays, and musicals around Boston and New York. Mel credits the Tony Award-winning play The Normal Heart, about the beginning of the U.S. AIDS crisis, for rekindling her passion for activism, which led her to MTPC.
