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Comings & Goings
Meet Rep. Shalala’s new legislative assistant
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 Rob Smith, who was named Managing Broker at Chatel Real Estate, Inc. Smith has more than 25 years of experience in residential, commercial, land sales as well as the rental market. Chatel Real Estate is one of the oldest real estate firms in the Metro D.C. area with offices in Georgetown and Dupont Circle and they are looking to expand. Smith’s broad knowledge of the central and Northern Virginia and the Washington markets, consumer and design trends, and the many criteria involved in the sale or purchase of a property provide his clients and customers with unparalleled service. He said, “I have built my reputation in the market through a commitment of personalized service to my agents and clients. They all know I am available around the clock to respond to questions at a moment’s notice.”
Smith was first licensed in Georgia in the early ’90s, and after many successful years in Atlanta real estate, moved to Virginia in 2010. He began working at a boutique real estate company in Orange, Va. as its managing broker and property manager. He then joined Berkshire Hathaway Home Services PenFed Realty in Manassas, Va.
Smith currently lives in the Northern Virginia area, enjoys wine tastings at his family’s vineyard and brewery in the Fredericksburg, Va. area. He has a bachelor’s degree in business from the University of Kansas.
Congratulations also to Christofer Horta Rivero who has been appointed a legislative assistant to newly elected Congresswoman Donna Shalala (D-Fla.). He previously worked for the House Democratic Caucus, chairman Joseph Crowley (NY-14) as a Policy Assistant. He managed the Democratic Caucus Jobs for America Task Force portfolio researching good practices for small businesses and large corporations in raising wages, employee stock option programs, profit sharing, retirement security, and hiring veterans. He represented Crowley in meetings with constituents, stakeholders, and advocacy groups on immigration, health care, tax policy, and foreign affairs in relation to issues affecting the chairman’s district and the caucus as a whole. He began working on the Hill for Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24) as a legislative intern.
Rivero was a Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Fellow conducting research on the human rights situations in Latin America, Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and Southeast Asia that focused on freedom of expression, rights of indigenous communities, violence against women and racial discrimination. He coordinated the annual LGBT Human Rights Defenders Breakfast Series with Central and South American activists and assisted in securing event speakers, logistical support, discussion transcripts, and post-event interviews with local press.
He earned a bachelor’s in history with a minor in political science from the Florida International University in Miami. He also has a certificate in European Studies and National Security Studies from the Green School of International and Public Affairs. He was the Hispanic Caucus Chair FIU College Democrats and a director at-large of the LGBT Congressional Staff Association.
Maryland
Evan Glass is leaning on his record. Is that enough for Montgomery County’s top job?
Gay county executive candidate pushing for equitable pay, safer streets, and cleaner environment
By TALIA RICHMAN | During a meet-and-greet at Poolesville Memorial United Methodist Church, Evan Glass got his loudest applause of the night with a plan he acknowledged was decidedly unsexy.
“Day one, I’ll hire a director of permitting services,” the county executive candidate said.
Doing so, he added, is a step toward easing the regulatory burdens that can stifle small businesses in Montgomery County.
The only problem? At least one of his fiercest competitors is making a similar pledge.
The rest of this article can be read on the Baltimore Banner’s website.
District of Columbia
D.C. bar, LGBTQ+ Community Center to mark Lesbian Visibility Week
‘Ahead of the Curve’ documentary screening, ‘Queeroke’ among events
2026 Lesbian Visibility Week North America will take place from April 20-26.
This year marks the third annual Lesbian Visibility Week, run by the Curve Foundation. A host of events take place from April 20-26.
This year’s theme is Health and Wellness. For the Curve Foundation, the term “lesbian” serves as an umbrella term for a host of identities, including lesbians, bisexual and transgender women, and anyone else connected to the lesbian community.
The week kicks off with a flag-raising ceremony on April 19. It will take place in New York, but will be livestreamed for the public.
“Queeroke” is one of the events being held around the country. It will take place at various participating bars on April 23.
As You Are, an LGBTQ bar in Capitol Hill, is one of eight locations across the U.S. participating. Their event is free and 21+.
On April 24, the D.C. LGBTQ+ Community Center will hold a screening of “Ahead of the Curve,” a documentary about the founder of Curve, Franco Stevens. The event is free with an RSVP.
April 25, is Queer Women in Sports Day. And on April 26, several monuments in New York will be illuminated.
Virtual events ranging from health to sports will be made available to the public. Details will be released closer to the start of Lesbian Visibility Week. Featured events can be found on the official website.
Some ways for individuals to get involved are to use #LVW26 and tag the official Lesbian Visibility Week account on social media posts. People are encouraged to display their lesbian flags, and businesses can hand out pins and decorate. They can also reach out to local lawmakers to encourage them to issue an official Lesbian Visibility Week.
District of Columbia
Whitman-Walker Health to present ‘Pro Bono Excellence’ award to law firm
Health center set to celebrate 40th anniversary of legal services program
Whitman-Walker Health, the D.C.-based community healthcare center that specializes in HIV/AIDS and LGBTQ-related health services, announced it will present its annual Dale Edwin Sanders Award for Pro Bono Excellence to the international law firm McDermott Will & Schulte at a May 6 ceremony.
“This year’s award is especially significant as it coincides with the 40th anniversary of Whitman-Walker Health’s Legal Services Program, marking it as the nation’s longest running medical-legal partnership,” a statement released by Whitman-Walker says.
“As a national leader in public health, Whitman-Walker celebrates our partnership with McDermott to strengthen the health center and to enable Whitman-Walker to reach more medical and legal clients,” the statement adds.
“McDermott’s firm-wide commitment to Whitman-Walker’s medical-legal partnership demonstrates a shared vision to serve those most in need,” Amy Nelson, Whitman-Walker’s director of Legal Services, says in the statement. “Our work protects individuals and families who face discrimination and hostility as they navigate increasingly complex administrative systems,” Nelson said.
“Pro bono legal services – like that of McDermott Will & Schulte – find solutions for people who have no place else to turn in the face of financial and health threats,” she added.
“Our partnership with Whitman-Walker Health is a treasured commitment to serving our neighbors and communities,” Steven Schnelle, one of the law firm’s partners said in the statement. “We are deeply moved by Whitman-Walker’s unwavering dedication to inclusion, respect, and equitable access to health care and social services,” he said.
The statement notes that the award for Pro Bono Excellence honors the legacy of the late gay attorney Dale Edwin Sanders. It says Sanders’s pro bono legal work for Whitman-Walker clients “shaped HIV/AIDS law for more than four decades by securing key victories on behalf of individuals whose employment and patient rights were violated.”
It says the Whitman-Walker Legal Services program began during the early years of the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s at a time when people with AIDS faced widespread discrimination and often needed legal assistance. According to the statement, the program evolved over the years and expanded to advocate for transgender people and immigrants.
Whitman-Walker spokesperson Lisa Amore said the presentation of the Dale Edwin Sanders Pro Bono Excellency Award will be held at the May 6 fundraising benefit for Whitman-Walker’s Legal Services Program. She said the event will take place at the offices of the DC law firm Baker McKenzie and ticket availability can be accessed here: https://www.whitman-walker.org/gtem-2026/
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Evan Glass is leaning on his record. Is that enough for Montgomery County’s top job?
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Comings & Goings
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