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Center Board of Directors

The Center’s Board of Directors is responsible for oversight of the organization’s operations and guiding The Center's long-term vision and planning. The Board also focuses on the continued financial stability of the organization and participates significantly in fundraising efforts.

President

Greg Zaffiro

Board Co-Chairs

Brad Jakeman

Claire M Shanley

Treasurer

Jan Siegmund

At-Large Members of the Executive Committee

Lisa A. Linsky

Maurice Obeid

Rahul Tripathi

Dennis D. Williams

Board of Directors

Sarah Carson

Daniel Diez

Abby Fiorella

Reginald V. Grayson

Geena Rocero

Jeffrey W. Schneider

Doak Sergent

Addison Schultz Hirshberg

Johann Shudlick

Pauline Sobelman

Mitch Stein

Miles L. Tyrrell

Past Presidents

Julie Harris, 2017 – 2018

Timothy Y. Chow, 2014 - 2016

Brian Offutt, 2012 - 2013

Mario J. Palumbo, Jr., 2010 - 2011

Bruce Anderson, 2005 - 2009

Richard Winger, 2001 - 2004

Judith E. Turkel, 1995 - 2000

Steven J. Powsner, 1992 - 1994

David Nimmons, 1987 - 1991

Irving Cooperberg, 1983 - 1987

Executive Director

Glennda Testone

Glennda Testone joined New York City’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center as its first female Executive Director in 2009. Since then, she has strengthened The Center’s programs for adults, youth and families, ensuring all LGBTQ New Yorkers have an opportunity to live happy, healthy lives. Testone recently helped launch a new Center brand and website, celebrated 30 years of service by the organization and completed a $9.2 million capital building renovation to transform the LGBTQ community’s home on W 13 Street. Testone also spearheaded the launch of innovative and groundbreaking programming at The Center for LGBTQ youth, transgender community members and LBTQ women.

Testone came to The Center from The Women’s Media Center (WMC) where she served as the Vice President for three years. Prior to the WMC, Testone was the Senior Director of Media Programs for the national Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD).

Testone has appeared on CNN, FOX News and MSNBC, and has been quoted in outlets including Vogue, The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, Time Out and W Magazine.

She is a member of the Ending the Epidemic Task Force, which works to implement Governor Cuomo’s plan to end the AIDS epidemic in New York. Testone also sits on the CenterLink Board, the Executive Board of the City University of New York Institute for Health Equality and is a member of the Bronx Borough President’s LGBT Policy Task Force. In 2005, Testone won Syracuse University’s LGBT Foundation Award for Outstanding Alumni. In addition, she has served on the NYC Commission on LGBTQ Runaway and Homeless Youth and was a Tenenbaum Leadership Institute Fellow at Milano, the New School for Management & Urban Policy.

Originally from Syracuse, New York, Testone has a Bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Journalism and Philosophy from Syracuse University and a Master’s degree in Women’s Studies from The Ohio State University. Though she will always be a New Yorker at heart, she currently lives in Asbury Park, NJ with her spouse, Jama; daughter, Frankie and French bulldog Meatloaf.

Senior Leadership Team

Reg Calcagno
Senior Director of Government Affairs

Reg Calcagno
Senior Director of Government Affairs

Reg Calcagno joined The Center in 2020. As Senior Director of Government Affairs, they provide strategic leadership in lobbying, advocacy and management of the Government Programs and Affairs team. For the last decade, Reg has focused their work on creating and delivering powerful advocacy campaigns to combat transphobia and homophobia and winning both legal and lived equality for all people. Most recently, they served as a Campaign Strategist with the ACLU's Trans Justice Campaign. They are especially proud of their role as senior field staff during Yes on 3 in Massachusetts, the successful campaign to uphold protections for transgender people in the state. Reg received their Bachelors in Government and Women's Studies from Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY, and a Juris Doctor from The John Marshall Law School in Chicago.

Pierre Chin
Senior Director of Contracts and Finance Administration

Pierre Chin
Senior Director of Contracts and Finance Administration

Pierre Chin is The Center’s Senior Director of Contracts & Finance Administration. He completed his Bachelor’s degree in Sociology at the City University of New York, Brooklyn College. Pierre has worked at The Center for nearly 24 years, first as the main office receptionist, then transferring into the finance department as the bookkeeper. Today, he works closely with the Chief Financial Officer, and across the agency with the development team and program staff to coordinate and manage The Center’s federal, state and local government funding. Similarly, he is responsible for managing large private foundation grants. All of this funding, and all of Pierre’s efforts, support The Center’s diverse social service programming. Pierre continues to integrate programmatic and fiscal oversight, aligning with The Center’s strategic planning and arming himself with concrete information and skills to help The Center, and himself, continue to develop.

Edward Herrera
Senior Director of Finance/Controller

Edward Herrera
Senior Director of Finance/Controller

Edward Herrera joined The Center in 2020. As Senior Director of Finance & Controller, he provides strategic leadership and oversight of the organization’s financial well-being and day-to-day accounting & billing operations. Edward comes to The Center with previous experience in accounting & finance within the luxury retail industry in addition to financial consulting for start-up brands within that sector. Edward holds an MBA from Baruch College’s Zicklin School of Business and a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of California, San Diego.

Cristina Jones, SPHR, SHRM-SCP
Chief People and Equity Officer

Cristina Jones, SPHR, SHRM-SCP
Chief People and Equity Officer

Cristina started her career in the education space working for SCORE! Learning and The After-School Corporation, which provide after-school services to elementary and middle school children. After getting her MBA from Columbia, Cristina joined Public Preparatory Network and developed and implemented finance, operations, and human resource strategies for a fast growing network of charter schools. Cristina went on to work as an independent consultant focused on helping schools, non-profits and small businesses with human resources, talent management and organizational development best practices, and most recently served as the Senior Director of Human Resources for The Fortune Society, a criminal justice nonprofit that supports successful reentry from incarceration and promotes alternatives to incarceration.

Shijuade Kadree, Esq., MPH
Chief Advocacy Officer

Shijuade Kadree, Esq., MPH
Chief Advocacy Officer

Shijuade Kadree joined The Center in 2015. As the Chief Advocacy Officer, Shijuade is responsible for creating, implementing and managing the annual lobbying strategy on city and state levels to support the powerful programs of The Center, as well as managing two of The Center’s government-funded initiatives related to health and human services provision. Prior to joining The Center, Shijuade represented indigent clients, zealously advocating on behalf of parents entrapped in New York City’s child welfare system. This work lead her to creative legislative and policy advocacy at the New York City Council as a legislative counsel. In that role, she served as a liaison between Council members and the Council’s central staff, drafting and negotiating legislation in a variety of subject areas with a particular focus on governmental operations, housing, buildings and construction. Shijuade has also served as a Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellow, working on access to financial education, products and services for low-income families, federal and state anti-hunger programs, as well as publishing a manual for state legislators, “Bringing Legislators to the Table: Addressing Hunger and Nutrition in America.” During graduate school, she received the ABA Fellowship for Minorities in Environmental Law and was named a Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys scholar. Shijuade is an alumna of Emory University, with a joint Law and Public Health degree.

Jeffrey Klein, Esq.
Chief Operating Officer

Jeffrey Klein, Esq.
Chief Operating Officer

Jeffrey is the Chief Operating Officer of The LGBT Community Center. In this role he oversees operations, legal, strategic planning, technology & data systems, private & public fundraising and program evaluation. Jeff is also an Adjunct Professor at Pratt Institute and previously has taught at Columbia University. His courses include Fundraising, Nonprofit Law and Intellectual Property Law. Previously, he has served as the Vice President of Programs & Services for Learning Ally (formerly Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic). While there, he was the functional head and chief strategist for program design, account implementation and customer support. He also has served as a staff attorney and fundraiser for Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts specializing in counseling nonprofit organizations on their legal and business issues. Jeff is a graduate of Fordham University School of Law and is admitted to the New York State Bar. Additionally he holds a BA from Skidmore College.

Johanna Osburn
Senior Director of Development

Johanna Osburn
Senior Director of Development

Johanna joined The Center in 2017 as the Senior Director of Development. In her role, Johanna oversees the development department and provides leadership and management of the Center’s fundraising initiatives. Her previous position was as Executive Director of DIFFA: Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS, a national funder for organizations serving individuals impacted by HIV/AIDS. She was responsible for overseeing the vision and execution of the organization’s mission and increasing the grant making. Prior to joining DIFFA, Johanna served as Director of Development for Empire State Pride Agenda, directing their fundraising strategies. She also worked on a number of advocacy issues, including the successful fight for marriage equality for same-sex couples. Johanna received her Bachelor’s degree in History from the George Washington University in Washington, DC.

Daniel Reyes
Chief Program Officer

Daniel Reyes
Chief Program Officer

Daniel Reyes joined The Center in 2020 as Chief Program Officer, having worked in the non-profit sector for over 20 years. He began his professional career as a high school Spanish teacher before moving into social services. Most recently, he served as the Executive Director of Junta for Progressive Action; a New Haven-based Latinx Multi-Service Agency committed to the economic, social and civic advancement of Connecticut Latinx communities. He previously worked at the New York Common Pantry for 15 years where he rose from Program Director to Deputy Executive Director. Mr. Reyes has extensive experience consulting on community-engaged research to address disparities and social determinants of health among Communities of Color and communities experiencing economic challenges. He has collaborated with the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Medical Center, Vanderbilt University and Yale University. He also served as a Cultural Ambassador at the Yale Center for Clinical Investigations.

Antonio Ruberto, Jr., MS, LCSW-R, CASAC
Senior Director of Behavioral Health

Antonio Ruberto, Jr., MS, LCSW-R, CASAC
Senior Director of Behavioral Health

Antonio Ruberto, Jr., a licensed clinical social worker and CASAC, joined The Center in 2011 and is the Senior Director of Behavioral Health. In this role, Antonio oversees youth and adult substance use treatment and prevention, recovery support including the youth clubhouse, youth leadership and engagement programming, along with HIV services. Antonio previously served as Director of Center Recovery, the only LGBT-specific, OASAS-licensed outpatient substance use treatment program in New York. He has previously served as the Co-Chairperson to the Manhattan Borough Council on Chemical Dependency, part of the New York City Federation for Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Alcoholism Services, and was a member of the NYC DOH-MH Quality Improvement Advisory Board. Antonio has also provided workshops and trainings to the ASAP Conference, the NASW Addiction Institute Conference, the New York Criminal Justice & Treatment Conference and The Gay Men’s Health Summit and SYNChronicity Conference, both in Washington, D.C. In addition, he maintains a private practice in Manhattan and is a contracted trainer for the CASAC program at Outreach Training Institute. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Art History from NYU and his Master’s degree from Columbia University.

Mary Steyer
Senior Director of Communications

Mary Steyer
Senior Director of Communications

Mary Steyer joined The Center’s communications department in 2012 and is currently the Senior Director of Communications. During her time at The Center, Mary has created and implemented brand identity and strategic plans for the organization’s marketing and communications program across internal and external channels, overseeing print and digital campaigns as well as public relations and media. With her team, Mary has worked to strengthen The Center’s brand and identity to reflect its mission to empower the LGBT community to lead healthy, successful lives. Mary’s professional background includes a marketing and communications executive position at Daijob, Inc. in Tokyo, Japan, where she focused on recruitment strategy, content creation and outreach to foreign bilingual job-seekers. She was a communications associate at the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation and a media assistant at the Parkinson’s Action Network. Mary holds a Bachelor’s degree from Syracuse University with a dual major in French and Public Relations.

Departmental Staff

More than 300,000 visitors come to The Center every year to celebrate LGBT life and receive support. Our team works to ensure that we continue to meet the needs of each and every member of the community! To join our team or to intern at The Center, please visit Employment Opportunities.

Building Services

Antjuan Gambles, Building Services/Porter Staff

Devin Garcia, Building Services/Porter Staff

Lakia Graham, Building Services/Porter Staff

Christopher LaPlant, Director of Facilities

Charly Polanco, Building Services/Porter Staff

Margarita Quiles, Building Services/Porter Staff

Derrick Rickenbacker, Building Services/Porter Staff

Austin Smith, Facilities Coordinator

Communications

Evan Britt, Director of Digital Marketing

Helen Buse, Communications Coordinator

Bob Civil, Creative & Design Coordinator

Community Support

Nathalie Chara, Survivor Support Services Manager

Sophia Glass, LMSW, Family Permanency Coordinator

Kylie Madhav, Clinical Support Services Manager

Cultural Engagement

Data and Evaluation

Roi Mase, Data Quality and Training Coordinator

Jillian Niler, Revenue Systems Manager

Development

Christopher Barberesi, Corporate Partnership Manager

Stefan Betters, Partnership Coordinator

Marc Casteneda, Fundraising Coordinator

Zachary Cohen, Deputy Director of Development

Brian Doyle, Special Events Manager

David Hovey, Cycle for the Cause Manager

Christian Kamongi, Development Associate

Eugene Lovendusky, Individual Giving Coordinator

Brad Snyder, Director of Strategic Giving

Event Production and Reservations

Gabriel Farofaldane, Director of Events, Production and Reservations

Sam Kiley-LaRoche, Reservation Specialist

Richard Morales, Community Partnerships Manager

Finance

Stacy Blundell, Billing Coordinator

Barry Brown, Accountant - Cash and Receivables

Brian Kennedy, Billing Specialist

Claudette Williams, Junior Accountant - Payables

Mark Zangrilli, Staff Accountant

Government Programs and Affairs

Nazaret Fernandez, In-Person Assistor/Navigator

Miosoti Garcia, In-Person Assistor/Navigator

Yarián Gonzalez, Patient Navigation Coordinator

Trevon Mayers, Director of Policy & Community Outreach

Scottie Roche, In-Person Assistor/Navigator

Aaron Sanders, Outreach and Organizing Coordinator

Vladimir Tlali, Network Manager

Corey Westover, Director of Government Programs

Odile Zoungrana, Network Operations Associate

HIV Services

Gustavo Carlos, HIV Testing and Mental Health Counselor

Kirsten Eid, LMSW, Director of HIV Services

Vanessa Gonzalez, Sexual Health Education Coordinator

Daniel Rich, MHC-LP, HIV Testing and Mental Health Counselor

Human Resources and Administration

Ryan McAllister, People and Benefits Coordinator

Gregory Reardon, Administrative and Purchasing Manager

Information & Referral

Oliver Estrella, Information & Referral Specialist

Belize Gomez, Information & Referral Specialist

Michael Greehan, Information & Referral Coordinator

Devin Halbal, Information & Referral Specialist

Juan Merlo, Information & Referral Specialist

Joey Mirabile, Information & Referral Specialist

Luis Rubio, Information & Referral Specialist

CeCe Walker, Information & Referral Specialist

Program Administration and Evaluation

Heather Chatman, Reception and Administrative Assistant

Substance Use Treatment and Prevention

Clint Asay, CASAC-T, Temporary Substance Use Treatment Counselor

Ryan Brown, LCSW-R, Director of Clinical Services

Joe Disano, CASAC, Director of Substance Use Treatment and Prevention

Yuriem Espinal-Seery, MHC-LP, Substance Use Counselor - Outer Boroughs

Luis Illades, CASAC, Treatment and Prevention Intake Counselor

Michelle Novie-Herman, RN, Health Care Coordinator

Freddy Perez, CASAC-T, Substance Use Treatment Counselor

William Ritchey, LMHC, Substance Use Prevention Counselor

Jeremy Simmons, MHC, Substance Use Treatment Counselor

Shane Spicer, MD, Medical Director

Technology

Stephen Andrews, Director of Technology

Gabrielle Campbell, Technology Support Specialist

Youth Counseling and Support

Kiswana Alexander, LMSW, Youth Substance Use Treatment Counselor

John Cho, LMHC, Youth Substance Use Prevention Coordinator

Liam S. Cudmore, LMSW, Youth Clubhouse Coordinator

Peter Karys, LCSW, CPP, CASAC, Director of Youth Counseling and Support

E. Rann Katz, LMSW, Youth Substance Use Counselor

Sammy Maramba-Ferrell, LMSW, Youth Prevention Counselor

Maryanne Opaleye, Youth Treatment Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner

Maireni Soriano, Youth Clubhouse Engagement Specialist

Cornelius Wiggins, Youth Substance Use Engagement Specialist

Youth Leadership and Engagement

Ryan Bascome, LMSW, Youth Career Developer

Natasha Jones, Director of Youth Leadership and Engagement

Salem Joseph, Youth Leadership Developer

Joanna McClintick, LCSW, Youth Sexual Health Coordinator

Cheyenne Rosado, Youth Education and Workforce Developer

Olin Winn-Ritzenberg, LMSW, Youth Education Services Coordinator

Young Leaders Council

The Young Leaders Council is an active and diverse group of young New Yorkers committed to The Center and its work. The Council advises Center staff and board members and develops programming to engage its demographic as Center supporters, members, volunteers and leaders.

Co-Chairs

Chris Fasser

Cal Greene

Communications Liaison

Daniel Avon

Engagement Lead

Fundraising Lead

Andrew Van Sant

Team YL Captain

Alan Gilmer

Volunteer Lead

Francesca Barjon

Members-at-Large

Jason Bolicki

Michael Fee

Eli Gelernter

Bradley Kelly

Dana A. Koteen

Alex Miller

Tore Opsahl

Nicholas Pisano

Anthony Popeo

Adam Schloff

Evan Seigerman

Jordan Traxler

Center Ambassadors

The Center Ambassadors are thoughtful and powerful community leaders who lend their name and influence as supporters of The Center. We thank them for their partnership as well as their years of advocacy on behalf of LGBT people and causes.

Justin Vivian Bond

Lea DeLaria

Jesse Tyler Ferguson

Jonathan Groff

Terrence McNally

Mary-Louise Parker

Billy Porter

Michael Urie