Guests at Delaware Valley Legacy Fund’s HEROES fundraiser last weekend raised a glass to an array of community leaders, including the agency’s executive director, who announced at the event that he is departing the organization.
DVLF head John Moeller will serve his last day June 8, ending a year-and-a-half run in the position.
Mark Dann, a mentor for DVLF’s Distinctive Officers program, will take over as interim executive director.
Moeller, 33, will begin as vice president of external affairs at Planned Parenthood Northeast and Mid-Penn June 11, a position for which he was recruited. He will oversee the agency’s external affairs, fundraising and marketing efforts and commute from Philadelphia to the organization’s headquarters near Allentown.
Moeller came to DVLF in January 2011 and said he believes he was able to help the LGBT grantmaking agency expand its reach into new and diverse areas.
“What I’m most proud about is how DVLF is now really seen throughout the Delaware Valley and how we have been able to connect with all different communities within our own LGBTI community,” he said. “I’ve worked to raise visibility and to help DVLF be seen as a community resource.”
Moeller said that in recent months the agency has seen an influx in organizations utilizing its technical-assistance program, graduated its first class of aspiring LGBT leaders through its Distinctive Officers program and successfully completed a funding cycle of its Racial Equity Initiative.
His time at the helm has also been personally beneficially.
“This has made me a stronger leader,” he said. “I feel much more confident, and I think DVLF was a great opportunity for me to grow professionally. In this new position, I will be doing big-picture things, looking at fundraising and reaching out into the community, and DVLF has really helped to prepare me for that.”
Moeller has spent the last month-and-a-half working with DVLF supporters to prepare for the transition.
“I’m really excited to have Mark in place and we’ve been working closely to make sure this is a smooth transition and he’s up to date on everything going on at DVLF,” Moeller said. “And we not only have Mark in place but we have a board that is very strong and very proactive and committees with amazing volunteers. They’re all engaged in this process and will help with the transition.”
Dann, 33, officially came on board June 1 and spent the last week learning the ropes from Moeller.
A Realtor with Keller Williams Realty, Dann will work part-time at DVLF and focus on fundraising efforts, with DVLF director of operations Sandra Thompson concentrating on the agency’s programs.
Dann has worked on fundraising campaigns for state Sen. Larry Farnese, for the 2006 Liberty PA effort to oust then-Sen. Rick Santorum and elect pro-LGBT candidates and, most recently, for the William Way LGBT Community Center’s Homecoming event this weekend.
He said he’s eager to now lend his support to DVLF.
“I want to continue all the good work John and the board have done,” Dann said. “We have a lot coming up, like Wonder Women, the second Distinctive Officers program, financial-literacy and estate-planning events and getting ready for TOY. There’s a lot to look forward to, and I’m very honored to be a part of this.”
The search for a permanent executive director will be a regional, and not national, one. The agency’s board is in the process of developing search criteria, which Dann said should be finalized in the coming weeks.
The transition announcement was made during HEROES, held June 3 at Sofitel.
After collecting nominations from the community, the agency’s outreach and grantmaking committee made recommendations to the board for the top nominees in each category.
For the first time, the agency released the names of the candidates and announced the winners live at the event.
This year’s HEROES were Individual Andi Rivera, Youth Ari Flaks, Straight Ally Ronda Goldfein, Nonprofit Organization Gay and Lesbian Latino AIDS Education Initiative, National Nonprofit Trevor Project and Business Stimulus Productions.
HEROES 2012 netted about $14,000 for DVLF, double last year’s fundraising.
Jen Colletta can be reached at [email protected].