“After an extensive national search that lasted several months, the Search Committee and Board of Directors chose Ted because his talents were exceptional and uncommon, his commitment to equality profound and his passion for the work infectious,” explained Board president, Brian Sims of Philadelphia. “And while we know that as an organization we have much to do to ensure that EqualityPA more fully becomes a representative of our entire statewide constituency, the Board has full confidence that Ted is the perfect person to help us meet that challenge.”
Martin comes to the position after an extensive career in politics and non-profit management. From nearly ten years with the US House of Representatives, to a stint as an executive director running Harrisburg’s architectural preservation organization, Historic Harrisburg Association, to his current role with the Department of Community and Economic Development as the Executive Director of Economic Development Marketing, his career has been marked by building successful organizations from the ground up.
He has also been deeply involved with the Central Pa LGBT community where he has led the LGBT business association and the board of the LGBT youth group, Common Roads. He currently serves as president of the board of The LGBT Community Center Coalition of Central PA. In early 2009, Martin successfully presided over the merger of Common Roads and the Community Center Coalition.
“I can’t think of a more incredible opportunity for me to serve than this,” Martin said. “It really is an honor. I have a great Board of Directors full of committed and smart people, terrific staff and wonderful volunteers and I feel very lucky that the skills needed to make this a success have been sharpened by what I have done in the past.” In fact, Sims pointed to this very fact as one major reason why Martin’s candidacy was successful. “It really wasn’t lost on us that in his working life, Ted has been a successful communicator, administrator, advocate and coalition-builder. These are all going to be vitally necessary strengths Ted is going to have to call on as we move the organization forward,” Sims remarked.
Martin also recognizes the unique challenges he and the organization face. “I know that in the coming months this job is going to involve equal amounts of listening and talking. I intend to get out into the state to hear what the members of the LGBT Community want and expect of EqualityPA, and I am hopeful that this will only be the beginning of an ongoing conversation. That, in and of itself, is a huge task,” he explained, “but this conversation will be central to our long term goal of making the Commonwealth’s LGBT community a real force in politics and policymaking.”
Martin will be based in EqualityPA’s Harrisburg Office, with office hours in their Philadelphia location. The organization is currently in discussions to open an additional office in the Commonwealth.
Founded in 1996 as the Center for Lesbian and Gay Civil Rights, the mission of EqualityPA is to achieve equality for LGBT Pennsylvanians through legislative and policy changes, education and outreach. It is estimated that EqualityPA’s various activities have reached over 25,000 people throughout the Commonwealth.
No comments:
Post a Comment