The Aurora Pride Parade is proud to announce our Grand Marshal for 2019!
Nancy Mullen is the executive director of Youth Outlook, the first not-for-profit organization serving lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and non-binary youth and working to increase visibility and understanding of LGBT youth issues in DuPage, Kane, Whiteside, LaSalle, DeKalb and suburban Cook Counties in Illinois. Nancy just celebrated her 20th anniversary with Youth Outlook, coming to the agency when it was only 6 months old. During her tenure, Youth Outlook has grown from a volunteer run social group with a single drop-in center to a recognized social services agency with drop-in centers in six counties including Transcend, a program specific to the interests and needs of trans youth in Naperville and Palatine, a youth leadership project, a healthy relationships program, parent support groups, a peer-led HIV prevention project and a thriving community education/professional development program.
A transplant to the Midwest, Nancy holds a Master of Social Work degree from Syracuse University, where she focused on clinical counseling with youth and families. She has worked in various aspects of human services, from direct counseling to program management to agency administration. Away from Youth Outlook and the world of social work, Nancy is 10 credits away from a culinary degree to become a pastry chef and is seeking a publisher for her first book, Urban Tidepool.
We couldn't think of a better person to represent the 2019 Aurora Pride Parade. We are happy to have you, Nancy!