Stonewall Columbus Executive Director Densil Porteous will step down next month to take a leadership role with the Human Rights Campaign, the organization announced in a press release on June 8.
Porteous, who has led Stonewall Columbus since 2021 after serving as interim executive director beginning in 2020, will leave the organization effective July 1.
The announcement comes during Pride Month and days before Stonewall Columbus hosts its annual Pride Festival and March, one of the largest LGBTQ+ celebrations in Ohio.
According to the release, Porteous will accept a national leadership position with the Human Rights Campaign, one of the nation’s largest LGBTQ+ civil rights organizations.
“Densil has led Stonewall Columbus through a period of growth, change, and impact,” Stonewall Columbus Board President K Terry Smith said in a statement. “His leadership helped position the organization for long-term success while ensuring Stonewall remained responsive to the evolving needs of our community.”
During his tenure, Stonewall Columbus expanded community programming, increased philanthropic support, strengthened operations and partnerships and launched new initiatives serving LGBTQ+ individuals and families, according to the release.
“Stonewall Columbus has never been about any one person,” Porteous said in a statement. “It is the result of thousands of community members, volunteers, staff, board members, donors, sponsors, and advocates who have chosen, year after year, to invest in a vision of a more visible, inclusive, and connected community.”
The Stonewall Columbus Board of Trustees has begun a transition process and will announce additional details regarding interim leadership and a search for Porteous’ successor in the coming weeks.
Stonewall Columbus has served the LGBTQ+ community in central Ohio since 1981.
Trending reporter Amani Bayo can be reached at abayo@dispatch.com.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Stonewall Columbus executive director leaving for national LGBTQ+ role
Reporting by Amani Bayo, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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By Amani Bayo, Columbus Dispatch | USA TODAY Network
