Dalen Michael is a community architect, executive leader, public health professional, and cultural organizer whose work centers on building stronger communities and creating opportunities for people who have historically been left out of the room.

For more than a decade, Dalen has worked at the intersection of public health, community development, LGBTQIA+ advocacy, economic empowerment, and culture. He currently serves as Clinic Director of Central Outreach Wellness Center’s Erie location, where he leads operations, community outreach, HIV and STI prevention efforts, wellness initiatives, and partnerships designed to meet people where they are. His career in HIV prevention and community health spans more than ten years and includes frontline outreach, peer support, education, program development, and organizational leadership.

Dalen is the Founder and CEO of Erie Pride 365, an organization dedicated to championing the rights and well-being of Black, Brown, and LGBTQIA+ people 365 days a year. Through Erie Pride 365, he has helped develop community celebrations, educational programming, wellness initiatives, cultural events, and partnerships that intentionally connect advocacy with health, arts, and community building.

He also serves as Vice President of Erie’s Black Wall Street and as Project Manager for the organization’s Parade Street redevelopment initiative, helping lead the transformation of historically significant properties into spaces for entrepreneurship, food access, community programming, and economic development. His growing work in real estate and neighborhood revitalization reflects a larger vision: eliminating blight, expanding ownership, preserving community assets, and creating spaces where people can thrive.

A longtime leader in Ballroom culture, Dalen is also known as Legendary Dalen Ebony of the Iconic House of Ebony. His involvement in Ballroom began in 2009 and has grown into regional, national, and international leadership. He continues to use Ballroom as a platform for mentorship, cultural preservation, health education, artistic expression, and intergenerational community building.

His leadership and service have earned recognition including the H.E.R. Power LGBTQ Champion Award, Erie Reader’s 40 Under 40, and a City of Erie proclamation recognizing Central Outreach Erie Day.

Across every part of his work, Dalen believes community building requires more than visibility. It requires infrastructure, ownership, resources, relationships, and people willing to do the work long after the cameras are gone.

His personal mission is simple: build community everywhere he goes.