Ellie Perez, a native of Southern California and the daughter of Mexican immigrants, has emerged as a formidable voice of resilience and advocacy. Her journey, initially marked by the rejection and discrimination within an evangelical church community, paved the way for a deep-seated commitment to championing marginalized voices. 

Responding to adversity with action, Ellie joined the Courage Campaign to oppose Proposition 8, utilizing her experiences to inspire the LGBTQ community toward visibility and resistance despite the proposition’s passage. Her early involvement with the Latino Equality Alliance amplified her impact, directly benefiting LGBTQ Latino families in East LA through innovative outreach and storytelling, helping build the foundation for one of the largest LGBTQ Latino-focused organizations in the United States.  

In her professional life at the LA Unified School District, Ellie adroitly navigated the dual roles of advocate and translator for immigrant families, equally contributing to the enhancement of resources and independence for students with disabilities through her work with the Department for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. 

The personal became political when Ellie, becoming a mother at 21, faced new challenges as her teenage child came out as transgender. This spurred her into even more fervent advocacy for transgender youth support in both medical and social spaces. 

Ellie’s entrepreneurial spirit and dedication to community upliftment were unmistakably evident in her response to the arson of the Pride Lifeguard Tower in Long Beach. She spearheaded an initiative to establish safe spaces for the queer community, proving her leadership and commitment to safety and inclusivity.

Now, as the Executive Director of the LGBTQ Center of Long Beach and a pioneering member of the LA County LGBTQ+ Commission, Ellie Perez stands as a pivotal figure advocating for comprehensive support and connectivity for LGBTQ residents. Her mantra, “You never lose what you give away,” symbolizes the endless cycle of generosity and community support that defines her work. 

Her path from overcoming personal adversities to becoming a beacon of advocacy encapsulates a transformative journey of impacting and uplifting a community, showcasing Ellie Perez as an inspiring leader and advocate. 

Andrew Dorado, Chief Financial Officer, started with The Center in 2016. During his time working at The Center, he has helped the organization to expand services and resources for the community. He has helped in clinics and workshops to help educate and inform the community to help further the mission of The Center.

Prior to working at The Center, he worked in the real estate and employee benefits field doing operational compliance and financial modeling for several firms.

Andrew graduated from Loyola Law School with a J.D. and LL.M in Taxation. He also has a B.A. in Economics from UC Irvine. In his free time, he enjoys gardening and traveling.

Oscar Pineda (He/Him) is the Manager of Mental Health Services at The LGBTQ Center Long Beach, overseeing the counseling services and domestic violence services programs in his role.  Oscar received Master of Social Work in 2018 from CSULA, and a background in psychology and sociology.  Oscar has been working with The Center for over 6 years, and has experience working with marginalized populations including the formerly incarcerated individuals, immigrant families, and the LGBTQIA community.

Peter Baek is the Manager of Youth and Family Services at the LGBTQ Center Long Beach, developing and executing the Center’s various youth-centered programming and advocacy. Prior to becoming Manager, Peter worked as the Children and Family Services Coordinator of the department where they developed, coordinated, and executed children, teen & family focused peer groups. Peter also worked with LGBTQIA+ Transitional Age Youth in the LA LGBT Center’s Housing Program .Before working with youth, Peter worked as an ER Technician and an EMT in the Medical field . He has also worked at various radio stations in promotions, social media, and on-air hosting. Peter holds a B.A. in Radio-TV-Film Production from the California State University Long Beach as well as Emergency Medical Technician Licensure from West Coast EMT.

Michael Morgan is the Manager of Operations at the LGBTQ Center Long Beach, leading and overseeing the organization’s daily operations and major fundraisers. Prior to joining the LGBTQ Center Long Beach, Michael was in management for over five years. He has led teams as small as three employees and teams as large as 20 employees. Michael has also worked for Missouri Southern State University and Lindenwood University. Michael holds a B.S. in psychology from Missouri Southern State University and a Certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language from International TEFL Academy.

Taka Kaguma is the Manager of Communications at the LGBTQ Center Long Beach, overseeing marketing, graphic design, fundraising efforts, donor management, and IT. With a degree in TV Production, specializing in Cinema, Television, and Arts from California State University, Northridge, he spent over a decade producing commercials. He has also worked as a freelance photographer, covering numerous Center events as a dedicated volunteer. In addition to his photography, he has contributed to the Center in various capacities through volunteer work, supporting key initiatives and events. He now brings his expertise to The Center, enhancing its visibility and outreach initiatives.

A passionate advocate for the LGBTQ community, he has supported the Long Beach area for over 15 years, addressing critical issues such as food insecurity and housing through volunteer efforts. His leadership has also spearheaded successful fundraising campaigns. Taka is committed to using media and communication to foster inclusion, generate vital resources, and uplift underserved populations.

Cesar Alvarez is the Director of Grants at the LGBTQ Center Long Beach, leading and overseeing the organization’s grants development and management operations. Prior to joining the LGBTQ Center Long Beach, he was a Program Director at the Democracy Council of California where he developed and implemented international human rights and democracy promotion programs for more than 13 years and was a lead in the organization’s grant development and management operations. He has also worked for the University of California Sea Grant Extension Program, the Media sections of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Americas Society/Council of the Americas in New York, and the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy in Spain. Cesar holds a B.A. in History from the University of California San Diego and an M.A. in Politics from New York University.

Violet Rodriguez, Coordinator of Older Adult Services, has been working in the non-profit industry for over 15 years. She has a strong administrative background, with experience developing programs, managing volunteers, fundraising, event coordination and working with older adults. She is passionate about serving her community, supporting where needed, leads with an empathic heart, and considers herself to be a petite powerhouse. Violet also has a degree in Culinary Arts and has been a personal and catering chef throughout Los Angeles. Her love for catering to others always lends a hand in the non-profit world. During her free time, she loves being outdoors because she is an Earth sign, reading, finding new places to eat, and relaxing at home with her girlfriend, Zoe and their three cats – Bug, Olive, and Josie.

Mieko Failey, Esq. is the Director of Legal Services at the LGBTQ Center Long Beach where she oversees LGBTQ-specific legal services for the greater Long Beach area, including affirming direct legal services to survivors of domestic violence, sexual violence, stalking, hate violence, and other forms of violence. From 2011 to 2018, Mieko served in various different legal advocacy roles at the Los Angeles LGBT Center, including as the Supervising Attorney and Manager of the Legal Advocacy Project for Survivors. Mieko began working in anti-violence in 2007 and is a national expert in LGBTQ anti-violence legal issues.  She has served hundreds of LGBTQ survivors and trained thousands of service providers locally, across the state, and nationally, including judges, court personnel, law enforcement, attorneys, mental health providers, physicians, and more. Mieko interned for the ACLU of Southern California’s LGBT Student Rights Project and The Center for Juvenile Law and Policy, advocating for those who were wrongfully convicted or unfairly sentenced as juveniles. Mieko is a recipient of the Post-Graduate Loyola Law School Public Interest Legal Fellowship, which enabled her to provide legal advocacy on behalf of LGBTQ youth survivors of violence. Mieko currently serves on the Advisory Board of the Family Violence Appellate Project and the SOAR (Stopping Hate Through Outreach, Advocacy, and Reporting) Advisory Board for Special Service Groups, Inc.  She is a prior Board Member of the California Conference for Equality and Justice (CCEJ) and previous Co-Chair of the LGBTQ+ Domestic Violence Issues Committee for Los Angeles County Domestic Violence Council.  She serves as regular training faculty for the American Bar Association’s Commission on Domestic and Sexual Violence LGBTQ+ Legal Access Project and the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges.  Mieko is an Adjunct Professor of Law at Loyola Law School, Los Angeles where she teaches a clinical course on LGBTQ advocacy and inclusive lawyering. She has received awards from Loyola Law School, the LGBT LA Bar Association, California State Assemblymember Patrick O’Donnell, The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, and The National LGBT Bar Association for her advocacy on behalf of the LGBTQ community. In 2019, Mieko was named a “Top LGBTQ+ Lawyer Under 40” by the National LGBT Bar Association.   Mieko received her Bachelors in Sociology with highest distinction from UC Berkeley and received her Juris Doctor from Loyola Law School with a Public Interest Concentration. 

Laura Rowe, ATR (She/Her) is the Coordinator of Mental Health Services at The LGBTQ Center Long Beach. In her role, Laura supports individuals seeking counseling and healthy relationship/domestic violence services, in addition to conducting outreach with community partners. She received her Master of Art in Art Therapy Counseling from Marylhurst University, Oregon and has worked in a variety of settings including residential, community outpatient, adult day care, and high school.