Dear EQNM Members and Supporters,
Times of transition are opportunities to make organizational shifts and be innovative. The boards of Equality New Mexico, 501(c)4 and the Equality New Mexico Foundation, 501(c)3 are proud of the growth and development of our work over the years. We continue to be excited for the refinement of our statewide role in intersectional community-based movements, outreach, education, and policy development. When faced with identifying new leadership for the organization, we took the opportunity to think about how we could be ground-breaking in creating an organizational model that would reflect our commitment to shared decision-making and distribution of power.
The challenge with making organizational shifts is that it can be hard to predict barriers to successful outcomes. For personal reasons Ophelia Hu Kinney has chosen not to begin her role as Co-Director of Programs & Outreach at EQNM. We ask that you respect her privacy in reaching this decision and direct any questions about this change to the board. We know that Ophelia will continue to be a leader in her community and we wish her well in her future endeavors.
We originally hired Adrian N. Carver as Co-Director, Policy & Development because we were excited about his deep history in NM, statewide relationships, and the innovative ideas he presented to grow EQNM. Adrian is passionate about our communities and has devoted his life to advocating for all New Mexicans to be able to live with dignity, joy, and opportunity. We fully support his leadership and are excited to announce that we have named him Executive Director of Equality New Mexico and the Equality New Mexico Foundation, effective July 9th, 2017.
EQNM will continue to have bold ideas and vision as our work expands and grows statewide. We remain dedicated to our mission and vision while having an organizational structure that will sustain our statewide work and relations. We have not given up on innovative leadership models and as we move forward, we commit to staying true to the values that led us toward the decision to make an infrastructure shift. We are prepared to work toward an organizational structure that will sustain our work, all of our staff, members, and community members. We remain committed to the values that drove us to select a co-directorship model and we are committed to finding ways to actualize those values within our existing structure.
Our intersectional movement is constantly changing, learning and expanding--which is why we must sustain and resist the institutional and societal actions designed to oppress us. We must be able to adapt to the needs of the community, and as board members, we believe that this change in direction is how we can best use our current capacity to continue uplifting the stories of New Mexicans and continue to fight for justice.
As such, we are happy to re-introduce you to Adrian N. Carver, Executive Director of Equality New Mexico and the Equality New Mexico Foundation. We are incredibly excited for his leadership and innovation. Please direct any questions you might have about this change to info@eqnm.org.
Sincerely,
The Equality New Mexico and Equality New Mexico Foundation Boards