Organizations United Together has hired long-time activist Ted Howard to serve as its interim director and state coordinator.
The newly formed group is focused on work place equality and respect.
Howard brings plenty of experience to the table. He is a co-founder of the Jacksonville, Fla.-area Sexual Minority Youth Network and served as the Director of Operations and Leadership for Equality Florida from 1999-2004.
He was also the first-ever openly gay outreach director for a gubernatorial nominee, Bill McBride, in 2004.
“I am very excited about the opportunity for cooperation OUT represents for local, state and national organizations in our state, and I am thrilled at the opportunity to help OUT in a full-time capacity,” said Howard, who resigned from his position with Raymond James Financial to take on the new role. “Working together, we will achieve equality for LGBT people in Florida.”
Howard will hold the position until a national search finds a permanent executive director to be appointed.
“OUT is delighted to have Ted take this full-time position,” said OUT board chairman Georg Ketelhohn. “Ted is well-known and respected by LGBT leaders across Florida for his many years of hard work in the movement, his impeccable ethics and his organizational skills.”
Howard plans to focus his efforts on the first “OUT University” training, which will offer capacity building and leadership training for local LGBT leaders and organizations.
For more information on the organization, visit OUTFl.org
