Dear San Diego Pride Family,
Today, we are honored to share an important leadership update with our community — one that marks a historic and deeply meaningful moment for San Diego Pride.
We are proud to announce that KishaLynn Elliott (she/her) has officially joined San Diego Pride as our new Executive Director. With this appointment, KishaLynn becomes the first Black lesbian to serve as permanent Executive Director in our organization’s more than 50-year history of advocating for LGBTQIA+ equality, visibility, and justice.
This moment matters — not only because it is historic, but because of when it arrives.
Across our city, our country, and the world, LGBTQIA+ communities are facing renewed challenges to hard-fought rights and freedoms. In this pivotal time, San Diego Pride is reaffirming our commitment to bold, justice-centered leadership rooted in equity, resilience, and community care.
“It is the honor of a lifetime to be called on to lead this legacy organization,” KishaLynn shared. “San Diego Pride is a powerful civic institution and a beacon of hope for our region.
At this pivotal moment together, we have the opportunity to redefine what community leadership looks like. To me, this work is about creating a sanctuary of belonging — not only in July, but every single day, here in San Diego and worldwide.
My leadership style is rooted in restorative justice, radical transparency, and human dignity. I believe that joy is our greatest renewable resource. When we heal and strengthen our internal community, our external impact becomes unstoppable. I am honored to walk this path alongside our staff, volunteers, board, and the entire San Diego community as this exciting new era of connection and growth unfolds.”
KishaLynn brings more than 20 years of executive leadership experience, blending operational excellence with a deep commitment to restorative justice and people-centered systems. Most recently, she served as Chief Operating Officer of the Monarch School Project, where she led complex operations and advanced equity for unhoused youth. A certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP), KishaLynn has a proven track record of strengthening infrastructure, stabilizing budgets, and building resilient, mission-driven organizations.
Our Board of Directors shared their deep confidence in her leadership:
“KishaLynn Elliott’s appointment represents both a powerful milestone and a clear statement of values,” said Paris Quion, Board Co-Chair. “Her leadership reflects the lived experiences, professional expertise, and clarity needed to guide San Diego Pride forward during this critical moment. She is the leader our organization and community need.”
“After a rigorous national search, it was clear that KishaLynn possessed the rare combination of visionary heart and operational mind that this organization deserves,” added Joshua Dunn, Board Co-Chair. “We are thrilled to welcome a leader who not only understands our history but has the strategic discipline to secure our future.”
KishaLynn’s leadership is deeply aligned with San Diego Pride’s mission to foster pride, equality, and respect for all lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities locally, nationally, and globally — and our vision of a world free of prejudice and bias. Under her guidance, we will continue advancing our Pillars of Justice, ensuring that Pride’s work extends far beyond a single weekend and remains grounded in year-round advocacy, education, and community building.
This new chapter would not be possible without the dedication and care of so many who helped guide San Diego Pride through a time of transition. We are profoundly grateful to our Interim Executive Directors, Madonna Cacciatore and Kristin Flickinger, whose steady, values-driven leadership provided stability and continuity during a year of significant change.
We also extend deep appreciation to our staff, volunteers, board members, and community partners who showed up with clarity, commitment, and love — helping position San Diego Pride for this next era with strength and purpose.
The San Diego Pride Board of Directors partnered with executive search firm Cooper Coleman LLC to conduct a national search, engaging community members, volunteers, staff, and key stakeholders throughout the process to ensure the selection reflected our shared values and future vision.
As we look ahead, we are filled with gratitude, excitement, and resolve. This moment is about more than leadership — it’s about recommitting to one another, honoring the legacy that brought us here, and continuing to build a Pride that is inclusive, courageous, and community-led every day of the year.
With pride and purpose,
San Diego Pride
San Diego Pride raises funds primarily through festival ticket and beverage sales, and through sponsorships, and exhibitor fees. These funds support San Diego Pride’s community philanthropy which has distributed more than $2.5 million in advancement of its mission to foster pride, equality, and respect for all lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities locally, nationally, and globally.
