Name: Gerik Maverick
Company: OutCenter Southwest Michigan
What Does Your Company/Organization Do? OutCenter provides advocacy, community, and support for local LGBTQ+ people and their allies.
Age: 28
Education: BA in Biblical Studies from SUM Bible College and Theological Seminary Lakeshore High School Class of 2014
Accomplishments:
This month I am proud to be celebrating my my first anniversary married to my incredible partner, Duke. I feel incredibly lucky to be able to do the work that I do, to be able to give back to the community that has given me so much. PrideFest is probably the biggest example of this. In 2022 I organized the first ever PrideFest in Benton Harbor, the biggest and most public pride event the OutCenter had ever done. Over 700 people attended our first year, which has now grown to more than 3,000 people between our three events in three towns across our community. This year, I was part of the team at the Benton Harbor Arts Association who brought back the Benton Harbor Children’s Art Fair. We were so exciting to bring back this long-running event, and welcomed over 1,000 attendees to Art’s Park in the heart of the Arts District. Outside of leading community events, I am proud to be a public advocate for students and teachers in our local schools, create impactful support programs for LGBTQ+ people and their allies, uplift local artists and artisans, and be a force that helps make Southwest Michigan a more welcoming and equitable place for us all.
Current City: Watervliet
Place You Were Born: Berrien Center
What was your first job? My first job was at the Stevensville Culvers when I was 14 years old.
What motivates you to give back to your community? In a lot of ways giving back feels like a responsibility to me. Growing up I was taught that if you can help than you should, and more often than not my role models were people who worked jobs that revolved around community service. Giving back is, in many ways, part of who I am and part of how I engage with the world around me.
What Superpower would you most love to have? I feel like super speed would have to be pretty high up there. Being able to travel faster, work faster, and gain a superhuman metabolism? Count me in!
What would you like to leave behind as your legacy once you are gone? More than anything else I would want my legacy to be love. I hope to accomplish a lot of exciting things in my life, but more than anything else I want those closest to me to know how much I love them.
