Larry Anderson

Board Chair

Larry Anderson is pleased to begin his third year on the Board of the Pride Center of Staten Island. As a native Staten Islander, he has a lifelong history of community engagement and volunteerism. He and his partner of twenty-two years both live on Staten Island with their two adorable dogs Luna & Simon. Larry is a 30-year veteran of the live entertainment industry. For the last ten years, Larry has served as the Director of Performing Arts and Public Programs at Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden. During his time at Snug Harbor, Larry has managed 2 theaters 3 outdoor performance spaces, 659 events including theatrical and dance performances, concerts, festivals and public programs which have brought over 134,000 people to Snug Harbor. Larry is proud to live and work in his hometown community and play an active role in bringing first class live entertainment to the people of Staten Island. In addition to his career in the Performing Arts, Larry’s community engagement has found him serving for many years on the Richmond County Democratic Committee, Snug Harbor Neptune Ball Planning Committee and he volunteers for special events at the Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art. As a Board member, Larry is happy to bring his unique skill sets to The Pride Center of Staten Island..

Ganine Gambale

Treasurer

Ganine Gambale, a New York attorney, is the Treasurer and former Chair of the Board of the Pride Center of Staten Island, Inc. She is a founding member of the Board and was its Chair from the time of formation, to 2020. Ganine is a member of the New York State Bar Association Section on LGBT People and the Law, and provided the NYSBA counsel’s office and the Governor’s office with legal analysis in connection with passage of New York’s marriage equality legislation. Ganine also writes and speaks about LGBTQIA+ policy issues and gay rights history. She, along with Board member Emilie Tippins, co-authored the New York history chapter of the three-volume treatise “Proud Heritage, People Issues and Documents of the LGBT Experience” published in 2015.

In 1992 Ganine began practicing on Staten Island and became a member of the firm Nerlino & Gambale focusing primarily on banking, bank formation and commercial litigation. Several years ago, she began the Law Office of Ganine Gambale, PLLC to focus on advocacy regarding the LGBTQIA+ law and policy. In addition, she continues to practice banking and commercial litigation with her colleague Joan Nerlino Caddell. Ganine holds a bachelor’s degree in Public Policy from Eisenhower College and a Juris Doctor law degree from Pace University School of Law where she was a member of the Law Review. In 2013, she was awarded the Eisenhower College Distinguished Alumnus Award. Ganine grew up on Staten Island and is a graduate of Port Richmond High School.

Amy Rice

Secretary

Amy Rice, a third-generation native Staten Islander, is currently the Senior Marketing Manager for the NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS). In this role, she develops multi-channel advertising campaigns to promote agency services, lead the redesign of and maintains the content on the agency’s website, supervises the graphic design team, and writes/edits copy for marketing materials. She has worked at SBS since April 2013, starting as their Digital Marketing Manager in charge of the agency’s social media and e-mail marketing.

In addition to serving as Secretary of the board of directors of the Pride Center of Staten Island, Amy currently serves as the Second Vice President of the Greenbelt Conservancy. She is a former member of the Leadership Council of the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce’s Young Professionals Group and the SIEDC’s Executive Women’s Council.

Prior to working for SBS, she held positions in communications, outreach, and development with the New York Center for Interpersonal Development, NYC Council, 1199/SEIU, and the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce. Amy attended Curtis High School, holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication from Seton Hall University, and is a member of the Staten Island Leadership Institute’s Class of 2011 at the College of Staten Island.

Melissa C. Yih, MD

Dr. Yih is Board Certified in both Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility and has been caring for patients since 2002. She is an attending physician with the Institute for Reproductive Medicine and Science on Staten Island and in NJ.

Dr. Yih received her undergraduate degree from Wellesley College and her medical degree from The Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine at The University of Vermont. She completed her Obstetrics and Gynecology residency and her clinical fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at New York-Presbyterian Weill Medical College of Cornell University. Her areas of interest include counseling patients regarding fertility preservation options and family planning options for LGBTQ+ families.

When not serving patients Dr. Yih enjoys many outside interests including cooking, skiing, yoga, hiking, volunteering in the community and staying active with her dogs.

Sonia Chiaruttini Tomai

Assistant Secretary

Sonia Chiaruttini Tomai is real estate industry veteran with over thirty five years’ experience in the business.   She is presently Associate Broker with Casandra Properties, Inc. Ms. Tomai’s expertise is in commercial real estate sales and leasing, with a focus on the Staten Island market.  She has been part of the leasing teams for many large-scale Staten Island projects and is currently the exclusive leasing agent for several shopping centers and office properties on Staten Island.  She has brokered and extensive list of commercial properties and land deals. Sonia Tomai is a past Board member of the Counseling Center of the YMCA, and presently serves on the Board of the Pride Center of Staten Island and was 2016 recipient of the Barbara P. Sullivan Ally Award.  She is a member of NAR, SIBOR, & ICSC.

Alex Carr

Assistant Treasurer

Alex Carr was born, raised and resides on Staten Island. Recognizing a passion for animals and nature at a very young age, Alex began his career at the Staten Island Zoo as a volunteer at age fifteen. Even though he decided to continue his education at John Jay College in Manhattan, his desire to serve his community led him back home and to a commitment to the zoo. Twenty-eight years later, he proudly continues his service as a valued employee and union shop steward. 

With a long-standing history of active interest in Staten Island politics and civic support, Alex is never far away from charitable contributions at home and abroad. From supporting LGBTQ+ organizations in NYC to studying and promoting the conservation of wildlife while on safari in Africa, he is always searching for new ways to make a positive impact.

Alex currently serves on the Board of the Pride Center Of Staten Island and on the Foundation Board of Staten Island University Hospital Northwell Health 

And, while at home, Alex, and his husband, Elvis, are loving life with their Miniature Schnauzers, Max and Ollie.

Kim Lewars

Kim Lewars is a Brooklyn native with nearly 20 years of Client Services experience. Over the course of the past 4 years, she has climbed the ladder to Senior Client Success specialist at Indeed with the important  mission and collective goal of “Helping People Get Jobs”. While in her current role, she is also an active member of a number of Inclusion Resource Groups including but not limited to the Black Inclusion Group, Women at Indeed and iPride. Helping others and changing lives for the better has always been a passion of hers. This led to the start of her apparel printing business, Kimmykimprints which continues to focus on giving back to the community and highlighting organizations that help make the world a kinder place. 

Kim enjoys spending time at home with her husband, two sons and puppy, catching up with family and friends, cooking, reading, and traveling.

Emilie Tippins

Vice Chair

Emilie Tippins manages communications and development for Community Health Action of Staten Island and communications for community-based services at Sun River Health, organizations founded in HIV/AIDS work and advocacy that serve 245,000 New Yorkers annually. CHASI provides community-based social services including health care linkage and navigation, a 24/7 resource and recovery center for substance use, harm reduction services and syringe exchange, HIV testing and prevention programs including several inside NYS correctional facilities, alternatives to incarceration, food pantry services and a mobile food pantry, and a domestic violence program. Sun River Health is a network of Federally-Qualified Health Centers that serves people in the Hudson Valley, all 5 boroughs of NYC, and Long Island.

Before CHASI, she managed learning centers for pre-K-8th grade students in Brooklyn and Manhattan as a senior director for Kaplan Inc.’s pre-college division. Ms. Tippins co-authored Proud Heritage: People, Issues, and Documents of the LGBT Experience, serves on the Board of the Pride Center of Staten Island, and is a grant panelist at Staten Island Arts.

Joshua M. Rivera

Josh serves as Director for Staten Island Regional and Community Affairs at Con Edison, a position that has afforded him the opportunity to give back to the island he and his family have called home for the last 40 years. 

Josh joined ConEd as the Director for Manhattan Regional and Community Affairs, working and partnering with elected officials, community-based organizations and external stakeholders to advance the companies Clean Energy Commitments across the region.  Prior to joining Con Edison, Josh served as the Director of Government and External Relations and as a member of the President’s Cabinet at Hostos Community College, part of the City University of New York.  As a member of the CUNY Legislative Action Committee, Josh represented the University system as well as Hostos Community College before various legislative bodies, working with City and State legislative leaders, the Bronx Borough President, and key members of Congress.

Previously, he served in a similar capacity representing The New York Botanical Garden, advocating and promoting the accomplishments of The New York Botanical Garden as one of New York City’s premiere cultural institutions, working closely with the Mayor’s office, the Borough President, the City Council, state legislators and members of Congress. While at the Garden, he successfully lobbied the Department of Environmental Protection to correct a design flaw in the City’s mapped road design bordering the perimeter by constructing a natural wetland on the grounds of the Garden, the first of this type ever in the Bronx.

Josh served as Chief of Staff to Council Member Leroy Comrie, the former Deputy Majority Leader of the New York City Council, Constituent Services Director for former State Senator Vincent J. Gentile and as an adjunct faculty member in the Edward T. Rogowsky Internship Program in Government and Public Policy at the CUNY Graduate Center.

Josh currently serves as Chair of the board of the New York Institute on Disabilities, is a member of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Southern New York Chapter and is a member of the Community Advisory Board for Spring Bank.

Josh earned a B.A. from the State University of New York at Albany and an MPA from the Austin W. Marxe School of Public and International Affairs at Baruch College. He currently resides on Staten Island with his wife Christie and their daughter, Emma Grace.