Lambda Legal announced today the retirement of Shedrick “Rick” Davis, who has led the organization’s Western Regional Office since 2012, and welcomed Joey Wasserman as its new Western Regional Director. Wasserman joined Lambda Legal on September 15 and is based in Los Angeles.
Davis’s ties to Lambda Legal began long before he joined the staff. He first served as a volunteer, then spent seven years on the Board of Directors, including two as Co-Chair, and was a founding member of Lambda Legal’s National Leadership Council. As Western Regional Director, he expanded Lambda Legal’s presence across eleven Western states, leading strategic planning, fundraising, education, and media work. A Los Angeles native, Davis came to Lambda Legal after a legal career that included serving as Vice President and Assistant General Counsel at JPMorgan Chase and as a Deputy District Attorney for Los Angeles County.
“For more than three decades, Rick has given Lambda Legal his time, his talent, and his heart, first as a volunteer and board leader, then as the face of our work across the West. His relationships with our supporters have built a foundation that will serve our community for years to come. We are deeply grateful,” said Kevin Jennings, CEO of Lambda Legal.
“It has been my honor to have served as Lambda Legal’s Western Regional Director since 2012,” said Davis. “I am proud to have served with dedicated staff, past and present, supporters and community members to defend and advance our LGBTQ+ and HIV communities and I look forward to supporting Joey Wasserman as he assumes the Regional Director leadership role.”
Wasserman brings more than 15 years of experience in fundraising, nonprofit leadership, and LGBTQ+ community engagement. He most recently served as Senior Director of Philanthropy at the Los Angeles LGBT Center, one of the world’s largest LGBTQ+ organizations. He previously held development leadership roles at SAGE, the national organization serving and advocating for LGBTQ+ older adults and earlier worked with the Human Rights Campaign and Dining Out For Life. Born in Hong Kong and raised in Philadelphia, Wasserman lived and worked in Chicago, Washington, D.C., and New York before settling in Los Angeles.
“After more than a decade at direct-service organizations, I’ve seen up close what’s at stake for our community when our rights are under attack, and why Lambda Legal’s work in the courts matters so much,” said Wasserman. “Rick built deep, lasting relationships across the West, and I’m honored to carry that work forward. Right now, more than ever, our supporters want to know their investment is making a real difference, and I can’t wait to show them exactly how it does.”