After having been with the organization for over six years, the LGBTQ Center of Long Beach has announced that Porter Gilberg will step up from his former role as Administrative Director and will now serve as the organization’s newly minted Executive Director.
On top of being a leading example of the diversity that is the LGBTQ community within Long Beach, Porter served as an essential cog in what ultimately became the “Renaissance Period” of The Center.
After volunteering with the organization in 2007 for his undergraduate work at UCLA, Gilberg joined others in 2009 on taking a more hands-on approach to the various problems that faced The Center, including massive debt and dilapidated facilities. He described the experience in 2012 as “not glamorous but rewarding.”
“The Center is an institution in Long Beach and absolutely vital to serving the tens of thousands of people who rely on us for support, services, and community,” Gilberg said. “I believe The Center is critical to providing a safe and affirming space for our community to thrive and I am honored to have the opportunity to lead this organization.”
On top of the Board appointing Gilberg to his new role, two new board members were approved through the appointments of Justin Boettcher and Sylvia Rodemeyer.
Bettcher, a Wrigley resident, currently works as a digital project manager for Hyundai Motor America while Rodemeyer is co-founder and Program Director of The AMP Organization, which puts on the Cut&Paste Rock&Roll festival while also promoting positivity within the queer community.
“Justin and Sylvia are exceptional additions to our growing Board of Directors,” said Ron Sylvester, chair of the board, in a statement. “We welcome their professional expertise especially in the area of social media, and we are incredibly impressed by their commitment to serving our LGBTQ community.”
Read more:
- 40 Under 40: Porter Gilberg
- State of The Center Highlights Record Year
- The Center Enters a Renaissance
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