Local
Comings & Goings
Quintero to Healthsperien; Pullen lands at Georgetown
The ‘Comings & Goings’ column chronicles important life changes of Blade readers.
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 Ray Quintero, now a principal at Healthsperien, LLC, a D.C.-based consulting and legal services firm focused on strategic issues operating at the intersection of public policy, business strategy and government affairs. The company helps organizations navigate the complexities of health care policy, politics and regulation.
Ray Quintero
Quintero has a wide range of expertise in health care, spanning the care and management spectrum including patients, providers, educators, payers and pharmaceutical manufacturers. Prior to joining Healthsperien, he served as senior vice president of Public Policy at the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) in D.C. and Chicago. As part of the senior leadership team, he led and executed the overall strategic vision of the AOA, a national membership organization comprised of nearly 130,000 osteopathic physicians and medical students nationwide. He oversaw the AOA’s diverse Federal & State government relations program. During his tenure at the AOA, Quintero led the association’s efforts on many issues, including Medicare physician payment, medical liability reform and graduate medical education. He also represented the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians as its director of government relations.
Quintero has also held government relations positions at Merck Pharmaceuticals, Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and served as vice president of Strategic Alliances at SevenTwenty Strategies, where he provided grassroots and public affairs counsel to a range of health care clients.
Quintero is a native of Arizona. He received his bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Arizona, where he served as student body president and on the Arizona Alumni Association Board.
Congratulations also to Bill Pullen on his new position at Georgetown University as program co-director, Georgetown University Leadership Coaching Program. The coaching program is housed in the Institute of Transformational Leadership. Pullen will also continue to run his own company.
Pullen is president of BPA Coaching and Consulting. He is an executive coach and organizational development consultant who provides executive coaching, team coaching and leadership development services to both public and private organizations. His work focuses on developing current and emerging leaders, building leadership capacity within organizations and aligning leader behavior with organizational strategy and mission needs. He has delivered individual and team coaching to a wide range of organizations.
Pullen is known for his straightforward, insightful approach to helping people and organizations identify behaviors that promote or detract from leader effectiveness. Taking a systematic approach, he uses a cycle of assessment, challenge and support to accelerate development, enhance performance and build leadership identity, presence, behaviors and skills. Through the use of various assessment instruments, he is able to give targeted feedback and create development plans that align with the needs of both the individual and the organization. His approach reinforces coaching and feedback, by creating a cycle of action and learning that leads to sustained, effective improvement in performance.
Pullen has a bachelor’s degree from Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia and a master’s in Organizational Development from Johns Hopkins University. He is a Master Certified Coach through the International Coach Federation. He has done advanced coach training in adult development, neuroscience and consciousness and systems and team coaching.
Bill Pullen
District of Columbia
Blade welcomes fall intern
Alexis McLean is student at University of North Florida
The Washington Blade this week welcomed Alexis McLean as its fall intern.
Alexis is studying political science at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, Fla. She is interning with the Blade as part of a continued partnership with the Washington Center.
“I am looking forward to spending my time in the fall with the Washington Blade, as this is a new experience for me,” said Alexis. “I have not experienced any journalist jobs in the past so this would be my first time, and I am excited to better my writing and communications skills with this internship.”
Alexis’s internship with the Blade ends in early December.
Rehoboth Beach
SUNFESTIVAL takes center stage as Rehoboth Beach closes out summer
Labor Day Weekend bustling with events, including David Archuleta performance
Labor Day Weekend marks the unofficial end of summer in Rehoboth Beach, but there will be no shortage of LGBTQ events, with CAMP Rehoboth’s annual SUNFESTIVAL taking over town this weekend.
Thursday (9/3)
Get your Labor Day Weekend started early Thursday night with happy hour from 5-7 p.m. at Diego’s Bar & Nightclub, followed by Naughtee Bingo hosted by Magnolia Applebottom at 8:30 p.m.
After bingo, the party continues with Dancing at Diego’s from 9 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.
Aqua Bar & Grill will also kick off its Labor Day Weekend festivities Thursday with a DJ spinning from 9 p.m.-1 a.m.
Friday (9/4)
The weekend ramps up Friday night at Aqua, where DJ Matt Bailer will keep the dance floor moving from 9 p.m.-1 a.m.
Over at Diego’s, DJ Steve Sidewalk will then take over Diego’s for Freedom Friday from 9 p.m.-1:30 a.m.
Saturday (9/5)
The main event of the weekend arrives Saturday with the opening night of CAMP Rehoboth’s SUNFESTIVAL.
Billed as the ultimate party to close out the summer, SUNFESTIVAL has become one of Rehoboth’s signature Labor Day Weekend events. The annual celebration sells out each year, with proceeds benefiting CAMP Rehoboth.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with refreshments available at the cash bar while attendees are invited to socialize and find their seats.
Saturday night will feature local singer Ashley Williams as the opening performer, followed by headliner David Archuleta. The event will also feature a live auction.
Back across town Saturday, Aqua will continue its Labor Day Weekend DJ lineup from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Diego’s will also have plenty happening, with ‘Splash Party’ hosted by Magnolia Applebottom at 5 p.m., followed by a Saturday Dance Party with Brett Oosterhaus from 9 p.m.- 1:30 a.m.
The Blue Moon hosts its popular Legends Show at 9 p.m. It’s an all-live singing show by the Blue Moon cast of celebrity impersonators.
Etienne Pilon has taken Rehoboth by storm this summer. Check out the talented singer/pianist at The Pines from 7-10 p.m.
Sunday (9/6)
Sunday’s SUNFESTIVAL event will shift the focus to the dance floor, with globally renowned DJs Robbie Leslie and James Anthony scheduled to perform. Doors open at 7 p.m., with dancing continuing until 1 a.m.
On Sunday, Aqua will throw its annual White Party, with DJs spinning from 9 p.m.-1 a.m. Guests are encouraged to dress in white for the holiday weekend celebration.
Diego’s will host its Sunday High T-Dance with Pamala Stanley at 5 p.m. Later that evening, DJ Tannr will be spinning at 9 p.m.
John Flynn is on the piano from 6-8 p.m. at the Blue Moon.
Monday (9/7)
The final day of Labor Day Weekend brings one last chance to hit the dance floor before summer officially winds down.
Aqua will close out its five-day Labor Day Weekend celebration with DJ Biff from 3-7 p.m.
Maryland
Anne Arundel schools now need parent permission to call trans students by preferred names
Conservative groups challenged system’s policy
By JESSICA CALEFATI | Anne Arundel County Public Schools staff cannot use transgender students’ preferred names if their parents oppose it, according to an internal document reviewed by the Banner, a change that comes after conservative groups challenged the school system’s approach to gender identity.
Teachers union president Kristina Korona told members in an Aug. 20 email that the new guidance undermines district policy on acceptance and inclusivity and “will begin harming affected students immediately.”
Previously, the district didn’t require parental permission to use a high school student’s chosen name and pronouns corresponding to their gender identity, the internal document says. Now it does. The change comes as parents challenge the suburban school system’s gender identity policy and regulation in court and the Trump-Vance administration threatens the district’s funding.
The rest of this article can be found on the Baltimore Banner’s website.
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