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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AUGUST 22, 2006
Contact:
Christina Gilgor, Kentucky Fairness Alliance Executive Director, (859) 420-6677
Gay Rights Leader Congratulates Kentucky Fairness Alliance on Strong Leadership
Baltimore --- Gay rights leader Vic Basile congratulated the Kentucky Fairness Alliance (KFA) yesterday on its election of Benton resident Jody Cofer to chair its Board of Directors.
He said, “In 2005, the Kentucky Fairness Alliance took a stride toward statewide fairness protecting LGBT people from discrimination in housing, employment, and public accommodations by hiring Christina Gilgor to take the helm of the organization as executive director. Recently, I learned that KFA took another stride by selecting Jody Cofer as chairperson of their Board of Directors. Jody is both industrious and resourceful, and he has a unique personality that brings people together. Those characteristics are essential in building the pyramid of fairness from the ground up! Good choice, Kentucky.”
Basile is co-chairperson of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation Board of Directors and a member of Equality Maryland. He served as the HRC executive director from 1983 until 1989 when he departed the organization to form Moveable Feast, a non-profit that works to ensure nutritional needs are met for those living in the Baltimore area suffering from HIV and AIDS.
KFA Executive Director Christina Gilgor welcomed Basile’s praise. “I always appreciate affirmation that we’re on the right track toward building the fair Kentucky we envision,” she said.
Gilgor has a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Kentucky. Her experience with the General Electric Corporate Audit Staff inspired her to bring aggressive performance and outcome management procedures to the public sphere. She has experience managing a ten county community mental health facility with a $16 million annual budget. For the 5 years prior to joining KFA, she operated a successful private consulting firm through which she provided political campaign management and fundraising training and implementation for local, state and federal campaigns. She lives with her partner of eight years and their two young sons.
Jody Randall Cofer works as Program Specialist under Dr. John Mateja at Murray State University’s Undergraduate Research and Scholarly Activity office (URSA). Cofer has been with MSU since fall 2001, where he studies art history and creative writing. He serves ex-officio with the Undergraduate Research and Scholarly Activity Advisory Board and McNair Scholars program, and coordinates the statewide Posters-at-the-Capitol program for the Kentucky legislature. He was the founding chairperson of the Marshall County Commission for the Arts and a former board member of the Kentucky Alliance for Arts Education. In his spare time, he travels, spends time with friends, and practices performing and visual arts.
Cofer was elected Chair of the KFA Board of Directors in an August 5 vote to fill vacancies on the Board’s Executive Committee. Chip Begley of London was elected treasurer, and Dean Forster of Covington was elected secretary.
Fresh from last week’s gathering of local, state, and national leaders at the Equality Federation’s Summer Meeting, Gilgor says she’s energized. “I’m really looking forward to working with this leadership team. There’s a lot of work ahead of us, and they’re excited about it and committed to it.”
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With over 10,000 members, the Kentucky Fairness Alliance seeks to advance equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people through leadership development, public education and by encouraging participation in the democratic process.
The Ampersand symbolizes the solidarity we are building through Friends & Family, and suggests the inclusiveness we are working toward. It reflects the idea that no one individual, legislator, organization, or city can carry all the water for equality. Our success lies in our solidarity.
