LESBIAN & GAY COMMUNITY SERVICES CENTER - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
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- Member of the Executive Committee
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- Center 's HIV & Sexual Health Services Manager
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- Senior Director of Equity and Learning
Corey Westover (she/her) is the Senior Director of Equity and Learning. In this role, she is working to develop and implement a comprehensive, multi-year equity strategy-- in collaboration with the Chief People & Equity Officer, senior leadership, the board race equity working group, and staff race equity steering committee and implementation teams. The overarching goal is to support the staff and board in transforming the organization and ultimately embedding race and gender equity in The Center's policies, practices, programs, decisions, and culture. Corey joined The Center in 2017, first serving as the Director of The Network, and then Director of Government Programs. Prior, she oversaw sexuality education and counseling programming at Community Healthcare Network, a network of federally qualified health centers throughout NYC. She holds a Master's degree in Public Health from Columbia University, with a concentration in Sexuality and Health, and a Bachelor's degree in Applied Psychology from NYU. Corey's professional career has been dedicated to eliminating health disparities, working at the intersections of racial, economic, reproductive, and gender justice.
Cristina (she/her) is the Chief People and Equity Officer of The Center. She is a change leader with a passion for the intersection of people and equity work. In her role, she provides thought leadership, oversight and direction to the overall provision of people and HR services and partners with leaders across the organization to develop and implement strategic initiatives that drive and support a highly engaged and performing organizational culture centered in equity and justice. She brings a people-centered approach to all aspects of talent strategy and applies an equity lens, actively working to bring underrepresented voices to the table. Cristina started her career in the education space working for SCORE! Learning Inc. and The After-School Corporation, which provide after-school services. After getting her MBA, Cristina joined a single-sex charter school network and developed and implemented finance, operations, and HR strategies for a fast growing network of charter schools. Cristina went on to work as an independent consultant focused on helping schools, nonprofits and small businesses with human resources, talent management and organizational development best practices. Prior to The Center, she served as the Senior Director of Human Resources for The Fortune Society, a criminal justice nonprofit that supports successful re-entry from incarceration and promotes alternatives to incarceration. Cristina received her BA from Stanford University and MBA from Columbia University. In her free time, she is focused on her family and is the proud mom of two young girls.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Chief
- Program Officer
- the Center in 2020 As 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.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
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- Senior Director
- Communications Executive
Dinean is a tenacious Communications executive committed to helping cause-driven organizations achieve their goals through strategic communications and impactful storytelling. Her career highlights include transforming Teach For America New York's messaging framework, establishing the Public Relations function at the African American Heritage Museum of Southern New Jersey, and serving as a founding publicist for Darnell Moore, Vice President of Inclusion Strategy at Netflix. Dinean is a passionate advocate for LGBTQ folx. In both her full-time and volunteer work, she has centered the needs, voices, and experiences of our most vulnerable and often silenced communities. She previously served as Board Chair for GLSEN Northern NJ, was an event consultant and Program Coordinator with the Hetrick-Martin Institute, and worked to combat HIV/AIDS as a CLEAR counselor with Project Wow. Dinean also worked to support LGBTQ young adults and professionals in her role as Director of PR & Speaker's Bureau for the You Belong LGBTQ Sports & Leadership Initiative. Before joining The Center, Dinean was the VP, of Communications for Multiplying Good (formerly known as The Jefferson Awards Foundation). She currently resides in New Jersey with her fiance and fur baby.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
As Chief Financial Officer, Frank oversees all areas of the Center's finance and accounting. Frank joins the Center with extensive nonprofit finance and management experience, which include serving as the Chief Financial & Administrative Officer at The Jed Foundation and Finance Director at Families for Excellent Schools. He holds a dual Bachelor's degree in Psychology and English Literature as well as a Master's degree in Psychology from New York University.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
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, and daughter, Frankie.
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.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
Job Titles:
- Center 's Substance Use Treatment Counselor
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Natasha Jones (she/her) is the Senior Director of Community Programs. In this role, she is responsible for the oversight, development and implementation of Community Support Services and Center Youth programs serving LGBTQ+ youth and adults. Prior to joining the Center in 2010, Natasha has served as a liaison between many New York City schools, community-based organizations and the NYC Department of Education to provide children and families with overall support, education and resources. She has dedicated over 20 years of service in youth development and community organizing spaces. Natasha is an alum of several public service and leadership programs including, American Express Leadership Academy, AmeriCorps and the Pipeline Project: people of color leadership, advancement & program development strategies for the LGBT movement. She holds a bachelor's degree in Speech Pathology & Audiology from the City University of New York, Lehman College.
Job Titles:
- Senior Director of Data & Evaluation
- the Center in 2022 As the Senior Director, Data
Nico joined The Center in 2022 as the Senior Director, Data and Evaluations. He has over a decade of experience on the Salesforce platform in the nonprofit world, uses his talents in data structuring and process efficiency to help organizations utilize their data and systems to further their mission and make decisions based on facts, not feelings. He started in data working at New York University in the Office of University Development and Alumni Relations, querying their systems for alumni information and prospective donors. After completing his Master's degree, he moved on into the nonprofit space working with organizations like The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research and the National Kidney Foundation. He enjoys being able to use his skills for mission-driven organizations as a way to satisfy his desire to be part of a solution. Nico is a former Nonprofit Salesforce User Group Leader for the New York City area where he was able to connect with and learn about a variety of nonprofits; from health-related and higher education to advocacy and representation equity. He has a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Arizona and a M.A. in International Education from New York University.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
Job Titles:
- 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.
Job Titles:
- Chief Development Officer
- the Center in 2022 As the Chief Development Officer
Renee Colombo joined The Center in 2022 as the Chief Development Officer. In this role, she is responsible for strategic oversight and execution of all fund development initiatives. Prior to joining The Center, she served as the SVP for Development and Communications at Junior Achievement of New York. Renee has extensive fundraising experience - with an emphasis on corporate, individual and government support, as well as special events - in the youth empowerment space. She served for nearly eight years in the role of VP for Development and Communications at the Council for Economic Education. She has also served in senior roles at various AIDS service organizations, including Bailey House and New Mexico AIDS Services. She began her fundraising career at God's Love We Deliver and has been hooked on fundraising ever since. Renee received her B.A. in Government from Smith College and currently resides in Park Slope.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Senior Director of Advocacy & Community Engagement
Trevon Mayers, MPA currently serves as the Senior Director of Advocacy & Community Engagement, where he is responsible for oversight, vision, and implementation of The Center's statewide LGBTQ advocacy initiative and government affairs work. In prior professional roles, Trevon has overseen a number of successful issue-based advocacy and organizing campaigns including voting reform, Medicaid expansion, ethics in government and civic engagement. In 2019, Trevon received the Democracy Champions Award for being part of a successful multi-year effort to overhaul voting rights in New York State. Trevon has also led national health equity initiatives around health policy, as well as developed strategic planning to strengthen organizational diversity, equity and inclusion. Trevon holds a Master's degree in Public Administration from the University of Massachusetts Boston and a Bachelor's degree in Public Health and Psychology from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.