After a brief board meeting, the William Way LGBT Community Center bid farewell to executive director ’Dolph Ward Goldenburg at a Nov. 18 reception.
Goldenburg, who has led the center for the past six years, is relocating to Atlanta to be with his partner, Frank, and has accepted a position as executive director of the Living Room, an organization that provides services for people living with HIV/AIDS.
Board co-chair Emilie Carr welcomed the 100 or so well-wishers, including state Sen. Larry Farnese (D-1st Dist.), board co-chair David Michelson, treasurer Judge Ann Butchart and at-large member Eric Ashton.
At the reception, Farnese hailed the recent passage of hate-crimes legislation by the House Judiciary committee, then presented a Senate citation recognizing Goldenburg for six years of distinguished service at the center.
PGN publisher Mark Segal presented Goldenburg and the center with a $25,000 check from The Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld Fund for the center’s LGBT Senior Research Planning Program.
“This is the beginning of a project that Perry Monastero, ’Dolph Goldenburg and I have been working on, and I’m thrilled that the governor has taken an interest,” Segal said.
Segal also presented the center with a rare copy of the first issue of Bachelor magazine, from 1937, for the center’s archives. The issue of Bachelor, an early gay magazine published in Philadelphia, was donated by Tom Brennan, manager of Philly AIDS Thrift.
Carr and Michelson presented Goldenburg with a framed piece of the center’s Philadelphia Room floor, while Butchart called Goldenburg “very tall in his heart.”
“I’m very grateful,” she said about working with the director over the years. “I’ll miss him terribly, but no one could leave us in a stronger place.”
Following the board speeches, cabaret performer Tom Wilson Weinberg paid a rousing poetic tribute to Goldenburg.
Goldenburg briefly took the stage and was visibly moved by the words of his colleagues.
“I can honestly say I’m truly overwhelmed,” he said.
The evening ended with a performance by Philadelphia Voices of Pride, who opened with a rendition of “Georgia.”
Earlier in the evening, Butchart gave a quick report on the center’s finances. This year’s Indigo Ball netted $115,000 compared to $50,000 last year.
Interim executive director Laurie Ward said donations for Indigo Ball are continuing to come in, with one major donation expected by January.
Butchart also reported the center has set up a transitional fund to get through the next six to eight months while candidates for Goldenburg’s successor are interviewed.
Goldenburg reported that center occupancy is at 86 percent due to the recession forcing some tenants to fold.
The outgoing director also reported center usage is up due to exhibitions, programming and other free events, and that the facility is doing a better job of tracking visitors. He added that this could be the first year in which the number of visitors tops 70,000.
The center’s membership is down by 2 percent, from 1,084 households last year to 1,060 this year. Cornerstone memberships also decreased 2 percent, from 81 households last year to 79.
The center reported a total income of $42,961.26 for October, much less than the anticipated $92,254. Ward attributed the difference to the still-incoming donations for Indigo Ball.
Expenses for the month totaled $43,533.10, which was $11,160.90 less than expected. Marketing and membership outreach expenses were less than anticipated but are expected to increase over the next few months. Personnel and building expenses were also lower than expected.
The center ended the month with a deficit of $571.84.
For more information, visit www.waygay.org.
Larry Nichols can be reached at [email protected].