Sunitha Menon

Sunitha Menon was selected as by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors in May of 2024 as the first Executive Director of the Los Angeles County LGBTQ+ Commission. Sunitha is responsible for launching the commission and overseeing the 15 commissioners and staff who are all tasked with reviewing, providing recommendations, and identifying gaps in policies, practices, programming, services, specific to the needs of the LGBTQ+ community.

Prior to joining the County, Sunitha served as the Managing Director of Operations of Equality California, the nation’s largest statewide LGBTQ+ civil rights organization. She was responsible for setting vision for and leading the organization’s human resources, talent management, development, and programmatic functions. Sunitha spent almost nine years at RAINN, the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization, founding and managing the Consulting Services Department. Under her leadership, the team grew to 16 people working across the country on tailored solutions to the ways in which sexual violence impacted organizations. She worked closely with large government organizations, educational institutions, and was chosen as one of 14 subject matter experts to serve on the Department of Transportation Taskforce to Prevent Sexual Violence in Flight.

As a first-generation queer person of color, Sunitha has seen how inequalities and discrimination have affected the health, safety, and wellbeing of marginalized communities. She has spent her career working to support these communities, advocate with them, and address disparities through direct action, support services, and education. Sunitha received her Bachelors in Sociology from UMASS Amherst, and her Masters in the Science of Social Work, from Columbia University. She lives with her wife, a member of the Los Angeles County Fire Department, in Long Beach.