Leadership
Leadership is the recognition that one part of this world is your responsibility. I never shy away from taking that responsibility.
Some formal leadership roles I have had in recent years:
- Vice-President of the Ark of Refuge. The Ark of Refuge is a social services agency in San Francisco that restores lives of the underserved. As vice-president, I am the board’s main fundraiser. I have held this position since 2005.
- Treasurer/Secretary of the International Association for the Study of Sexuality Culture and Society (IASSCS). In this position, I started the process of formalizing the board structure and membership of the organization. I organized the bi-annual conference at San Francisco State University, where 250 people from 34 countries attended. 2003 – 2005.
- Vice-President of the Jon Sims Center for the Arts. I was involved in making this an arts center that attracted diverse artists and audiences. 2002 – 2005.
Chair Graduate Studies Committee in Human Sexuality Studies. I initiated the faculty discussion on race and racism, which resulted in significant increase of diversity related materials in the curriculum.
Conference Organization
Strong organizational skills resulted in a successful international conference on Sexual Rights and Moral Panics at San Francisco State University. 250 people from 34 countries participated. Just as with fundraising, organizing this conference was a team effort. The overall vision wasn’t mine alone. I gathered input from the international board, shaped the narrative and executed on the organization (incidentally, while staying within budget).
I also organized media training for the board and was the main spokesperson in the media advisory that preceded the conference. The press covered the conference extensively without one negative mention in the press.
