Denise Spivak - CenterLink's CEO. Denise joined CenterLink after working in the private sector for over twenty years. She has extensive experience in team management, talent acquisition and program development. Prior to joining CenterLink, Denise was a corporate executive recruiter. Her background also includes on-air and production roles in the broadcast industry and senior retail management positions with Fortune 500 companies.
Denise was born and raised in the Washington, D.C. area. Starting in the early ‘90s she was part of the Sophie’s Parlor Radio Collective, the longest-running women’s music radio show in the country. She also served as a stage manager, producer and sound crew member for numerous Pride events and Women’s Music festivals, and was a production assistant for “A Simple Matter of Justice”, the video of the 1993 March on Washington. She currently serves on a number of local non-profit boards and committees focused in the LGBTQ+ arena. Denise is a graduate of Gettysburg College where she received her B.A. in Psychology.
Arlene Rodriguez - ActionLink's Policy and Advocacy Project Administrator. Arlene joined CenterLink in September 2021. She joins the team with 15 years non-profit experience mostly in management positions working in Development, Human and Volunteer Resources, and Activities and Events Coordination. Arlene's experience mainly comes from supporting her community at the Los Angeles LGBT Center where she last worked as an Activities Coordinator in Senior Services which provided on-going advocacy and assistance for older adults.
Arlene's passion for serving the community began when she volunteered for Warner Brother's Reading Program where she taught young adults in juvenile detention how to read. She knew then that there are times that folx just need support to get through challenging times.
Arlene also has a background in culinary as a chef, so when she's not cooking for her wife, she is definitely spending time with her fur kids and chosen family.
She is excited to be a part of the ActionLink team, and is looking forward to learning new things, and enjoying the journey along the way.
Tanya Tassi - ActionLink's Director of Policy and Advocacy. Tanya has been part of the CenterLink team for over 5 years. Prior to working for CenterLink, she spent three years as a residential services coordinator at the Los Angeles LGBT Center's Triangle Square - the nation's first and largest LGBT low income senior housing facility. During that time, Tanya founded and directed the Los Angeles LGBT Center's "Senior Mob Squad"; a group consisting of adults aged 55+ who advocate for local and federal policy changes on issues that impact older adults.
She began volunteering with the Wisconsin AIDS Resource Center at the age of 17, and continues to volunteer at her local LGBT community center. A professional vocalist, she often lends her voice to LGBT-related nonprofit events and causes. Tanya spent six years as a Commissioner for the Los Angeles County Commission on Aging representing the LGBT community, and currently serves on the Palm Springs Police Department LGBTQ Outreach Committee.
Tanya completed her Gerontology certification at the University of Southern California in 2017, and her Administration of Justice and Health Services degrees at East Los Angeles College in 2019. She is currently working toward a Master's Degree in International Policy and Law.
Castelle Eskin - ActionLink's Policy and Advocacy Organizer. Castelle joined the ActionLink team in June of 2021 as an intern. She specifically focuses on delivering information to the LGBTQ+ community centers and supporting them in their policy and activism initiatives.
Castelle is graduating from Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA in the spring of 2022 with BA's in both Theatre and Public Health. Her future plans include attending law school and continuing to grow her voice to support the communities that she feels passionate about.
She feels very honored to be working with CenterLink, and is excited to continue to learn and grow.