(Image from The Center Orlando’s Facebook)
ORLANDO | The LGBT+ Center Orlando announced Dec. 1 that Nikole Parker will be the organization’s new Chief Operating Officer.
Parker is the former Director of Transgender Equality for Equality Florida, that state’s largest LGBTQ+ civil rights organization. She has also been a part of several nonprofit boards and advisory councils in Central Florida including the Orlando United Assistance Center, Contigo Fund, the onePULSE Foundation Memorial Task Force, The Center Orlando and more.
Parker is a decorated LGBTQ+ rights activist who was recognized as one of Watermark’s Most Remarkable People in 2018, as well as, in 2019, was nationally recognized by Congressman Darren Soto in honor of LGBTQ+ Pride Month, having her biography read into the Congressional Record. She was also honored with the Emerging Leader Award by the Association of Fundraising Professionals in 2021, the Champion of Equality Award by The Center Orlando in 2022 and the Marsha P. Johnson & Sylvia Rivera Trans Justice Pioneer Award from the Contigo Fund in 2023.
Parker will begin in her new position on Jan. 2.
The Center Orlando also announced several promotions in the organization.
Marshall Turner, who began volunteering at The Center Orlando in 2019 before joining the staff in 2020 and becoming the Director of Operations in 2021, was named Chief Impact and Programs Officer. Keyna Harris, The Center Orlando’s Director of Community Health, will now be Chief Health Equity Officer; Amanda Phillips, the organization’s Director of Development, will now be Chief Development Officer; and Darrell Lake, the Director of Human Resources at The Center Orlando, is now Chief Human Resources Officer.
