SLDN adds new
executive director

Former congressional staff leader and government relations executive Aubrey Sarvis will become the next executive director of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, the organization announced Wednesday. Sarvis will assume the role October 1. "I have known Aubrey for a long time, and one of his qualities I respect the most is his leadership," U.S. Senate majority leader Harry Reid said in a prepared statement. "Aubrey's vast knowledge of government, combined with his commitment to public service, will serve the organization well." A U.S. Army veteran who enlisted at age 17, Sarvis served more than three years of active duty, including 13 months in South Korea. From 1977 to 1983, Sarvis worked as staff director and chief counsel of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee. He also managed public policy and legislative operations for Verizon as an executive vice president between 1984 and 1998. Founded in 1993, the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network is a national nonprofit agency that offers advocacy and legal services to LGBT military personnel. The group also aims to put and end to discrimination and harassment caused by the government's "don't ask, don't tell" policy. (The Advocate)