A Special Message From Our Board Chair Cristian Andres Arango

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Vision, Creativity, Empathy, Leadership and Passion: all words that come to my mind when I think of PPF’s new Executive Director, Julio Roman.

After a seven-month national search, we hired Julio Roman effective August 15, 2024, to be our new ED. I could not be more pleased to make this announcement.

Not only has the PPF team of board and staff successfully navigated the challenges of this leadership transition to ensure our community receives all programs and services that PPF offers – counseling and mental health, health and prevention, social/support groups – but we’ve brought the organization a fantastic new leader to assist PPF enter a new phase in its nearly fifty-year history. And, I want to thank everyone for their enormous efforts, especially our community partners, volunteers, and supporters. 

Julio Roman is a Latinx LGBTQ advocate, organizational builder, and author. For over twenty-four (24) years, he has been passionately committed to creating LGBTQ+ safe spaces and advancing health equality and social justice initiatives for LGBTQ+ communities, along with other marginalized groups impacted by HIV/AIDS and its related health, social, and economic disparities. As a founding member and co-founder of two LGBTQ+ centers in Newark, NJ, he has presented and published his public health findings on local, state, and national levels. He has successfully raised and managed millions of dollars for LGBTQ+ causes, issues, and organizations. 

Please join me in welcoming Julio and in helping him take this organization to the next level, to ensure PPF remains a leader for issues relevant to the LGBTQ+ population across Santa Barbara County and become the center this community deserves for all rainbow communities.

Welcome, Julio!

Yours in Pride, 

Cristian