Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund appoints new board members, staff (10989)

The Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund and Foundation announced Wednesday it has elected a new board cochair and six new board members and hired two vice presidents. Cindy Abel, president of Bizvox Marketing Communications, begins her term as board cochair, joining fellow cochair Scott Widmeyer.

There are 265 openly LGBT Americans in office, a small number compared with the over 511,000 elective offices that make up the nation's federal, state, and local governments. Thirteen states have no openly gay officeholders serving at any level of government. Since its founding in 1991, the Victory Fund has invested over $10 million and helped to bring about a five-fold increase in the number of openly gay officeholders in the country. Victory Fund endorsements cross party lines.

In November, Robin Brand became the fund's new vice president for campaigns and elections. Dave DeCicco also recently started as the vice president for communications and marketing. New board members are Peter Baca, Anne Levinson, Christopher B. Ray, Mark Stiffler, Karen A. Tramontano, and Jesse L. White.

"This is an exciting time for the Victory Fund and Foundation," said Chuck Wolfe, president and CEO. "In 2003 we successfully targeted three 'horizon states,' which formerly had no LGBT elected officials We are poised to lead the battle against the antigay constitutional marriage amendment by leveraging the visibility and voice of hundreds of openly gay and lesbian officials on the front lines of public policy making."

For more information, click on www.victoryfund.org.