The Delaware Valley Legacy Fund announced this week that an officer of its board of directors will help guide the LGBT-grantmaking agency through its final transition period.
Former board treasurer Michael Stara was appointed as the co-interim executive director, alongside Sandra Thompson, who had been overseeing the agency with Chris Bartlett. Bartlett left the post this summer to become executive director at the William Way LGBT Community Center.
Stara, a certified public accountant, began his leadership with DVLF on its finance committee last year and, soon after, was appointed as treasurer.
Stara is president of East Coast Consulting Group, which specializes in credit training and market research for financial clients. In the LGBT community, he serves as the Penn-sylvania state chair of the Log Cabin Republicans and was recently elected to the board of Equality Forum.
He said he volunteered as co-director because of the great potential he sees in the agency.
“This organization presents a real opportunity for gays in the Delaware Valley and the surrounding areas to leave a legacy, to leave something behind that when we’re not around will be helpful to gay organizations and gay people,” he said. “Conceptually, that’s just really appealing to me. And personally, the time was right: The board had a need and I wanted to be able to do my part.”
The board is nearing the home stretch in its search for a permanent executive director, after former head Perry Monastero stepped down last fall to take a position at Mazzoni Center.
Angela Giampolo, board president, said the agency will finalize the new director “as soon as is practically possible.”
She noted that Stara’s contribution will be vital to the transition.
“It was extremely gracious for him to step up in this transition period in the midst of managing his own career,” she said. “The entire DVLF board throughout this transition period really coalesced as one entire unit, and to have a board member step up at a critical time like this was really amazing.”
In addition to working with the search committee, Stara said he also wants to concentrate on generating new donations from untapped resources, including during a business trip to Palm Springs, Calif., this week, where he planned to connect with some former Philadelphians.
“I feel like we’re very Philadelphia-focused and there are many other counties in the area in terms of donor opportunities, as well as the people we can serve. And even out in the Palm Springs area, I’m going to be calling on some wealthy potential donors who have Delaware Valley roots. We really want to expand our donor base, so we need to take those opportunities.”