Dominique Sierra
President & Founder
Dominique Sierra identifies as she/her, a wife, dog mom, President and founder of Bonita Springs Pride. She is originally from Torrence, CA. At the age of 6, her family relocated to Hialeah, Fl where she grew up until her early 20’s. She has done a little bit of anything and everything, from ballet classes, to being the most athletic in her school, piano club, and she was the student body president. In 2005, she and her partner at the time relocated to beautiful Cape Coral, Florida and has been finding her way ever since then in Southwest Florida.
​
She started out playing recreational softball, became an umpire, successfully started and ran several companies, and found Drag. She advocates for the LGBTQIA+ community every chance she gets, and is always looking for ways to create inclusive spaces for community members and allies. Dominique is the club president and area director with Toastmasters International, which has expanded her leadership and public speaking skills.
​
She has earned two Associates of Science degrees with Rasmussen College, Accounting and Business Management respectively. In 2018, she found herself in Drag, as a male impersonating drag king. She has carved her way into a space that hasn’t had a lot of women in. Along the path of Drag, she has created Mr & Miss SWFL, a local competition that focuses on who the entertainer is, what their talents are, and hears the speaking styles of the contestants. She has also entered into and won some local pageants as well. In 2019, she won Nauti Newcomer, in 2021 Drag Search, in 2022 Mr. Gay Florida United States M.I., and in 2023 Royal Pride of Nations Central Glam. She is no stranger to trying something new, or giving it her all in every endeavor. She dreamed up Bonita Springs Pride after doing shows in the area, and getting really positive feedback from the community.
Lora Sierra
President & Co-founder
Lora Sierra describes herself as she/her, wife, dog mom, future doctor, & co-founder of Bonita Springs Pride. She is originally from Fort Myers, Fl. She grew up a lover of playing music on various instruments. She graduated from Heritage Institute in 2010, as a Massage Therapist. She practiced in Fort Myers for three years, and moved to Jacksonville, Fl to continue practicing for another 2 years. She went back to college and received her undergraduate degree from Everglades University in Allied Health. She moved to Hawaii in 2015 and worked on NCL’s Pride of America for nearly a year before returning to the Fort Myers area. In 2019, Lora found herself in drag alongside her wife, Dominique, as a non-binary performer. In 2023, she graduated from East West College of Natural Medicine with her Bachelors of Science in Professional Health Science and a Masters of Science in Oriental Medicine. Soon after graduation, she traveled to Tallahassee to advocate for Drag artists in our state, and any chance she gets she looks for a way to create safe, healing spaces for everyone to be seen and heard. She is currently studying for her boards to become a licensed Acupuncture Physician, while sitting on the Board of Directors for Bonita Springs Pride. She looks forward to finding ways to utilize her many skills to build and grow in Bonita Springs!
Blake Smith
Board Director
Blake Smith has been a part of the local SWFL LGBT+ community for 5 years. Originally from Georgia, he received a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in Fashion Design at SCAD the University for Creative Careers which has led him to designing for companies such as Kohl’s, Belk, and Chico’s. In 2014, Blake was a featured design contestant on Project Runway: Under the Gunn where he placed top 5 for the season. His work has been featured on runways at NYFW as well as other numerous local fashion week events. He has participated in multiple fundraising events for Dress For Success over the years where he has participated in their runway showcases. Blake is a local boylesque and pole dance performer. He enjoys the art of creative storytelling as a mental and physical outlet. He is excited to join forces with the board of directors to help bring Bonita Springs its debut Pride events in a time more than ever when the community needs it most. His goal with participating in Pride is to help provide a safe space for the LGBT+ community and its allies to come together and feel seen.
Amy Dodard
Amy Dodard identifies as a straight woman, wife, mom, sister, Disney addict, Swiftie, travel agent, and lifelong ally. Amy has a BA in Psychology from USF and has mainly worked in hospitality and high end retail. She has been a travel agent specializing in Disney, Universal, and cruises for a little over 2 years now and loves it. Amy, her husband Patrick, and their daughters are all strong allies for the LGBTQIA+ community and support in any way they can. Amy joined the Bonita Springs Pride committee as a volunteer to help find sponsors and vendors. She was soon asked, and agreed, to be a member of the board. Amy is a Bonita Springs resident and active member of the community. She plans to use her local connections to help further the message of love, acceptance, and equality.
Board Director
Stephanie Midkiff
Board Director
_edited.jpg)
Stephanie is a born and raised Florida native who is dedicated to bringing awareness and acceptance to the LGBTQ community. She believes in equality and inclusivity for all persons. Stephanie has a background in theater with many years of experience in creative arts. She is driven to create impactful events, that celebrate' s our individuality, and provide a place of acceptance and equality for all. Her belief is that love and hate are taught, and that this world can be changed if we teach the next generation to choose love and not hate. As a member of the board of directors, she brings her creativity, dedication, and passion for making this world a better place by changing lives one person at a time.