I received the below press release today concerning Ted Martin. Ted has been Executive Director of Equality PA for a year or so now. To be honest, it seems like forever, because I just equate EQPA so much with the work he has done with his current board. It is wonderful to have such a good leader at the top of Pennsylvania’s state-wide LGBT organization.
This election doesn’t really identify a fully new relationship, as Ted has been working with the Equality Federation all along, but it does signal that Pennsylvania’s LGBT community is connected in all the right places to help assure that we are doing our part in the push for full equality, and that too, we have support rom others in our efforts towards that end. This is one more indication that Pennsylvania is playing a crucial role, and we have the right people at the head hire in the Keystone State. Congratulations Ted!
Equality Pennsylvania Executive Director Elected to National LGBT Board
Harrisburg – On August 11, 2012, Executive Director Ted Martin was elected to the Boards of Directors of the Equality Federation and the Equality Federation Institute. Both Boards provide support for independent state LGBT advocacy organizations and the Equality Federation overall is the only organization in the country dedicated solely to winning LGBT equality at the state level. The election took place at the Federation’s annual Summer Meeting in Portland, Maine. Martin’s term is two years, and he will serve through 2014.
“Being a part of the Equality Federation is both a personal benefit for me and it makes Equality Pennsylvania a better organization,” Martin explained. “To be elected to their Board of Directors by other Executive Directors from around the country is a remarkable vote of confidence in what we are doing in Pennsylvania. Yes, it’s an honor and it means more work too. I admire many of these people, so that means working harder to keep up. I’m also driven by my belief that Pennsylvania should always have a seat at the table and this confirms the spot-on rightness of that goal both literally and figuratively.”
As of last week’s Summer Meeting, the Equality Federation comprised 48 organizations in 40 states in all regions of the country. The reach of the Federation covers nearly 1.5 million people and that collective power has often made a significant impact on the progress of equality across the nation. With the tide slowly but surely turning for LGBT Americans nationally, work at the state and local level is viewed by many as critical to ultimate equality. Equality Pennsylvania has been recognized for their leadership and specifically hailed for their successful work in passing non-discrimination ordinances.
Equality Pennsylvania President Adrian Shanker agreed with the importance of Martin’s election to the national board. “The importance of Equality Pennsylvania being represented on this national board further highlights that Pennsylvania is a state to watch for LGBT equality. Since 2010, we have played a role in many important victories and are proud that Pennsylvania is becoming a more equal place to live and work for all of us. I am proud of Ted for being elected to this role, and all of us on the Board of Directors share in my congratulations.”
Equality Pennsylvania is a statewide organization dedicated to advancing and protecting the civil rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. For more information:www.equalitypa.org. Equality Pennsylvania is a proud member of the Equality Federation.