Leadership

Aurora Garcia, Board Co-Chair

Jade Elyssa Rivera, Board Co-Chair

Kaya Foster, Board Chair Emeritus

Bobby Rimas, Gala Committee Chair

Divya Sharma, Student Support Committee Co-Chair

Ana Romero, Board Member at Large

Cleve Wong, Board Member at Large

Erin Jackson-Ward, Board Member at Large

Harold Sarmiento, Board Member at Large

Advisory Board

Albert Aubin, Advisory Board Co-Chair

Aurora Garcia | B.A. ’14 | Pronouns: She/Her
Board Co-Chair 2022 – Present
Member at Large 2020 – 2021
Contact: LinkedIn

Current Profession: Aerospace Engineer
Education: B.S., Mechanical Engineering, UCLA 2014; M.S., Computer Science, USC
Other UCLA Leadership: As a student, I was the vice president, then president of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) UCLA chapter. I also served as Director of Service and Music for Tau Beta Sigma.
Favorite UCLA Memory: I have lots of amazing memories from my time at UCLA! But one of my favorite memories was one of the times we beat USC at the rivalry football game. I was in the marching band, so while football games were always fun, the energy in the stands was electric as the game drew to an end and we beat the trojans. I had a blast playing out on the field after the game and celebrating with friends once we got back to campus!

Photo courtesy of Margaret Wroblewski Photography

Jade Elyssa A. Rivera | B.A. ’20 | Pronouns: They/Them/Theirs and We/Our/Ours
Board Co-Chair 2021 – Present
Student Support Co-Chair 2020 – 2021
Contact: LinkedIn | Instagram | jadeelyssarivera@alumni.ucla.edu

Current Profession: Arts Policy and Advocacy, Californians for the Arts
Education: B.A., Dance, Department of World Arts and Cultures/Dance, UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture
Other UCLA Leadership: Host Committee Co-Chair, Student Empowerment Networking Day (SEND) '18, Pilipino Transfer Student Partnership (PTSP); Founding Director, Transfer Pride Admit Weekend (T-PAW) '19, Queer Alliance; Transfer Student Representative, WAC/D Advisory Council (WACDAC) '18-'19, Department of World Arts and Cultures/Dance; College Signing Day Ambassador, Michelle Obama's Reach Higher Initiative/Better Make Room Campaign '19, Common App; Chancellor’s Service Award Recipient '20, UCLA Office of the Dean of Students
Favorite UCLA Memory: Participating in the 2019 LA Pride Parade through the comfort of Lambda's UCLA Centennial air-conditioned bus

Kaya Foster | B.A. ’10 | Pronouns: She/Her
Board Chair Emeritus 2021 – Present
Board Co-Chair 2016 – 2020
Communications Co-Chair 2015 – 2016
Contact: kayaf@alumni.ucla.edu

Current Profession: Non-profit Program Director and Community Organizer
Education: B.A., Women’s Studies, UCLA, 2010
Other UCLA Leadership: UCLA Alumni Mentor; Past Staff Writer, OutWrite (UCLA’s LGBTQ newsletter); Past Staff, UCLA Sustainability; Past UCLA Delegate, California Student Sustainability Coalition; Past member, E3: Ecology, Economy, Equity
Favorite UCLA Memory: Meeting California State Senator Fran Pravley while coordinating a UCLA rally against Proposition 23.

Bobby Rimas | B.A. ’94 | Pronouns: He/Him/His
Diversity Advisory Committee Representative 2021
Gala Chair 2019 – Present
Events  Committee Member 2018 – 2019
Contact: LinkedIn

Current Profession: Adjunct Assoc. Professor at California State University, Los Angeles, College of Professional & Global Education, Paralegal, Legal Studies Adjunct Faculty Member at the University of La Verne, Vice Chair of the Special Committee on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion for the Stonewall Democratic Club
Education: B.A., History, UCLA, 1994; M.L.S., Compliance and Legal Risk Management Concentration, The University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law, 2021
Other UCLA Leadership: Past: UCLA Pilipino Alumni Association – Public Relations Director, Scholarship Director, Board Chair
Favorite UCLA Memory: Cheering “FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT!” at a UCLA vs. USC football game at the Los Angeles Coliseum. UCLA won!

Divya Sharma | B.A. ’18 | Pronouns: He/Him/His
Student Support Co-Chair 2021 – Present
Contact:  divya_sharma@g.harvard.edu, div1@mit.edu, LinkedIn

Current Profession: Academic Administrator at Harvard University and Systems Administrator at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Education: B.A., Global Studies, UCLA, 2018; M.A., Higher Education Administration, Columbia University, 2019
Other UCLA Leadership: UCLA Parking and Transportation, Student Representative, 2016; Transfer Student Coalition, Member, 2016-2018; Undergraduate Student Association Council (USAC), Transfer Student Representative, 2016-2017; Student Labor Advocacy Project, Member, 2017-18; UCLA Academic Senate, Executive Committee, Student Chair, 2017-18; UCLA Academic Senate, Diversity Initiative Steering Committee, Student Representative, 2017-18; UCLA Academic Senate, Committee on Library and Scholarly Communication, Student Representative, 2017-18; UCLA Academic Senate, Legislative Assembly, Student Representative, 2017-2018; Undergraduate Student Association Council (USAC), Academic Affairs Commissioner, 2017-2018; Students for Allyship and Justice through Education, Founder, 2018

Favorite UCLA Memory: My fondest memory at UCLA is receiving the Charles E. Young Humanitarian Award on behalf of Students for Allyship and Justice through Education (SAJE). It felt phenomenal being surrounded by my chosen family, my mentors, and my community. This project is charged with creating and managing an orientation module to build acceptance and empower communities— specifically, LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC communities across UCLA’s campus.

Ana Romero | B.A. ’04, M.A. '17, Ph.D. '22 | Pronouns: She/Ella

Board Member at Large 2018 - Present
Student Support Committee Co-Chair 2023 - Present

Current Profession: Associate Project Scientist, Coordination and Evaluation Center at UCLA. Assistant Director, UCLA Student Affairs Master's Program.
Education: B.S. Applied Mathematics and Sociology, UCLA 2004, M.A. Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, University of Maryland, 2007, M.A.; M.A. & Ph.D. Higher Education and Organizational Change, UCLA 2017, 2022.
Other UCLA Leadership: Resident Assistant, Orientation Counselor, Project Director - Kids Korner, Graduate Student Representative - UCLA Committee on LGBTQ+ Affairs.                                                                                                                                                               Favorite UCLA Memory: Welcoming and talking to residents when I was a resident assistant in DeNeve.

Cleve Wong | B.A. ’12 | Pronouns: He/Him/His
Board Member at Large 2020 – Present
Communications Co-Chair 2019-2020

Current Profession: Senior Marketing Analyst, UCLA Health
Education: B.A., Sociology, UCLA, 2012
Other UCLA Leadership: Planning Committee, UCLA Health’s LGBTQ Initiative – Pride Parade in WeHo; Counselor, BruinCorps; Associate Producer, UCLA Film and Television Society; Program Representative, UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center
Favorite UCLA Memory: Working with Coldplay and Deepak Chopra at health and wellness events we coordinated.

Erin Jackson-Ward | B.A. ’12 | Pronouns: She/Her
Board Member at Large 2019 – Present

Current Profession: Healthcare Philanthropy, Cedars-Sinai
Education: B.A., Psychology and Genetics, UCLA, 2012; M.P.H., Sociomedical Sciences & Healthcare Management, Columbia University, 2014; Dr.PH. Candidate, Healthcare Leadership, Johns Hopkins, Current
Other UCLA Leadership: Former Executive Director for Dance Marathon and Pediatric AIDS Coalition (committee leadership from 2008 – 2012); UCLA BruinLife Senior of the Year
Favorite UCLA Memory: Expanding the Dance Marathon beneficiaries to include UCLA AIDS Institute in order to help support research in our own college backyard

Herald C. Sarmiento| M.S.N. ’16 | Pronouns: He/Him/His
Board Member at Large 2021 – Present
Events Committee Chair 2018-2020

Current Profession: Infectious Disease/HIV Nurse Practitioner, Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center
Education: B.S., Nursing, University of Santo Tomas Manila 2001; M.S.N./A.G.P. C.N.P., UCLA, 2016
Other UCLA Leadership: HIV Testing, Linkage and Retention in Care Community Advisory Board Member at the Department of Community Health Sciences, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health
Favorite UCLA Memory: Learning HIV treatment during my clinical rotation at UCLA CARE Clinic.

Advisory Board

Albert Aubin | Ed.D. ’71 | Pronouns: He/Him/His
Advisory Board Co-Chair 2021 – Present
Unofficial Advisor to Lambda Alumni Since 1989
Contact: LinkedIn

Current Profession: Retired/Full-time UCLA Volunteer
Education: B.A., Providence College, 1961; Ed.D., Higher Education/Counseling, UCLA, 197

Alex Krantzler | B.A. '19 | Pronouns: She/They
Board Member at Large 2019 – 2020

Current Profession: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging Associate, Good Works Consulting LLC
Education: A.A., Liberal Arts, De Anza College, 2016; B.A., Anthropology, UCLA, 2019

Clinton O' Grady | B.A. ’15 | Pronouns: He/Him/His
Board Member at Large 2017 – 2022
Gala Committee Chair 2018
Contact: LinkedIn

Current Profession: Corporate Learning & Development, Ernst & Young
Education: B.A., Sociology, UCLA, 2015
Other UCLA Leadership: Young Alumni Development Council & Mixed Alumni Association
Favorite UCLA Memory: Attending a handful of student government conferences focused on activism, advocacy and social justice

Doug Aoyama | B.S. ’98 | Pronouns: He/Him/His
Treasurer and Fundrasing Committee Chair 2017 – 2018

Current Profession: Enterprise Account Manager, MuleSoft
Education: B.S., Computer Science, UCLA, 1998; M.B.A., Pepperdine University, 2008

Everardo Alvizo| B.A. ’03, M.S.W. '08 | Pronouns: He/Him/His
Board Member at Large

Current Profession: HIV/STD Strategic Implementation Specialist, City of Long Beach
Education: B.A., Sociology and Minor in Latin American Studies, UCLA, 2003; M.S.W, UCLA, 2008
Other UCLA Leadership: Lecturer in Mental Health Policy - Luskin School of Public Affairs, Past Co-Chair of the Social Welfare LGBTQA Student Caucus (2007-2008)
Favorite UCLA Memory: Being a freshman, living in Hedrick Hall, letting loose and running in the rain with my floormates. Hedrick 2North!

Fabian Primera | B.A. ’19 | Pronouns: He/Him/His
Board Co-Chair 2021
Fundraising Chair 2020 – 2021

Current Profession: Nonprofit professional specializing in higher education and medical fundraising
Education: B.A., History, UCLA; Graduate student in Masters of Nonprofit Leadership and Management at USC
Favorite UCLA Memory: Being unanimously elected as the Chief Justice of Extreme Justice for Enigma, UCLA’s science fiction and fantasy club. This position was specially created just for Fabian by the club so that he could have a leadership position during his senior year.

Jenn Wells| B.A. ’07 | Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Board Member at Large
Outreach Committee Chair

Current Profession: Director of Equity & Inclusion, Marlborough School
Education: B.A., American Literature & Culture and Minor in Education Studies, UCLA, 2007; M.A., Higher Education & Student Personnel Administration, NYU 2009, Ed.D., Organizational Change and Leadership, 2021, USC

Jonathan Wilson| M.B.A. ’08 | Pronouns: He/Him
Diversity Advisory Committee Representative 2019 – 2020

Current Profession: Entrepreneur, Management Consultant
Education: M.B.A., General Management/International Strategy, UCLA Anderson School of Management, 2008
Favorite UCLA Memory: Going to Italy for our dissertation program (Anderson GAP). So much fun.

Robert Gamboa | M.A. ’19 | Pronouns: Male Pronouns
Board Member at Large 2020 – 2022
Contact: robertgamboa76@gmail.com

Current Profession: Senior Policy Advocate and Community Organizer, Los Angeles LGBT Center (2019-present); Lesbian and Gay Advisory Board, City of West Hollywood (2012-present)
Education: B.B.A., Management Information Systems, University of Texas at Austin, 1999; M.P.P., UCLA, 2019
Other UCLA Leadership: Director of LGBTQ Affairs, Graduate Students Association, 2017-2019; Chair, UCLA's Committee on LGBTQ Affairs, 2017-2019; President, Association of Master of Public Policy Students, 2018-2019
Favorite UCLA Memory: I was honored to be selected to give the commencement address for my MPP Class. The ceremony was on June 14th, which was my father's birthday. So, it was so cool to get all of Royce Hall to say happy birthday to my dad before I gave my speech.

Steven Llanusa | B.A. ’85 | Pronouns: He/Him/His
Student Support Committee Chair approx. 1990 – 2022
Contact: LinkedIn | stevenllanusa@alumni.ucla.edu

Current Profession: Teacher & Board Member, Claremont Unified School District
Education: B.A., UCLA, 1985; M.A., Education
Other UCLA Leadership: Board Member & Chair, Diversity Committee, UCLA Alumni Association; Liaison to UCLA Alumni Association, Unicamp; Profiled Family, “13 Love Stories,” UCLA Art and Global Health Center
Favorite UCLA Memory: Winning a UCLA Homecoming Parade Award for UCLA Lambda Alumni’s entry “Marooned in a Bruin World” in 1990