Meet our Team

The LEI Team

Sherrill Wayland
LEI Program Lead, SAGE

Sherrill Wayland is the Director of Special Initiatives where she directs the operations of programs such as SAGECare, the National Resource Center on LGBT Aging and is SAGE's staff lead for the Long-term Care Equality Index. Sherrill began work with SAGE at the local level in 2008, founding the SAGE Affiliate in St. Louis, MO and became a certified trainer with SAGE in 2011. Prior to joining SAGE at the national level, she successfully led the merger of SAGE in St. Louis with the Missouri Statewide Equality Organization, PROMO Fund. Sherrill earned a Master of Social Work degree from the Brown School of Social Work, Washington University in St. Louis and has over 20 years of professional experience in the fields of education, disability and LGBT older adult advocacy.


Tari Hanneman
LEI Program Lead, Human Rights Campaign Foundation

Tari Hanneman is the Director of the Health and Aging Program at the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, where in addition to the LEI, she oversees the annual LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Index and other projects related to LGBTQ+ health and aging. Tari has over 25 years of experience in the non-profit and philanthropic sector, primarily focused on the areas of health and women’s issues. Prior to joining HRC, she served as the initial Director of The Women’s Fund of Winston-Salem where she led all aspects of developing The Fund’s programs and brand in the community. Prior to her move to North Carolina, she served in a number of roles at The California Endowment, one of the nation's largest health foundations. She has also worked for elected officials and non-profits focused on the environment, reproductive rights and HIV. She has a Master’s in Public Administration with an emphasis on Nonprofit Management from the University of Southern California.


Dan Stewart
LEI Program Co-Lead, Human Rights Campaign Foundation

Dan Stewart is the Associate Director of the Aging Equality Project at the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. He is the HRCF lead for the Long-Term Care Equality Index. A proud Latino, Indigenous, transgender man, and gerontologist, Dan has ten years of experience in the aging and LGBTQ+ advocacy fields. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Saint Louis University and Master of Science in Gerontology from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. He melds his experiences in the aging field, his former work as an academic, and a dedicated advocate to work towards equality for LGBTQ+ people across the age spectrum.


Reach us at LEI@hrc.org

Our Organizations

SAGE offers supportive services and consumer resources to LGBTQ+ older people and their caregivers, advocates for public policy changes that address the needs of LGBTQ+ elders, and provides education and technical assistance for aging providers and LGBTQ+ community organizations. Learn more at sageusa.org.

The HRC Foundation is the educational arm of the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest LGBTQ+ civil rights organization. The HRC Foundation works to build capacity and change policies, practices, hearts, and minds in a range of institutions that shape LGBTQ+ people’s daily lives. Learn more at thehrcfoundation.org.