The LGBTQ Community Center of The Desert is happy to welcome Calista Vassios to its staff in the new position of Senior Manager, Individual Philanthropy.
Vassios joins The Center after extensive experience in fundraising and leadership roles at Coachella Valley nonprofits. She was most recently the executive director of The Girlfriend Factor, an organization that provides renewable education grants and emotional support to woman in the Coachella Valley.
A key focus of Vassios’ work will be managing and expanding The Ocotillo Club, The Center’s circle of more than 600 sustaining donors, and encouraging people to support The Center’s key fundraising events, such as the annual Center Stage gala happening Oct. 17 at the Palm Springs Air Museum.
“The Center is seeing record engagement at all of our locations: The Center Palm Springs and The Center Coachella, the Community Food Bank, and the Scott Hines Behavioral Health Clinic,” said Chief Development Officer James Lindquist. “We are growing to match this demand, and Calista will be vital to ensuring The Center has the resources it needs to fully serve the community.”
Vassios is a graduate of Leadership Coachella Valley with a Certification in Nonprofit Management from the University of California, Riverside. She also holds an associate’s degree in early childhood education from College of the Desert.
“Supporters of The Center know it is a special place doing an immense range of programming to help LGBTQ+ people thrive and live authentically,” Vassios said. “I’m excited to be working alongside this team and with these passionate and generous donors, who believe so strongly in The Center’s mission.”
More information on the upcoming Center Stage gala, including tickets and sponsorship opportunities, is at thecentercv.org/centerstage.
About The LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert (The Center)
With a mission of creating vibrant community by helping LGBTQ+ people along their way, The Center’s work stretches across the Coachella Valley. From its McDonald/Wright Building in Palm Springs to The Center Coachella, the Scott Hines Behavioral Health Clinic, and the Community Food Bank, The Center offers an astounding range of programs and services. With a talented staff, dedicated volunteers, generous donors, and clients with diverse ages, races, and identities, The Center focuses its work on ending isolation and loneliness, connecting people to resources and community, and enriching our individual and collective experiences. More information is at thecentercv.org or on social media @thecentercv and @thecentercoachella.
With a mission of creating vibrant community by helping LGBTQ+ people along their way, The Center’s work stretches across the Coachella Valley. From its McDonald/Wright Building in Palm Springs to The Center Coachella, the Scott Hines Behavioral Health Clinic, and the Community Food Bank, The Center offers an astounding range of programs and services. With a talented staff, dedicated volunteers, generous donors, and clients with diverse ages, races, and identities, The Center focuses its work on ending isolation and loneliness, connecting people to resources and community, and enriching our individual and collective experiences. More information is at thecentercv.org or on social media @thecentercv and @thecentercoachella.
