Adanjesús Marin, the most recent president of the board of Equality Pennsylvania’s political-advocacy branch, last week took over the reigns of the agency’s Education Fund.
Marin, 37, helmed the organization’s (c)4 wing for the past two years. He takes over as board president of the education and outreach component from Adrian Shanker.
In addition to serving as board president, Marin will also serve as vice president of education for the (c)4 board and assistant officer of the Equality PA Political Action Committee.
Marin was born in Mexico and currently lives in Taylor, near Scranton.
He serves as the director of mobilization and member political program for Service Employees International Union Healthcare Pennsylvania. He has served as the national membership chair of the SEIU’s Lavender Caucus and is active in Pennsylvania United for Immigration Reform.
Marin was inspired to get involved with Equality PA in 2010 after working with the organization to help save Lancaster County’s Human Relations Commission, although it was ultimately disbanded.
When Shanker announced he would not seek another term earlier this fall, Marin said he decided he wanted to take an even more active role in the organization at this timely juncture in the state’s LGBT-rights movement.
“I just think that the challenges that our community faces in Pennsylvania are significant and at the same time so are the opportunities,” he said. “The whole world is changing around us and getting better for our community at a faster pace, even in Pennsylvania. Equality Pennsylvania is on the cusp of leading us into a much better Pennsylvania and the best way to serve the movement was to step up.”
Marin said the organization is currently working with agencies such as The Gill Foundation and the Equality Federation to expand their work in pushing for comprehensive nondiscrimination legislation statewide.
Equality Pennsylvania has not only been focused on passing statewide nondiscrimination legislation, but has also led efforts to secure local nondiscrimination ordinances, with 33 municipalities to date banning LGBT discrimination.
Marin said it was time the state legislature caught up.
“When we first talked about House Bill 300, a lot of legislators said we had to do it locally and prove that it can be passed and we’ve done that,” he said. “After three years of doing that, it is time for us to lead and educate the legislature and show that none of these cities and towns fell to doom and destruction from passing nondiscrimination ordinances. We want to help LGBT individuals and allies tell their stories to legislators and focus on helping our legislature move to the 21st century.”
He will also help Equality Pennsylvania as it undergoes organizational changes.
“It is a time of tremendous growth for us. We are going from a staff of 1.5 to 10-12 people before the end of this year,” he said. “There will be regional organizers in every corner of the state and issue-based organizers to help us.”
Joining Marin on the board will be Mike Testa as vice president of development, Jessica Rothchild as vice president of advocacy, Rachel Levine as secretary and John Dawe as treasurer. The terms will be for two years.
Rothchild will also lead as president for the (c)4 board, with Testa as vice president of development, Levine as secretary and Dawe as treasurer. Mary Isenhour will serve as chair of the PAC with Dawe as treasurer and Rothchild as assistant officer.
For more information on Equality PA, visit www.equalitypa.org.
