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Comings & Goings
Greer to head PAI; Micone leads Combined Federal Campaign
The ‘Comings & Goings’ column chronicles important life changes of Blade readers.
The Comings and Goings column is about sharing the professional successes of our community. We want to recognize those landing new jobs, new clients for their business, joining boards of organizations and other achievements. Please share your successes with us at [email protected].
Congratulations to Reginald Greer who has been appointed director of the Presidential Appointments Institute at the Gay and Lesbian Victory Institute. PAI successfully assisted hundreds of LGBT people searching for placements in the Obama administration and is expanding its efforts to secure presidential appointments for LGBT people in the next administration.
Upon his appointment, Greer said, “I am honored to further that legacy. We are continuing to build our talent bank with qualified LGBT leaders who can be the foundation for a successful administration, and we will be their allies in finding a placement. We encourage LGBT people across the country to consider public service and to register with our initiative.”
Greer previously served as Deputy Director of Public Engagement at the United States Department of Transportation where he developed strategies for effective communication and engagement with thousands of transportation stakeholders across every mode on key White House and departmental priorities. Appointed by President Obama and Secretary Anthony Foxx in May 2014, he served as the department’s liaison to the White House Business Council, engaging business leaders across the country on a wide range of transportation-related initiatives, programs and issues.
In 2016, Greer was appointed to serve on D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s LGBTQ Advisory Committee. He has served as a staff assistant for the political team at the Democratic National Committee, a youth organizer for the District of Columbia’s 2013 Commemorative Commission on the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington, a fellow for the 2013 Presidential Inaugural Committee’s National Day of Service team, and a field organizer for President Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign in Norfolk, Va.
Reginald Greer
Congratulations and thanks are also due to Vince Micone. He is the chair of the board of directors for the Combined Federal Campaign of the National Capital Area, the federal government’s workplace giving campaign. Under his leadership, the campaign has provided nearly $47 million annually in charitable contributions to more than 20,000 organizations. This year’s drive extends through December.
Micone’s full-time position is as Presidential Transition Officer and Senior Counselor Management Directorate, U.S. Department of Homeland Security. This position includes leading the Department’s efforts to prepare for and successfully execute a smooth presidential transition.
Micone is a 25-year veteran of federal civil service and a long-time activist in Washington’s philanthropic community. He has served in a variety of positions in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Department of Justice where he managed human resources programs and initiatives. These programs included policy development and implementation, ceremonies and campaigns, military affairs, voting assistance and community service efforts. He also was vice president for development for the non-profit Partnership for Public Service.
Micone is well known in our community for all the volunteer work he does with so many organizations. He helped lead the Metropolitan Washington, D.C. Gaymes Inc. in 2003 in an effort to bring the Gay Games to D.C. Today he is advising those working to bring them here in 2022. Micone was recently elected vice president of the Capital Pride Alliance.
He served as chair of the District of Columbia Commission on National and Community Service, a reserve police officer for the Metropolitan Police Department and an elected Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner.
Vince Micone
The Comings & Goings column is about sharing the professional successes of our community. We want to recognize those landing new jobs, new clients for their business, joining boards of organizations and other achievements. Please share your successes with us at [email protected].
Congratulations to Congresswoman Sarah McBride (D-Del.) on being honored with this year’s Stonewall Award from Whitman-Walker Health. Amy Nelson, senior director of Legal Services, said, “Congresswoman Sarah McBride is working to make healthcare accessible to all, and this award recognizes her support of healthcare as a human right. Our legal program supports families facing unprecedented challenges to stay healthy and safe – families that Congresswoman McBride champions with a deep understanding of the issues they face and the legislative expertise of how to support them.”
McBride, in a press release, said, “I am honored to accept this year’s Stonewall Award from Whitman-Walker Health — an organization that has spent 40 years doing vital work to ensure every person can access the dignity of care. In the wealthiest and most developed nation on earth, the ability to receive care should not be a matter of luck—it should be the law of the land. I am proud to be recognized as a partner in this work and to support Whitman-Walker Health in their mission to build a healthier society for all.”
Congratulations also to Wes Drummond who will join Clear Space Theatre Company in Rehoboth Beach, Del., as its third artistic director. Managing Director Joe Gfaller said, “This is an exciting moment of growth for Clear Space as we welcome Wes to join our remarkable team. I am confident he will be an excellent partner as we work with our entire staff, board, and committed team of volunteers, to ensure Clear Space can achieve its full potential in pursuit of our mission to unite and enrich our community through every production on stage, and every arts-based learning program we offer throughout our community.”
On accepting the position Drummond said, “I’m honored to join Clear Space Theatre Company as artistic director, and beyond excited for what we’re about to create together. Clear Space has established itself as a vital and vibrant part of the cultural life of coastal Delaware, and I feel incredibly fortunate to step into this next chapter alongside such a passionate and dedicated team. Rehoboth Beach is a place defined by creativity and community, and I look forward to listening, learning, and building meaningful relationships across the region in the months ahead. My vision is to help Clear Space continue to grow as a bold, forward-thinking, cultural force, that champions fearless storytelling.”
Drummond served in leadership roles at Duluth Playhouse in Duluth, Minn., from 2021 to 2026, including four years as executive director followed by one year as executive producing artistic director, guiding the organization through a period of significant transformation and stability in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a director, he has worked extensively in New York City, Chicago, and at regional theaters across the country, directing both musical theater and plays with a focus on storytelling that bridges classical works with contemporary perspectives. He has collaborated with leading figures in the industry, including Tony Award-winning director Matthew Warchus, and Tony-nominated director Michael Greif. He is an associate member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.
Wes earned his MFA in directing, Penn State University, where he studied under Tony-nominated director, Susan H. Schulman.
Virginia
Va. Supreme Court invalidates Democrat-backed redistricting plan
Voters narrowly approved new congressional districts last month
The Virginia Supreme Court on Friday struck down a Democrat-backed redistricting plan that voters approved last month.
Ten of 11 of Virginia’s congressional districts favor Democrats in the plan that passed by a 51-48 vote margin in last month’s referendum.
The Human Rights Campaign PAC is among the groups that support it. The court by a 4-3 majority invalidated the referendum results.
District of Columbia
Maren Morris to headline Capital Pride Concert
Grammy award-winning singer/songwriter came out as bisexual in 2024
Capital Pride Alliance, the group that organizes D.C.’s annual LGBTQ Pride events, announced on May 7 that nationally acclaimed singer-songwriter Maren Morris, who identifies as bisexual, will be the headline performer at this year’s Capital Pride Concert scheduled for June 21.
The concert takes place as part of the annual Capital Pride Festival held on Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., usually between 3rd Street near the U.S. Capitol and 9th Street.
“Morris, known for her genre-blending sound and outspoken support of LGBTQ+ rights, will be joined by a standout lineup, including acclaimed queer rapper Leikeli47, pop icon Lisa Lisa, Juno-nominated producer and DJ from the ‘Heated Rivalry’ soundtrack, Harrison, and ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Season 18 winner Myki Meeks,” according to a statement released by Capital Pride.
“In a moment when LGBTQ+ people are being challenged across the country, the Capital Pride Concert is a space where our community is fully seen and heard,” Ryan Bos, the Capital Pride Alliance CEO and president, said in the statement. “Bringing Maren Morris to the stage reflects this year’s theme: Exist, Resist, Have the Audacity,” Bos said.
The statement notes that the concert takes place as part of the annual D.C. Pride Festival, which is open to the public free of charge, with tickets available for purchase for specific areas listed as the Capital Stage Pit Zone and the VIP Concert Zone.
It says the festival takes place from 12 –10 p.m. and points out that in addition to the music performed by multiple other performers on several stages, festival attendees “can explore hundreds of exhibitors, community organizations, and artisans, along with multiple food courts and beverage gardens throughout the festival footprint.”
Information on the Capital Pride Alliance website shows that the festival takes place one day after the annual Capital Pride Parade, scheduled for June 20 and which is expected to travel from 14th and T Streets, N.W., to Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., where it is expected to end at 9th Street.
The statement adds that following the stage performances during the June 21 festival, which are expected to conclude around 8 p.m., “the celebration will continue with the Capitol Sunset Dance Party, closing out the evening against the backdrop of the U.S. Capitol.”
The online publication Today, which is part of the NBC “Today” television show, reported that Morris came out as bisexual in a 2024 during Pride. It reports Morris “shared several images of herself holding a Pride flag to mark the occasion, writing, ‘Happy to be the B in LGBTQ+’”
Comings & Goings
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