The Center reschedules its honorarium and announces new board members

The LGBTQ+ Community Center of Southern Nevada (The Center) announced the annual Honorarium that would have been held in October 2020 has been rescheduled to March 5, 2021, at Caesars Palace. The Center’s CEO, John Waldron indicated the decision was made with respect to the safety of the community as COVID-19 persists as a threat to the public’s health.

Honorees for the Honorarium were notified and will be recognized at the March 5th celebration. Honorees include:

• Tony Gladney

• Michael Schulman

• Raymond Wilmer

The Center will also continue at the Honorarium its Celebration of Jan Jones Blackhurst, which began as a virtual event held in May. Jan will be celebrated along with the Honorees in recognition of her steadfast and generous support of the LGBTQ+ community in Southern Nevada.

Also being recognized at the March 5th Honorarium is Alan, a client at Opportunity Village who is a member of the trans community. Alan will receive The Center’s annual Lanny D. Love Hero award for his courage and determination to live as his authentic self.

United Way of Southern Nevada & CARE Coalition

The United Way of Southern Nevada (UWSN) provided funding to the LGBTQ community for individuals and families in need because of the COVID-19 crisis. The Center received $87,000.00 from UWSN to be used to help members of the LGBTQ community who needed help with rent/mortgage, shelter, food, and/or utility assistance. CARE Coalition, a nonprofit in Las Vegas that works to increase public awareness of the effects of drug and alcohol abuse by educating and supporting youth, adults, the community at large and drug prevention agencies in Clark County, provided The Center $27,000.00 in funding to be disbursed similarly to the UWSN grant. The funding by UWSN & CARE went directly to help the community. The Center was honored to partner with UWSN & CARE Coalition in helping those who had the greatest need as the community continues to navigate the crisis.

Center Governing Board Updates

The Center’s board continues to expand in 2020 with enthusiastic and energized individuals prepared to serve the LGBTQ community. The following individuals have joined the board this year:

• Wayne Cassard – Market Human Resource Director Valley Health Systems – Returning Center Board Past President

• Katy Jones – Attorney, Fletcher Jones

• Anne Mazzola – Artist & Philanthropist

• Shalom Stephens – Independent Attorney

The Center’s board has been increasing in number and diversity over the past two years and will continue recruiting individual’s representative of the LGBTQ community and its allies. The remaining current board members include:

• Brian Hosier, Chairperson

• Ryn Bartel, Vice Chairperson

• Garrett Pattiani, Secretary

• Kangcheng Yin, Treasurer

• Matthew Cox

• Gaving Goorjian

• Wendy Kraft

• Denise McCurry

• Osen Pogoson

• Ms. Ivana Walborn

Opportunity Village & The Center Collaborate 

The Center is proud to have signed an agreement to participate in Opportunity Village’s (OV) Assessment Program as part of The Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation and the Veterans affairs initiative to provide workplace assessments for people with disabilities. OV will assign individuals to work at The Center in the health and wellness clinic where workplace assessments can be performed in helping prepare participants for careers in the workforce. CEO of The Center, John Waldron, said “This is a wonderful chance for our two organizations to collaborate and to provide for future opportunities to work together strengthening the relationship among the constituents we serve.”

Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield MedicAid

The local team at Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield MedicAid, led by Community Outreach Manager Olivia Smith, donated bags and items to be used in The Center’s Leave One Take One program. The Leave One Take One initiative provides hygiene kits and other essential items for The Center’s neighbors in the downtown area. Home insecure and other individuals in the area access much needed resources through the program and Anthem’s recent generosity helped The Center’s QVolution youth pack 100 hygiene kits. Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield MedicAid is an annual sponsor of The Center and recently renewed their commitment to support the organization in their efforts to serve the Southern Nevada LGBTQ+ community.