Executive Summary & Governance
The Queer Commons Project (QCP) is an incorporated, fiscally-sponsored Oregon non-profit organization established to design, build, and secure permanent community infrastructure. While we are currently awaiting our formal 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status determination from the IRS, our fiscal sponsorship structure allows us to accept tax-deductible grant funding and major capital contributions immediately. Moving away from volatile, donation-dependent traditional nonprofit models, QCP operates a self-sustaining network of distinct social enterprises.
Our governance structure ensures strict fiscal accountability balanced with decisive operational leadership. Strategic project budgets, long-term capital allocation, and macro-organizational compliance are reviewed and approved by a Board of Directors. Daily operations, systemic development, and execution of the multi-venue blueprint are driven directly by the Executive Director.
Meet our leaDERSHIP
Kem Collier, Founder and Executive Director
As the Founder and Executive Director of the Queer Commons Project, Kem is dedicated to creating intentional, vibrant spaces built for the community, by the community. Kem’s vision comes to life first at Tectonic, where modern design intersects with strong operational values, sustainable labor practices, and local partnerships.
An active, hands-on leader, Kem oversees everything from business logistics and event coordination to the development of unique culinary and beverage programs. Kem’s forward-thinking leadership drives both the day-to-day energy of Tectonic and the long-term, multi-venue roadmap for the Queer Commons Project, ensuring each new space remains deeply rooted in purpose and community impact.
Pronouns: They / Them / Theirs
Lance W Nippert, Board President
Lance is a Portland‑based leader in non-profit healthcare administration with extensive experience supporting systems, leading managed change, and staying mission-focused. Across more than fifteen years, Lance has woven common threads of accessibility, equity, and integrity through his career. As the inaugural Co‑Chair of Providence Health Plans’ LGBTQIA2S+ Employee Resource Group, Lance advanced belonging and policy improvements for Queer employees and leaders. He now brings that same commitment to equity and organizational stewardship to the QCP.
Pronouns: He / Him / His
David Leonard, Board Vice President
David is a Southern swamprat from New Orleans who traded bayous for the Pacific Northwest over a decade ago in search of adventure. His career has taken him from performing with Walt Disney Entertainment to a 16-year journey in bookselling and, ultimately, into telecommunications and cybersecurity.
Along the way, he has remained passionate about community building, serving as an active member of his company’s Black Employee Network and a lead for the OUT Employee Resource Group (LGBTQ+ ERG). When he’s not solving technical problems, you’ll likely find him with a good book, playing video games, creating digital art, or tending to his witchy pursuits.
Pronouns: He / Him / His / Y’all
Kellie Hayes, Board Secretary
Kellie brings nearly thirty years of deeply rooted community organizing and fierce advocacy to the Board of Directors for the Queer Commons Project. A vital fixture in Oregon’s queer community for nearly three decades, she has spent years uplifting local culture by organizing drag shows and championing the art and livelihood of drag artists.
As a cancer survivor and caregiver to her disabled husband and son, her personal journey profoundly shapes her life's work. Her lived experience drives her impactful activism in Oregon disability rights legislation, where she has worked tirelessly to dismantle structural barriers and build true accessibility. At QCP, she bridges the intersection of queer liberation and disability justice, ensuring our spaces are fiercely inclusive, resilient, and accessible to all.
Pronouns: She / Her / Hers
Jamie Enright, Board Treasurer
With more than eight years of volunteer service with Free Mom Hugs Oregon and over twenty years of experience in hospitality and management, Jamie is passionate about building welcoming communities and supporting others. When she’s not working or volunteering, you'll usually find her with her wife and extended village of friends and family at the ballpark.
Pronouns: She / Her / Hers
Core Operational Philosophy
We believe that community care begins with labor equity. QCP operates on an uncompromised commitment to economic dignity: every single employee across our entire network of venues—from hospitality staff and cooks to administrative exchangers—is guaranteed a baseline thriving wage of $35 per hour, supplemented by comprehensive health benefits and a sustainable, compressed workweek. By rejecting the exploitative, sub-minimum wage standards of traditional hospitality, we ensure that our enterprises are engines of wealth-generation for the queer community from day one.
Economic Justice & The Thriving Wage
Uncompromised Sanctuary & Space Management
Safety within QCP spaces is absolute and actively managed. We reject passive security models in favor of a proactive, trained network of internal exchangers who actively preserve the integrity of our nightlife and daytime environments. QCP enforces a strict, explicit "No-Apology" policy regarding guest exclusion. Individuals who compromise the safety, boundaries, or dignity of our patrons or staff are removed immediately and permanently without debate. We do not negotiate the security of our sanctuary.
Our venues are designed for the queer community, by the queer community. This mandate extends directly into our supply chain. We prioritize sourcing our food, beverage components, and operational materials from local, independent, and marginalized vendors wherever possible. By anchoring our procurement within the regional economy, we ensure that every dollar spent at a QCP space circulates through our hospitality network, compounding local community wealth.
Local Offerings & Ecosystem Autonomy
Financial Accountability & Trust
The Permanence Guarantee: The Queer Commons Project is legally and structurally designed to lock resources into the community asset trust permanently. Because our properties and hospitality entities are held under a centralized non-profit umbrella, they are structurally insulated from private speculation or individual corporate buyout.
Our organization guarantees absolute operational transparency. QCP will maintain open-access documentation for major donors and grant institutions, including public availability of our annual IRS filings, independent financial reviews, and strategic impact audits. We are not just building businesses; we are building an unassailable institutional legacy.