.080 Zachary Cohen

I’m pretty certain that during the first five minutes of meeting and being introduced to Zach, he simultaneously brought in another crucial gift to The Center. Ding! Zach really is an inspiring colleague, peer and mentor. To say he’s efficient would be a true understatement, and to say he’s incredible at expressing The Center’s mission and stronghold within the LGBT community wouldn’t be saying enough. Zach so expertly manages to be friendly, welcoming and open-hearted while also being tenacious, strong and straightforward. I’ve learned a lot from simply watching the way he interacts with others and treats everyone with respect.

When I first started at The Center, he took me out to lunch on my first day. He made me feel like I belonged and made sure I had what I needed to be successful. He’s absolutely hilarious and has an extremely contagious laugh, which of course was incredible when we sat diagonal from each other. His dedication to his craft and to The Center and community at large is a constant reminder for me to work harder, better and to dig deeper on pathways that might seem like dead ends.

Zach, thank you very much for making this past year such a fun and fabulous learning experience. Thank you for your commitment to what you do and for always knowing how to make me laugh. Thank you for inspiring my new addiction to Lilac and for making my heart melt with your #RoiBar stickers idea. I’m so grateful we have met, we’ve worked together and for all of the future adventures, at Cipriani and beyond. Thank you, Zach, for being you.

-BD