YPC to honor Leadership Academy graduates

The Young Professional Council (YPC), a program of The San Diego LGBT Center, will honor the inaugural class of its newly established Leadership Academy at a community champagne brunch, July 1.

The Center’s chief executive officer, Dr. Delores Jacobs, congratulated the class in a statement saying, “Congratulations are in order for the 20 incredibly talented and committed graduates of The Center’s Young Professionals Council Academy’s inaugural class.”

The YPC is a diverse group of young LGBT and allied professionals who are committed to the support of The Center and to building the profile of the San Diego LGBT community. The YPC academy, an intensive leadership development program, was designed to expand the ranks of young LGBT leaders that are ready to further equality through responsible civic involvement in our city and county – board/commission service and board/committee service for San Diego non-profit organizations.

“During the Academy’s 48 hours of training, these young professionals covered an impressive array of topics and heard from almost all of San Diego’s social justice leaders and LGBT elected officials,” continued Jacobs.

Brandon Tate-McWilliams a development director for the Environmental Health Coalition and co-chair of the YPC told San Diego LGBT Weekly, “Leadership development was always a key part of the vision for YPC, but it wasn’t until last year that we began planning the Academy. Center staff and the YPC executive committee worked together to envision a leadership development program that achieved the mission of YPC.”

In addition to serving as co-chair, Tate-McWilliams was also a member of the inaugural class.

“The YPC Leadership Academy offered me the opportunity to meet heroes and leaders in San Diego’s LGBT movement in an intimate environment where I felt comfortable asking questions and getting to know them,” he said. “I grew with each lesson and it was amazing to watch the other members of my cohort share in these experiences with me.”

The twenty young graduates were from diverse demographic backgrounds and their professions included business executives, reporters, attorneys, medical students and a non-profit executive director.

For one young, straight, professional the Leadership Academy helped better connect him with The Center and the LGBT community.

“The YPC has been a great way for me to get involved with The Center in a fun, laid back environment,” said Jared Queint, a vice president with AMSolar International. “LGBT equality is the single most important civil rights issue of our time. As a straight ally, I feel it is my duty to help lead the charge in San Diego to fight for LGBT equality on all levels.”

Tickets for the YPC’s community champagne brunch Sunday, July 1, can be bought online at events.thecentersd.org/site/Calendar?view=Detail&id=100381

Proceeds go to support the YPC’s continued mission to develop young LGBT leaders in support of The Center and the progressive movement.

This year’s leadership graduates are Abraham De La Cruz, Barbara Moreno, Ben Cartwright, Brian J. Nagle, Georgette Gómez, Gianni M. LaChica, Ian Johnson, Jared Quient, Jason Whitehouse, Jesus Sanchez, John Greenwell, Kimberly Simms, Maricar Camaya, Paul Richardson, Tony Winney and Will Rodriguez-Kennedy.