The April 20 meeting of the President’s Commission on the Status of LGBT Concerns, its last of the academic year, featured a transfer of the chairship and an introduction of new members.

Midway through the meeting Cathi Wentworth, director of academic services at Oxford College and chair-elect for 2003–04, switched seats at the head of the table with Jeff Martin, the previous chair. She announced plans for a commission retreat sometime before the first meeting of next year. She also ran officer elections for 2004–05. New officers are: Paul Towne (chair-elect), Rebeca Quintana (treasurer) and Ron Gatlin (secretary).

The new committee chairs, which had already been chosen, are: Lisa Carlson (faculty), Margaret Clawson (staff) and Devin Murphy (student/alum). The liaison to the President’s Commission on the Status of Minorities (PCSM) will be Nikki Young. Liaisons to Employee Council and the President’s Commission on the Status of Women (PCSW) will be chosen at a later date.

Prior to ceding his chair to Wentworth, Martin reviewed a partial commission meeting held March 30 to cover several issues not addressed at regular meetings. That meeting focused on commission restructuring, including membership makeup (members decided to go to a format that matches the other president’s commissions—faculty, staff and student—rather than the current, task-based format) and service terms (under the new structure, faculty, students and alumni would have one-year memberships; staff would sign up for two years). These changes, if approved by the full commission, would be written into the bylaws. Martin also announced the creation of an executive committee made up of the commission chair, immediate past chair, secretary and treasurer.

Finally, new members were introduced to the commission. The full commission membership includes: Bill Thompson, Cathi Wentworth (administration), Brittany Isaac, Jennifer Morton (alumni), Lisa Carlson, James Davis, Richard Rambuss, Benjamin Hadsock (faculty), Andy Wilson, Paul Towne, Jeff Martin, Ron Gatlin (staff), Benson Wright, Nikki Young, Devin Murphy (student), Tim Brady, Ali Arain (at large-student), Kathy McKee, Rebeca Quintana and Margaret Clawson (at large-staff).

LGBT will meet again in September.

If you have a question or comment for LGBT, send
e-mail to Chair Cathi Wentworth at cwentwo@learnlink.emory.edu.