COLAGE Executive Director to Vacate Position on December 31, 2011

San Francisco – Today the Board of Directors of COLAGE: People with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender or Queer (LGBTQ) Parents, announces that Executive Director Beth Teper will resign at the end of the year. Under Teper’s eight years of leadership, COLAGE has quadrupled its annual budget and developed a number of innovative programs and initiatives. Teper led COLAGE through a period of immense growth and acclaim as an organization and as a community.

“Beth has inspired countless people with LGBTQ parents and their families to work together to create a world that treats all families with dignity and respect. Over the last eight years she has helped COLAGE become the amazing national organization we all know it to be. We are profoundly grateful for her contributions and wish her the best in her coming endeavors,” said Aaron Sachs, Chair of the Board.

Throughout the years Teper has overseen the growth of over fifteen COLAGE chapters, the publication of groundbreaking COLAGE resources such as the Kids of Trans Guide and Donor Insemination Guide, and ensured LGBTQ families were fairly and accurately represented in the media through partnerships with MTV, ABC, and Focus Features. Under Teper’s leadership thousands of youth and families have been able to connect to a community of their peers and become better advocates for themselves and their families – from chapter meetings and regional retreats to Family Week in Provincetown, MA.

“Serving COLAGE has been an honor that I will cherish for a lifetime. Being involved in this extraordinary community of peers who have LGBTQ parents has been incredibly powerful. I have learned so much from all of the youth and families I have met over the years, and will continue to be a part of the COLAGE family,” said Teper, “I have full faith and confidence that COLAGE’s national Board of Directors and constituents will steward COLAGE, the nation’s only youth-driven network of people with LGBTQ parents, into a very bright future.”

The Board has formed a succession committee which includes staff, board, and stakeholders. Led by Board Chair Aaron Sachs (aaron@colage.org), the succession committee has put into place a timeline and process to ensure a smooth transition of leadership. The Board is in the process of selecting an Interim Executive Director for COLAGE who will steward the organization through its next strategic planning process until new leadership is hired by the board.

For more information and all inquiries please contact Paul Perry, COLAGE Board of Directors, atpaul @ colage.org, (617) 245-8602.

COLAGE is the only national youth-driven network of people with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer parents. Living in a world that treats our families differently can be isolating or challenging. By connecting us with peers who share our experience, COLAGE helps us become strong advocates for ourselves and our families.

Media Provided by the www.GayWebSource.com – Gay Media and Press Network.