A new chair took his seat and new officers were elected at the most recent meeting of the President’s Commission on LGBT Concerns, April 15 in 400 Administration.

Jeff Martin of Meeting Services took over as chair from Human Resources’ Kathy McKee, whose yearlong term ended this month. Martin had been serving as chair-elect.

One of Martin’s first acts as chair was to lead the commission in officer elections for the 2003–04 academic year. Cathi Wentworth from Oxford College was chosen as chair-elect; Bill Thompson of Facilities Management will serve as treasurer for the second consecutive year; and Nathan Woodling, a student representative, will be secretary.

Student representatives Kathy Britt and Delvin Murphy will act as liaisons to the Employee Council and President’s Commission on the Status of Minorities, respectively; and Margaret Lawson of the School of Medicine will be the liaison to the President’s Commission on the Status of Women. The meeting also allowed new members to introduce themselves.

Martin briefly discussed some of the issues he plans to address when the commission reconvenes in the fall. They include developing a set of formal procedures to use when asking the commission to fund a project and to increase commission member attendance at events.

Martin said he would like the commission to work on programming over the summer, noting that more than 15 percent of LGBT’s budget for fiscal year 2003 remains in its
coffers.

Prior to the elections, McKee reviewed the commission’s accomplishments, which included more than a half-dozen event cosponsorhips; the annual Pride banquet; providing funds for students and staff to attend conferences and training; and cooperation with the other president’s commissions to offer support for an Employee Council-sponsored motion to the University Senate asking that the administration suspend its pre-employment drug-testing policy.

In other business, McKee asked for volunteers to help staff the commission’s table at the upcoming Employee Council Information Fair to be held April 29 at the VA Medical Center. Making their long-awaited debuts at the information fair will the commission’s advertising banner and an updated information brochure. (Commission members had been working to complete the marketing tools for some time.)

Wentworth, chair of policies and procedures, said her committee has sent a letter to the fringe benefits committee of the University Senate asking that it include an LGBT representative.

Debbie Isenberg updated the commission on the status of her work with campus listservs. She said it is easy to get in touch with students and staff to give updates on LGBT issues, but added that faculty outreach can be difficult because access to many listservs is restricted.

This was the last LGBT meeting of the academic year. The commission will reconvene, Tuesday, Sept. 16, at 5:30 p.m. in 400 Administration.

If you have a question or comment for LGBT, send e-mail to Chair Jeff Martin at jdmarti@learnlink.emory.edu.