Jennifer Hancock

JENNIFER HANCOCK, Secretary, is the founder of Humanist Learning Systems and the author of several books focused on applied Humanism. She is a well-respected writer and speaker in the Humanist movement and focuses most of her efforts on educating people outside the movement about Humanism. Her speaking and teaching business coalesced into the founding of Humanist Learning Systems which provides online personal and professional development training in humanistic business management and science based harassment training that actually works.

She is the current secretary for Center for Freethought Equality and also serves as the VP for the USA Chapter of the International Humanistic Management Association.

She brings to CFE her experience in nonprofit management, and organizational management, outreach, and publicity. Her focus at CFE is to help support our efforts and to help provide a bridge of support from the business leadership community to CFE activities and initiatives and to help get applied research into humanistic management into the hands of practitioners and policy makers in a way that is useful.

Gayle Jordan

GAYLE JORDAN is a former Southern Baptist who left the faith 10 years ago when her then-teenagers began asking questions she could not answer. Her research led her (and her children) into the light of reason and rationality. Years later, she still feels the effects, both positive and negative, of that dramatic shift in perspective and attitude. It is this sympathy and compassion that drives her to reach out to help others navigate the emotional and physical process involved in leaving one's faith.

Gayle is the Executive Director of Recovering from Religion, and ran for the Tennessee Senate in 2016 and 2018. Gayle lives in Oregon and is an estate-planning attorney. She raises goats, chickens, and honeybees, and is trying her hand at grape-growing at her sunny hillside home affectionately known as Peak Heathen. She blogs about a variety of topics at "Happy. Healthy. Heathen." (https://gaylejordan.net/).

Howard Katz

HOWARD KATZ, President. In his early teenage years Howard Katz studied world religions—questioning why he was brought up to think that his religion was the "right" one and everyone else's was wrong—they of course had the same mindset. Through years of looking into other's viewpoints, he grew away from any belief in supernaturalism or organized religion. In his 20s Katz was introduced to Humanism as a formal philosophy, and he joined the American Humanist Association—well over 40 years ago.

Community involvement is important to Katz - serving with the Humanist Society as a board member, president, and Celebrant; ACLU; IL NOW as an officer; and the local Americans United as a board member, as well as his local AHA Chapter. He has served on several state and local oversight boards that monitor services to the disabled and mental health communities, held multiple public offices, and is a 24+ gallon blood donor. Katz currently serves as an officer of his County Democratic organization, as Parliamentarian, and in 2017 was elected the Batavia (IL) Township Clerk.

As an AHA Board member, Katz has served on the Chapter, Awards, donor, Humanist Charities and policy committees, helped formulate the current Bylaws, represented the AHA at numerous speaking events and information tables throughout the Midwest, as well as working with local groups to help them form AHA chapters.

Steven Lowe

STEVEN LOWE, Treasurer, is a gay atheist/humanist activist based in Washington, D.C. He grew up in rural Virginia and attended the University of Virginia. After earning a BA in mathematics, Steve joined the Peace Corps where he served for two years in Zaire teaching secondary school mathematics in French. He earned an MBA from George Washington University in Washington, DC. In 2001 he retired from a twenty-year career in sales and operations with various U.S. telephone companies.

He has been active in the Freethought, Humanist, and Atheist movement since 2001, when he discovered the illuminating works of the Four Horsemen (Dawkins, Hitchens, Harris, and Dennett). He has researched and published articles about Robert G. Ingersoll, gives walking tours about Ingersoll’s life in Washington, D.C., and founded the Robert G. Ingersoll Oratory Contest, which has been held three times.

He is a longtime member of the board of directors of the Washington Area Secular Humanists, and since 2015, a member of the Board of Directors of American Atheists, Inc.

"I want to remove the taboo of being non-religious and empower our voice and values in our political system."

Karina Quintanilla

KARINA QUINTANILLA is a third-generation activist with a career in education spanning K-12 to PhD. In 2020, Karina made history in Palm Desert, becoming the first Latina and youngest woman elected having received 61% of votes. In 2019 she sued Palm Desert for voter districts and ranked choice under the California Voters Rights Act. As a result, Riverside County will implement ranked choice for the first time, bringing equity in representation. She advocates for those who feel excluded from the decision-making process.

Karina volunteers as a bilingual Political Consultant for Congressional, State and Local candidates. She was elected as a delegate to the CA Democratic Convention and has been frequently a requested speaker for Gun Control, Reproductive Rights and National Organization of Women. She spoke at the Women of Color Beyond Belief 2022 Conference. As moderator for the Secular Latino Alliance, she helped maintain a secular safe space. Karina is proud to have been endorsed by the Center for Freethought Equality and defends the separation of church and state.

She is a liaison to Cultural Arts, Cultural Preservation, Homeless Taskforce, Civic Engagement, Public Safety Committee, Children’s Museum and Coachella Valley Animal Campus. She fought to allocate $90,000 for childcare. Karina reinvigorated commitment to sustainability, advocating for bioplastics and hempcrete in Palm Desert. She established a regional health collaborative to increase regional efficiency, funds focusing on physical and mental health.

Her dedication to community is unquestioned, having saved countless lives as a 16-gallon blood donor: she gives her blood, sweat and tears.

Renée L. Reif

A Humanist activist, Army veteran, former army wife, and caregiver for sons with disabilities, RENÉE L. REIF speaks out and is politically active in her community. She is a sociologist with a Masters in Public Administration (nonprofit emphasis), and a Humanist Society Lay Leader working to educate the public and build bridges as a member of the Pikes Peak Habitat for Humanity Interfaith Unity Build committee, and as a new Humanist member of the Interfaith Alliance of Colorado. She is helping establish Humanists in Healthcare and the Secular Democrats of Colorado initiative for the state democratic party.

Renée is currently the democratic chair for her state house district, reaching out to voters and spreading seeds of understanding on why the Wall of Separation benefits EVERYONE. Since becoming the director for women veterans outreach for the El Paso County Colorado Progressive Veterans, she is working to amplify their voices. Past volunteer work includes serving on the City of Fountain Planning Commission, as the chair for the Colorado chapter of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and on the El Paso County Placement Alternative Commission.

Always challenging the status quo, Renée speaks out weekly while openly identifying as a Secular Humanist or atheist. Having been involved in local freethought groups for many years, Humanism gives her life purpose; she passionately supports Humanism and the application of science and universal Humanist values to legislation and general community matters.

John Wagner

JOHN WAGNER, Vice President, is a long-term supporter of the American Humanist Association, and he represents the American Humanist Association at the United Nations. He is a vice-president of the Secular Humanist Society of New York.

Dr. Wagner is active in politics. He is on the board of the Four Freedoms Democratic Club, where he chairs the Committee on Policy and Activism. He also chairs the Secular Coalition for New York, which lobbies for citizens with a secular point of view on state and local issues. Thus, Dr. Wagner has the values and practical experience required to promote and highlight humanist values in Washington, D.C. and the rest of the USA.

He is passionate about the importance of fighting for values that are based on rational discourse, humanistic principles, and scientific investigation. He is a life member of the Freedom from Religion Foundation and American Atheists, and he supports the Secular Student Association.

John is a Professor of Neuroscience and Professor of Cell Biology & Genetics at the Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City. The skills he has developed as a practicing scientist, a writer, a teacher, and an activist should be helpful in guiding the Center for Freethought Equity to accomplish its missions, to raise the needed financial resources, and to raise the profile of humanists & freethinkers in the political arena.