After an extensive search led by One Colorado’s board of directors, we have named Dave Montez as the organization’s new Executive Director. We’re thrilled to welcome such an accomplished leader to our One Colorado family.
Some of you may already recognize Dave’s name from the tremendous work he’s done within the LGBT movement. Most recently, he served as Acting President of GLAAD, a national organization that has long operated as the LGBT movement’s media and communications watchdog.
Dave previously worked here in Colorado as a program officer at the Gill Foundation, one of the nation’s leading funders of LGBT equal rights work. While there, he focused on cutting edge advocacy campaigns to achieve policy change at the state level. He also spearheaded the foundation’s Latino Initiative, which has built support among Latinos for marriage equality, nondiscrimination, and safe schools and encouraged many LGBT organizations to advocate for immigration reform.
For Dave, our mission of building a fair and just Colorado is personal. He grew up in the southern Colorado town of Gardner, later graduating from the Metropolitan State University of Denver. Dave knows very well how hard we have all worked together to advance equality in our state because he’s been part of many of those efforts. He also knows our work is not finished – from continuing to stand up for LGBT youth facing bullying and harassment in our schools, to tearing down the barriers preventing transgender Coloradans from getting the health care they need, to securing the freedom to marry for thousands of loving, committed couples across our state.
When Dave takes the helm of One Colorado in early 2014, he’ll be doing so with a hefty to-do list and very big shoes to fill, but he has the experience and determination to hit the ground running as we continue our march toward full equality. And he also will be able to count on all of us – the board, staff, volunteers, and supporters who make up the One Colorado family – to be there with him as we tackle the next challenges.
Please join me in celebrating this critical step forward for One Colorado and our entire community.
