LOS ANGELES — Equality California announced the promotion of three Equality California staff on Tuesday, as the statewide LGBTQ+ civil rights organization gears up for Pride 2023 and the 2024 election.
Tom Temprano now serves as Equality California’s Managing Director of External Affairs after serving as the organization’s Political Director since February 2022. He replaces Samuel Garrett, who departed the organization earlier this year. With over 15 years of experience in communications, policy, and political work, Temprano will oversee the organization’s political affairs, strategic communications and media relations, state and federal legislative advocacy and impact litigation. As Equality California’s Political Director, he led the organization’s successful work in the 2022 election cycle, which included record numbers of candidate endorsements and political spending. He is San Francisco based, and before joining Equality California, he served as the Chief of Staff for San Francisco District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman. Tom also served as an elected member of the San Francisco College Board of Trustees for five years and as a president, co-president, and PAC chair of the Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club. He will report to Executive Director Tony Hoang.
In addition, two Equality California Institute Program Associates were promoted to Senior Program Associates. Kae Hodge and Ky Walker will be responsible for the implementation of the activities, strategies, and goals of the programs to which they are assigned. The positions will support programming intended to reduce health disparities for LGBTQ+ people across the state, primarily through work on the LBTQ Health Equity program and the OUT Against Big Tobacco Central Valley program.
“We’re excited to promote Tom within our senior leadership team. Tom was an instrumental part of Equality California achieving 10% LGBTQ+ representation in California’s legislature, and we look forward to another successful election season under his leadership,” said Equality California Executive Director Tony Hoang. “Both Kae and Ky have demonstrated key leadership skills within their roles. We are thrilled to continue watching their professional growth as senior program associates in the fight for a world that is healthy, just, and fully equal for all LGBTQ+ people.”
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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
