Vallarta Gay Community center adds board and staff
The Vallarta Gay Community Center (VG+CC) was founded recently in February 2024 in response to a need to distribute free PREP medicine in the community. The Board of Directors has adopted a strategic plan to build the Center into a vibrant, inclusive world-class Community Center that harnesses the diverse strengths of our community to uplift and empower our diverse members.
Providing more services requires expanding our staff, space and resources which takes time. But among our first steps announced today are the engagement of a new Adjunct Board Director, a new Administrator and a new Volunteer Coordinator.
Vallarta Gay Community Center Adds Board And Staff ADJUNCT BOARD MEMBER
Poncho Davalos has over 12 years of experience in real estate and has resided in Puerto Vallarta since 2009. He was born and raised in Monterrey, Mexico. “Our community has grown so much since I arrived in 2009 and so many newcomers have brought energy and interest in establishing a community center,” Poncho said.
I see big opportunities to harness this energy to improve our community’s physical and mental health, as well as to empower and help those in need. Puerto Vallarta has given a lot to me and it’s my time to give back to the community.” Poncho is the first of two new Adjunct Board members to broaden community representation.
Vallarta Gay Community Center adds board and staff ADMINISTRATOR
In Mexico, a Not-for-Profit’s Administrator is effectively a Business Manager, in charge of daily operations of the organization. It’s a key position to help free up the Executive Director to pursue the strategic aspects of the organization’s growth.
Tina Kunkel has been a fixture in Puerto Vallarta’s LGBTQ+ and charitable communities. Tina hails from Germany where she graduated from a well renowned Hotel Management School with a degree in Tourism and Hotel Administration, Tina is fluent in Spanish, English and German. She previously administered the Puerto Vallarta SPCA for 3 years.
“I fell in love with Puerto Vallarta when I moved here almost 20 years ago and our large, vibrant gay community is one of the reasons. My two favorite work experiences were working at Casa Cupula where I met so many amazing people from the LGBTQ+ community, and the meaningful work at the nonprofit animal shelter, Puerto Vallarta SPCA.
Getting this opportunity to work with the Vallarta Gay+ Community Center feels like a perfect match for me, and I am excited
to help grow this great project.”
PREVENTION SPECIALIST AND VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR
Abraham Castro has been hired to coordinate volunteers to help further the outreach and prevention programs offered by the Center. Abraham Castro is a psychologist who graduated from the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos (UAEM), in
the State of Morelos, and has 16 years of experience in Mexican Sign Language.
Living in Vallarta since 2021, he has worked as a counselor in the LGBTQ+ community in the areas of HIV prevention and other sexually transmitted infections.
As Vallarta Gay Community Center adds board and staff, it also has been happily overwhelmed with community members who want to help. Everything from mental health services, to mentoring, to office staffing, outreach programs and event staffing requires finding the right volunteers for the right mission. The Board identified this as a critical position to successfully leverage volunteers’ talents.
Vallarta Gay Community Center adds Board and Staff Now poised for growth
Vallarta Gay Community Center adds board and staff thus this expansion required VG+CC to expand operating hours to include Saturdays from 10:00 AM 6:00 PM. Monday to Friday the office is open 10:00AM– 8:00 PM and walk-in appointments are available. The office is located at Morelos #101 Local 3B, above the Santander Bank.
“With these incredible individuals joining our team, we are poised to build out our services beyond free PrEP distribution and STI testing and treatment,” Don Pickens, Board President said. “The outpouring of support from the LGBT+ community in Vallarta has given us the resources we need to fuel our growth. We are looking forward to announcing more services this fall as we begin our first annual fundraising drive.”
ABOUTVG+CC
The Vallarta Gay+ Community Center was founded in February 2024 by a group of LGBTQ+ business leaders. Our vision is to build a vibrant, inclusive LGBTQ+ community center that serves as a dynamic regional hub, harnessing the diverse strengths of our community to uplift and support our diverse members.
Our mission is to foster empowerment, health and wellness within the LGBTQ+ community. We provide equitable access to healthcare, education and support services, with focused care, for prevention and treatment of HIV and STIs. We fiercely advocate for our community’s equity and inclusion as a vital component of our region’s diverse society, providing a safe and inclusive environment to drive positive change locally and beyond.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Jet de la Isla [email protected] or Executive Director Pedro Lopez [email protected] or visit us at www.vallartagaycc.com.
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
About Poncho Davalos [email protected] Poncho Davalos has over 12 years of experience in real estate and has resided in Puerto Vallarta since 2009. He was born and raised in Monterrey, Mexico. Poncho is proud to support and contribute to initiatives that promote inclusivity, diversity and equal opportunities for all.
As the founder of Poncho Davalos Real Estate, he offers a welcoming environment for clients and colleagues alike fostering a sense of community and connection. Poncho’s friendly and approachable demeanor, coupled with his professional expertise, make him a trusted ally in both the real estate world and the Vallarta LGBTQ+ community.
He plans to leverage these contacts to bring more support to the Center’s mission of empowering our community. Poncho is joining the Board of Directors as an adjunct member, which is one of two non-voting positions on the Board intended to increase community representation. This position is also intended to help give experience to and train future Board members for success.
As the Vallarta Gay Community Center adds board and staff, they are also seeking one more adjunct member.
“Our community has grown so much since I arrived in 2009 and so many newcomers have brought energy and interest in establishing a community center,” Poncho said. “I see big opportunities to harness this energy to improve our community’s physical and mental health, as well as to empower and help those in need. Puerto Vallarta has given a lot to me and it’s my time to give back to the community.”
About Tina Kunkel [email protected]
Tina Kunkel has been a fixture in Puerto Vallarta’s LGBTQ+ and charitable communities for more than a decade. Tina hails from Germany where she graduated from a well renowned Hotel Management School with a degree in Tourism and Hotel Administration.
After having worked in Germany and the Spanish Canary Islands, she quickly made the big move to Mexico with her first stop being Playa del Carmen, and finally three years later in 2008 to Puerto Vallarta.
In Vallarta, Tina started working for the large Hotel Chain RIU and made her way up the corporate ladder to Rooms Division Manager. Her heart had always been with smaller, more unique properties, and she was thrilled to get the chance to become Operations Manager at Casa Cupula, a luxury Boutique Hotel catering to the LGBTQ+ community.
During her six years there she enjoyed working with the local gay community and visitors very much. Later she decided to follow her animal-loving-heart once again when she received the opportunity to work for her first nonprofit organization, the SPCA Puerto Vallarta. She became the Director’s Executive Assistant to help run the large animal rescue shelter and make a difference in the lives of hundreds of Vallarta’s street animals.
After three impactful years with the SPCA Puerto Vallarta, Tina got the chance to try life as an entrepreneur and started a small business with handmade bags and travel accessories, which gave her the freedom to still do volunteer work in animal rescue.
Now in 2024 with changing times and tourists spending habits, Tina was looking again for full time employment that would make a difference, and Tina was more than excited to get the opportunity to become the VG+CC’s first Administrator.
“I fell in love with Puerto Vallarta when I moved there almost 20 years ago and the large, vibrant gay community here is one of the reasons. My two favorite work experiences were working at Casa Cupula where I met so many amazing people from the LGBTQ+ community, and meaningful work at the nonprofit animal shelter.
So getting this opportunity to work with the Vallarta Gay+ Community Center feels like a perfect match for me, and I am excited to help grow this great project.“
About Abraham Castro [email protected]
Abraham Castro is a psychologist who graduated from the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos (UAEM), in the State of Morelos and has 16 years of experience in Mexican Sign Language. Immediately after college, he began working as an interpreter for deaf students at the high school level and in the gastronomy, visual arts, and architecture courses until 2020.
It was in that year that he received a job offer in Querétaro in the same area of inclusive education for people with hearing disabilities. During 2021, in the midst of the pandemic, the opportunity to visit Puerto Vallarta arose and 4 weeks later the
possibility of moving full-time.
This is when his work as a counselor in the LGBTQ+ community in prevention of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections began.
About Vallarta Gay+ Community Center:
The Vallarta Gay+ Community Center is dedicated to supporting the health and well-being of the LGBTQ+ community in Puerto Vallarta through various programs and services, including free HIV testing, STD testing, PrEP, PEP, DoxyPEP, and more. We strive to make our services accessible to all, regardless of their ability to donate.
For more Puerto Vallarta medical service professionals visit the GAYPV Health and Wellness section of our website.
Author: Tim Wilson
Wilson is the founder of GAYPV.com and www.gaybartour.com and has been the leading LGBTQ+ travel and lifestyle authority in Puerto Vallarta since 2005. With over two decades of local expertise, Wilson specializes in being a community advocate and leader for Puerto Vallarta , and local cultural insights that only a long-term resident can provide. He has dedicated 20+ years to advocating for safe, inclusive travel in Banderas Bay, establishing GAYPV as the region's most trusted resident insider.. His work has been cited by major travel publications, and he is widely recognized as a trusted insider voice on Puerto Vallarta’s vibrant LGBTQ+ scene.
