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CenterLink Board of Directors

The CenterLink Board of Directors advises, governs, oversees policy and direction, and assists with the leadership and general promotion of the organization so as to support its mission and needs. In keeping with our organizational value of governance by an inclusive and open process, a majority of seats on the Board are held by leaders of LGBT community centers. A limited number of Board seats are filled by appointment, in order to assure representation of diverse viewpoints and appropriate expertise to prudently govern CenterLink. Board elections are held in late Fall for two-year terms beginning in January. The Board generally meets monthly by conference call, and in person two or three times per year.

Marvin Webb

CO-CHAIR

New York City, NY

Marvin Webb is a visionary leader with a storied nonprofit finance and human resources background. Marvin's journey began at Funders for LGBTQ Issues, where he served as Chief Financial Officer for 13 transformative years. In his current capacity as a fractional CFO/CHRO, Marvin leverages his expertise to drive strategic financial and HR initiatives for organizations, guiding them toward sustainable growth and equitable practices.

With a commitment to inclusivity and innovation, Marvin makes an indelible impact as an executive leader. Marvin is also on the boards of CenterLink, the network of LGBTQ centers, and the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation.

Michelle Kristel

CO-CHAIR

McCormack + Kristel
Managing Partner
New York, NY

Michelle is the Managing Partner of McCormack + Kristel, a national provider of executive search consulting services for nonprofit and philanthropic organizations. A former nonprofit executive who understands the impact a great hire has on an organization, she believes placing the right leader in the right position builds stronger and more effective teams. Michelle has a keen eye for matching talent to opportunity, and is driven by a fierce commitment to advance her client’s missions. Through her experience in both executive search and nonprofit leadership, she has seen firsthand the impact great hires have on programs, fundraising, governance and fiscal health. She is proud to bring her clients the essential talent to meet their goals and realize their vision.

Michelle is the former executive director of In The Life Media (ITLM), a nonprofit organization producing social change media to raise awareness of issues related to gender, HIV/AIDS and LGBT rights. ITLM's signature series, IN THE LIFE, was broadcast nationally on PBS from 1992 through 2012.

Michelle earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and a Master of Arts from New York University.

Lance Toma

TREASURER

San Francisco Community Health Center
Chief Executive Officer
San Francisco, CA

Lance Toma is the Chief Executive Officer of San Francisco Community Health Center (formerly Asian & Pacific Islander Wellness Center) in San Francisco, CA, a 30+ year-old health services, education, HIV, and policy organization. Lance transformed this long-standing HIV organization into a federally qualified health center in 2015 and expanded its mission and reach to serve as a critical primary care and behavioral health safety net for thousands of the most vulnerable residents of San Francisco.

Lance has over 25 years of nonprofit management and leadership experience and works toward a strategic and collaborative community vision, with deep commitment to A&PI, LGBT, HIV/AIDS, and people of color communities. Lance currently serves as vice chair of board of directors of the NMAC, co-chair of the San Francisco HIV/AIDS Providers Network, and board member of the CAEAR (Communities Advocating Emergency AIDS Relief) Coalition.

Jay Maddock

SECRETARY

Therapist

Jay is the former Executive Director at OutFront Kalamazoo. At OutFront Kalamazoo Jay led trans programming, youth programming, training to organizations and schools, created collaborations and partnerships with other social justice organizations, and assisted with the implementation of other programmatic efforts. Prior to his work at the OutFront Kalamazoo, he worked at Planned Parenthood Mid South Michigan where he led the Calhoun County Coalition for Inclusion, a county-wide effort to create safe and affirming spaces for LGBT folks in Calhoun County.

Jay has a wide array of topics on which he provides presentations, training, and lectures, including The Dangers of InvisibiliT, Ally to Advocate, and Empowering LGBT Students. Prior to his LGBT focused work, Jay spent five years working in the mental health field.

In his spare time, Jay enjoys camping, hiking, and telling terribly bad puns.

Sarah Anderson

Campbell and Company
Consultant
Seattle, WA

Sarah Anderson is Director of Strategic Priorities at campbell & company, a fundraising consulting firm. For 12 years, she has worked with nonprofit organizations of all types to enhance their donor messaging and fundraising to increase giving. Sarah has been integrally involved in engagements with Planned Parenthood, the ACLU, the LGBT Giving Project, and AARP among others.

Based in Seattle, Sarah helps lead campbell & company’s Northwest team and drives implementation of the firm’s strategic plan. In addition to serving on the CenterLink Board of Directors, she volunteers on the Giving USA Editorial Review Board, the Social Justice Fund Northwest Campaign Steering Committee, and Advancement Northwest’s Diversity Equity Inclusion and Access Committee. She recently published a children’s picture book called When Mommies Go to Work. She and her wife also run a yoga studio in Seattle.

Sarah graduated from the University of Florida’s honors college, where she studied journalism, political science, and business administration and served as editor-in-chief of The Independent Florida Alligator, the nation’s largest student-run newspaper.

Chris Bartlett

William Way LGBT Community Center
Executive Director
Philadelphia, PA

Chris Bartlett is the Executive Director of the William Way Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Community Center in Philadelphia (www.waygay.org). For over 20 years, he has been an innovative thinker and leader in technology-driven community organizing, having led the SafeGuards Gay Men's Health Project, the LGBT Community Assessment, and the national LGBT Leadership Initiative. He also serves on the board of the Jonathan Lax Scholarship for Gay Men, and is the founder of the Gay History Wiki, which documents the lives of the gay men who have died of AIDS in Philadelphia (http://gayhistory.wikispaces.com). He is an avid user of social media and can be found on twitter at http://twitter.com/harveymilk.

Robert Boo

Pride Center at Equality Park
CEO
Fort Lauderdale, FL

Robert Boo has invested his passion, humor, vision and professionalism as Chief Executive Officer for The Pride Center at Equality Park since March 2012. His dedication to The Pride Center began much earlier. Robert served as Director of Development for five years (2006 – 2010) and on the 2011 Board of Directors. During his leadership, The Center has expanded service, programs and events for Seniors, LGBT Families, People Living with HIV/AIDS, Women, Couples, People of Color, the Transgender community, and more. As Director of Development, Robert tripled the number of major donors in the Founders Circle, helped quadruple the annual operating budget and launched a multi-million dollar capital campaign. In 2008, The Pride Center, formerly known as The Gay and Lesbian Community Center, purchased a 5+ acre campus with 30,000 square feet of office and meeting space and completed a $1 million renovation of the Alan Edward Schubert Building.

Prior to joining The Pride Center team, Robert worked for 23 years with ARAMARK Corporation and Sodexo, USA. Robert traveled extensively for both organizations, working his way up the operational side of the business to Regional and National positions.

For over 20 years, The Pride Center has provided a warm, welcoming and safe space – an inclusive home that celebrates, nurtures and empowers the LGBTQ communities and our friends and neighbors in South Florida.

Cece Cox

Resource Center
CEO
Dallas, Texas

Cece Cox, J.D., is recognized for her effective leadership and advocacy in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights movement. Cox serves as CEO of Resource Center, which operates one of the largest LGBT community centers in the United States, and provides health services and programs to individuals affected by HIV. The Center, located in Dallas, Texas, serves more than 60,000 people annually with a staff of more than 50 employees and 1,100 volunteers.

Caroline (Cara) Dessert, Esq

The San Diego LGBT Community Center
CEO
San Diego, CA

Caroline (Cara) Dessert, Esq. is the CEO at The San Diego LGBT Community Center. A queer Latina, Dessert is an attorney and executive with nearly 20 years in non-profit and social justice leadership. Dessert was previously the executive director of Immigration Equality, a national organization focused on LGBTQ immigrant rights. She worked closely with the Obama Administration, as well as local, state and national organizations working at the intersection of the rights of the LGBTQ and immigrant communities. During this time, she was also named an Arcus Leadership Fellow.

During the past 5 years as CEO, Dessert led The Center through a phenomenal growth phase. Under her leadership, The Center increased its budget from $6M to $13.5M annually, and service visits to more than 80,000 annually. Along with The Center’s team and Board of Directors, in 2019 The Center engaged in an in-depth community-driven strategic planning process with the participation of over 2,000 community members.

Dessert led The Center in expanding its housing services to a full range housing continuum that includes the first emergency overnight shelter in San Diego County for LGBTQ youth, additional permanent supportive housing and prevention programs, and ongoing services and advocacy for LGBTQ community members who are at risk of or experiencing homelessness. The Center also embarked on its first-ever cross-border immigration campaign which provided life-sustaining humanitarian relief to LGBTQ and HIV-positive asylum seekers and their families at the border; opened the South Bay Youth Center; started The Center’s Training Institute and Black Services Program. Throughout her career, she has advocated with our transgender and nonbinary communities, fighting back against relentless attacks.

Prior to joining The Center as CEO, Dessert served in the California Department of Justice in the Office of the Attorney General as a Deputy Attorney General in the Public Rights Division, where she also worked with then-California Attorney General (now Vice President) Kamala Harris’ executive team.

Dessert has deep roots in the San Diego area. A native of El Centro, she previously was The Center’s Policy and Community Organizing Coordinator, San Diego’s field director for the No on 8/Equality for All campaign and worked for Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest. She completed her JD at the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Law, where she was the editor-in-chief of the Chicana/o Latina/o Law Review and earned degree specializations from the Epstein Public Interest Law and Policy and Critical Race Studies programs. She earned her BA at the University of California-San Diego (UCSD). Cara Dessert was recognized in 2022 as a Top 50 LGBTQ Leader of Influence by the San Diego Business Journal.

She has served as a Commissioner for both the Healthy California for All Commission and the Leon L. Williams San Diego County Human Relations Commission. Dessert is the Chair of the Engage San Diego Advisory Board.

Phyllis Harris

LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland
Executive Director
Cleveland, OH

With over twenty-five years of exceptional experience with nonprofits, Phyllis Harris has developed a keen passion for nonprofit management, social justice, and anti-oppression work to help ensure a better quality of life for all marginalized people. She has served in program development, fundraising, and upper-level management positions where her leadership skills and passion have led organizations and projects to success. She is considered to be a thought leader on issues related to, cultural change and skilled in the facilitation of anti-oppression, anti-black racism, and LGBTQ inclusion workshops. In her role as a nonprofit leader, Ms. Harris is community-focused, believes in coalition building, and known for addressing service gaps and problems via collaboration, a positive attitude, and unwavering commitment towards social justice.

Playing a vital role as an advocate in Cleveland’s LGBTQ+ community for many years, and now in leadership at the LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland, the organization has experienced transformational growth under her direction since the year 2012.

Ms. Harris’ experience in organizational leadership sprang from her passion for the nonprofit industry and her love of civic engagement. She has had the honor to serve with several nonprofit organizations. In addition to her work at the Center she is the co-founder of consulting practice “Sage and Maven” where she supports organizations around issues relevant to strategic direction, organizational change, equity, and inclusion. Ms. Harris has extensive experience serving on local and national nonprofit boards. She was recently appointed to Cuyahoga County’s Community Advisory Board for Equity.

She holds a master’s degree in non-profit management from Case Western Reserve University and a Bachelor of Arts from Baldwin Wallace College. She is a graduate of the 2019 class of Leadership Cleveland and was recognized as one of 2020’s most interesting people by Cleveland Magazine.

Joe Hollendoner, MSW

Los Angeles LGBT Center
Chief Executive Officer

Joe Hollendoner, MSW, is the CEO of the Los Angeles LGBT Center. Since joining the Center in 2022, Joe has noted that “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.”

Prior to joining the Los Angeles LGBT Center, Hollendoner led San Francisco AIDS Foundation (SFAF) from 2016 to 2021. During his tenure, he spearheaded the adoption of a new five-year strategic plan in 2019 that prioritized the expansion of health and social services and established racial justice as a fundamental principle to guide the organization’s growth. During his nearly five years at SFAF, he has grown revenue by 84 percent and significantly increased corporate and private donations to support the organization’s life-saving services.

Hollendoner has a background in health and youth services. He has been part of the LGBTQ movement since coming out as gay at the age of 16. With nearly 25 years of movement leadership, he has proven himself to be a trusted collaborator and ally to all members of the LGBTQ community. Hollendoner has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Tandra R. LaGrone

In Our Own Voices
CEO
Albany, NY

Tandra R. LaGrone is the Chief Executive Officer at In Our Own Voices, a national nonprofit working to ensure the physical, mental, spiritual, political, cultural, and economic survival and growth of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people of color communities. She is a member of the NYS Minority Health Council and served on the Capital Region, Albany Police Department reinvention, and reform Collaborative. Tandra is a Board Member of CenterLink and CLEAR, and both focus on the advancement of LGBTQ People.

Tandra previously served as Director of Girls Incorporated of the Greater Capital Region. She has been an advocate for HIV/AIDS treatment in the African American community, especially for women and young black men, for over 32 years. She has led panel discussions and workshops during various activist meetings, academic conferences, and events on Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, and Transgender (LGBT) issues, focusing on the people of color community (POC). Tandra has a bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from the University of New Paltz.

Paul Moore

David Bohnett Foundation
Executive Director
Los Angeles, CA

Paul Moore is the Director of Programs for the Los Angeles-based David Bohnett Foundation, where he has worked for over a decade. Moore is additionally charged with handling select special assignments and initiatives related to Mr. Bohnett’s private equity firm, Baroda Ventures.

Every aspect of the Foundation’s grant-making process comes under Moore’s purview, including monitoring grant requests and grantee reports, conducting site visits, and representing the David Bohnett Foundation at community and industry events. He thoroughly embraces the Foundations’ philanthropic mission, and brings strong interpersonal skills and a keen intellect to his interactions with grantees, board members, and the public.

Among Moore’s chief responsibilities is supervising the Foundation’s entire David Bohnett CyberCenters program, which currently number over 60 centers nationwide. The CyberCenters offer free Internet access and technology support to the LGBT community, and provide educational and job-search resources for seniors and youth. His operational oversight of the popular program includes facilitating grant requests, directing logistics, organizing conference activities, maintaining grantee relationships, and fostering alliances with potential sites.

A native of Orange County, California, Paul Moore holds a B.S. in Finance, cum laude, from California State University, Northridge and earned an M.B.A. from the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business, where he was a Society and Business Fellow. Prior to joining the Foundation in 2001, he was a licensed property insurance agent in Boston, Massachusetts.

Stacie Walls

LGBT Life Center
CEO
Norfolk, VA

Stacie Walls is the Chief Executive Officer of LGBT Life Center, a health services, education, HIV, and housing organization based in Norfolk, VA. Under her visionary leadership since 2011, the 35-year-old organization has expanded from its original focus on HIV to become one of the largest LGBT community centers in the United States. Serving the entire Virginia Peninsula and Hampton Roads region, LGBT Life Center now maintains over 60 employees and delivers holistic health services.

During Stacie’s tenure, the Center has seen substantial growth, with its annual budget expanding from $600K to $15M. The organization operates the largest HIV housing program in Virginia and includes two LGBT primary care and HIV specialty care medical clinics, complete with on-site pharmacies.

With over 25 years of experience in nonprofit management and leadership, Stacie has significantly enhanced the impact and reach of LGBT Life Center. She is currently a member of the board of directors for CenterLink and previously served as its co-chair for three years. Additionally, Stacie is actively involved in multiple local workgroups and committees, advocating for the LGBTQ+ and HIV communities to be adequately represented in systems of care. Her extensive background in HIV program delivery, particularly in housing and medical client services, continues to drive critical advancements in community health and support.

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