Celebrating Pride Month
June is Pride Month, commemorating the Stonewall Uprising of 1969 — the beginning of the modern Gay Rights movement. This is a time to come together, celebrate LGBTQIA+ communities, recognize the progress we’ve made, and continue working to make sure everyone has equal rights and feels welcome and included.
As a proud gay man, I am thankful every day for the life I’ve created with my husband and our two children. By sharing my story, I hope to foster a more inclusive and open work environment for our staff to feel seen, heard, respected and valued.
I have spent my entire career in the NYC public sector working with the most vulnerable populations. I have worked primarily in health and human service nonprofit organizations, as well as the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, where my focus was on equity, inclusion, and belonging, as well as improving access to timely, high-quality treatment, recovery and support services. Early on in my career, I volunteered as a psychiatry resident at GMHC and a LGBTQ+ youth runaway drop-in center in the West Village. I also served on the board of the Empire State Pride Agenda Foundation while it was advocating for marriage equality and other fundamental LGBTQ+ matters.
As S:US President & CEO, I am proud of the work we’re doing on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) across S:US and among our Board. We will continue our efforts to ensure we create a safe and welcoming workplace for everyone.