Meet the PROMO Staff

Stephen Eisele

Executive Director

Stephen recently joined PROMO in May 2020. He brings professional and lived experiences that give him an understanding of the life of rural, suburban and urban Missouri; the importance of intersectional work; and how the disparities in health care resources impact communities too often left behind. Most recently, Stephen served as communications manager at Community Catalyst where he supported and defended Medicaid across 12 states. He also provided strategic communications support and technical assistance on health care policy at the federal, state, and local levels. Stephen has a robust understanding of the political process in Missouri and the challenges of supporting LGBTQ rights in the Show-Me State. He is eager to lead the PROMO staff, board, and volunteers to prevent passage of harmful legislation as well as to widen and deepen PROMO’s statewide efforts.

He is a graduate of Missouri State University with a bachelor’s in political science and Spanish, and Drury University with an MBA in entrepreneurship, both located in Springfield. He lives with his husband, State Rep. Ian Mackey, and their dog Remy in Richmond Heights, Missouri. You can reach Stephen at Stephen@PROMOonline.org.
Pronouns: he/him/his

Ellie Scott

Development Director

Ellie officially joined the PROMO team in January 2021, though she has been a volunteer with the organization since 2019. She holds a M.A. in Public History from Arizona State University, which provided her extensive training in accessibility and equality strategies in community involvement. She is also the founder of Bayleaf Consulting, an operations management agency in Saint Louis. She is excited to utilize her skills in project management and intentional community building to steer the Development team through meeting PROMO’s vision and mission. You can reach Ellie at ellie@promoonline.org.
Pronouns: she/her/hers

Shira Berkowitz

Communications Manager

Shira Berkowitz joined the PROMO team in October 2018 as Communications Manager. Shira brings a unique collection of experience working in digital communication, arts marketing, political advocacy and policy strategy, and human-centered design to the position. They hold a Master of Fine Arts from Washington University of St. Louis, and is an actively exhibiting artist. As both an artist and social entrepreneur, Shira is passionate about building spaces for people to gather and grow as community. They are a founding board member of MaTovu, a Jewish neighborhood center in St. Louis City, and currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Jewish Federation of St. Louis. You can reach Shira at shira@promoonline.org.
Pronouns: they/them/theirs

Karis Agnew

Field Director

Karis is PROMO’s Field Director based in Springfield, Missouri. Karis graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Drury University with a focus on global systematic and economic disparities. Before joining team PROMO in 2017, Karis had extensive experience working with the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community through peer support, volunteer coordination, and educational seminars. At PROMO, Karis is a trainer for the LGBTQ Cultural Competency Training program, connects with and empowers communities and volunteers all across Missouri to further equality, oversees PROMO’s TRANSforming Missouri program, and works with the PROMO PAC to help pro-equality candidates in Missouri. You can reach Karis at Karis@PROMOonline.org.
Pronouns: they/them/theirs

Molly Pearson

Special Programs Manager

Molly Pearson joined the PROMO team in December 2020. In her role, she manages the LGBTQ Cultural Competency Training program and SAGE of PROMO Fund. Based in St. Louis, she has worked in the statewide effort to modernize Missouri’s HIV-specific laws, and is a member of the What Would an HIV Doula Do? collective, which explores contemporary cultural responses to the ongoing HIV epidemic. She also teaches storytelling and public speaking classes with Campfire. She can be reached at molly@promoonline.org.

Pronouns: She/her/hers: any others accepted

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