David Heitstuman, CEO of the Sacramento LGBT Community Center, is recognized as an imperturbable and results-driven nonprofit, political, and communications team leader. He received the Stonewall Freedom from Fear Award in 2016 for his transformative work in the Sacramento LGBTQ community. David was also recognized by the Sacramento Business Journal as one of the region’s “40 Under 40” in 2017 for his outstanding professional accomplishments and community involvement and named to Sacramento Magazine’s most powerful 300 list in 2019. In 2020, the Rainbow Chamber of Commerce selected David as its Community Leader of the Year. The Sacramento Business Journal also awarded David with its inaugural Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award in 2022. Before coming to the Center, he was chief consultant to California State Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon and had served four prior speakers over 12 years in the Assembly including Toni Atkins, John A. Pérez, Karen Bass, and Fabian Nuñez. He also served as trip director for Assembly Democratic Campaigns, operations director for Steve Westly’s 2006 gubernatorial campaign, advance team lead for Hillary Clinton 2008, Kerry-Edwards 2004, Howard Dean for America, and the Democratic National Committee. He started his career as a communications aide to Governor Gray Davis.

In addition to his statewide and national professional career, he is active in the local community serving as Chair of the Sacramento Parks & Recreation Commission and has served as President of the Sacramento LGBT Center Board of Directors, Member–at-Large on the Sacramento Valley Gay & Lesbian Softball League Board, and as Chair of the Sacramento City Special Events Ordinance Review Committee.

David holds a master’s degree in public policy & administration from CSU Sacramento and a Bachelor of Arts degree in public relations and business from Gonzaga University. He is well known for his event production prowess including bringing the Sacramento Red Dress Party to life in 2012. He enjoys volunteering for LGBTQ activist causes, weightlifting, softball, international travel, and dinner parties at home. He grew up the Yakima Valley of Washington State and moved to Sacramento in 2001. He and his partner Spencer reside at the intersection of Midtown/Oak Park/Curtis Park.

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Jaime Gerigk, CPO of the Sacramento LGBT Community Center, has over three decades of experience working in nonprofits supporting clients and communities, both in direct services and in program management and development. Jaime holds a Master’s degree in Social Work and has worked with diverse communities in the fields of intimate partner violence and sexual assault for twenty four years, and in hospice and medical social work for ten years. She has presented at state and national conferences on trauma-informed advocacy, prevention education and counseling as well as vicarious trauma for service providers. Jaime has co-authored inclusive curriculum on healthy relationships for community-based non-profits and the CA Department of Education and has provided expert testimony on behalf of survivors. Jaime received the Woman of the Year award from Cal Poly Humboldt.

Jaime’s passion is supporting people, helping to create a trauma-informed, inclusive, accessible and affirming community in Sacramento and beyond. She is an advocate working toward positive micro and macro change and believes in the transformative power of connection and relationships.

In her time off, you’ll find Jaime traveling far and wide, but she especially loves weekend trips exploring all of California. She’s always looking for live music, beautiful hikes, sunshine and a good cup of coffee.

 ☏ (916) 442-0185 ext. 106

Luis Cortes currently serves as the CDEAO at The Sacramento LGBT Community Center, with a proven track record of advancing resources and enhancing community engagement within the nonprofit sector. Before his current role, Luis held key leadership positions in several well-known museums and nonprofit organizations in Sacramento, L.A., and Texas. His contributions include work at the SMUD Museum of Science and Curiosity (MOSAC), the Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA), and the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History (FWMSH), among others. He focuses on broadening the reach of nonprofit institutions and securing their financial stability for long-term sustainability.

Throughout his career, Luis has spearheaded diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion (DEAI) initiatives, significantly impacting institutional cultures and their community reach. His leadership in securing significant funding, including leading capital campaigns, and securing state and federal funding, has enabled program expansion and increased accessibility to cultural and educational experiences for diverse communities.

As a human rights advocate, Luis combined his passion for social justice with his role as a curator, focusing on history, heritage, and culture. He played a pivotal role in founding the FWMSH Heritage Gallery and curated exhibits such as “The Living Legacy of Dia de Los Muertos,” “Hispanic Heritage: Mesoamerica to Today,” “Changemakers: Local Women, Global Impact,” and “Opal Lee: The Force Behind Juneteenth.” These initiatives were pioneering in fostering diverse representation and marked the first such exhibitions in North Texas. He has been recognized for advocating for cultural heritage, human rights, and diversity & equity in his work.

Outside of work, Luis enjoys traveling, hiking, and exploring the country with his dog, aiming to visit every national park in the US. He is also an avid painter, rock climber, and writer.

 ☏ (916) 442-0185 ext. 128

Alexis Sanchez, A Los Angeles native, got her start in activism in 2016 after the Pulse Nightclub Shooting. She participated in a project that went across the country to the site of different gun related hate crimes and culminated in a rally for common sense gun reform and increase hate crime protections for the LGBTQIA+ community. After visiting the spot where a transgender woman of color was murdered, she decided to dedicate her life to bettering the lives of the transgender community and pursing policy changes that will help to bring more opportunities to trans individuals – especially trans women of color.

Alexis’ background is in public health policy with a specialization in substance use disorders in the LGBTQIA+ community. She was a thought leader in her field and worked to raise awareness of how systems of oppression (such as housing discrimination or over-policing) lead to shorter lifespans and poorer health for marginalized peoples and how the only way to improve the health of marginalized communities is the dismantling of these systems. She also served on the City of West Hollywood’s Transgender Advisory Board for 4 years and in this role worked to create numerous policy changes and campaigns to create a safer city for transgender people.

Alexis is an alumni of the Equality California Institute Leadership Academy, and has participated in many initiatives that train underrepresented minorities to run for office. She serves on the Board of Directors for Still Bisexual, a national bi+ advocacy organization.  Alexis was named Woman of the Year 2020 for CA-28 by Representative Adam Schiff. She spends the bulk of her free time trying to improve her community through volunteering, community organizing, and media advocacy to help normalize trans identities.

 ☏ (916) 442-0185 ext. 115

Christi Gray, joined us as an executive level healthcare consultant with over 35 years’ experience in healthcare administration and operations. Her career includes leadership roles in many facets of healthcare, from clinic operations to managed care delivery systems. As a consultant she developed tools to assist healthcare providers, leading them to better patient satisfaction, clinical outcomes, financial stability, and overall practice viability.

She leads with honesty, integrity and grace, empowering staff to provide excellent patient care. In addition to her professional career, she served on the local and state Medical Group Management Association boards.

She is a California native, currently living in Antelope and her passions are family, community outreach, boxer dog rescue and horses. She wants to own and operate an animal rescue organization when she retires.

Valerie T. Mayweather

Collin is pleased to be joining the Center as a the Pride & Events Director. Collin comes to the center with a unique background of mixed experience in organizing, planning and promoting events; including HIV/Aids relief fundraising events and LGBTQ+ centered community events in San Francisco and the greater Bay Area. An artist by nature, Collin plans to bring a creative eye to the roster of events produced by the center annually in hopes to create magical and memorable experiences for all those we serve. As a Northern California and Central Valley native, Collin hopes to develop new traditions and activations that enrich the lives of his community. When not working Collin enjoys spending time with friends and loved ones, attending Drag shows, sewing and crafting and watching scary movies. Collin looks forward to being a resource and sharing a connection to the Sacramento LGBTQ+ community with the priority of creating events that are inclusive, affirming and representative to all – and of course, a blast to attend!

Hollis Sweet joins the Center as the new Community Engagement and Volunteer Services Manager. A local, Hollis graduated from a Sacramento Region high school and then attended UC Davis where he studied Interpersonal & Organizational Communication and explored Performance Theory dabbling in all aspects of the performative and experimenting with digital cinema. When he found himself working with volunteers over 20 years ago, he quickly realized that the most rewarding professional relationships he had developed were the relationships he built with the volunteers he engaged. This inspired him and lead to the decision to focus his career on engaging volunteers to support the work of non-profit organizations.

Hollis’ experience engaging volunteers and creating/implementing sustainable infrastructure includes serving in AmeriCorps with the Volunteer Infrastructure Project and active memberships with local and national Volunteer Engagement professional organizations, which he uses to access resources and stay informed of best practices in the Volunteer Engagement profession. He is looking forward to using his experience and connections to expand the current volunteer program so that all volunteer and intern opportunities engage volunteers, learners, and community stakeholders through meaningful experiences that support achieving the Center’s mission and establishing a reputation for the Center to be a great place to volunteer or complete an internship.

Please contact Hollis if you would like to

• Explore how a partnership with your organization can be mutually beneficial,
• If you are looking for opportunities for your corporate volunteer program,
• If you are interested in discussing the possibility of completing an internship or practicum,
• If you want more information about volunteering at Sacramento Pride Festival, or
• If you are interested in opportunities to volunteer in an ongoing, one-time, event-based, or skills-based capacity.

Ari Punter (She/Her) is the Housing Manager for the center. She is dedicated to ending LGBTQ+ youth homelessness while striving to provide financial, academic, health, and mental health resources. Ari graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Multicultural and Gender Studies from California State University, Chico. She values implementing an equitable environment for impoverished and marginalized communities so that those who are less fortunate are able to be set up for success. She created Chico State’s first Black Mentorship Program, was the President of the only historically Black Sorority on campus – Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and worked one on one with the LGBTQ+ community in affordable housing and re-entry program resources in her final years of college.

Ari finds motivation in serving her higher self so that she can serve unto others around her. She enjoys going to the gym, practicing nutritional literacy, and meditation. She likes spending her free time taking her dog out on hikes and experiencing nature. If she isn’t outside, you will find her inside watching her favorite TV shows with a cup of hot cocoa.

Ari’s favorite quote is “The best things in life are placed on the other side of fear.”

Karen Kurasaki (She/Her/Hers), PhD, Grants & Program Sustainability Manager

Karen Kurasaki joins the Sacramento LGBT Community Center as the Grants & Program Sustainability Manager bringing with her years of combined experience in community engagement, program development, grant writing, research, strategic planning, and statewide policy implementation. Over her career, Karen has focused on a variety of issues related to health equity and brings her passion in this area to her new role at the Center. She also currently teaches family studies courses at Sacramento State University. Karen earned her Bachelor of Arts in psychology from the University of California, Berkeley, and her master’s and doctoral degrees in clinical-community psychology from DePaul University. In her spare time, she enjoys taking her kids to the snow and to the coast.

Priya Kumar (she/her) joins the Center as the Communications & Marketing Manager. With a background in Communications & Public Relations from Sacramento State and experience in the nonprofit and media production industries, Priya brings a wealth of expertise to the team. She has a proven track record of working on high-profile projects for clients in diverse industries, including professional sports, healthcare, and tourism.

Priya is driven by her passion for communication, creativity, and relationship building. Born in Napa, and raised in Fairfield, CA, Priya is a proud second-generation child of immigrants from the Fiji Islands and the Indian diaspora. 

In her free time, Priya looks for new experiences, which could include dropping in an improv class, watching her latest binge-worthy show with her partner, or trying a new dance or yoga class. 

Reach out to Priya if you have questions about media, communications, marketing, or development.

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Aaron Armer is a proud Black Trans woman and the Health Services Outreach Manager, working at the intersection of sexual health, harm reduction and mental health. She is known for collaborating with shelters and other non-profits in the Sacramento region to bring the LGBT center’s health services to our most vulnerable populations. Aaron also serves on the HIV Services Planning Council to be a voice for the trans community and always looking to expand her work in HIV services. On top of working full time for the center, she’s also a full-time student at Sac State and will graduate this spring with her B.A. in Sociology. On the weekends she’s catching up on the latest Drag-race content and enjoys going to Tahoe to ski. Aaron is passionate about sharing the warmth of her heart in everything she does, in an effort to humanize and normalize the trans experience to the learning world.

Email her if you’re interested in
⁃ scheduling an HIV/STI test
⁃ Off-site sexual health testing for your organization or event
⁃ PrEP/PEP navigation
⁃ Case Management
⁃ Inclusive Sexual Health Education
⁃ Requesting an At-Home HIV tests
⁃ Barriers (Condoms, Lube, Dental Dams)
⁃ Fentanyl Strips and Narcan Nasal Spray
⁃ Tabling services

 ☏ (916) 442-1120 ext. 201

Shannon Cosgrove (she/her/hers) is excited to join The Sacramento LGBT Community Center as the new Annual and Corporate Giving Director. She comes to The Center with a proud history of working with non-profit organizations in the realms of outreach, stewardship, relationship building, and raising funds. She has a 30-year history running a successful special event floral design company where she helped produce over 1,500 private and corporate events.

Shannon has supported the LGBTQ+ community in Sacramento since the early 1990’s when she owned a floral and art gallery in midtown Sacramento. She proudly identifies as queer herself and is the mother of a beautiful transgender daughter. Shannon is deeply passionate about supporting and protecting transgender youth.

Shannon looks forward to connecting with donors and supporters of the Sacramento LGBT Community Center. She believes together we can ensure the mission of The Center is vital and thriving in Sacramento for future generations.

Contact her if you’re interested in sponsorships, annual or corporate giving, or other fundraising inquiries!

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Andy Cha is more than excited to serve as the Mental Health Program Manager for the Sacramento LGBT Community Center. Growing up gay, Andy always wanted to be part of a community that loved and supported him. Now, Andy is committed to using this opportunity to strengthen the voices of our LGBTQ+ youth, to provide the necessary resources for the community, and to inspire everyone to spread love throughout the world.

Additionally, Andy graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2020 with a Bachelor’s in Sociology and a minor in Labor Studies. During his time at UCLA, he learned how social structure affects us all disproportionately, so he became involved in various organizations that promote social justice and equity.

One of his favorite memories was serving with the Youth Empowerment Program, where he mentored and tutored students from underserved communities in Los Angeles. Another favorite memory includes being part of the Association of Hmong Students at UCLA and promoting higher education to Hmong youth from all over California. Andy says, “It is rewarding to see the students I mentored get accepted into their dream colleges, especially when they think they couldn’t, but they did. Many students would reach out to thank me, but the truth is that they were already intelligent and capable. They just needed someone to believe in them.”

Along with Andy’s identities, life-stories, experiences, and education, he grew a passion for advocating for diversity, inclusivity, accessibility, and equity for all. He strives to create a brave space to inspire hope for others and to empower the community. Andy hopes to continue giving back to the community overall.

Lastly, Andy wants you to know:

You are strong.
You are capable.
And most of all,
We all belong here.

Sarah (she/her/hers) is a Sacramento native growing up with four siblings and a multitude of pets throughout her youth. Sarah is proudly serving as the Youth Program Manager for the Sacramento LGBT Community Center, overseeing the tri-counties of Yolo, El Dorado, and Placer.

Her journey into advocacy began in the mental health sector, where she dedicated herself to supporting youth grappling with mood and anxiety disorders in short-term residential care. It was during this time that Sarah keenly observed the pressing need for more specialized mental health resources tailored to the LGBTQ+ community. Motivated by a passion for inclusivity and accessibility, Sarah resolved to redirect her focus toward addressing this critical gap.

Now, Sarah is eager to bring mental health support and LGBTQ+ advocacy to the outlying areas of Sacramento. The mission; to cultivate community, promote acceptance, spark positive transformation, and deepen understanding of the unique challenges queer youth face in navigating mental health.

When she’s not striving for queer advocacy, Sarah finds solace in the written word, immersing herself in books and crafting her own narratives. On a sunny day, you’ll catch her lakeside, accompanied by her beloved dog and life partner, or reveling in the vibrant energy of local concerts.