Christopher Covington (they/he) is a dedicated advocate for equity, justice, and inclusion. A proud product of Tongva Land (Long Beach, California), they are a multiracial, genderqueer person of color whose lived experiences shape their commitment to intersectional movements. With over 13 years of experience in community organizing, they have worked to dismantle systemic oppression and uplift historically marginalized communities.

Christopher serves as Chair of the Long Beach Equity and Human Relations Commission, Co-Lead of the Safer LBUSD Campaign, and Co-Chair of the Long Beach Advancing Peace Steering Committee. As the California Advocacy and Campaigns Manager at the National Genders and Sexualities Alliance Network, they lead initiatives that empower young leaders and drive systemic change. Committed to building a more just and inclusive society, Christopher strives to ensure all voices are heard, affirmed, and valued.

Bryan Weil relocated to Long Beach in 1997, drawn by its vibrant and welcoming LGBTQ community. Although he was born and raised in Orange County, Long Beach immediately felt like home, a place where he could truly be himself. A lifelong advocate, Bryan has always been passionate about uplifting and supporting the LGBTQ community.

In the early 2000s, Bryan experienced the challenges of addiction and housing insecurity. Since getting sober in 2007, he has devoted himself to advocating for LGBTQ individuals in recovery. From 2016 to 2024, he served on the board of the Atlantic Alano Club, an LGBTQ recovery nonprofit, ultimately holding the role of Chairperson/CEO. Bryan hopes to brings that same spirit of service and leadership to his new role on the Board of Directors at The LGBTQ Center Long Beach.

Bryan is excited to use his experience in fundraising and community engagement to further The Center’s mission and impact. Professionally, Bryan is a Senior Account Manager at a major technology company, where he has proudly worked for over 17 years. Outside of work and volunteerism, Bryan enjoys spending quality time with his husband, Nolan Ross Samé-Weil, and their three cats.

With over 10 years in the nonprofit, political, and philanthropic sectors, Diego is a passionate advocate for social justice, equity, and impact. He currently serves as Senior Philanthropy Advisor with Liberty Hill Foundation, where he oversees a portfolio of high net‐worth Donor‐Advised Fund (DAF) holders and Giving Circles, which distribute over $9 million in annual grants to nonprofits in Los Angeles County.

Previously, Diego served as an Officer with the California Community Foundation, where he managed a portfolio of 200+ individual, family, corporate, and scholarship funds totaling $130 million. Diego has served in a Senior Director role on Senator Elizabeth Warren’s Presidential Campaign (2020) and Congresswoman Nanette Barragan’s first congressional campaign, helping elect the only Latina to U.S. Congress in 2016. Deeply rooted in community, Diego has also served as a Commissioner in two cities: Huntington Park and South Gate.

Diego is an alumnus of Coca Cola’s NextGen LGBTQ Leaders Initiative, Equality California’s Leadership Academy, LGBTQ Victory Institute’s Victory Empowerment Fellowship, and People for the American Way / Young Elected Officials Network’s Front Line Leaders Academy.

Diego holds a B.A. from UCLA and M.B.A. from the School of Enterprise Management and Social Impact at the American Jewish University in Bel Air, CA.

I am native to southern California, having been born and raised in Los Angeles and living in Long Beach for since 2014. In addition to English, I am fluent in speaking Hindi and Urdu (Indian/Pakistani languages). I have worked in the financial sector since 2006 and currently hold my series 6, series 7 and series 66 registrations as well as the California state life insurance licenses. I started my career in the industry in 2006 with Pacific Life Insurance Company. I was hired by Edward Jones in 2014 as a field-based trainer and realized my passion was to serve my community as a financial advisor. I also had the honor of becoming a limited partner of Edward Jones in January 2019. I also obtained my Chartered Retirement Plan Counselor™ designation in February of 2023.

My passion is to work with individuals, families and local business owners to help them achieve their long-term goals and dreams. My goal is to provide my clients with financial education, tools and guidance to determine their financial goals, create a path toward achieving them and celebrate when they do. I hold monthly financial education sessions via webinar with timely topics to help my community with financial education.

Outside of work, I enjoy cooking, being active and travel. I am an active member the Financial Planning Association of Los Angeles and Orange County.

Dr. Kim Tabari has a passion for social justice, healing justice, and education. She holds a doctorate degree in Educational Leadership and has worked at a variety of institutions both public and private. Born in Guyana, South America, she has the lived experience of an immigrant who later became a U.S. citizen.

Dr. Tabari believes in the importance of maintaining relationships to bring about healing and transformation, especially during times of conflict. She facilitated conversations on racial, social, and healing justice topic areas. She is a trained facilitator working with both high school, college students, and adults.

Dr. Tabari’s most important role is being a mom to an amazing young man, who is a new college student. She is also very active in her local community, working primarily with the Long Beach Unified School District to improve academic challenges of Black and other marginalized students, as well as expanding safety practices for the district. She embodies healing justice and is a certified yoga instructor, facilitating online classes to her community on zoom during the 2021 pandemic year.

Sarah Green has over a decade of public service as a US Army Judge Advocate and a City of Long Beach employee. She is currently serving as the City’s Chief of Labor Relations and previously served as a Deputy City Attorney in the City Attorney’s Office and the Administrative Officer for the Fire Department. Sarah has a Juris Doctorate from the Thomas Jefferson School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from San Diego State University. Sarah is passionate about serving our local residents and queer community.

Heidi Post is an experienced family law attorney. She is a wife and mom to three magical teens, and she survived her own family law case. Heidi graduated Cum Laude from Chapman Law and worked at a couple of large regional law firms before starting her own firm focusing on family law. Having experienced first-hand the difficulties of a divorce and custody case, Heidi is dedicated to standing with her clients as they face their own battles. Heidi’s practice is marked by her empathy and compassion as well as her excellent professional skills.

Jonathan de Armas (JdA) is a creative technologist, entrepreneur, and advocate for inclusivity in technology and business. As the founder of Island Pitch, a consulting firm dedicated to innovation and accessibility, he has worked with global brands to develop forward-thinking digital solutions. With over two decades of experience in emerging technology, automation, and digital asset management, JdA champions equitable access to emerging technologies for all communities.

Beyond his professional work, Jonathan is deeply engaged in volunteer civic leadership, proudly serving our community as the Chair of the Technology & Innovation Commission in Long Beach and as a member of the Community Health Action Committee at St. Mary’s Medical Center. He is also a dedicated advocate and speaker for neurodiversity, digital accessibility, and LGBTQ+ representation in tech and business. His work reflects his personal ethos and Island Pitch’s motto: Do Cool Things the Right Way!®

Elaine is a results-driven digital leader with over 13 years of experience in digital strategy, user experience optimization, and cross-functional collaboration. She has a proven track record of driving online revenue growth, implementing data-driven strategies, and enhancing consumer engagement. Currently, Elaine leads digital experience initiatives at Taco Bell, where she focuses on leveraging technology to improve both customer and employee experiences.

As a board member of The LGBTQ Center Long Beach, Elaine applies her expertise in strategic planning, process improvement, and community advocacy to support the organization’s mission of advancing equity and inclusion. With a deep commitment to LGBTQ+ advocacy, she has experience in corporate diversity initiatives, fundraising, and nonprofit collaboration. A longtime Long Beach resident, she is passionate about fostering affirming spaces where all LGBTQ+ individuals can thrive.