Chris Frederick, the Executive Director of NYC Pride, has stepped down from his post to accept a position with Out Leadership.
Out Leadership, the only business organization working globally to promote LGBT+ equality, has hired Frederick as their new Global Head of Events. According to Advertising Industry News Wire, he is the first of 5 strategic hires the organization has made.
Frederick spent eight years as Executive Director of NYC Pride, building it from a relatively modest metropolitan event to this year’s massive World Pride celebration over the course of his tenure.
In the official release from Out Leadership, he says:
“Hi All,
10 years ago I set out to remake the Pride experience in New York City. As New York was the epicenter of the gay rights movement, it deserved a world-class experience that could inspire generations, amplify the voices of the less fortunate, and pay homage to our remarkable history. It was so incredibly important to create something that people from around the world could experience and take back to emulate in areas that lack basic LGBTQ+ rights.
When I started with the organization our annual budget hovered between $800 – $900k and in 2019 we reached an operating budget of $13 million dollars. We were able to grow our grants given to other small LGBTQ nonprofits to over $300,000 annually. We were able to grow Dance on the Pier, now Pride Island, into a world-class event with artists like Madonna, Cher, Ariana Grande, Kylie Minogue, Lizzo, and more. We increased our programs from five events in 2009 to 25+ events in 2019. We successfully pulled off the largest LGBTQ event in history and the first WorldPride in the United States with over 5 million in attendance.
A lot can change over a decade. The political landscape is vastly different. Our community’s needs have evolved. The Pride experience around the globe has grown tremendously. However, I’m ready for the next chapter in my career. As a result, I will be stepping down from my role as Executive Director of NYC Pride. I’ve accepted an exciting new role as the Managing Director of Global Events for Out Leadership and my last day will be Friday, December 6th.
Out Leadership is the preeminent global business network driving LGBTQ advocacy and leadership development within the workplace. They do this by creating global events that help like-minded leaders convene, develop diverse talent, advocate for issues affecting LGBTQ professionals, and develop research and data driven content for businesses to provide a more meaningful understanding of our community.
As I wrap up these last ten years at NYC Pride, I want to thank my husband, family, friends and all of you for your support over the years. Thank you to all of the staff for being rockstars and your tireless work every single year. Thank you to the Executive Board for believing in my vision. The true partnership and friendship I found in our long running Co-Chairs, Maryanne and David, was something I’ll never forget. Of course, thank you to the volunteers for helping to make Pride simply remarkable. We couldn’t have become what we’ve become without you.
To say this job was a dream job was an understatement yet I’m excited for this next chapter. A new dream job awaits with new challenges, reimagined goals, and a fresh outlook on how to move our community forward. Thank you to everyone for coming along with me on this incredible journey and I hope you join me in this new opportunity where we will be impacting LGBTQ rights globally.”
