Local
Comings & Goings
Ortiz lands at LMO Advertising; Ryan to ACLI
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 Jake Amador Ortiz who has begun his new position as Media and Marketing Strategist with LMO Advertising. LMO is located in Arlington, Va., and according to its website is “a fully integrated marketing agency that helps companies capture market share, increase demand, launch new products, differentiate themselves, and drive their business into the future.” On taking the position he said, “I’m so excited to be joining such an established advertising agency. I’m looking forward to expanding my knowledge in marketing and media with their amazing team.”
Ortiz has worked as a New York digital marketing intern for iHeartRadio and created multiple social media campaigns to promote popular music artist playlists and cultivated more than 5,000 impressions. He researched and presented marketing strategies and outreach operations to corporate executives to improve the company against other large competitors and assisted in celebrity photo shoots, promotional events, and high-profile concerts. He has worked as a D.C. brand ambassador for them.
Ortiz is a recent graduate of George Washington University earning a bachelor’s in communication. While in school he was a division 1 athlete in swimming and diving where he was selected by his peers as senior captain and a representative to the Student Athlete Advisory Committee. There he worked to make student athletes voices heard across the university. He was on the GW teams that were Atlantic 10 Conference, Men’s Swimming and Diving Champions (2017, 2018, and 2019). He volunteered with the Adapted Swimming Program, Arlington Parks & Recreation.
Congratulations also to Vincent Ryan who recently relocated from Delaware to Washington, D.C., to begin his new position with the American Council of Life Insurers, (ACLI). He will work as a legislative director responsible for all legislative, regulatory and political affairs for the organization and member companies in an assigned region. According to its website, “ACLI advocates on behalf of 280 member companies dedicated to providing products and services that promote consumers’ financial and retirement security. ACLI represents member companies in state, federal and international forums for public policy that supports the industry marketplace and the families that rely on life insurers’ products for peace of mind. ACLI members represent 95 percent of industry assets in the United States.”
Previously, Ryan worked as senior adviser to the Delaware Commissioner responsible for managing all legislative and public affairs for the Delaware Department of Insurance. Among his other responsibilities he assisted the department in rate review and negotiation process for Affordable Care Act Exchange plans, including liaising with congressional delegations and CMS administrators. Prior to that, Ryan worked as a litigation paralegal for Duane Morris LLP in Philadelphia.
Ryan has been a longtime activist in Delaware politics and is a fundraising professional having raised money for among others Hillary Clinton, Phil Murphy, Ralph Northam, and the Delaware Democratic Party. He has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Delaware and received a Hancock Presidential Achievement Scholarship.
Rehoboth Beach
Rehoboth Summer Kickoff Party set for May 15 with Ashley Biden
The Washington Blade’s 19th annual Summer Kickoff Party is scheduled for Friday, May 15 in Rehoboth Beach, Del.
Ashley Biden, daughter of President Joe Biden, has joined the list of speakers, the Blade announced. She will accept an award on behalf of her brother Beau Biden for his LGBTQ advocacy work as Delaware attorney general. (Her appearance was rescheduled from last year.)
The event, to be held this year at Diego’s (37298 Rehoboth Ave. Ext.) from 5-7 p.m., is a fundraiser for the Blade Foundation’s Steve Elkins Memorial Fellowship in Journalism, which funds a summer position reporting on LGBTQ news in Delaware. This year’s recipient will be introduced at the event.
The event will also feature remarks from state Rep. Claire Snyder-Hall. New CAMP Rehoboth Executive Director Dr. Robin Brennan and Blade editor Kevin Naff will also speak. The event is generously sponsored by Realtor Justin Noble, The Avenue Inn & Spa, and Diego’s.
A suggested donation of $25 is partially tax deductible and includes a drink ticket and light appetizers. Tickets are available in advance at bladefoundation.org/rehoboth or at the door.
District of Columbia
Curve magazine honors Washington Blade publisher
Lynne Brown named to 2026 Power List
Washington Blade Publisher Lynne Brown has been named to the 2026 Curve Power List celebrating LGBTQ+ women and nonbinary individuals in North America who are blazing trails in their chosen fields.
“From sports and entertainment icons to corporate leaders and lawmakers, these individuals are breaking barriers, challenging norms, and shaping the future,” Curve Foundation/Curve magazine said in announcing this year’s list, which includes ABC newscaster Robin Roberts, comedian/actress Hannah Einbinder, and singer/actress Renee Rapp, among others.
Brown has worked for the Washington Blade for nearly 40 years. She was named publisher in 2007 before becoming a co-owner in 2010.
“I am honored to be recognized by Curve magazine during Lesbian Visibility Week,” Brown said. “Receiving this Curve honor is twofold. I was an early subscriber to Curve. I enjoy the product and know its history. Its journalism, layout and humorous features have inspired me.
“As an owner/publisher, receiving recognition from a similar source acknowledges my work and efforts, with a sincerity I truly appreciate. Franco Stevens, the publisher of Curve, is a business person of duration, experience, and purpose. The fact that they are in the media business, and honoring me and my publication makes it a tiny bit sweeter.”
Nominations for the Curve Power List come from the community: peers, mentors, fans, and employers.
Curve explained the significance of the list in its announcement: “An annual, publicly nominated list of impactful LGBTQ+ women and nonbinary changemakers is crucial in current times to counter discrimination, legislative rollbacks, hostility, and the invisibility of queer women within mainstream and marginal spaces and endeavors. Such a list also fosters encouragement and solidarity, and elevates voices and achievements—from high-profile roles to under appreciated areas of life.”
Rehoboth Beach
Auction of Rehoboth’s Blue Moon canceled
Details on sale of iconic bar, restaurant not disclosed
The Blue Moon in Rehoboth Beach, Del., has been an iconic presence in the local LGBTQ community for four decades but its status remains murky after a sheriff’s auction of the property was abruptly called off on Tuesday.
The property was listed for sale in December. At that time, owner Tim Ragan told the Blade that he is committed to preserving its legacy as a gay-friendly space.
“We had no idea the interest this would create,” Ragan said in December. “I guess I was a little naive about that.”
Ragan explained that he and longtime partner Randy Haney were separating the real estate from the business. The two buildings associated with the sale were listed by Carrie Lingo at 35 Baltimore Ave., and include an apartment, the front restaurant (6,600 square feet with three floors and a basement), and a secondary building (roughly 1,800 square feet on two floors). They were listed for $4.5 million.
The bar and restaurant business is being sold separately; the price was not publicly disclosed.
But then, earlier this year, the Blue Moon real estate listing turned up on the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office auction site. The auction was slated for Tuesday, April 21 but hours before the sale, the listing changed to “active under contract” indicating that a buyer has been found but the sale is not yet final. As of Wednesday morning, the listing has been removed from the sheriff’s auction site.
Ragan didn’t respond to Blade inquiries about the auction. Back in December, he told the Blade, “It’s time to look for the next people who can continue the history of the Moon and cultivate the next chapter,” noting that he turns 70 this year. “We’re not panicked; we separated the building from the business. Some buyers can’t afford both.”
The identity of the buyer was not disclosed, nor was the sale price.
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