The ‘Comings & Goings’ column will chronicle important life changes of Blade readers.

Welcome to the first Comings & Goings column, where we will share the professional achievements and milestones of our LGBT readers with the community. Have you started a new job or business? Landed a new client? Looking to hire a new employee or add a member to your board? We are interested in all of that and more.

Send your tips and story ideas to us at [email protected]. Please let us know what you or your friends are doing and when exciting things happen in your career and in your life.

Paul Hazen

It has been an exciting month for Paul Hazen, executive director of the U.S. Overseas Cooperative Development Council. First he was elected to the board of the National Cooperative Bank. Then on Sept. 29 he spoke at the United Nations at the Sustainable Development Summit. His remarks focused on the need for legal and regulatory reform and increased financing for the solidarity economy, including cooperatives. The event was chaired by French President Francois Hollande and leaders from Ecuador, Morocco, Costa Rica, Senegal and a variety of U.N. agencies described the impact of cooperatives around the world.

Many in our community understand how hard it was to come out and be true to themselves during their college years. One respected D.C. resident has found a great way to help future generations accomplish their goals. It was announced by Ohio State University that, “Kevin Keller, CEO of the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc., has endowed the Kevin R. Keller Scholarship Fund for LGBTQ students from rural Ohio. It is the first scholarship of its kind in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at Ohio State.” In making the donation, Keller said, “I was fortunate to have numerous opportunities and the support of my family and others within The Ohio State University community throughout my academic career. This is my way of expressing my appreciation to the University and giving back to our LBGTQ students is my passion and area of interest.”

Kevin Keller

Brett Zongker has had a busy and impressive career as a journalist. He was with the Associated Press for more than 11 years. At the AP, Brett reported mainly on art, culture and education and his work has been published by The New York Times, MSNBC and USA Today. He has now joined George Washington University as senior associate director of media relations. According to Candace Smith, assistant vice president of media relations at GWU, “Zongker will be a spokesperson for the university and will also work on media relations and strategy and other related projects.” In addition to his new position, Zongker will continue to teach classes at American University, where he has served as an adjunct professor since 2012.

Brett Zongker