Local

Comings & Goings

Nick Martin is new comms director for Rep. DelBene

Published

6 years ago

March 21, 2020

Nick Martin, gay news, Washington Blade — 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].

The Comings & Goings column also invites LGBTQ+ college students to share their successes with us. If you have been elected to a student government position, gotten an exciting internship, or are graduating and beginning your career with a great job, let us know so we can share your success.

Congratulations to Jeffrey Shields, FASAE, CAE on the National Business Officers Association (NBOA) of which he is president and CEO naming an award in his honor. It is the ‘Jeffrey Shields Award for Innovation Excellence in School Business Operations.’ Shields said, “After serving as president and CEO of NBOA for 10 years, I’m humbled and honored that the NBOA Board of Directors created the Jeffrey Shields Award for Innovation Excellence in School Business Operations. My sincere hope is that the award helps NBOA tell the stories of the many creative and innovative ways business officers and business operations staff strive, every single day, to be good and effective financial stewards of their school’s resources in support of their missions.”

NBOA is the only national nonprofit membership association dedicated to developing, delivering and promoting best business practices to advance independent schools. The association has grown from 23 founding member schools in 1998 to more than 1,500 member schools from the U.S., Canada, Mexico and 23 other countries around the globe. The association offers in-person programming, including the NBOA Annual Meeting and Business Officer Institute; online professional development; original research; and an award-winning magazine, Net Assets. Each offering covers timely and relevant topics for independent school business and operations professionals, including finance, accounting, tax, compliance, human resources, risk management, facilities and information technology.

Prior to joining NBOA Shields was Senior Vice President and Chief Planning Officer with the National Association of College and University Business Officers. He began his career in association management as the Assistant Director for Leadership Training at the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). Jeffrey is an active member of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) and currently serves as a director of the organization. He was a member of the 2008 Class of ASAE Fellows (FASAE) and earned the Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation in 2002. He has been recognized by the Greater Washington Society of Association Executives (GWSAE) with the “Super Star” award as their active member of the year. He is a trustee for One Schoolhouse, an innovative online school offering supplemental education to independent schools. He previously served as a trustee for Georgetown Day School. He is a proud independent school parent of a 13-year-old daughter, Samantha, who is in 8th grade at the Edmund Burke School in Washington, DC. He earned his bachelor’s from Shippensburg University and his master’s from Ohio State University.

Congratulations also to Nick Martin who is the new communications director for Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.). Upon accepting the position, Martin said, “I’m beyond excited to join Congresswoman DelBene’s team. She is such a strong advocate for the LGBTQ+ community and her constituents in Washington. I cannot wait to help tell that story.”

Prior to joining DelBene’s staff, Martin was a director with Forbes Tate Partners where he helped to develop and lead communications and public affairs campaigns for national health care providers, patient advocates, trade associations, and political organizations to build engagement and action around policy priorities. He has also worked for other organizations including being Communications and Outreach Director for the Coalition to Transform Advanced Care and was an Associate Director with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. He has worked as a Field Coordinator with the Human Rights Campaign. He recently served as the Convener, Health Policy Committee for the Pete for America Campaign.

Nick earned his bachelor’s in International Affairs graduating summa cum laude from Northeastern University in Boston.

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Baltimore

Popular Mount Vernon gay bar Leon’s to temporarily close after owner’s death

Ron Singer passed away on July 7

Published

9 hours ago

July 17, 2026

Baltimore Banner

Leon’s Backroom Bar in Mount Vernon. (Photo by Jessica Gallagher for the Baltimore Banner)

By WESLEY CASE | Leon’s Backroom, Baltimore’s oldest gay bar, temporarily shut down after service on Wednesday night, according to a post on the business’s Instagram page.

The announcement comes a little more than a week after the death of the Mount Vernon bar’s owner, Ron Singer, who died at 66 on July 7.

The rest of this article can be found on the Baltimore Banner’s website.

Local

Comings & Goings

New garden center offers array of products in Rehoboth

Published

15 hours ago

July 17, 2026

Peter Rosenstein

Bay Laurel Home & Garden is located just outside Rehoboth on Route 1.

Congratulations to Stuart Ortel and Scott Marker, and Dave Lyons and Rick Hardy, on the recent opening of their garden center on Route 1 in Rehoboth Beach, in the former Farmer Girl site. It is called Bay Laurel Home and Garden and debuted earlier this year. The four owners are all well known to the denizens of Rehoboth Beach.

Stuart and Scott have been active members of the Rehoboth Beach community since 1999. Stuart is a landscape architect, and has established relationships with many local folks in the building and landscape industry. When this opportunity for Bay Laurel Home & Garden presented itself, and they had the perfect team of people in place, he and Scott were committed to making it a reality. So, when Scott and Stuart introduced this opportunity to create a new garden center to Dave and Rick, they embraced the chance to cultivate a business where beautiful plants, inspiring home and garden products, and outstanding customer service come together. Dave and Rick knew about owning a business in Rehoboth as they previously owned Coho’s Market, where they discovered firsthand the value of serving their community, and the rewards of running a locally owned business.

The garden center launched with a refreshed brand identity, updated merchandising, and expanded product lines, all designed to create an inspiring and welcoming environment for your home. Bay Laurel Home & Garden offers a beautifully appointed garden center and curated home and gift shop.

The new center features a full nursery with annuals, perennials, shrubs, trees, and seasonal selections; a garden center offering pottery, fountains, and garden ornamentation, and essential tools and garden supplies. It has a garden shop featuring unique indoor/outdoor furnishings and accessories, and a gift shop featuring botanical and coastal style items for home and entertaining.

Rehoboth Beach

Celebrate Pride in Rehoboth Beach this weekend

‘A vital space for community, healing, and connection’

Published

3 days ago

July 15, 2026

Thomas Weaverling

Rehoboth’s Pride festivities kick off Friday. (Washington Blade file photo by Daniel Truitt)

Pride in Rehoboth Beach is kicking off this week on Friday, July 17, with events happening throughout the weekend.

“Rehoboth Beach Pride is more than a festival — it is a vital space for community, healing, and connection,” said David Mariner, director of Sussex Pride, which organizes many of the events.

The weekend will begin with the Grand Opening & Community Preview from 1-4 p.m. on Friday, July 17, celebrating the opening of Novus Medical Services and the new Sussex Pride Community Center.

This will be followed by an Interfaith Pride Service at 6 p.m. at the Metropolitan Community Church Rehoboth to gather for healing and the affirmation of queer spirituality with Rev. Carla Christopher, chair of Sussex Pride Faith.

Members of the community are then invited to head over to join the Rehoboth Beach Bears at the Pines to have dinner, mingle, and give back to local initiatives.

End the first night of Pride in Rehoboth at Diego’s Bar & Nightclub with music by DJ Joey P from 9 p.m.-1 a.m.

Rehoboth Beach Pride Festival will take place on Saturday, July 18, 2026, from 9 a.m.- 3 p.m. inside the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center. A full list of events is available at rehobothbeachpride.org.

Roxy Overbrooke will host on the main stage as live performances take place throughout the day, featuring music from DJ MK and Tribe 9 Entertainment.

The festival will include educational workshops, community meetups, and a raffle dedicated to raising funds for unhoused LGBTQ+ youth across Delaware.

Feature workshops include panels discussing topics such as unhoused LGBTQ+ youth in Delaware, the needs of trans and non-binary youth, as well as the increase in HIV and syphilis diagnoses amid federal budget cuts, in a panel moderated by Blade Editor Kevin Naff.

Saturday night will also feature an evening comedy and entertainment show at the Convention Center presented by the Gay Women of Rehoboth. Performers will include comedians Suzanne Westen h oefer and Karen Mills as well as musician Kristen Merlin. Tickets are available at gaywomenofrehoboth.org.

The Rehoboth Beach Pride Ride will take place at 10 a.m. on Sunday, July 19, hosted by the Dykes on Bikes Rehoboth Beach Women’s Motorcycle Club, starting at Lefty’s.

Goolee’s Drag Brunch will also take place on Sunday from 12-2 p.m at Goolee’s Grille. This is a family-friendly event hosted by Regina Cox and Ruby, featuring Aurora Sterling, Michelle Leigh Sterling, Scarlet St. Cartier, and Joanna Blue. Tickets can be purchased online.

Pride in Rehoboth will conclude at 2 p.m. with the official Rehoboth Beach Pride Closing Party at Aqua Bar & Grill, celebrating the venue’s landmark 20th anniversary with DJ Biff until 7 p.m.

Due to an influx of visitors for the summer season, those coming from out-of-town are encouraged to use the Park & Ride.