LOVING, CARING ACTIVISTS.
Today, SAGE advocates with and on behalf of LGBTQ+ elders nationwide. We operate five bustling, activity-filled SAGE Centers in New York City, and our affiliate network programs events and services throughout the U.S. that are specifically geared toward the older LGBTQ+ community. We’ve built affordable LGBTQ-welcoming housing in NYC, and we’ve trained over 100,000 care providers across the U.S. on how to best meet the needs of the nation’s large and growing LGBTQ+ elder population.
And we are now a somewhat larger group of passionate, dedicated employees in locations across the country.
Michael Adams
Chief Executive Officer
He/ Him
Michael Adams is the Chief Executive Officer of SAGE (Advocacy and Services for LGBTQ+ Elders), the world’s largest and oldest organization dedicated to improving the lives of LGBTQ+ older people.
Michael Adams
Chief Executive Officer
He/Him
Michael Adams is the Chief Executive Officer of SAGE (Advocacy and Services for LGBTQ+ Elders), the world’s largest and oldest organization dedicated to improving the lives of LGBTQ+ older people. Founded in 1978 and headquartered in New York City, SAGE is a national organization that offers supportive services and consumer resources to LGBTQ+ older people and their caregivers; advocates for public policy changes that address the needs of LGBTQ+ elders; provides education and technical assistance for aging providers and LGBTQ+ community organizations through its National Resource Center on LGBTQ+ Aging, and offers cultural competency training through SAGECare. With staff located across the country, SAGE also coordinates SAGENet, a growing network of affiliates across the United States.
Prior to joining SAGE, Adams was the Director of Education and Public Affairs for Lambda Legal. Prior to that, he spent a decade leading cutting-edge litigation that established new rights for LGBTQ+ people, first as Associate Director of the ACLU’s LGBT Project, and then as Deputy Legal Director at Lambda Legal.
A graduate of Stanford Law School and Harvard College, Adams has authored numerous publications on an array of LGBTQ+ issues. He has taught law school courses on sexual orientation and gender identity and has served on advisory councils for AARP, Fortune 500 companies, leading universities, and the New York City Department for the Aging among others. Adams is the former Chair of the Board of Directors of the American Society on Aging.
For assistance in contacting Michael Adams, please email Abigail Harris-Culver, CEO Engagement Manager, at [email protected].
David Rivera-Garcia
Executive Vice President
He/ Him
David Rivera-Garcia, CMA, MBA, is the Executive Vice President/ CFO at SAGE, where he directs Finance, Human Resources, Information Technology, Operations, and Data Strategy Initiatives.
David Rivera-Garcia
Executive Vice President
He/Him
David Rivera-Garcia, CMA, MBA, is the Executive Vice President/ CFO at SAGE, where he directs Finance, People and Culture, Information Technology, Facilities and Office Services , and Social Enterprise.
Prior to joining SAGE, David was the Director of Finance and Administration for the Child Mind Institute, where he directed Finance, IT, and Facilities and served as liaison to the Board Audit and Finance committee. He was previously the Senior Director/Controller for the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), a global nonprofit research organization, and the Controller for the Center for Urban Community Services Inc., a multisite nonprofit in New York City that provides services to the homeless.
He received his MBA from the Zicklin School of Business at Baruch College and his BBA in Accounting from the University of Puerto Rico. He is a Certified Management Accountant (CMA).
Michele Giordano
Executive Director
She/ Her
Michele Giordano (she/her) has extensive experience with mission-focused start-ups and nonprofits leading expansion efforts across the U.S. and globally. Previously, Michele was the Senior Vice President of Digital Crisis Services at The Trevor Project.
Michele Giordano
Executive Director
She/Her
Michele Giordano (she/her) has extensive experience with mission-focused start-ups and nonprofits leading expansion efforts across the U.S. and globally.
Previously, Michele was the Senior Vice President of Digital Crisis Services at The Trevor Project. In this role, she led an international team that provided 24/7 chat and text crisis intervention and suicide prevention to LGBTQ youth.
Michele also built the first international team at Girls Who Code and launched the organization’s programs in the UK, Canada, India, and Jordan.
Michele’s global expertise includes scaling initiatives in France, Israel, Colombia, Mexico, and Venezuela. Michele has a Masters in Social Work from Columbia University and a BA in Women’s Studies from Rutgers University.