While most North Carolinians were bracing for Irene and most gay journalists were at a conference in Philadelphia, Pam Spaulding was breaking some big LGBT news. We got an exclusive last night from Pam about the future of HRC.:
Yes, it's the end of an era. The Blend has learned, from a trusted source in a position to know the details, that Joe Solmonese, President of the Human Rights Campaign, the largest national lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization in the country, will announce his departure next Tuesday. Solmonese will reportedly step down from the organization in December of this year.Pam has a series of questions for HRC, as it enters this next phase. Be very interesting to see how the organization's board proceeds.
His departure also signals, according to our source, the beginning of a larger staff shake-up in the HRC. The Blend can also report that a replacement executive director has been identified -- it will be someone who is not currently on the HRC's staff, but is currently a paid consultant that has worked with the civil rights group for some time.
Metro Weekly's Chris Geidner, following up on Pam's report, was told that there is not a new Executive Director, but the consultant who will play a role is Cathy Woolard. The HRC board will proceed with a search.
