GWYN CIESLA
(she/her), President

After co-chairing the first two Aurora Pride Parades with Kimberly Adams as part of Indivisible Aurora, Gwyn has lead Aurora Pride since it became an independent organization in 2019. She lives on the west side of Aurora with her wife (who had the idea for the parade in the first place) and two children. She does computery things for a large international tech firm, and enjoys spending time with her cats.

Brittney Borowicz Keller
(She/Her)

Brittney Borowicz Keller has been an Aurora resident since 2017, moving here with her husband and cat. One of Brittney’s first endeavors upon moving to Aurora was finding a way to connect with the community. This is when she found out about Aurora’s first Pride Parade via a Facebook post from Gwyn. She quickly joined the volunteer team and has been a core member of the chaos ever since. Since 2017, the Keller family has expanded, adding in a dog and two silly children. By day, Brittney works in digital marketing and by night, you can often find her crocheting, watching trash TV, planning her next garden, or learning about superheroes from her toddler.

ashton bishop
(he/him - They/Them)

Ashton lives in Aurora with his husband, Zachary and their fur baby, Wesley. The two have lived in Aurora since 2019 and reside on the North West side of Aurora. Ashton also works in the trades as a CNC Machinist. Ashton is also an ordained minister in the American Marriage Ministries and an experienced Wedding Officiant with over 20 years of experience. His interests and hobbies include camping with Zachary and their Fur baby Wesley, hiking, queer film and television, DIY home projects on he and his husbands home, and he is an avowed Trekkie.

meagan waycaster
(she/her)

Meagan Waycaster has lived in or bordering Aurora her entire life. She originally volunteered for the first pride parade after seeing a post and has enjoyed helping the team in whatever ways she can since then. She has always found the city to be an accepting and vibrant place that is full of personality. She believes that Aurora is a place for anyone and everyone and hopes by joining the board that she can help make it as inclusive and welcoming as possible. Meagan is a believer in radical acceptance and building bridges in the community. She has a passion for people and sharing life stories. She believes with openness and creativity we can become the best versions of ourselves possible

Joseph Read
(he/him)

Joseph has lived in and around Aurora, IL for many years. His grandfather served as an Aurora Police Officer for 25 years, which has given him a long-standing personal connection to the community. He returned to Aurora in early 2022 and resided there through 2024. In 2022, he adopted a cat, Daphne, from the Aurora Animal Care and Control Center. She has been a tremendous source of comfort and companionship, and he is grateful to have her. Although he currently reside in St. Charles, Illinois, he remains actively involved in Aurora and is frequently in the area. Joesph began volunteering with Aurora Pride in 2023 after responding to the call for volunteers. That same year, he assumed the role of Safety Coordinator and has continued volunteering since. Outside of his volunteer work with Aurora Pride, he has furthered his professional career in cosmetology, working as both a licensed hair stylist and an educator.

Daryl Robinson
(he/him)

Daryl Robinson moved to the area from Chicago in 2023, turning to
volunteering as a meaningful way to build local roots. Through
participating in and eventually planning large-scale public events,
Daryl has found that service is the quickest path to community.
“Volunteering is an easy way to meet people, expand your horizons, and learn new skills while gaining a true sense of accomplishment,” he says. Daryl lives nearby with his husband, Julio, and their two
rambunctious dogs.

Penelope Torres
(She/her)

Penelope has been a resident of Aurora since 2008 and has been actively involved in the community nearly since the beginning. In her spare time she volunteers on the Steering Committee for the Chicago Human Rights Campaign, the local chapter of the nation’s largest LGBTQ+ civil rights advocacy group. Additionally she has been serving as a Commissioner on the Aurora Human Relations Commission and is in her third term of appointment. The Aurora Human Relations Commission strives to create a safe and welcoming City for all. Penelope has been involved with Aurora Pride since its’ beginning - from the advocacy stages all the way through to present day. 

Her professional career has been focused in the Arts with over 20+ years of professional photography experience along with and a background in theatre and comedy. She has had many internationally published works, a solo gallery show, and her photography can be found in the Professional Photographers of America Loan and Merit collections. She is a graduate of The Second City’s Acting Lab Conservatory Program and currently works in Chicago theatre. Most days she can be found reading contracts and working on nationally touring Broadway productions in Chicago. She is also the mom of an adorable dog and cat and likes to spend her rare free time getting in as much fur baby snuggles as possible.