Center director announces new positions

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By John Waldron

Thank you to everyone in the community for the supportive and gracious welcome as I began my new role at The Center. It is an honor to be serving the LGBTQ family in Southern Nevada. Over the past month, countless people have expressed support and encouragement for the opportunities that lie ahead for The Center and our community.

I also want to thank Donya Monroe for her hard work and transformational leadership as the interim director at The Center. Donya was a catalyst for some needed change and she could not have done a better job setting us up for success. We all appreciate you, Donya, and wish you the best as you go forward.

One of the first agenda items we are tackling is to ensure that EVERYONE among our LGBTQ family, as well as our allies, feel welcome and know the doors of The Center are wide open to you. We are working hard to listen to all ideas and to learn how we can make The Center a thriving organization where the community comes for support and connection. I personally welcome anyone who wants to share perspective on where we’ve been, where we’re at, and where we should go.

We’ve already made some changes that we’re excited to report. Our new Transgender Program manager started in February and is looking forward to building a strong connection with local transgender residents. Their name is Ray MacFarlane, Ph.D, and they have already begun to reach out to local leaders to learn how we can serve as a safe and affi rming outreach to the trans community.

Todd Dickey has taken on a leadership role in the organization as our HIV clinic manager. Todd has great ideas and an exciting vision for the clinic to expand our services and outreach to Southern Nevada. He will be working closely with our local partners to identify opportunities for enhanced services and future expansion of the clinic.

Vince Collins has accepted the director of operations role at The Center expanding his leadership responsibilities and influence in the community. I’m excited to partner with Vince in developing a big vision for the future of The Center and the possibilities that we can embrace. Vince is a recognized fi gure in the local LGBTQ community, and he will be reaching out to our friends and partners to speak about, and learn, how The Center can better achieve its mission.

We are also excited to announce a new partnership with Tiff any Stiles of Tiabi Café, who will be opening The JOLT at The Center. It will be opening in early March and off er food and drinks throughout the day. The Center will be open earlier to welcome morning commuters to stop in and grab refreshing coff ee on the way to work. The Center’s associate board is being relaunched with a group of dynamic and creative individuals who are committed to serving as advisors and creative thinkers for events and activities.

Thank you to the talented individuals who have signed on to be part of the board. Your work is important and will bring great value to all of us in the community. We are actively seeking additional candidates for the associate board. Please contact The Center and we will be happy to provide details.

We also want to thank the selfl ess work of our board who are committed to seeing The Center serve our mission and thrive. The recent election of our new executive committee ensured we have strong leadership on the board as we work together to strengthen The Center’s role in Southern Nevada. The executive committee, Joe Oddo (president), Brian Hosier (vice president), Scott Ramer (treasurer), and Garrett Pattiani (secretary), as well as all board members, are open to new ideas and want to learn how we can better serve you. We are seeking prospective candidates to serve on The Center’s board with a concerted eff ort to expand our diversity of the board.

All of us among the staff , board, and volunteers, will be sharing opportunities in the coming weeks for the community to partner with The Center to ensure we have the resources to continue the work of our mission. The mission of The Center is inspiring and essential in service to the LGBTQ community.

There is no secret that our mission requires funding to ensure we are successful in providing services. There are many great opportunities for sponsorships at the corporate and individual levels. We sincerely appreciate everyone who generously and graciously supports the work of The Center. We welcome you to contact us to learn how you can partner with us.

Lastly, thank you to all our staff and volunteers at The Center. I am genuinely honored to be working with you as we do important service for people throughout Southern Nevada. Our work is vital in the community and we will work tirelessly to ensure The Center is an inclusive coalition of everyone who makes up the rich and diverse culture in the LGBTQIA+ family.

To contact The Center, call 702.733.9800 or email us at info@thecenterlv.org.