News and social media streams are a buzz this morning with the announcement of the Human Rights Campaign‘s new president Chad Griffin. In August of 2011 Joe Solmonese announced his departure from the organization and the Board began a nation wide search for his replacement.
Griffin, a national communications and policy strategist, is widely credited for being the mastermind behind the federal lawsuit to overturn California’s Proposition 8, which has now been ruled unconstitutional by two federal courts.
Griffin was featured in Advocate Magazine’s 40 under 40 in May 2010.
Griffin’s appointment follows an extensive six month search by the board that included the consideration of over one hundred diverse and extremely well-qualified candidates from the worlds of business, academia and activism. Griffin will assume his new responsibilities on June 11, 2012. Current HRC president Joe Solmonese will continue to lead the organization until that time.
A veteran of the Clinton White House communications team, and a native of Arkansas, Griffin was highly motivated by young people in taking this new endeavor. “All over this country in big cities and small towns, there are families and young people who long to be accepted for who they are, and who want be treated with the same dignity and respect as everyone else,” said Griffin. “I’m honored by the board’s confidence in my ability to lead HRC. While there’s no doubt that we’ve made tremendous progress on the road to equality, we must not forget that millions of LGBT Americans still lack basic legal protections and suffer the consequences of discrimination every day. Today’s generation of young people, and each generation hereafter, must grow up with the full and equal protection of our laws, and finally be free to participate in the American dream. As HRC president, I’ll approach our work with a great sense of urgency because there are real life consequences to inaction.”
Maybe the leaders at HRC heard me back in August when I said:
- Think bigger than the organization
- Don’t “be comfortable” with those on the inside
- Identify an orator, a motivator, a thinker and a doer
- Consider impact from day one to five years–no longer, no less
- With age comes experience, not vision
Now let’s see what GLAAD will do.
Syndicated: http://sf.densilporteous.com/chad-griffin-appointed-next-hrc-president/