SLDN, OUTSERVE launch search for new Executive Director

Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) and OutServe today announced the search process for an Executive Director, who will lead the new organization, OutServe-SLDN, upon completion of the combination of the two organizations. The executive search firm, McCormack & Associates of Palm Springs, CA, has been retained to manage the national recruitment process in collaboration with a designated search committee of the two existing boards. The search for an executive director for SLDN, launched earlier this year, was dramatically changed when the boards of OutServe and SLDN voted to combine at their July 2012 board meetings.

"The search for the first person to lead this newly combined organization comes at a critical moment in the fight for full LGBT equality in our armed forces. That fight marches forward - including for those legally married gay and lesbian service members who today do not receive the same recognition, support or benefits for their families as their straight, married peers. We will not rest until we overcome existing inequities and ensure full LGBT equality in the military," said SLDN Board Co-Chair April Heinze, who is on the search committee.

The position of Executive Director of OutServe-SLDN provides a unique professional opportunity to lead a newly formed, national LGBT military organization seeking and ensuring full equality for LGBT service members, veterans, and their families. He or she will manage ongoing legal and legislative efforts to dismantle federal laws - including the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) - which prevent the military from treating all service members, veterans, and their families equally. He or she will oversee pro bono legal services for LGBT service members, work with the Department of Defense and congressional leaders for effective implementation of open service, and work to address any harassment or discrimination related to sexual orientation or gender identity that may occur.

Additionally, the leader will oversee building a new infrastructure to grow the existing OutServe membership and chapter structure as the organization expands its role as a place for LGBT service members and veterans to connect through professional association. The new Executive Director will champion work for full equality on behalf of the nation's gay and lesbian service members in the media, in communities across the U.S., and with stakeholders at every level, including at the White House, on Capitol Hill, and at the Pentagon. He or she will also lead OutServe-SLDN's ongoing advocacy for transgender military service.

"In light of the combination of OutServe and SLDN, we wanted to launch the search anew in order to attract the best and brightest individuals to lead the way at an unprecedented time for LGBT service members. The first Executive Director of OutServe-SLDN has a great challenge in front of him or her - but also a great opportunity to finish the job we started with the repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' and build an organization that will endure as a place for LGBT service members to go for support, information, connectivity, and growth," said Josh Seefried, co-director of OutServe, who is on the search committee.

Aubrey Sarvis, the current SLDN Executive Director, has agreed to remain until a new leader is announced. Click here for the job description and instructions for applying.

SLDN, OutServe Boards Announce Intent to Merge

 
The boards of directors of Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) and OutServe today announced the intent to combine the two organizations into a single organization by October 2012 with a new name and a newly configured board of directors led by a representative from each existing organization. In the intervening period, the boards and staff of both organizations will focus on unifying the two administratively, financially, and organizationally. 

"SLDN has enjoyed a close working relationship with OutServe and its leaders from the beginning. Indeed, their voices, though anonymous at the time, were an integral part of the fight to repeal the discriminatory 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' law. Since repeal, we've worked even more closely together and in doing so, it has become more and more clear that our shared mission - representing actively serving military and veterans, as well as fighting to achieve full LGBT equality in the military - is better accomplished by uniting the two organizations and working together as one on behalf of the brave men and women of our armed forces," said SLDN Board of Directors Co-Chair Mike Magee.

OutServe rose to prominence after it began as an underground network of LGBT service members connected via Facebook that now boasts more than 5,500 members worldwide. During the fight to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT), the group facilitated telling the stories of active duty service members in the media and at the Pentagon, becoming a key link for the Comprehensive Review Working Group that allowed the voices of those who were serving in silence to be heard. Just a few weeks after DADT repeal, OutServe hosted the first-ever conference of active duty LGBT service members.

"This comes down to mission first, just as it always is in the military.  Both of these organizations recognize that they are stronger and more effective together. It is a great day for both organizations and for the LGBT service members and veterans around the world, who need a strong, unified voice speaking for them at the White House, on Capitol Hill, at the Pentagon, and among the American people. What began as a simple effort to tell our stories has grown into something we could never have imagined, and today's announcement that OutServe and SLDN will combine represents the next step in that evolution. Each organization brings its own strengths to the fight for full LGBT military equality, and we are stronger together," said Josh Seefried, co-founder and co-director of OutServe.

Under the terms of the agreement reached on Saturday by the two boards of directors, the transaction will close when specific contingencies are removed, which include outstanding legal, financial, and structural elements. The close is expected at the next board meetings of the two groups, scheduled to take place October 26-28 in Orlando, FL.

“We are enthusiastic about the combination of these two vibrant and effective organizations and looking forward to working together to provide the best representation and services for the LGBT service members and veterans, who have made so many sacrifices to serve our great nation,” said SLDN Board of Directors Co-Chair April Heinze.

"The leadership of OutServe and SLDN have come together in an unprecedented way to move the ball forward on the mission of full LGBT military equality, and we couldn't be more proud of this combined effort to serve the brave LGBT men and women in our armed forces," said OutServe co-founder and co-director Ty Walrod.