Avery Belyeu has been leading cause-related work for more than a decade. A seasoned non-profit leader with a focus on LGBTQ+ health and wellness, her career spans suicide prevention and crisis intervention, public health, civil rights, and higher education.

Avery’s career includes leadership at civil rights organizations like: Lambda Legal Defense and education fund where she served as a Regional Director; the federally funded Suicide Prevention Resource Center and the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention where she led strategic suicide prevention initiatives that had a nationwide impact; and The Trevor Project, the leading non-profit providing suicide prevention and crisis intervention to LGBTQ+ youth under the age of 24, where she created the organization’s education department and designed upstream prevention programs. Early in her career, Avery worked in public health education and promotion at the university level, with a focus on LGBTQ+ student health and wellness.

Avery earned a Master of Divinity degree from Texas Christian University’s Brite Divinity School and a Bachelor of Science degree from Appalachian State University.

In 2024, Avery was named to Out Magazine’s OUT100 List.

Before joining the Montrose Center, Will served as the Executive Director of OUTMemphis: The LGBTQ Community Center for the Mid-South.

He has served as a Grand Marshal for the MidSouth Pride Parade, received a certificate of appreciation from the City of Memphis for “outstanding and meritorious service to the community,” a Visionary Award from Focus Magazine Awards (Memphis), and a Mayoral Proclamation “to congratulate and celebrate Will Batts for his exceptional service to the people of Memphis and Shelby County.”

Will holds a B.S. in Psychology from the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga, and has completed 67 hours of Ph.D. in Education, Counseling Psychology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Kyle Leisher began his time with the Montrose Center as a Licensed Professional Counselor – Intern working as a Staff Therapist in the Anti-Violence Program in late 2013. During this time, Kyle honed his counseling skills by working with victims of violence and abuse, as well as conducting outreach to communities and participating in panels focused on increasing awareness of sexual abuse, domestic violence, and hate crimes within the LGBTQ+ community.

After three years as a staff therapist, he took on the role as the Center’s Compliance and Admissions Coordinator. Kyle has a passion for quality improvement, and has spearheaded several projects at the Center that have focused on improving the quality of care provided to clients. Kyle also works diligently to ensure that the working environment is conducive to allowing staff to provide the highest levels of care to their clients. Kyle makes it his personal goal to ensure that all clients at the Center are treated in a dignified manner and can access the care they need to improve their quality of life.

Kyle holds a Masters of Counseling Psychology degree from Northwestern Oklahoma State University.

Jaymie Mielke Quiroz has been with the Montrose Center since 2006.  Prior to serving as the Chief Programs Officer, she spent the last sixteen years as the Prevention Program Director with the Montrose Center.  During that tenure, she had the privilege of starting and overseeing various federal, state, and local grants.  These grants focused on health education, HIV prevention and navigation, suicide prevention, tobacco cessation, and recovery in both substance use and mental health. She has participated and continues to participate in a variety of state and local committees focusing on social injustices, health equity, and the HIV continuum of care.     

Jaymie holds a B.S. in Criminal Justice and Sociology from Minot State University in North Dakota and a Masters in Sociology from the University of Houston- Clear Lake.  She also hold certifications as a CHW, RSPS, and PSS.

Amir is responsible for overseeing the financial operations of Montrose Center. Originally from Gainesville, FL, Amir is a seasoned entrepreneur and community leader dedicated to fostering innovation and social impact. With a background in technology and business, Amir founded his first startup in 2008, focusing on equitable access to affordable housing. Amir’s passion for empowering local communities led him to establish several initiatives aimed at enhancing educational opportunities and promoting workforce development.

Prior to joining the Montrose Center, he was Chief Financial Officer for the Monarch Institute and Genesys Works.  He holds a Bachelor’s of Engineering from Georgia Tech and an MBA from the Tuck School at Dartmouth College. 

Kelly Nicholls is an established marketing and development professional with more than a decade in nonprofit leadership. Kelly has a strong passion for community impact through collaborative relationship management. Her professional experience ranges from health and human services, performing arts, healthcare and education. 

Kelly has led strategic and high-level fundraising and marketing teams at notable Houston institutions, including AIDS Foundation Houston (dba Allies in Hope), Houston Grand Opera and Theatre Under the Stars. Her work has involved successful capital campaigns, emergency relief for Hurricane Harvey and COVID-19, record-breaking donations through individual, corporate, foundation and planned giving, rebranding, and the integration of marketing campaigns targeting priority populations. Kelly has been involved in launching LGBTQ+ initiatives in the arts, spearheading DEI groups, and collaborating with LGBTQ+ membership groups like the Greater Houston LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce and Executive Professional Association of Houston. 

Kelly earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from University of California, Santa Barbara.