Randy Lowe - Board Chair - joined the organization in 2009.  A native of Southern California, he is a retired executive from a bank in San Francisco.  He worked for Union Bank as the Senior Vice President of Recruitment and Diversity from 1998-2008.  Randy also worked for the US Department of Labor in Denver and Washington DC from 1971-1998 in human resources.  He has an MA from the University of Northern Colorado in Public Administration - Executive Development and an MS from University of Southern California in Public Administration - Organizational Behavior.  He did his undergraduate work at the University of Portland with a BA in English and Education.  From 1967-1969, Randy served in the US Peace Corps in Tamale, Ghana, teaching algebra and English at Ghana College.  He has served in several LGBT organizations: The Gay Men's Counseling Collective in Washington, DC; Dignity in Denver and Washington, DC; and The Discovery Community in San Francisco.  He has lived full-time in Palm Springs since 2008, but has had a residence here since 1999.  He is originally from Alhambra, CA

Joe Giarrusso - Vice-Chairman - brings significant marketing expertise to The Center following 25 years at Entertainment Partners in Burbank.  As Sr. Executive Vice President for Marketing and Sales, Giarrusso was direct report to the CEO/President and ran all marketing, publications and sales where he was instrumental in increasing sales from $336M in 1985 to $6.7B at the time of his retirement in 2010.  He was also a head of Production Finance of Tri Star Pictures (currently called and owned by Sony Pictures) as well as HBO Productions and had various positions at CBS Network within the finance area.

Currently he lives with his partner of 35 years, Charlie Paglia, in Palm Springs.  He has a great desire to give back to his community in a service capacity; hence, working with GRC. Also, he always had a desire to help children and to someway be a part of their lives.  Therefore, he works closely with The Steinway Society of Riverside County and The Coachella Repertory Theatre whose missions are to provide music and meaningful plays to the children of the valley, respectively.

Michael-Jon Smith -Treasurer - joined the organization in September 2010.  He recently retired from AT&T where he worked for 33 years. Working his way up the organization, he spent the last 15 years as Vice President - External Affairs.  Michael-Jon represented the corporation to various external audiences, handling government affairs and community relations.  He was also responsible for the philanthropic activities of the AT&T Foundation in Los Angeles.  A well known supporter of local Los Angeles agencies, Michael-Jon is currently Chairman of PAWS/LA and his past Chairman of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, The Hollywood Community Foundation, Project New Hope and  the West Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.  Beyond his involvement at the board level, Michael-Jon has chaired over a dozen major fundraiser, raising well over $2 million dollars for those less fortunate.  He is most proud of a DirectTV segment on their series, Hometown Heroes, featuring his work with PAWS/LA which aired nationally.  Michael-Jon is a Southern California native and graduated from the University of Southern California with a Bachelors of Science in Business.  Upon retirement in 2007, he choose to make Palm Springs is full time residence.

Dennis Jory - Secretary - has served on The Center’s Board of Directors for two years and currently acts as Board Secretary. A retired high school and university educator of 38 years, he now teaches art and creative writing classes at The Center and was named California Teacher of the Year in 1993.  In addition, he was selected as one of President George Bush’s Thousand Points of Light for his work with disadvantaged youth and was recognized as one of the country’s outstanding educators in 1994.  He also was elected to serve as President of the Artists Council at the Palm Springs Art Museum and was a member of their Board of Trustees for three years.  Having served on the founding board of the Palm Springs Frontrunners, he presently consults for the California Department of Education in their state awards unit and is a practicing artist who has shown his art and photographs in museums and galleries throughout California.  He resides with his partner Bob and their cat and dog in Cathedral City, CA.

Jack Fulton - Board Member, joined the organization in April 2011. He is a Trust Officer and
Assistant Vice President with Wells Fargo’s Private Bank in Palm Desert, CA. Jack specializes in investment, trust and estate administration for individuals, families and institutions. He brings a special focus to the issues of the elderly and LGBT communities.  He has been with Wells Fargo for nine years and was previously employed with Bank of America’s Private Bank in Indian Wells, CA. He earned his CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation in 2006, Jack has worked in financial services for eighteen years. He is the Treasurer of The Desert Estate Planning Council. Originally from Bellevue WA, Jack is a graduate of the Burnley College in Seattle, WA.  Jack has been a full time desert resident for eleven years and lives with his partner, Vincent, and cat, Riley, in Cathedral City, CA.

Jerry Green - Board Member, joined the board of the Center in the Summer of 2011. A California Native Jerry has lived in the Coachella Valley, with his partner since 1989. A tour guide for thirteen years with Desert Adventures, Jerry now is an agent with Cruise Holidays of Palm Springs. As a guide with Desert Adventures he participated in community outreach programs for local school children. "Educating local children on the ecology of the desert was most one of my most gratifying experiences".

In 1993 he co-founded "Les Dames du Soliel". In 2004 Jerry joined "Les Originales". Both organizations have raised funds for many community organization including the Desert Aids Project, The Aids Assistance Program, Shelter from the Storm, PAWS.
Jerry resides in Rancho Mirage with his partner Gary Hall and their two dogs.

Rick Hutcheson - Board Member, has been a Board Member for two years. He is a Palm Springs City Council member, and owns Vacation Palm Springs and Greater Palm Springs Realty along with his personal and business partner of 14 years, Rob Kincaid. Rick’s focus on the senior community also includes serving on the Board of the Mizell Senior Center and membership in Prime Timers of the Desert. He is also actively involved with the Palm Springs Art Museum, Palm Springs Sun-up Rotary, and other community and business organizations. Rick began his career as a White House aide to President Jimmy Carter, then worked as a business development executive with Time Warner Inc. in New York City, and with several internet companies in San Francisco prior to moving to Palm Springs fulltime in 2001.

John C. Ninos, M.D. - Board Member, A NY State native, Dr. Ninos joined Eisenhower Medical Associates in November 2010. He completed his undergraduate degree at Pennsylvania State University and earned his medical degree at the State University of New York at Buffalo. He then moved back to Pennsylvania for an internship and residency in Family Medicine at Hershey Medical Center in Hershey.  After Hershey, he spent 2 years with the Indian Health Service in Arizona before pursuing practices first in upstate NY, and then in central PA.  Dr. Ninos visited the Coachella Valley extensively for 5 years before his move, and was very excited over the opportunity to move here and become a member of the Eisenhower team of physicians.

Dr. Ninos has been affiliated with various professional organizations including the American Academy of Family Physicians, American Alliance for Continuing Medical Education and the American Association of Medical Review Officers. Additionally, he is Board Certified in Family Medicine and is a Diplomate of the American Board of Family Practice.  During his years of practice he’s worked extensively with two hospice organizations and carries a special interest in the care of senior patients.

Dr. Ninos considers the Valley home now and is turning his attention to taking care of our people.

Laura O'Kane - Board Member, Laura J. O’Kane founded O’Kane & McKee LLP with the philosophy of providing an interdisciplinary approach to addressing the needs of family business owners and individual clients to provide sound planning for her clients that meets their individual needs.  Ms. O’Kane’s predominate area of responsibility is the transactional side of the firm.  Ms. O’Kane reviews the client's overall picture, providing advice on a wide range of business transactions including business formation and commercial leasing through the protection of assets and even issues of family harmony, along with discussing philanthropic goals to the client's tolerance for complexity and risk in tax and estate planning.  Ms. O’Kane received her J.D. and her L.L.M. in Taxation and Business from the McGeorge School of Law, University of the Pacific. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Santa Clara.  Palm Springs is her primary home, however, Ms. O’Kane splits her time between the firm’s main office in Palm Springs and their San Francisco office managing the legal practice, and makes a happy home with her partner Michele McKee and their beautiful dog Lilly.

Sandy Lefler - Board Member, joined the organization in 2011.  She is the co-founder of Premier Tracks and Graffiti Music, music publishing companies licensing their catalogs of over 75,000 original works in film and television productions.  She is also an attorney licensed in Texas and Oklahoma for over 24 years, and is currently awaiting her California bar admission.  Sandy is originally from Tulsa, Oklahoma, and graduated from The University of Tulsa with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics (with honors) in 1984, and received her Juris Doctor in 1987.  Her background as an attorney and music business executive provides Sandy with the wonderful balance of intellectual challenges and the thrill of the entertainment industry.  Sandy moved to Palm Springs in 2000, where she lives with her partner a soul mate, Connie, and their golden doodle, rescue dog, and Jack the Amazing Cat. 

Joe McCormack - Board Member, is founder and Managing Partner of the executive search firm McCormack & Associates.  He has served clients in nearly every sector of American business, filling senior management and board positions in higher education, health care and not-for-profit organizations. Recent clients include Amnesty International USA, the ACLU of Southern California, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, the LGBT Center of the Desert, the LA Gay & Lesbian Center, NY GLBT Community Center, World Bicycle Relief, The Trevor Project, Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, and the National Breast Cancer Coalition.

A graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, Joe McCormack served in the U.S. Navy and, following training in the Department of Defense Information School, was a Naval public affairs officer on the staff of Commander, U.S. SECOND Fleet. He served for eight years as a Director of Epilogics, Inc., a technology licensing company in northern California and four years on the national Board of the Gay, Lesbian, & Straight Education Network (GLSEN).  In addition, he served on the Board of Regents for The Point Foundation, the first national LGBT scholarship fund, and previously as Vice Chairman of the Board of PHFE (Public Health Foundation Enterprises) in Los Angeles.  In 2011 he completed his board service with  Servicemembers Legal Defense Network in Washington, DC.  Joe has had a home in the desert for over ten years and moved to Palm Springs permanently in 2009, with his spouse of 19 years, Gary, and their two dogs.

Ginny Peacock - Board Member, happily joined The Center as a Board Director in the spring of 2011.  She is a Realtor with Capitis Sothebys International Realty in Palm Springs.  She has been realtor since 1981 when she began her career in San Francisco.  A single lesbian, she has been out for 50 years.  She served on the San Francisco AIDS Foundation Board in the early 1980's.  She also served as Chairman of the Board of the AIDS Research Institute of UCSF from 2000-2003.  She has served on alcohol recovery boards, the Deepwell neighborhood Board, and is very active in drug and alcohol recovery.  She bought her home in Deepwell in 2000 and moved to PS full-time in 2003.  She lives in the neighborhood of Deepwell with her 2 rescue greyhounds, Priscilla and Nina Gorbachev.

Brian Rix - Board Member, Brian Rix joined the Board of Directors in 2010. He is a principal with Burke Rix Communications, LLC with offices in Palm Springs and Los Angeles. The firm specializes in government relations, public relations, event and conference management and campaign management and fundraising. Brian holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Cal State Long Beach and a law degree from the University of San Diego. He was formerly on the national Board of the Human Rights Campaign and has been active in many LGBT organizations and campaigns.

He and his partner have a 29 year old son who was recently married in Palm Springs.

Charles Robbins - Board Member, has been transforming nonprofit organizations for more than 20 years and brings a wealth of experience as one of the Center’s newest board members. Mr. Robbins currently serves as the Vice President of The Village Family Services, a large Southern California family wellness agency specializing in providing safety and permanency for children and youth.  Prior to arriving at The Village in July, Mr. Robbins was the CEO of The Trevor Project, a national organization focused on suicide prevention among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth. He was at the helm from 2007 to 2011 and during his four-year tenure, the full-time staff grew from five to 24, the annual budget quadrupled to nearly $4 million, and the organization received acclaimed national visibility.

His professional experience also includes serving as development director for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, various senior fundraising roles at the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) and founding Project Angel Heart, a Denver-based HIV/AIDS nonprofit organization. A Colorado native, Mr. Robbins holds a certificate in nonprofit administration from the University of Colorado, Denver, and he is a longtime member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) where he achieved accreditation as a Certified Fund Raising Professional (CFRE). Mr. Robbins is married to Damon Romine, Communications Director at Screen Actors Guild, and they have been part-time residents of Palm Springs for the past 11 years.  

Ernest Shaffer - Board Member, BS / MS Health Care Management, Certified Nursing Home Administrator, CA Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly Administrator, Member CA Association of Health Facilities, Fellow-American College of Health Care Administrators, Member American Health Care Association, Advisory Board Member Coachella Valley Alzheimer’s Assn., Advisory Board Member California Nursing Educational Institute, Board Member Golden Rainbow Center.

Thirty years experience in various sectors of the senior housing and health care industry, including development and management of independent retirement communities, assisted living and skilled nursing facilities. Previous roles as General Manager and regional management trainer for Marriott Senior Living Services.  National Executive Director Trainer and Chair, Pharmaceutical Purchasing Taskforce for Sunrise Senior Living.  Currently serving as Chief Executive Officer of CNRC, LLC Innovative Healthcare Management, and am principal owner of LightHouse Memory Care,  and California Nursing & Rehabilitation Center of Palm Springs.

Reside in Palm Desert with partner of 23 yrs/ Scott.

Sam Toles - Board Member, Cathedral City resident and City Council Member Sam Toles joined the board in 2011. In addition to being an elected official, Toles has enjoyed a career in the entertainment industry working for studios New Line Cinema, Paramount, Warner Brothers and American Idol producer FremantleMedia. He currently works for Gaiam, the country's leading producer of lifestyle products and programming. Sam & his partner Matthew moved to the Coachella Valley in 2008 and were legally married in 2009.