Los Angeles – Equality California and Equality California Institute today announced the 2017 officers of their boards of directors.
“Our board leadership is comprised of individuals of extraordinary skill and accomplishment,” said Rick Zbur, executive director of Equality California. “They are all leaders in their respective fields and come from the length and breadth of California. We’re thrilled that they have chosen to devote their time and energy helping to lead Equality California. We are in good hands as we defend the civil rights we have worked so hard to achieve.”
The board officers for Equality California and the Equality California Institute for 2017 are:
Equality California Board
Mandy Lee (Sacramento) – Mandy Lee is beginning a two-year term as president of Equality California. She is a distinguished public affairs professional with over 10 years of government relations, public affairs, political campaigns and public service experience. She serves Platinum’s health care and technology clients on an array of issues, helping them navigate through the complex world of politics and policy in the state Legislature. Prior to joining Platinum Advisors, Mandy served as the Vice President of Government Affairs at the California Retailers Association (CRA), one of the preeminent voices for the California business community in California. There, she served as the chief in-house lobbyist representing the retail industry before the state Legislature and various regulatory bodies. In this role, Mandy also administered the Association’s powerful Political Action Committee. Mandy started her career in the public service, having served in a number of capacities in both houses of the California Legislature. In 2016, Mandy was nationally recognized as one of the top Asian American Pacific Islander political and public affairs professionals under 40. She holds a bachelor’s degree from California State University-Hayward in political science and pre-law studies.
Joe Gregorich (Sacramento) –Joe Gregorich is beginning a two-year term as Equality California board vice president. He currently serves as associate vice president of state government affairs for the Apollo Education Group, Inc. He advocates on behalf of the Apollo Education Group and its subsidiary University of Phoenix before state legislatures across the country. Joe currently serves on the board of the State Government Affairs Council (SGAC) a professional organization for state government affairs professionals. He also is a former board member of CAPPAC, which was a non-partisan political action committee formed to promote the civil rights and ensure the equality of LGBT people through the political process, focusing on the Sacramento area. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and legal studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz.
Scott Malzahn (Los Angeles) – Scott Malzahn is beginning a two-year term as Equality California board secretary. He is a partner at the law firm of Baker Marquart, where his practice focuses on general business litigation and intellectual property disputes. At Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, his prior law firm, he was on the trial team that represented plaintiffs in Perry v. Schwarzenegger, a historic federal court decision striking down California’s ban on same-sex marriage as a violation of the U.S. Constitution. He is an adjunct professor at the University of Southern California where he teaches constitutional law and contracts to international students enrolled in the Gould School of Law’s LLM program. He holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology and psychology from William and Mary College and a juris doctor from the University of California, Hastings.
Laurie Hasencamp (Los Angeles) – Laurie Hasencamp was recently re-elected to serve a two-year term as treasurer of Equality California. She is a retired attorney who spends most of her time on community service work. She clerked for Ninth Circuit Judge Warren Ferguson, practiced at Latham & Watkins LLP and Irell & Manella LLP, and was a research director at a start-up legal research company before retiring in 2002. She is a current member of the Founders Council and Legal Council of the Williams Institute at UCLA Law School and of the Board of Councilors at USC Law School, and a former chair or co-chair of each. She served on the boards of directors of Lambda Legal, Children Affected by AIDS Foundation, Serra Project, and Women’s Legal Clinic. She currently serves on advisory or fundraising councils for LA HLPP, Alliance for Housing and Healing and Lambda Legal. She previously came out of retirement to serve as interim executive director of the Serra Project and Equality California and as interim administrative director of Equality California and the Williams Institute. She has been recognized for her commitment to community service by USC, City of West Hollywood, Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Lawyers Association, National LGBT Bar Association, Alliance for Housing and Healing, Williams Institute and Lambda Legal. She received a bachelor’s degree from Pomona College and a juris doctor from USC Law School.
Equality California Institute Board
Beth Collins-Burgard (Santa Barbara) – Beth Collins-Burgard is beginning the second year of a two-year term as Equality California Board president. She is a partner with the law firm of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck. In her practice, she assists various landowners, public agencies and institutions, energy companies and developers through all stages of the development process, specializing in high-controversy projects and properties. Before attending law school, Beth taught seventh and eighth grade science and health in urban public schools for five years as a member of Teach for America. She serves on the Board of Directors of the Goleta Valley Chamber of Commerce and the Board of Trustees of the Crane Country Day School. She has served as chair to two standing California Bar Association committees, the Access and Fairness Committee on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Discrimination and the Environmental Law Section. She also has represented various pro bono clients, including the Islamic Society of Santa Barbara, the Children’s Museum of Santa Barbara, the Alliance for Children’s Rights and the California Women’s Law Center’s Habeas Project. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Smith College, a master’s degree in education from Arizona State University and a juris doctor from UCLA School of Law.
Jackie Thomas (Palm Springs) – Newly elected Equality California Institute Board Vice President Jackie Thomas is a Palm Springs business owner, entrepreneur and designer. She is co-owner of Thomboy Properties, a property renovation company she founded in 2006 together with her wife. She previously served as director of training, associate director of U.S. sports marketing, director of women’s marketing and other leadership positions with Nike, Inc. She was a member of the Palm Springs steering committee of the Human Rights Campaign and of the organization’s Federal Club. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley, where she majored in French with a minor in health sciences.
David B. Cruz (Los Angeles) – David B. Cruz is beginning the second year of a two-year term as secretary of Equality California Institute. He 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; a co-president of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Intersex Law Association (ILGLaw); and a past chair of the Association of American Law School’s Section on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Issues. He received his juris doctor summa cum laude from the NYU School of Law; a master’s in mathematics from Stanford University; as well as a bachelor’s in mathematics, summa cum laude, and a bachelor’s in drama, summa cum laude, from the University of California, Irvine.
Lisa Middleton (Palm Springs) – Incoming Equality California Institute Treasurer Lisa Middleton is a member of the Palm Springs Planning Commission and is past chair of Organized Neighborhoods of Palm Springs. She serves on the boards of directors of Neighborhoods USA, Desert Horticulture Society and the LGBT Community Center of the Desert. In 2014, she served as the Center’s interim executive director. She previously served as senior vice president of internal affairs of the State Compensation Insurance Fund of the State of California after serving 36 years with the agency. Lisa received a bachelor’s degree from UCLA and a master’s in public administration from USC.
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Equality California is the nation’s largest statewide lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization dedicated to creating a fair and just society. Our mission is to achieve and maintain full and lasting equality, acceptance, and social justice for all people in our diverse LGBT communities, inside and outside of California. Our mission includes advancing the health and well-being of LGBT Californians through direct healthcare service advocacy and education. Through electoral, advocacy, education and mobilization programs, we strive to create a broad and diverse alliance of LGBT people, educators, government officials, communities of color and faith, labor, business, and social justice communities to achieve our goals. www.eqca.org
