With the Champion of Pride Award, San Diego LGBT Pride is commending Jennifer LeSar for her “faithful leadership and compassion,” as demonstrated by her energized and committed efforts to establish The Center’s affordable housing project for GLBT youth.

“I’m honored to be recognized as a Champion of Pride,” LeSar said. “I’m honored that the community recognizes and values all the work that I’ve done with our key community organizations, including The Center and AIDS Walk.”

Drawing on her experience as a real estate developer, LeSar helped The Center procure the 24-unit complex on Broadway, in downtown San Diego, and supervised its financing and approvals.

As a result of her work on the project, the $4 million Sunburst Apartment complex is expected to open and assist vulnerable, homeless GLBT youth this fall.

LeSar also chaired and served on The Center’s board of directors for five years, during which she helped guide the organization through a sweeping renovation project and strengthened its integral financial resources, despite a challenging period of instability.

“I think what I’ve seen in the last five years in our community is that we have gotten so much stronger organizationally and politically, and I’ve seen that manifested in our organization around issues like gay marriage,” she said. “We have strong community organizations now, much stronger than I think we had five years ago. I see that reflected through the growth of the organizations, and that we have many fewer crises organizationally in the last couple of years.”

In the past, LeSar has applied her real estate background to develop a 22-unit housing complex for low-income people living with HIV/AIDS, while acting as executive director of Community Housing Works.

She has also served on the board of the San Diego Democratic Club, and in 2002 was appointed to the seven-member Centre City Development Corporation Board of Directors by then Mayor Dick Murphy.

• Grand Marshal: Ben Dillingham
• Grand Marshal: Michael ‘Big Mike’ Phillips
• Grand Marshal: Alice A. Huffman
• Grand Marshal: Joseph ‘Joey’ Ramelli and Megan Donovan
• Champion of Pride: Dr. William ‘Bill’ Beck
• Champion of Pride: Jennifer LeSar
• Friend of the Year: Marc Chery
• Community Service Award: Todd Gloria
• Community Service Award: Linda Childers
• Community Service Award: Cathy Hemphill
• Stonewall Service Award: KPBS-TV

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