Board of Directors
Belle Shepherd (Co-Chair)
Belle Shepherd, she/her, is honored to join the inaugural Rogue Trans Outreach board as an ally to the Trans community. Belle works for the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) as an Innovator Agent, which is a liaison position between OHA, community and providers supporting Medicaid/OHP members. In that role Belle works to assure Gender Affirming Care services can be accessed, and was lead in moving forward REALD and SOGI data collection at OHA. She also supports members on OHP to assure they can access services, and supports systems level work to assure equity in access.
Belle began her career in public health as an HIV tester/educator and Harm Reduction practitioner in Hawaii. In 2000, she moved back to Southern Oregon and continued public health work as a sexual health educator, and later as Public Health Director in both Josephine and Jackson counties.
Belle also brings non-profit board experience to the table, including strategic planning, policy and process alignment and financial management. Belle is currently a member of the boards for United Way of Jackson County, Rogue Retreat and Mercy Flights.
Belle lives in Medford with her husband and two cats and loves traveling to tropical places when time permits!
Danielle Mancuso (Co-Chair)
Danielle Mancuso is a community architect dedicated to fostering equity, connection, and meaningful change. Since 2016, they have facilitated community storytelling events that invite vulnerability, reflection, and deeper understanding. They currently work as a Clinical Mental Health Counselor, drawing on more than 20 years of leadership experience in higher education and master’s degrees in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Management. Their work blends facilitation, counseling, and systems thinking, with a strong commitment to strengthening LGBTQIA+ care. Most recently, they served as La Clinica’s Community Building Coordinator, focusing on inclusive, affirming systems of care.
Danielle lives with their partner, Erika, and their dog, Sawyer. Outside of work, they enjoy good stories, roadside attractions, art, card games, healthy banter, podcasts, and unhurried time with family and friends.
Steve Johnson (Treasurer)
Steve Johnson is the father of a transgender son and proudly holds the title of his #1 fan. Loving his son has reshaped how Steve shows up, especially as attacks on transgender people and the LGBTQ+ community have become louder and more frequent. Quiet acceptance didn’t feel like enough anymore. Steve joined Rogue Trans to stand up, speak out, and help make Southern Oregon a place where transgender people are supported, protected, and able to thrive.
Steve co-facilitates the Listening Heart couples workshop and the LifeWorks personal growth workshop at The Learning Well, and serves on the facilitation team for the True Colors teen workshop. Much of his work revolves around listening—being present, staying curious, and helping create space for honest conversation and growth.
Before this chapter, Steve spent more than 20 years as an award-winning photojournalist and newspaper photo editor. He now works as a commercial photographer and is also a certified cooking skills educator, teaching practical cooking to vulnerable populations in Jackson and Josephine counties. A Southern Oregon native and father of five, Steve loves international travel, hiking, paddle-boarding, cooking, reading, and slowly discovering just how many back roads the Rogue Valley actually has by bicycle.
He believes showing up matters, listening matters, and that love—especially the loud, protective kind—can still change things.
Melissa Russell (Secretary)
Melissa L. Russell (she/they) is a healthcare leader and advocate focused on liberation, equity, and collective care. With over 20 years of experience in healthcare operations, she works to dismantle barriers to affirming and dignified care for trans, queer, and BIPOC communities.
Raised in a working-class household by her grandmother, Melissa learned how economic instability impacts health and opportunity. These experiences fostered her resilience and commitment to expanding access. The first in her family to graduate college, she earned a Bachelor of Science in Criminology and a Master of Healthcare Administration while working multiple jobs.
Melissa has held leadership roles at Asante, Boulder Care, and La Clinica, overseeing change and quality improvement. As the Director of Health Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at Umpqua Health, she guided the organization towards NCQA Health Equity Accreditation and advanced policies of belonging and justice, centering the voices of those impacted by inequities.
Her leadership is rooted in her lived experience as a queer, Mexican, gender-expansive parent, bringing authenticity and compassion to her advocacy. She believes that trans and queer individuals deserve not only survival but also safety, joy, and flourishing futures.
