Gay Community Center of Richmond

*Diversity Thrift * Diversity Bingo *
* Event Hall * Meeting Space * Community Activities*

NEWSLETTER – NOVEMBER 10, 2007

Search Committee/Transition Team Appointed by Board President
Founder Jon Klein Moving to a New Role in the Organization

With the successful opening of the event hall of the Sherwood Avenue building, yet another phase of the organization’s history has come to completion. This milestone is one of many of long time social organizer and community activist Jon Klein. Klein has decided, in conjunction with the Board of Directors to move out of the day to day operations and overall responsibilities into a role of consultant for the organization he founded. Jon, also an avid volunteer with the bingo portion of the operations, will continue to devote volunteer hours to ‘growing’ that portion of the program.

A search committee/transition team has been formed with the purpose of conducting a national search for a full time executive director for the Gay Community Center of Richmond with the charge to have the search completed and a candidate onboard no later than July 1, 2008. The committee is intended to be comprised of three current board members, a representative from the current staff, two slots for operational volunteers with long standing ties to the organization, a representative from another non-profit local community organization and two at large members and the current board president in ex-officio capacity. Klein will serve as a consultant to the group as well. The team will be responsible for the implementation of the transition plan as well as the actual search and hiring of a salaried full time executive director. Persons interested in serving on the committee/transition team should e-mail a message stating their interest and including their areas of expertise they bring to the committee to EDsearchGCCR@comcast.net

Open sessions for meeting final candidates will also be scheduled so that anyone interested in participating in the interview process will be able to do so. We feel it is vital to have the community participate in this transition.

U.S. House Takes Historic Step by Passing the
Employment Non-Discrimination Act
(This article was excerpted from the Human Rights Campaign website. For the full article, visit HRC.org)
11/7/2007
WASHINGTON – In an historic step toward equality, the U.S. House of Representatives successfully passed today the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, ENDA. The vote, 235 to 184, marks the first time ever that either chamber of Congress has passed employment protections based on sexual orientation.
"Today, we witnessed the making of civil rights history in the U.S. House of Representatives by the passing of ENDA," said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. "This vote by Congress is an important step at ensuring that millions of gay and lesbian Americans will never again have to go to work in fear of losing their jobs because of who they are." In 31 states, it is currently legal to fire someone based on their sexual orientation. In 39 states, it is legal to fire a person for being transgender.