2027 Palm Springs Event

Ricardo joined GLAD Law as Executive Director in the summer of 2024 after serving on the front lines of state and national LGBTQ+ advocacy in Texas and Arizona. A first-generation immigrant from Mexico who grew up in Brooklyn, New York, Ricardo has amassed twenty years of nonprofit fundraising, advocacy, and leadership experience.

Most recently, as CEO of Equality Texas, Ricardo ensured the organization maximized its impact during intense and sustained anti-LGBTQ+ legislation.

Ricardo has an undergraduate degree from Stony Brook University and a master’s degree in nonprofit management from The New School in New York City. He was honored by the Obama administration as an emerging LGBTQ Leader in 2012 and awarded Stony Brook University’s 40 Under 40 award for his impact in Civil Service and Activism.

oshua Rovenger joined GLAD Law as Legal Director in April 2025. He brings a wealth of experience in civil rights, racial justice, and LGBTQ+ equity, most recently serving as Associate Counsel to the President in the White House, Racial Justice & Equity. Within the Biden administration, he advised on policies and litigation related to LGBTQ+ equity, democracy and civic engagement, religious freedom, access to justice, veterans’ affairs, and housing. Josh has extensive legal expertise across various sectors, having previously worked as a Supervising Attorney at the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland, where he led economic justice litigation and systems change advocacy.

Before joining Legal Aid and then the White House, Josh served as Senior Attorney at the Project on Predatory Student Lending at Harvard, where he led cases against the US Department of Education, leading to the discharge of over $6 billion in student debt. He has also held senior and associate roles at prominent law firms, including Baker Hostetler, Covington & Burling, and Ropes & Gray.

Josh’s career is defined by a commitment to racial and economic justice, LGBTQ+ rights, and systems change. He brings leadership skills and deep legal knowledge to GLAD Law’s advocacy efforts, and a profound commitment to developing strategies to fight harmful policies and create a more inclusive and effective legal team.

Josh holds a JD from Harvard Law School and a BA from George Washington University. He has also been involved in various professional and community organizations, including serving on the Board of Directors for the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association and Fostering Hope.