Center Stage Gala Benefits The LGBT Community Center of the Desert

Mike Thompson, Executive Officer of The LGBT Community Center of the Desert, drops by the studios to brief Nicholas Snow on the 6th Annual Center Stage Gala, taking place Friday, October 30th, 2015, at The Riviera Resort and Spa.  Self-identifying as a “One Woman Riot”, Kate Clinton returns to emcee this year’s Center Stage. Her quick-wit and timely humor will once again keep guests LOLing. This year’s gala will be headlined by Alex Newell, the powerful & mesmerizing performer best known for his starring role as transgender student Wade "Unique" Adams on Fox's musical comedy-drama Glee.

Mike Thompson joined the staff as Chief Executive Officer in June 2014 with more than 18 years of nonprofit leadership experience. A graduate of the University of Oklahoma in Business Administration, he previously served as the COO and Acting President of GLAAD and the Executive Director of Equality Utah.  In addition, Thompson worked with the Gill Foundation and Gill Action to form One Colorado and has worked extensively as a leadership and organizational development consultant. Mike continues to work with CenterLink, the network of LGBT community centers across the nation, to develop a mission-focused governance curriculum for boards of directors.

This episode's main sponsors are Desert AIDS Project and Lulu California Bistro.