FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 27, 2011
HRC President Joe Solmonese to Depart Early 2012
Board Announces Search Process, Salutes Leadership
WASHINGTON – The co-chairs of the Human Rights Campaign Board of Directors and the HRC Foundation Board today announced that HRC President Joe Solmonese has informed the boards that he will not renew his contract which expires March 31, 2012. Solmonese will remain at the helm of the organization until the completion of his contract to ensure a smooth leadership transition.
At the same time, the co-chairs announced the formation of a search committee to be co-chaired by board members Joni Madison of Hillsborough, N.C., and Dana Perlman of Los Angeles.
"Joe Solmonese is an outstanding leader," said Anne Fay who co-chairs the Foundation Board of Directors with Andy Linsky. “While we will miss his extraordinary leadership, we enter this next phase, thanks to Joe, in the best place the organization has ever been. Not only has our community secured historic victories, but our membership is larger and more active than at any time in our history, and our financial health is secure even in these difficult economic times."
"From the repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell', to the recent passage of marriage equality in New York, Joe has made sure that HRC is an effective and strategic force for positive change," said Tim Downing, who co-chairs the HRC Board of Directors with Rebecca Tillet. "Over the course of his tenure, he's set the tone for delivering real reform that matters in peoples' everyday lives."
"Leading HRC has been an inspiring experience and a complete privilege," said Solmonese. "I could not be more proud of our staff, our volunteer leadership and of the extraordinary progress we've made together as a community.”
Solmonese’s leadership has taken the organization from 750,000 members and supporters to more than 1,000,000. Additionally, he oversaw significant expansion of HRC’s public education and outreach programs including the launch of the Healthcare Equality index, a more robust Religion and Faith Program and wider reach and success of the Corporate Equality Index. The HRC Foundation also launched the Welcoming Schools program to address family diversity, gender stereotyping, bullying and name calling in schools, as well as the All Children All Families initiative that helps open up adoption agencies to prospective LGBT parents. The grassroots field operation also expanded – most recently mounting the largest state-level campaign in LGBT movement history resulting in the passage of marriage equality in New York.
When Solmonese began at HRC in 2005, the organization was fighting the Federal Marriage Amendment and now marriage equality is a reality in six states and the District of Columbia with more within sight. Under Solmonese’s leadership we saw the passage of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, the repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' and numerous administrative changes from gender identity non-discrimination policies for federal workers to reversing the HIV travel ban to ensuring that equal visitation in federally funded hospitals.
"HRC has never been stronger and after nearly seven years, this is the right moment for me to move on," said Solmonese. “As I explore new professional possibilities, I plan on continuing to pour my heart and soul into improving the lives of members of our community – from battling proposed marriage amendments to creating more equitable workplaces to ensuring the President Obama is reelected for a second term.”
The four volunteer board co-chairs will work with the search committee co-chairs in selecting the full committee as well as securing an executive search firm to assist the organization.
"From the beginning, we asked Joe to give us six months of transition when he decided to leave and he's done that," said Tillet. "We have every confidence that we will find and engage a new leader within that timeframe."
The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.
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Joe Solmonese Leaving HRC in 2012
In a statement, Foundation Board co-chair Anne Fay praised Solmonese’s work and said, “While we will miss his extraordinary leadership, we enter this next phase, thanks to Joe, in the best place the organization has ever been. Not only has our community secured historic victories, but our membership is larger and more active than at any time in our history, and our financial health is secure, even in these difficult economic times."
Since being appointed president of Human Rights Campaign in 2005, Solmonese has been a strategic force in LGBT rights advocacy, not only in legislatures, but in the workplace, in schools, religious congregations, and media outlets, steering the organization through two extraordinarily successful election cycles. He is also credited with growing the organization from 750,000 members and supporters to more than 1,000,000.
In 2005 Solmonese launched HRC’s Religion and Faith Program, which provides innovative resources for LGBT and faith-based allies who strive to end the use of religion as a weapon of oppression. He also oversaw HRC’s Family Project, which helped foster protections for LGBT people, their partners, and their children in the community, at work, in schools, and in health care. In addition, he has counseled corporate leaders across the country to help them achieve smart and fair business practices that positively impact millions of LGBT employees.
Under Solmonese’s leadership, HRC also saw the passage of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, the repeal of “Don't Ask, Don't Tell,” and numerous administrative changes, including the reversal of the HIV travel ban.
"HRC has never been stronger, and after nearly seven years, this is the right moment for me to move on," Solmonese said Saturday. “As I explore new professional possibilities, I plan on continuing to pour my heart and soul into improving the lives of members of our community — from battling proposed marriage amendments to creating more equitable workplaces to ensuring the President Obama is reelected for a second term.”
Prior to being appointed president of HRC, the Massachusetts native acted as Chief Executive Officer of EMILY’s List, where he developed the Political Opportunity Program (POP), which trained progressive, pro-choice female candidates to wage and win campaigns for state and local offices. A longtime political activist, Solmonese has also worked for former Gov. Michael Dukakis and U.S. rep Barney Frank, and in June he was honored with the Hubert Humphrey award for his work on civil rights.
Richard Socarides, president of Equality Matters, credits Solmonese for presiding over HRC “during the greatest pro-gay advances in our history” and building a “giant organization,” but told Advocate.com that “the challenges for a new leader are clear: HRC remains insular, not open to new approaches or ideas. They are so tied to the established order in Washington that they sometimes seem mostly focused on not rocking the boat. Hopefully that can change.”
Pam Spaulding of Pam's House Blend reports that the transition at the top signals "the beginning of a larger staff shake-up in the HRC," just as the pivotal 2012 election is ramping up. Although HRC has already endorsed President Obama in his reelection effort, the group has played at the forefront of criticism of the records of Rick Perry and Michele Bachmann, two antigay Republican candidates for president.
It also has organizers on the ground in North Carolina and formed a political action committee in Minnesota — two states where marriage bans could be on the ballot in 2012. In Maine, and perhaps Oregon, gay rights activists could put marriage equality on the ballot. And in Maryland, the state's governor has pledged to fight for passage of a marriage equality bill in the same way that Andrew Cuomo of New York led to success, notably calling all of the gay rights organizations together into a coordinated effort.
Previous HRC leaders include Vic Basile, who went on to become counsel to the Obama administration's gay director of personnel management; Tim McFeeley, who later served as political director for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force; Elizabeth Birch, who founded consulting firm Birch & Company in 2004 and in 2007 was named one of 65 LGBT leaders on a national steering committee for the presidential campaign of Hillary Clinton; and Cheryl Jacques, who continues the fight for equality as a diversity consultant for major corporations and non-profit organizations.
The HRC said the formation of a search committee would be co-chaired by board members Joni Madison of Hillsborough, N.C., and Dana Perlman of Los Angeles.
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HRC Announces Solmonese's Departure in 2012, Start of "Search Process" for Successor
The Human Rights Campaign this afternoon announced that its president, Joe Solmonese, will be stepping down from his role at the end of his current contract, which ends March 31, 2012. The news was announced following a report Friday evening, Aug. 26, by Pam Spaulding of Pam's House Blend that Solmonese would be leaving HRC after more than six years at the helm -- news which was confirmed hours later by Metro Weekly.
HRC vice president of communications Fred Sainz tells Metro Weekly, "By giving seven months notice, Joe has ensured that the board can conduct a thorough and complete search process while he remains at the helm of the organization."
Although Spaulding reported that "a replacement executive director has been identified," Metro Weekly reported earlier that four sources familiar with the situation describe that portion of the report as inaccurate -- with one saying the process is just beginning and will not be rapid.
As to that, Sainz says -- and today's announcement shows -- that there is no replacement yet selected. Sainz, though, goes further, telling Metro Weekly, "There will not be a need for an interim head [because of the lead time Solmonese has given the board], nor has -- given that there is a full search process -- a permanent replacement been identified."
According to today's news release, the co-chairs of HRC's board of directors and the HRC Foundation's board of directors "announced the formation of a search committee to be co-chaired by board members Joni Madison of Hillsborough, N.C., and Dana Perlman of Los Angeles." Madison and Perlman are members of the HRC board of directors.
Madison is the chief operating officer at McKinney, an independent advertising agency based in Durham, North Carolina. According to her firm biography, she oversees creative services, human resources, information technology and office services. According to OpenSecrets.org, Madison is not a significant campaign donor although she donated $2,300 to Hillary Clinton in the Democratic presidential primary in 2008 and $2,300 to Kay Hagan (D) in the North Carolina U.S. Senate election in 2008.
Perlman, an attorney who graduated from USC School of Law, is a member of the National Finance Committee of the Obama for America campaign and a co-chair of the LGBT Leadership Council of the Democratic National Committee, in addition to his HRC leadership position, according to his law firm biography. According to OpenSecrets.org, Perlman contributed to more than 20 candidates in the past three election cycles (including the current one) -- all Democrats and primarily Senate candidates. In May, Perlman contributed $2,500 to the re-election campaign of President Barack Obama -- whose re-election HRC already has endorsed. Perlman also contributed $2,300 to Obama's 2008 campaign.
Madison and Perlman, along with HRC board of director co-chairs Timothy Downing and Rebecca Tillet and HRC Foundation board of director co-chairs Anne Fay and Andy Linsky, will be the key players in the search for Solmonese's successor.
Sainz noted, "It is the beginning of the process," adding that the six would be responsible for determining the process for moving forward -- with the selection of the search committee members and the decision to hire an executive search firm as their first order of business.
In the release announcing the news, Solmonese says, "HRC has never been stronger and after nearly seven years, this is the right moment for me to move on. As I explore new professional possibilities, I plan on continuing to pour my heart and soul into improving the lives of members of our community -- from battling proposed marriage amendments to creating more equitable workplaces to ensuring the President Obama is reelected for a second term."
Multiple sources familiar with the situation tell Metro Weekly that the decision came as a surprise to board members. The board was only formally told the news today in a conference call that originally had been scheduled for Aug. 29. Spaulding had reported that an announcement about Solmonese's departure was to be made public on Aug. 30.
Asked about the role that Cathy Woolard -- a consultant who has worked with HRC and advises the group currently on a number of projects, including its Workplace Project -- will play in the transition, Sainz said, "She's a consultant to HRC. There is no nexus between her and this search process."
Regarding the Solmonese's accomplishments, Fay said in the release, "Joe Solmonese is an outstanding leader. While we will miss his extraordinary leadership, we enter this next phase, thanks to Joe, in the best place the organization has ever been. Not only has our community secured historic victories, but our membership is larger and more active than at any time in our history, and our financial health is secure even in these difficult economic times."
Downing added, "From the repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell', to the recent passage of marriage equality in New York, Joe has made sure that HRC is an effective and strategic force for positive change. Over the course of his tenure, he's set the tone for delivering real reform that matters in peoples' everyday lives."
Although the passage of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act in 2009 and the passage of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act in 2010 will serve as highlights of his time leading the organization, Solmonese also was leading the group during one of the most divisive moments of its history -- its support in 2007 for a version of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act that was not inclusive of gender identity.
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