Rehoboth Beach
CAMP Rehoboth names Lisa Evans interim director
Sees primary goal as fostering stability
Lisa Evans, who currently serves as acting manager of CAMP Rehoboth, an LGBTQ advocacy nonprofit based in Rehoboth Beach, Del., has been named the organization’s interim director.
CAMP Rehoboth’s search for an interim director began after David Mariner stepped down from the role on May 31. On June 10, Mariner announced the official launch of Sussex Pride, a new LGBTQ nonprofit serving the greater Sussex County, Del. community.
Evans steps into her new role with an extensive background “in the world of nonprofits.” For more than 40 years, she has done nonprofit and government work in Baltimore, primarily in the housing sector.
“The acronyms here at CAMP Rehoboth are different than what I used to use in the housing world,” Evans said, but “the fundamentals … carry through no matter what the nonprofit is.”
Since April, Evans has served in an “advisory role” as acting manager, working directly with staff and community members to “troubleshoot” any issues that arose following Mariner’s announced departure, said Wesley Combs, president of CAMP Rehoboth.
Evans was selected as part of a nationwide search for an interim director that began as soon as the organization’s board of directors became aware there would be a vacancy in the position, he added. She was selected from a group of four final candidates as the best fit for the role.
“The executive committee immediately met to form a search committee that would be responsible for identifying qualified candidates who have experience serving as interim executive directors, which is a specific, unique expertise,” Combs said. “Lisa was the person who was the most qualified and (the) best fit for what CAMP Rehoboth was looking for.”
In 2020, CAMP Rehoboth began developing a strategic plan that was ultimately left unimplemented because of the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Moving forward, the organization aims to develop and implement a plan using the 2019 plan as a reference.
“We’re going to use (the 2019 plan) as the basis for this process, revisit it and engage members of the community for feedback on ensuring that it is currently relevant to reflect the needs of the community today,” Combs said, a process that Evans will help lead.
In particular, the plan will further examine how to better serve trans individuals and LGBTQ youth in the greater Rehoboth Beach area, Combs said.
Combs added that CAMP Rehoboth aims to complete the planning phase by October and use it to develop a job listing for a permanent director. Currently, they hope to release the job description in November and locate a new director in February, he said.
While Evans owned a home in Rehoboth Beach she regularly visited for more than 25 years, her permanent move to the city came in 2020, when she retired just before the pandemic. Living in the city full time has helped her realize “that CAMP is very much a [critical] part of the Rehoboth community.”
Beginning her term as interim executive director, Evans emphasized that she has one central goal in mind for the organization: stability.
“I don’t see my role here as turning anything upside down,” but rather “making sure that we continue to do the things that we’re doing — that we continue to do them even better if possible,” Evans said.
“That’s how I see my role: making sure everything’s in great order … so that when a permanent executive director comes in they’ve got something great to build on,” she added. “I’m willing to go back to retirement.”
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.
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.
Rehoboth Beach
BLUF leather social set for April 10 in Rehoboth
Attendees encouraged to wear appropriate gear
Diego’s in Rehoboth Beach hosts a monthly leather happy hour. April’s edition is scheduled for Friday, April 10, 5-7 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to wear appropriate gear. The event is billed as an official event of BLUF, the free community group for men interested in leather. After happy hour, the attendees are encouraged to reconvene at Local Bootlegging Company for dinner, which allows cigar smoking. There’s no cover charge for either event.
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