FRED AND JASON ARENS-DUGUAY

Fred and Jason Arens-Duguay became interested in supporting the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center after attending a charity event hosted by a close friend of theirs. Since that day they have been very active as founding members of the YPC and enjoy working with the Fundraising Branch of the organization. Fred is originally from Arcadia, Calif., and Jason hails from Halifax, Nova Scotia. They got married in Canada on 7/7/07 and look forward to one day being legally married here in the states.

GABRIEL AVILA

Gabriel Avila is a native of Los Angeles and is very proud of his Latino heritage. Having strong family ties and awesome friendships, Gabriel hopes to inspire and encourage those around him to engage and help others. Supporting the YPC is important  because it is a way to say "Thank You" to those who have done it before and a "Let's Do it" cheer to those who want to help. 

JAY BENOIT, Vice Chair

A native of New England, Jay Benoit has lived in Los Angeles since 1997. Jay holds a B.S. from Furman University and an M.A.Ed. from Chapman University. An alumnus of Teach for America, Jay is also the director and founder of The School for Environmental Studies, a California Partnership Academy in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Jay has been the recipient of numerous teaching awards throughout his career. When not working with the YPC, Jay enjoys volunteering with TreePeople, LifeWorks Mentoring, Friends of the Los Angeles River, and AIDS Project Los Angeles. 

Kunoor Chopra

A recovering attorney, Kunoor is the CEO of LawScribe, a legal process outsourcing company with offices in Los Angeles and India, providing legal support services to law firms and companies nationwide.  LawScribe provides litigation, corporate and intellectual property support services to law firms and companies nationwide. Kunoor’s passion project is giving back to the LGBT community through fundraising and increasing awareness of, and helping resolve, issues affecting the LGBT community, especially its youth.  Her experiences in helping youth while an undergraduate at UCLA inspired her desire to actively participate with the LA Gay and Lesbian Center to help bring much needed services and assistance to the LGBT community, and to bring various LGBT organizations together in this effort.

ERIC FINLEY

Born, raised, and currently residing in Orange County, Eric Finley is one of the newest members to the YPC.  After a seven year career at Nordstrom Eric ascended to the prestigious design house of Mr. Oscar de le Renta.  He currently serves in a dual capacity as the General Manager of the South Coast Plaza boutique and the Manager at Large of the company’s Fine Jewelry Division.

After serving for many years in various capacities for charitable organizations in Orange County, Eric is proud to join the ranks of the Young Professionals Council to serve the LGBT community.  He brings with him a wealth of knowledge in planning and executing high-level events and working with a luxury clientele.  His talents will be put to good use on the Fundraising Committee.  Eric is an Aries, loves orchids, likes to water ski, and has two dogs: Samson, a Yorkie, and Goliath, a Min Pin.

JOSEPH MORENO

I Want To Raise awareness about the Center." A native Californian but a recent transplant to Hollywood, Joseph Moreno, 33, wants to help create a space where others can find acceptance and community. Currently, a retail sales associate at Barney’s New York Co-op, Moreno has an extensive history in fashion working both in New York and Los Angeles; styling celebrities and working on runway shows.  Joseph has volunteered for many LGBT programs and events and learned that the Center is a tremendous resource with something for everyone.  Joseph, one of the newest members of the YPC, looks forward to working in the community, getting to know many of those living here, and to build the YPC Advocate Program.

ERIC NAKANO

Eric Nakano grew up east of Los Angeles and received his BA from George Washington University in Washington DC.  After college, Nakano worked on the John Kerry campaign and afterwards, at the AFL-CIO.  He moved back to Los Angeles in 2007 and now works in development and fundraising for UCLA.  Along with his involvement in the Young Professionals Council, Nakano volunteers with California Faith for Equality, API Equality LA, the Young Business Professionals, the LA County Democratic Central Committee and the OUT West Coalition.  In his free time, Nakano enjoys painting, traveling, soccer, cooking, and watching episodes of the Office, Desperate Housewives and Brothers and Sisters.

ALEXANDER RODRIGUEZ, Chair, Promotions & Outreach

Alexander Rodriguez has been serving the Commercial Banking industry for over 12 years, despite a bachelor’s degree from Chapman University in Theatre Performance/Directing.  Most recently, he joined the Entertainment Division of City National Bank as Vice President.  In addition to his job, he has served as a Board Member for Lifeworks Mentoring and the Center for Health Justice.  Outside of his community work and business, he has enjoyed success as a performer and director in the Southern Californian theater world.   He is appreciative of his place on the YPC and looks forward to taking leadership in the Advocates Program.

CHRISTOPHER SMITH

Christopher Smith was raised in south Orange County and moved to Los Angeles to attend UCLA in 2002. During college, he became involved in LGBT activism and co-founded the Student Coalition for Marriage Equality (SCME), a student-run organization that remains on campus today. After Proposition 8 passed in 2008, he co-founded the Equal Roots Coalition to help connect, educate, and support new LGBT activists.  By day, Chris works as a business consultant in the Human Capital group at Deloitte LLP, where he specializes in change management, communications, and organizational development.

RAMI SOUDAH

A member of the YPC since 2008, Rami Soudah currently serves as the Chair of the Promotions & Outreach Committee.  Professionally, Rami is a Junior Associate at Andy Spahn & Associates and responsible for coordination of charitable and political affairs, public relations and critical support on several of the firm’s largest accounts.  Prior to joining Andy Spahn & Associates, he served as a Charitable Giving Coordinator for the Corporate Affairs Department at DreamWorks SKG.  Originally from Maryland, Rami has studied at the University of Maryland College Park, George Washington University and the American University of Rome.

DAVID TARLOW, Chair

David Tarlow is a proud founding member of the YPC. He currently works as a financial analyst at Citigroup and is pursing an MBA at Loyola Marymount University. David served as Managing Director of Celebration Theatre from 2005-2008, where he produced over 20 productions. Prior to living in Los Angeles, he spent three years in Chicago as Development Director for Eclipse Theatre Company and Teatro Luna. He currently also serves as President of the Board of Directors of Celebration Theatre, one of the oldest continuously operating LGBT theatres in the country.