Joe Hollendoner
Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
Year Started at the Center: 2021
Title: Chief Executive Officer
The most rewarding part of working at the Center is seeing the impact that we are having on our community. Whether it is when I walk around the Anita May Rosenstein Campus or visit one of our community sites like Trans Wellness Center, I see the joy and resiliency of our clients. Truthfully, there is not a single day that I don’t get to witness a young person or senior accessing our services light up because they can be their authentic selves in a space that is designed to care for their unique needs. It’s a regular reminder to me of what an honor and privilege it is to be leading the Center.
And while it pains me to know that the demand for services regularly outpaces our capacity, I have every confidence that the Center will continue to evolve to meet the changing and ever-growing needs of our community. The board and staff are committed to building upon the legacy of the last 50 years and continuing to do as much good for as many people as possible.
Saurabh Bajaj
Hometown: Cerritos, California
Year Started at the Center: 2022
Title: Chief Development Officer
I decided early on that I only wanted to work at LGBTQ organizations; I knew I wanted to make change for and with the people of my community. I started at HIV organizations in San Francisco and most recently spent two years at Freedom for All Americans, which focused on securing nondiscrimination protections nationwide.
When it came time to decide what the next phase of my career would be, I knew I wanted to return to direct service. Joining the Los Angeles LGBT Center has felt like a dream becoming reality. Not only does our work touch on so many issues that are close to my heart, but it has been such a pleasure to work with a diverse team of people who really care about the health and well-being of LGBTQ people in L.A. and beyond.
Sharon Brown
Hometown: Sicily Island, Louisiana
Year Started at the Center: 2007
Title: Chief Impact Officer
I always say that I’ve grown with the Center. I first started here 15 years ago as a volunteer before working my way up through the ranks. In that time, I’ve seen the organization grow from 230 employees to triple that number today. I’ve seen our internal culture evolve over time, allowing people to bring more of their authentic selves to work. And I’ve seen how important our work is in pushing the LGBTQ movement forward.
But as far as we have come—and as far as we have to go—our hearts still beat to the same drums of advocacy. As we look ahead to this next era, I remain as excited as I’ve always been to continue our march toward a future where all LGBTQ people can thrive as healthy, equal, and complete members of society.
Ward Carpenter, MD
Hometown: Ridgewood, NJ
Year Started at the Center: 2013
Title: Chief Health Officer
The Chief Health Officer’s role is to oversee all activities within the Health Center and ensure integration with the broader work of the Center. It’s my job to make sure that we are innovating and creating responsive programs that really meet the needs of all our clients and community.
This is an exciting time to be helping to lead the organization because it feels like the future is arriving. We are becoming something better than we have ever been to this point. We are on the brink of providing world-class services in all our lines of service to the clients and communities who need us. And this matches my own personal mission of wanting to create a better world for my fellow queer community. This community has given me so much, and I hope to give back as much as I can.
Ricardo DeLeon
Hometown: Corpus Christi, Texas
Year Started at the Center: 2020
Title: Chief Financial Officer
Before joining the Center, I spent more than 25 years in corporate America building a career as a finance executive. It was in the summer of 2020, as the world was changing around us, that I began to feel under-utilized. I wasn’t actively looking for a new role at the time, but when the opportunity to join the Center presented itself, I had zero hesitation to pursue.
What I’ve come to understand is that the breadth and depth of the Center’s services extend even further than I knew. From housing and healthcare to social groups and cultural arts, the services and benefits for our clients and team members go far beyond my initial understanding. But there is always room to grow with a team as talented as ours, and it’s my goal to make sure we’re on a solid foundation for success.
Gerald Garth
Hometown: Baton Rouge, LA
Year Started at the Center: 2022
Title: Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
My role at the Center is to look throughout the organization at how we’re prioritizing equity in various capacities. From race to gender to class to ableism to visibility and so many other capacities, it’s my job to identify key areas for improvement, moments for activation, and opportunities to create cultural change.
What excites me most about this role is the team. The team at the Center is made up of so many great folks who really want to make sure that everyone has equitable access not only to care and services but to opportunities. We’re all committed to making sure that our policies, practices, and procedures align with these values as we strive to elevate the work of the Center and the narratives of our communities.
Phillip Picardi
Hometown: North Andover, MA
Year Started at the Center: 2022
Title: Chief Marketing & Communications Officer
Before joining the Center, I was in the magazine/digital media field for over a decade. While I believe in the power of journalism, I grew tired of being a spectator to the work. I’m here to do the work.
My mission is to find a concise and powerful way to tell the Center’s story, and to spread our message beyond just L.A. County so that our incredible service providers get the recognition and respect they deserve. I love hearing from folks who have been here for 10, 15, 20+ years. I am in awe of anyone who’s devoted their life’s work to helping their community, or to helping a community they felt called to serve. I’m hoping to help transform our visual identity, digital marketing, and social media presence so we look and sound as badass as I know we are.
Terra Russell-Slavin
Hometown: Seabrook, Texas
Year Started at the Center: 2006
Title: Chief Impact Officer
I love my job. It’s an incredible privilege to look at a systemic challenge facing our community and have the ability and access to advocate for change. Sometimes it’s as simple as shifting a box on one document, and sometimes it’s changing a whole federal law. At the Center, we have the ability to make those things happen.
One of the things I’m really passionate about is making sure our organization is at the vanguard of social justice efforts. It’s so important that we look at how the needs of the LGBTQ community overlap with other issues like reproductive justice or racial justice. Are we standing firm in our commitments on these issues? We have a duty to every single member of our community and we have to work together to protect the rights of future generations.