Meet the Equality NC Board

Milan Pham is a queer, lesbian, feminist, immigrant, daughter, sister, auntie extraordinaire, wife and friend among other things. She is a partner at Nicholson Pham, Attorneys at Law, PLLC, where she focuses on family creation and protection in the context of queer and emerging families. She is a Fellow with the American Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys. She serves on the National Center for Lesbian Rights National Family Law Advisory Committee which develops strategy and shares resources for the protection of LGBT+ and historically unrecognized or marginally protected families. Before Nicholson Pham, she was Director of the NC Lawyers for Entrepreneurs Assistance Program and, before that, Director of the Orange County Department of Human Rights and Relations. She obtained her JD from the UNC Chapel Hill School of Law. She is a budding mycologist and aspires to be a writer. She loves her niblings, wife, coffee, dogs, reading and gardening.

Jenna Beckham, MD, MSPH has been a longtime supporter of Equality NC and was thrilled to have the opportunity to join the Equality NC Foundation board in 2019. She is a North Carolina native; she grew up in a small town but has lived in the Triangle for over 15 years. She completed all of her education and professional training at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill - undergraduate, medical school, graduate school in the school of public health, and residency training. She is an obstetrician-gynecologist and works as a faculty physician at WakeMed Health and Hospitals in Raleigh as well as for Planned Parenthood South Atlantic at various locations throughout the state. She is a member of WPATH (World Professional Association for Transgender Health) and provides comprehensive and gender-affirming care to LGBTQ patients. She lives in Durham with her partner, Harrison, and their three large dogs.

Zach Wardle is Chief Operating Officer for Global Banking and Markets Operations at Bank of America. Zach’s responsibilities include management of business operations activities including business planning, people management, location, and resource strategy as well as financial and expense management. Zach has been with Bank of America for 16 years. Prior to Bank of America, Zach held numerous positions in technology, including product management, solution design, and custom application development utilizing satellite networks for delivery of video content. Zach is Six Sigma Green Belt Certified and graduated from Westminster College with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science. Zach manages Diversity and Inclusion for GBAM Operations and sits on the Global Technology and Operations Diversity and Inclusion Council. Zach is also Ambassador Coordinator for the LGBT+ Pride Ally Program across the firm. Zach is based in Charlotte, NC where he lives with his husband and two children.

Italo Medelius is originally from Lima, Peru and moved to Hampstead, NC at 9 years old. He is a graduate from the North Carolina Central University School of Law and UNC-Asheville. Italo is the former Chair of the Durham Mayor's Hispanic-Latino Committee and began his service with ENC as a member of the Political Action Committee in 2019.

Collins is an education attorney with a passion for promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in all aspects of their work, whether that's in the courtroom, the boardroom, or the classroom. With years of experience in the legal field, they have a strong understanding of the education system and how it intersects with various legal issues.

In addition to their legal background, they also work as a DEI consultant and trainer, helping organizations and individuals create inclusive and equitable environments. They truly believe that diversity, equity, and inclusion are crucial for success in any industry, and they are dedicated to helping others understand and implement these principles.

In their free time, you can find them exploring the great outdoors, trying out new recipes in the kitchen, or deepening their meditation practice.

Michael Wilson is a lifelong North Carolinian who now lives in Raleigh. He is an advocate who believes we can talk and chew gum at the same time: we can work towards a better future while also making practical changes now.

He volunteers his time working to end domestic violence in North Carolina and serves as the Treasurer for North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence. He also advocates for fair and affordable housing.

Professionally, Michael holds a degree in Business Administration from UNC Chapel Hill and has previously held two financial services licenses. After working as a financial analyst at a large financial institution, he was a legislative staff member in the North Carolina General Assembly where he developed expertise on sexual assault and domestic violence policy and managed multiple violence prevention bills which became law. Michael is currently in his third year of law school at UNC Chapel Hill and will join a law firm in Chapel Hill after passing the Bar.

Irving Zavaleta is a well-known and highly regarded leader, educator and speaker with in-depth knowledge and experience in the areas of inclusion and equity. Irving has first hand experience and knows best practices for working with underrepresented populations including students of color, LGBTQIA communities and first-generation college students.

Irving currently is the Networks Director for Voting Rights at the Southern Coalition for Social Justice.

Irving previously directed the social justice initiatives at the Pro Humanitate Institute (PHI) at Wake Forest University and worked as the Assistant Director and Latinx Community Coordinator at Guilford College in the Multicultural Education Department.