community DR. DELORES
JACOBS 20 YEARS OF LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE A LASTING LEGACY
by joel martens As many of you have probably heard by now, Dr.
Delores Jacobs will be stepping down this year as CEO for The San Diego LGBT Community Center, after a 17-year career at its helm. Her leadership and steadfast commitment to providing and growing much-needed services and programs for our com- munity, as well as advocating for improved public policies to improve and enhance the lives of LGBT community members, family members and allies leaves a lasting legacy that will continue to enhance our lives for years to come. Jacobs first joined The San Diego LGBT Community
Center part-time in 1998, after a successful career in academia and in private practice as a clinician and research consultant. A trained psychologist, her initial role there was as director of The Center’s Behavioral Health Services, later moving into the role of Chief Executive Officer in 2001, which makes her the longest-serving CEO in The Center’s history. Her legacy for creating innovative collabora-
tions between disparate sectors including the larger LGBTQ community, health care, private, public, corporate and non-profit organizations is an earmark of her leadership and is reflected in her comment regarding accomplishments during her tenure. “What I can say is that there’s no ac- complishment in these past 17 years that is just mine. Everything we’ve achieved as The Center, and as a community, has truly been a collaborative effort. That’s not me being humble, that’s the reality of how we get things done in San Diego. With our staff, volun-
teers, board of directors, supporters and community partners, we have made some very important strides in the past 17 years. Nearly all of those strides have the effect of ensuring that The Center’s doors have been opened wider to serve more of the full diversity of our LGBT San Diego community and our families.” Jacobs continued, “The Center’s founders were so visionary 45 years ago in developing a dual mission for our work: to serve our community wherever the needs were, and to fight against discriminatory policies and practices that harmed our community, and work to secure inclusive and protective policies at all levels. That vision continues to guide us and is one of the reasons our public policy and advocacy work remains so critical. While we’ve made great strides on the local level, it’s easy to see from our current federal administration that we must remain vigilant and continue to work together to safeguard the gains we’ve made.” Jacobs talked about the changing roles we
face and what the LGBTQ world looks like moving forward, “The Center continues to evolve and change as our community does, while always staying true to its mission to serve and advocate for our LGBTQ com- munity. The changes are reflected in the diversity of our programming and in the change from the Gay and Lesbian Center to the San Diego LGBT Community Center. The Center’s overall capacity to serve our community has grown tremendously,” she offered. “It is a place where people can access services and programs, give of their time and talents as volunteers and frequently new leaders emerge and hone their skills at The Center…we always need more talented, thoughtful leaders. Over the years, it’s truly been a privilege to see the thousands of San Diegans who have given so much to support The Center and ensure it can be here for all who need us. That collective effort has been impactful and inspiring.” The question of her legacy and
I HOPE PEOPLE WILL REGARD THIS TIME IN THE CENTER’S HISTORY AS A TIME OF CONTINUED GROWTH, DEVELOPMENT, COLLABORATION AND INCLUSION. THAT IT CONTINUES TO BE A PLACE FOR ALL… A PLACE TO COME TOGETHER TO CELEBRATE OUR VICTORIES AND MOURN OUR LOSSES.”
how Jacobs sees her tenure at The Center was an inevitable one. Her answer about what that might be was both eloquent and insightful, “That will be for others to decide. I hope people will regard this time in The Center’s history as a time of continued growth, development, collaboration and inclusion. That it continues to be a place for all…a place to come together to celebrate our victories and mourn our losses. That we have faced hard times individually and as a community and come back stronger.” She summed up her thoughts on the experience,
“For me, serving as The Center’s CEO has been the highlight of my professional life. I leave with profound gratitude to the board, supporters, staff, volunteers and community enough for this tremendous privilege.” Attend the Dr. Delores Jacobs Community Celebration on
Friday, June 22 from 6 to 9 p.m. at The San Diego LGBT Community Center. Please RSVP by Friday, June 8. For more information, go to
facebook.com/At.The.Center
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RAGE monthly | | JUNE 2018 JUNE 2018
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