The San Diego LGBT Community Center’s board of directors meets together as a full group eight times a year (September, October, November, February, March, April, May, and a June retreat) for business meetings, strategic progress review, and planning sessions. Board committees meet regularly throughout the year to pursue the more detailed work of the organization and the board.
The public and the community are welcome and invited to attend The Center board meetings, with the exception of the session dedicated to confidential matters (executive session). The meetings are from 6:30pm to 8:30pm on the fourth Tuesday of the month. The beginning of each meeting includes opportunity for public comment.
Please feel free to contact The Center’s current chair of the board of directors at board@thecentersd.org.
Shaun Randall Travers, Ed.D.
Chair
Pronouns: He, Him, His
Shaun Randall Travers is a leader with a big heart, good energy, and over 25 years of experience in higher education and non-profit leadership. A consistent advocate for those who are at the intersections of multiple, marginalized communities, Shaun serves as the Executive Director for UC San Diego’s EDI Learning and Professional Development. He partners across the enterprise to imagine better ways of achieving equity, appreciating diversity, and fostering inclusion through education, learning, and growth.
Previously, Shaun was the inaugural Director of UC San Diego’s LGBT Resource Center, serving for over 22 years the people on campus at the diverse intersections of LGBTQIA+ communities. He also served on the Board of Directors for The San Diego LGBT Community Center from 2003-2008, and again from 2009-2019, chairing and co-chairing the Board numerous times. He has also spent many years serving as chair of San Diego’s LGBT Community Leadership Council.
A proud member of the bi/pan/fluid community, Shaun is in a long-term, committed relationship with his partners James and Bryce, where they make their home in Hillcrest.
JANESSA GOLDBECK
1st Vice Chair
Pronouns: She, Her, Hers
Janessa Goldbeck is the CEO of Vet Voice Foundation, a national nonprofit that advocates for veterans and military families to actively participate in our democracy. As a Marine Corps Combat Engineer Officer, she led missions overseas and supported service members as a Uniformed Victim Advocate. Janessa’s activism includes challenging the Combat Exclusion policy, contributing to its repeal and allowing all qualified applicants, regardless of gender, to serve in all military roles. Before serving in the military, Janessa led efforts to protect civilians in conflict zones as a human rights advocate. Janessa holds a B.S. from Northwestern University and a Masters in Public Leadership from the University of San Francisco. She serves on numerous boards emphasizing security, equality, and community engagement.
Bixby Marino-Kibbee
2nd Vice Chair
Pronouns: They, Them, Theirs & He, Him, His
Bixby Marino-Kibbee is the Center for Gender-Affirming Care Director at Rady Children’s Hospital. A nonbinary, transmasculine, queer licensed clinical social worker, they have worked in the fields of social services and mental healthcare since 2005, providing LGBTQIA-affirming care to youth and adults, and their families. Bix was born and raised in San Diego but spent years living and working on the east coast in Virginia and Boston before moving back to San Diego in 2011. As a mental health clinician, Bix has worked with individuals across the lifespan including children, adolescents, adults, and older adults and their families in a variety of settings including residential treatment, outpatient therapy, community-based wraparound services, and more recently within a large healthcare system.
Bix spent five years working with youth and families impacted by systems of care including child welfare and juvenile probation through wraparound services before joining The San Diego LGBT Community Center as the Director of Behavioral Health Services in 2015. At The Center, Bix led a team of twelve clinicians providing outpatient individual, couples, and family therapy to LGBTQIA and HIV/AIDS-impacted individuals. Through this role, Bix focused on addressing the needs of transgender and non-binary youth and adults, including increasing access to gender-affirming mental health services, helping transgender and non-binary individuals navigate healthcare systems and decreasing gatekeeping.
In 2019, Bix joined Rady Children’s Hospital as the director of the Center for Gender-Affirming Care. In this role, Bix is tasked with expanding services to include a new stand-alone multidisciplinary clinic, providing a continuum of care for transgender and non-binary children, adolescents and young adults, and implementing training across the health care system. Bix has a passion for reducing health disparities and ensuring that all transgender and non-binary people have access to healthcare that is safe, affirming, and accessible regardless of geographic location and access to financial resources.
Francis Pickford, CPA
Treasurer
Pronouns: He, Him, His
Francis Pickford, CPA is the Vice President of Finance at Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest, the second largest Planned Parenthood affiliate in the nation. In this role he is responsible for managing a $105 million dollar annual budget for three separate legal entities (501c3, 501c4, 527 PAC), managing the billing, collections and insurance verification process for over 250,000 annual patient encounters, and supporting the day to day financial services operations. Francis is a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and has over 22 years of experience in nonprofit finance, accounting, and business operations and has worked in public accounting, finance consulting, and led the finance and accounting operations at other nonprofit organizations through periods of extreme growth and challenges.
Francis enjoys community service and has served on the board of directors of Hosteling International, Free to Thrive, and Serving Seniors. He also served as the founding treasurer of The San Diego LGBT Community Center’s Young Professionals Council.
Francis was born and raised in Annapolis, Maryland and received his degree in accounting from the University of Maryland, College Park. He moved to San Diego in 2005 and loves cooking anything and everything on the New York Times cooking page, travelling locally and overseas, cycling, and yoga.
Hollie Bierman
SECRETARY
Pronouns: She, Her, Hers
Hollie Bierman serves as the Director of Environmental Services and Sustainability at San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E), where she has worked for the past 15 years, overseeing environmental compliance, strategic planning, permitting, and habitat conservation.
Prior to her current role, Ms. Bierman served as the Director of Customer Programs, managing low‑income assistance and energy‑saving programs on behalf of SDG&E customers, and spent eleven years as Counsel and Senior Counsel in the Commercial Law Department working on franchise, major projects and engineering, procurement and construction contracts. She holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in politics from Brandeis University, a law degree from the University of San Diego, and serves on the Executive Board of The San Diego LGBT Community Center.
Ben Mendoza
BOARD MEMBER
Pronouns: They, Them, Theirs
Ben Mendoza currently serves as a Council Representative for Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera for the Ninth Council District in the City of San Diego. Ben received their Bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies from Seattle University and a Master of Arts in Higher Education Administration from the School of Leadership and Education Studies at the University of San Diego.
They are passionate about supporting and facilitating leadership and identity development work and advocating for an intersectional approach to justice. They currently serve as the Assistant Parade Manager and member of the LGBTQ+ Survivor Taskforce for San Diego Pride. Additionally, they’ve been involved in Center programming such as the Young Professionals Council (Class of 2017), Project TRANS, and AIDS Walk & Run. Ben identifies as a Queer, Transgender, Non-Binary, Latinx community builder.
Sue Reynolds
BOARD MEMBER
Pronouns: She, Her, Hers
Sue Reynolds, a nationally recognized innovator and strategic leader in nonprofit affordable housing, is semi-retired and a consultant to nonprofits. She led the growth of nonprofit Community HousingWorks over the course of two decades and created affordable apartments and life-changing resident communities for over 9,000 residents in San Diego and statewide. At Community HousingWorks, she proudly worked with The Center to initiate North Park Senior Apartments, San Diego’s first LGBTQ-affirming and affordable apartment community for seniors. Sue is active in the community, when she is not singing in the San Diego Women’s Chorus or hanging out with her wife Allison. She serves on the board of Price Philanthropies, Mayor Gloria’s Back to Work Task Force, San Diegans for Homes (voter solutions for affordable homes), and the San Diego Eviction Prevention Collaborative. Sue was raised in Ohio and obtained her Master’s degree in Urban Planning from Columbia University.
Alberto Bautista
BOARD MEMBER
Pronouns: He, Him, His
Alberto Bautista brings more than two decades of experience spanning diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB), internal audit, and cross‑cultural engagement, offering a holistic understanding of how people and systems shape one another. A proud Mexican immigrant and member of the LGBTQ+ community, he has served on multiple boards across California and currently sits on the Equality California Board of Directors, where he serves as Audit Chair and advances transparent, equity‑centered governance.
Alberto is a leadership coach in training at the University of San Diego and the co‑founder of ViaNova Consulting Strategies, a firm dedicated to strengthening organizational systems through risk assessments, internal controls, and inclusive practices. He also serves as a part‑time workshop facilitator with the National Conflict Resolution Center, supporting communities and organizations in developing skills for dialogue, belonging, and restorative communication.
He is also a keynote speaker, panelist, and Toastmasters competitor whose work centers human dignity, community empowerment, and collective liberation. Guided by the belief, “No se trata de llegar solo, sino de abrir puertas para que lleguemos todes,” Alberto brings a bicultural, compassionate, and justice‑driven lens to his service at The Center.
Amy Corton
Board Member
Pronouns: She, Her, Hers
Amy Corton is a retired development professional who spent her career creating and implementing fundraising plans, planned giving programs, and capital campaigns for nonprofit organizations. She has worked both as a nonprofit staff member and consultant, with expertise spanning marketing, promotion, gift solicitation and administration, as well as donor recognition and stewardship. Corton also prepared and led workshops on nonprofit governance. Earlier in her career, she practiced real estate law for eleven years before transitioning into fundraising.
Ms. Corton has extensive nonprofit board experience, currently serving as Secretary of the Board of Directors of Jewish Family Services of San Diego and previously serving as a board member with organizations including Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, and Congregation Beth Israel. She has held leadership roles on executive committees and chaired a range of board committees focused on governance, fundraising, finance, recruitment, and strategic planning. In addition, she volunteers her time to support non-profit organizations with Amplified Impact Partners.
She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Cornell University and a Juris Doctor from Emory University School of Law. In addition to her legal and fundraising background, she has professional training in mediation from the National Conflict and Resolution Center.
Emo Aviles
Board Member
Pronouns: He, Him, His
Emiliano “Emo” Aviles is an out-at-work employee with Bank of America. Emo started his career in 1992 as a teller here in San Diego but spent the bulk of his career in Las Vegas, NV, prior to relocating back to San Diego in 2015. In his 30+ year career with Bank of America, Emo has held numerous roles and is currently a Senior Vice President, Human Resources Manager.
Along with his seat on the Board of Directors of The San Diego LGBT Community Center, Emo regularly volunteers in the San Diego community and is a two-time recipient of the Bank of America President’s Volunteer Service Award, which recognizes U.S. citizens for contributing over 250 volunteer hours to local non-profits. He was named one of San Diego Business Journal’s Top 50 LGBTQ+ Leaders of Influence in 2022.
Emo received his bachelor’s degree in human resources from the University of Arizona. When he’s not traveling, he is spending quality time with his black labrador retriever, Albus.
In Memoriam
John Laird
John Laird was known and loved throughout San Diego both for his big heart and generous spirit, and as a dedicated LGBT community activist and volunteer. A former Marine, in 1981 John moved to San Diego, where he met his lifetime partner and husband, Aaron Borovoy. They were legally married on July 3, 2008.
John first became involved in the San Diego LGBT community in 1981 as a volunteer for what was then known as The Gay Center. He joined The Imperial Court de San Diego in 1982 and was elected as Grey Wolf Emperor XXI in 1992. John’s service to the community personally and through the Imperial Court de San Diego and Temple Emanu-El included the Lesbian Health Project Pink Ribbon Campaign, chair of Toys for Kids, the Nicky Award Board of Governors, the AIDS Memorial Task Force, the Grocery Hearts Food Pantry, the San Diego Rescue Mission Women and Children’s Center, The Storefront, Standdown for Vietnam Veterans, The Interfaith Shelter Project, and many others. He was also instrumental in Temple Emanu-El becoming the first Jewish organization to march in San Diego’s Pride Parade. John served as a board member of the San Diego LGBT Community Center from 2002 until his death on August 24, 2011. His enthusiasm and commitment to his community will be sadly missed.
David H. Birnbaum
David H. Birnbaum was an extraordinary human being who touched the lives and hearts of all of The Center’s staff, board, volunteers, clients and donors. Indeed, there are few in our community who David’s warmth and generosity did not touch. The passing of his booming voice, his boundless enthusiasm, his strident support of families with LGBT sons and daughters, and his enormous love for the youth in our community will be a great loss. He and his wife, Deena, have been among our community’s greatest allies, staunchest defenders, and most willing supporters.
David was a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the California Society of Certified Public Accountants. Prior to retirement, he was a Senior Vice President with Bank America Business Credit. For the past five years, David has served on the board of PFLAG (Parents, Family and Friends of Lesbian and Gays) as Support/Outreach Chair. Thousands of San Diego parents and youth have spoken to David as he offered hope, encouragement and resources for them. None will forget his warmth or kindness. David also served on the board of Ohr Shalom Synagogue. He was an active volunteer speaker for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, an Ambassador for City of Hope Medical Center, and a member of the Cancer Society’s Action Network. He was a graduate of Queens College of the City University of New York. David joined The Center’s board of directors in June 2001 and quickly became an active, energizing voice, advocating tirelessly for the LGBT community.
Ernest Green
We remember and honor Ernest Green, who served on the Board from 1998 until his death on January 22, 2000. He co-chaired the Special Events Committee and was a member of the Public Relations Committee. Ernie was a lifetime title-holder in the Imperial Court. Over the years, he headed up numerous fundraisers benefiting many non-profit organizations, including The Center, and was co-chair of the Live and Let Live Alano Club from 1994 to 1997. He was a Certified Drug and Alcohol Counselor with Mental Health Systems in San Diego. Ernie and his work in the community will not be forgotten.
Lovel Waiters
Lovel Waiters joined The Center’s board with an extensive understanding of non-profit organizations, and experienced knowledge regarding the importance of collaborative community organizing. Lovel had previously served as co-chair of the Ebony Pride Board of Directors, and had been an active volunteer with several San Diego area organizations, including Rolling Readers, the St. Vincent de Paul Center and READ San Diego. She had also been a volunteer with The Center’s Women’s Resource Center, including facilitating the women’s writing group.
Waiters was honored for her community service with Ebony Pride, and was named Woman of the Year by the National Council of Negro Women.