The LGBTQ Center of Long Beach announced today the election of a new executive team to lead the organization’s 2017 Board of Directors.
Local residents and community leaders Otis Hogan and Jay Hong have been elected to join The Center’s Board of Directors, along with LaDawn Best, who will serve a second year as the board’s chair, Justin Potier who was elected to the vice chair position, Ron Nelson who was elected treasurer and Sylvia Rodemeyer, who will continue as the agency’s board secretary.
Hogan, a Long Beach resident for more than 30 years, serves on the Long Beach Human Relations Commission and takes part in neighborhood groups and committees. According to The Center, he resides in North Long Beach with his partner of over two decades, Ralph Brooks. Hong, who recently moved to the city, is a retired corporate executive who now works as the executive director for Art Exchange Long Beach. He lives in Belmont Shore with his longtime partner.
Best works as executive director at Peer Health Exchange (PHE) Los Angeles, a national nonprofit that provides health education and mentorship services to teens. She has previously worked at the Los Angeles LGBT Center, providing support to victims of domestic violence. She is a graduate of the African American Board Leadership Institute and holds a bachelor’s degree in Liberal Studies and master’s degree in Education from Antioch University.
“I am incredibly honored to serve another year leading our incredibly dedicated Board of Directors,” Best said in a statement. “I am equally thrilled we have voted on two new members who I know will serve our LGBTQ community faithfully and exceptionally well.”
Potier is a vice president at the Long Beach-based Boardwalk Properties. Nelson serves as the executive director for the Long Beach Museum of Art (LBMA). Meanwhile, Rodemeyer provides digital and social media content for Cal State Long Beach (CSULB) and is co-founder of AMP Org, a nonprofit serving queer and trans youth in Long Beach. This is Rodemeyer’s third term as secretary.
The committee, along with the full Board of Directors, will provide strategic oversight and fundraising support to The Center, which officials assert has tripled their budget and quadrupled staffing over the last five years. The Center’s annual budget—more than $1.5 million for 2017—is the largest budget managed by the organization in more than a decade, according to a release.
“Our Board of Directors are truly dynamic, talented, and thoughtful leaders in our LGBTQ community,” said Thehe Center’s Executive Director Porter Gilberg in a statement. “It is an honor and a privilege to work alongside such a dedicated team of volunteers. I am thrilled to welcome Otis and Jay to our center.”