The Los Angeles LGBT Center is pleased to share three outstanding leaders who have been elected to join our Board of Directors: Alex Rhodes, Pranav Mandavia, and Katherine Smith.
Our Board serves as the Center’s governing body: setting strategic direction, providing oversight and accountability, ensuring our long‑term fiscal health, and acting as trusted ambassadors for our mission.
Alex Rhodes
Alex Rhodes brings extensive executive leadership experience across financial services, talent strategy, and organizational transformation. As Global Opportunity & Inclusion Executive at Bank of America, he leads enterprise-wide workforce and veteran initiatives. His background also spans senior roles at Accenture and the White House, complemented by nonprofit board service with Out & Equal, leadership with the Human Rights Campaign, and longstanding engagement with the Los Angeles LGBT Center.
How did you first get involved with the Center?
Twenty-six years ago, the Center was my safe place. I came as a young person in Los Angeles seeking HIV prevention services and testing, and that experience of being held without judgment never left me. I became a volunteer, then a donor, and eventually Paul and I made a gift to the new Anita May Rosenstein Campus. What began as a moment of personal need became a lifetime of commitment.
Which of our programs or services are you most passionate about, and why?
Health services, because they were there for me when I needed them most, and because access to care without shame or barriers is still a matter of life and death for so many in our community. I would also say workforce development, because economic independence is the foundation of everything else. When someone has skills, income, and stability, every other part of their life becomes possible.
As you join the Board, what impact do you hope to help make in the coming years?
I want to help ensure that this organization is here for the next generation, who will walk through these doors needing exactly what I needed when I first arrived. That means building a more diversified and resilient funding base — bringing corporate partners to the table who believe in healthy communities and thriving workforces. And it means showing up, doing the homework, and being a steady presence for an organization that has never once stopped showing up for our community.
Pranav Mandavia
Pranav Mandavia is an agent at United Talent Agency with a proven track record of driving growth, visibility, and revenue for leading digital creators and entertainers. He has secured over 800 brand and media deals for LGBTQ+ talent, pioneered UTA’s representation of drag artists, and helped launch the Confetti Cannon queer podcast network. He also co-chairs UTA Proud, advancing LGBTQ+ inclusion across the agency.
How did you first get involved with the Center?
I first got involved with the Center through my company, UTA, and our Foundation, which provides opportunities for employees to volunteer and give back to our community. What started as a way to volunteer through work quickly became something that felt much more personal to me.
At the time, I also lived in the neighborhood of the Center’s new campus on McCadden Pl., and I attended the grand opening. Seeing the space come to life and learning more about the breadth of services being provided to the community made the Center’s impact feel very tangible and close to home. Every volunteer experience at the Center gave me a different perspective on the people and communities the Center serves, and I really valued being able to contribute in a hands-on way.
Which of our programs or services are you most passionate about, and why?
I’m passionate about all of the Center’s programs and services because they each provide something essential to members of our community. Whether it’s housing, youth and senior services, mental health, legal services, or support for all people who are experiencing violence or instability, the Center provides a sense of security and community for people who may otherwise feel alone or scared.
I’m particularly passionate about the Center’s health services. Health and wellness are such an important part of the LGBTQ+ community, and having access to care that is safe, affirming, and specifically designed to understand the needs of our community is of utmost importance. The Center’s medical and sexual health services, including primary care, HIV care, gender-affirming care, HIV and STI testing/treatment, and PrEP/PEP, provide an important layer of safety and support.
More broadly, what resonates with me is that the Center is there for people at moments when they may feel particularly vulnerable, whether they are a youth or an elder. When they need somewhere safe to turn, someone to advocate for them, or simply a community that understands them. That sense of safety, dignity, and belonging is one of the main things I find most meaningful about the Center’s work.
As you join the Board, what impact do you hope to help make in the coming years?
As I join the Board, I hope to help advocate for the Center and ensure that its life-saving services remain accessible to everyone in our community who needs them. I want to help raise the resources necessary to sustain and expand these programs, particularly at a time when so many members of the LGBTQ+ community are facing increased vulnerability and uncertainty.
I also hope to use the platform and relationships I’ve built throughout my career to bring greater awareness to the Center and its work. I believe there is an opportunity to tell more people about the incredible breadth of services the Center provides and inspire others to get involved, whether through volunteering, donating, or simply becoming an advocate.
Katherine Smith
Katherine Smith is a partner at Gibson Dunn and co-chair of the firm’s Labor & Employment Practice Group. A recognized leader in employment law, she advises employers on complex workplace and DEI issues and has been named among the Los Angeles Business Journal’s Top 100 Lawyers. Her leadership includes extensive pro bono service and a decade of nonprofit board experience with the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Monica.
How did you first get involved with the Center?
I first heard about the Center from friends and colleagues, who kept calling it one of the best LGBTQ+ organizations anywhere. The more I learned, the clearer it became that the Center is doing extraordinarily important work on every front: health care, housing, youth and senior services, legal help, and advocacy. I am the parent, friend, and family member of many members of the LGBTQ+ community, and I believe being an ally means more than offering support from the sidelines. It means stepping up and getting involved. Joining the Board is how I’m choosing to do that.
Which of our programs or services are you most passionate about, and why?
I am an employment lawyer, and my professional life is spent focused on the workplace, advising organizations on how to build and manage their workforces. So I’m especially drawn to the Center’s programs that help people get ready for working life, which give participants the skills, confidence, and preparation to walk into a workplace ready to succeed. I’m also inspired by the Center’s Legal Services team, which helps people in need navigate a complex legal system.
As you join the Board, what impact do you hope to help make in the coming years?
The Center is the largest LGBTQ+ organization in the world, and its work has never been more essential. I hope to bring the judgment I’ve built advising organizations through high-stakes moments to help the Center stay strong, well-governed, and resilient, so it can stay focused on its mission through whatever changing circumstances lie ahead.
