San Diego Pride announced that Leane Marchese will serve as the organization’s new Executive Director. Marchese is a seasoned non-profit leader with a deep-rooted commitment to the LGBTQIA+ community and a passion for social change. A San Diego native, she has dedicated her career to fostering community engagement and building strategic partnerships that make a lasting impact. Marchese served on the San Diego Pride Board from 2006-2008, ongoing as a volunteer, and frequently led LGBTQIA+ and Diversity Equity and Inclusion initiatives throughout her career.

“I am profoundly honored to step into this role. As the new Executive Director of San Diego Pride, I am deeply committed to fostering a strong, connected community where every member of the LGBTQIA+ family feels valued and supported,” she shared. “San Diego Pride is more than a celebration—it’s a powerful movement for visibility, acceptance, and change. My focus is to honor this legacy and ensure that Pride remains a beacon of strength, resilience, and celebration for future generations.”

Most recently, Leane served as Founding Executive Director of Life Science Cares San Diego, where she successfully united the Life Science Industry to address poverty and inequity. Her extensive experience includes executive leadership roles at the YMCA of San Diego County and over a decade as the Executive Director of ElderHelp. Her leadership is marked by her ability to scale, grow, and sustain community-wide initiatives, events, and programs that have lasting impact while also cultivating an inclusive and collaborative organizational culture.

State Senate President pro Tempore Emeritus Toni Atkins said, “Leane’s thoughtful and inclusive leadership will be an invaluable addition to San Diego Pride and comes at a time when our LGBTQIA+ community needs visibility, strength, and unity. San Diego Pride and their year-round programming are essential for our community, and I am looking forward to seeing Leane bring her passion, skills, and dedication to this work.”

San Diego Pride Board of Directors worked with respected executive search firm, Blair Search Partners to conduct a national search and enlisted the support of community members, volunteers, key stakeholders, and Pride staff to search for and select a final candidate.

Board of Director Co-Chairs Noah Lomax (he/him) and Melissa Malone-Montgomery (she/her) reflected, “Much like our LGBTQIA+ community, San Diego Pride continues to evolve, and we are deeply appreciative for all the stakeholders that were invested in this community-driven process. Now more than ever, we need to come together as a community, and we know that Leane’s leadership will help us meet the growing needs of our organization and our movement.”

Since Nov. 2023, interim co-Executive Directors, Jen LaBarbera and Sarafina Scapicchio provided the organization with stability, continuity, and oversaw a successful Pride season full of events, including July’s parade and festival. LaBarbera and Scapicchio will remain with San Diego Pride and return to their roles as Director of Education and Advocacy and Deputy Executive Director, respectively.

While San Diego Pride’s parade and festival have just passed, planning for next year’s celebrations are already underway. In the coming weeks San Diego Pride will be initiating a strategic planning process that will include opportunities for community input and be providing a space and time to connect with our new Executive Director.