Zachary R. Nicholas
Interim President
Zachary R. Nicholas (Zac) is a Family Medicine physician with Contra Costa County Health Services. He completed his medical residency in Stockton at San Joaquin General Hospital. He lives in Martinez and provides full-spectrum primary care to all populations with a focus on sexual and gender health and substance use disorder. He has also conducted extensive research on harm reduction policies and community availability of naloxone to prevent opioid overdose deaths. Zac is committed to improving the lives of all marginalized communities through committed allyship and elevating oppressed voices for meaningful change.
Giovanni Jax
Interim Treasurer
Giovanni Jax is Rainbow Community Center’s 2024 Business Champion of the Year Awardee. Giovanni has been a long-time community member of the Rainbow Community Center since childhood. Giovanni credits Rainbow for providing support in his youth growing up in Clayton. As a business owner of Free to Be Electrology in Martinez, he has focused on providing gender-affirming care to his clients and has generously donated thousands of dollars in gift certificates for electrology treatment in support of Rainbow’s fundraisers. As a result, Rainbow has raised tens of thousands from his generous gifts. Giovanni has served Rainbow in other ways, as a community resource for someone transitioning and as a role model to LGBTQIA2S+ youth. He’s returning thanks to Rainbow by being a steadfast business ally and donor. Through his support, Rainbow can continue offering life-saving services to members of the LGBTQIA2S+ communities in our county.
Jonathan Lee, PhD
Secretary
Jonathan Lee (pronoun: verbal Mandarin "ta"), is a professor of Asian American Studies at San Francisco State University. His family survived the Cambodian genocide and arrived in the United States in 1981 when he was 5 years old. He identifies as Chinese-Vietnamese-Cambodian American. He received his doctorate in religious studies from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 2009. He has published 16 books, and numerous articles and essays on Asian American histories, folklore, cultures, and religions. Currently, he serves as editor-in-chief of Chinese America: History & Perspectives, a peer-review journal published by the Chinese Historical Society of America. He is dedicated to anti-racist pedagogy in education and has been invited by several Silicon Valley corporations and public agencies to speak on equity, inclusion, diversity, and belonging issues. He and his husband are fathers to two adopted sons. He has served as Rainbow's Board President (July - October 2023) and Interim Executive Director (October 2023-August 2024).
Christopher Holden
Staff Representative to the Board (non-voting)
Christopher received his Bachelor of Science at Boston’s Northeastern University and an addition graphic arts degree at Epping Forest College, London, England. His most recent work experience was as a Program Coordinator for 140+ disabled/formerly homeless seniors in a supportive housing setting. Prior to that, Christopher lived in Zurich, Switzerland for 7 years and traveled extensively through Europe and Asia and taught English in Dharamsala, India.
