John D. Allen, Ed.D.

John D. Allen, Ed.D. (he/him), Founding Director, has been with the Center since its inception in 1996 and has continually served in a variety of roles. The Center grew out of his master’s thesis, which quantified the cultural needs of the Southern Connecticut LGBT community. John currently works for the State of Connecticut and has devoted his career to supporting people with intellectual and other disabilities. Since 1998, he co-facilitates the Center’s Rainbow Support Group, which is believed to be the first of its kind to support LGBT people with intellectual disabilities. He also serves as the Chair of the Center’s Scholarship funds. John is married to Keith Hyatte, who retired after 40 seasons as the Charge Scenic Artist at Long Wharf Theatre.