Equality California, the nation’s largest statewide LGBTQ civil rights organization, announced the 2019 officers of the Equality California and Equality California Institute Boards of Directors. Presidents Joe Gregorich of Sacramento and Beth Collins of Santa Barbara will lead the organizations’ respective boards during Equality California’s 20th anniversary year.

“We’re thrilled to have such dynamic leaders at the helm of Equality California and Equality California Institute as we celebrate this important milestone,” said Equality California Executive Director Rick Zbur.“At such a critical moment for the LGBTQ community and our fight for full equality, we’re deeply grateful that they have chosen to devote their time and expertise to leading Equality California and Equality California Institute. We are also thankful for the outstanding stewardship of our outgoing board officers, including President Emeritus Mandy Lee and two-term treasurer and former Interim Executive Director Laurie Hasencamp.”

The Equality California board officers are each beginning the first year of their two-year terms (2019-2020), while the Equality California Institute board officers are each returning for the second year of their two-year terms (2018-2019).

The 2019 board officers for Equality California are:

• Joe Gregorich (Sacramento), President: Joe is a leading state government affairs professional in Sacramento with over a decade of experience managing government relations in California and on a multi-state basis. He currently serves as director of state government affairs for Sutter Health, a not-for-profit health system that serves more than 100 communities across Northern California. Joe previously served as vice president of Equality California’s board from 2017-2018.
• Scott Malzahn (Los Angeles), Vice President: Scott is a partner at the law firm Baker Marquart, where his practice focuses on general business litigation and intellectual property disputes. He teaches constitutional law at the University of Southern California Gould School of Law and previously served on the trial team at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP that represented plaintiffs in Perry v. Schwarzenegger, the federal court case that resulted in the striking down of California’s Proposition 8. Scott previously served as secretary of Equality California’s board from 2017-2018.
• Cecilia Cabello (Los Angeles), Secretary: Cecilia is a veteran public policy expert and was recently nominated and confirmed to the five-member Los Angeles Board of Public Works, where she serves as vice president. She previously served in the administration of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, as California State Director of Hillary for America in 2016 and as director of government relations for the Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters.
• Drew Murphy (Los Angeles), Treasurer: Drew is senior vice president of strategic planning for Edison International. Prior to joining Edison, he was senior managing director of Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets, where he headed the utilities, energy and power team. Drew also currently serves on the board of Southern California Public Radio and the Energy Law Advisory Board of the George Washington School of Law.

The 2019 board officers for Equality California Institute are:

• Beth Collins (Santa Barbara), President: Beth is a partner with the law firm Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, where she represents clients through all stages of the development process. Beth has also represented various pro bono clients, including the Islamic Society of Santa Barbara, the Alliance for Children’s Rights and the California Women’s Law Center’s Habeas Project. She previously chaired two standing committees of the California Bar Association. Beth has served as president of Equality California Institute’s board since 2016.
• Jackie Thomas (Palm Springs), Vice President: Jackie is the co-owner of Thomboy Properties Inc., a real estate development company she founded in 2010 with her wife. She previously served in several leadership positions at NIKE, including Director of Women’s Marketing, Jordan Brand Director and the head of Brand Marketing for NIKE Basketball. She has had a long history of fighting for equality with organizations like Basic Rights Oregon and was a member of the Palm Springs steering committee of the Human Rights Campaign. Jackie has served as vice president of Equality California Institute’s board since 2017.
• David B. Cruz (Los Angeles), Secretary: David is a Professor of Law at the University of Southern California Gould School of Law, where he teaches and writes about constitutional law, federal courts, and sex, gender identity and sexual orientation law. He is a member of the faculty advisory committee of the Williams Institute, twice served as chair of the Association of American Law Schools’ Section on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Issues, and is under contract co-authoring a law school textbook on gender identity and the law. David has served as secretary of Equality California Institute’s board since 2016.
• Ryan Harlow-Nakano (San Francisco), Treasurer: Ryan is the vice president of sales for JPMorgan Chase & Co. He previously worked as vice president of sales and business development for Union Bank and a vice president at Bank of America. Ryan has served as treasurer of Equality California Institute’s board since 2018 and previously served as treasurer from 2014-2016.

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Equality California is the nation’s largest statewide LGBTQ civil rights organization. We bring the voices of LGBTQ people and allies to institutions of power in California and across the United States, striving to create a world that is healthy, just, and fully equal for all LGBTQ people. We advance civil rights and social justice by inspiring, advocating and mobilizing through an inclusive movement that works tirelessly on behalf of those we serve. www.eqca.org