New Year brings new faces to San Diego Pride family

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – San Diego Pride is kicking off 2015 by adding some well-known and highly-regarded talent to its staff.

Sarafina Scapicchio is the new Director of Development. Ms. Scapicchio had been Director of Major Gifts and Corporate Giving at the San Diego LGBT Community Center (The Center) and had previously served as The Center’s Director of Special Events. She received her B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College and a Certificate in Fund Raising Management from the Indiana University Center on Philanthropy. She is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

Jesus Sanchez joins Pride as the Volunteer Manager. Mr. Sanchez was Outreach Coordinator and Program Supervisor at Voices for Children. In addition, he founded the San Diego chapter of Future Leaders of Our Community, which matches young professionals with volunteer opportunities. Mr. Sanchez received his B.A. from San Francisco State University and is completing his Master’s Degree in Nonprofit Leadership and Management from the University of San Diego.

Sarah Aldridge is Pride’s new Office Manager. Mrs. Aldridge was the Client Services Director at Senior Helpers San Diego, where she coordinated 120 nurses, caregivers, administrators and marketers. Prior to that, she was a Legal Assistant at Larson & Solecki LLP, where she managed customer service and legal documents. She completed her California Administrator Certification with Adult Residential Facility Care & Compliance, and is completing her B.A. from Ashford University.

Fernando Lopez is promoted to Director of Operations. Mr. Lopez will coordinate day-to-day operations, community partnerships, and public outreach. His previous position was Director of Public Affairs. Mr. Lopez has been with San Diego Pride for nearly four years and is familiar to many due to his countless media interviews promoting Pride and equality, his public speaking, and his guest lectures at local universities and schools over the last 11 years.

“We set out to build a professional team with a long-term vision for growing what we do for the community,’ said San Diego Pride Executive Director, Stephen Whitburn. “Sarafina, Sarah, and Jesus are precisely who we were looking for. Together with Fernando, we’re well-positioned to move forward.”

You can connect with all of the Pride staff and find their bios at www.sdpride.org/staff.