The merger between Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center and Pride of the Greater Lehigh Valley is now complete, the organizations announced last week.
The boards of both groups announced their intent to join the two agencies earlier this fall in an initiative organizers said will enhance the region’s annual Pride festival.
For 25 years, the Pride event has been a volunteer-driven effort. The merger allowed for the creation of a volunteer Pride Festival Planning Committee, whose members will work with center leadership to produce the annual August event. The leadership structure of Bradbury-Sullivan will remain the same.
“We are grateful for the longtime volunteer leaders who made the annual Pride festival happen for 25 years,” said Adrian Shanker, executive director of Bradbury-Sullivan, in a statement. “With this merger now completed, we are ready to move forward with their volunteer support as well as professional staff support to continue and to grow the festival in its 25th year and beyond.”
The Lehigh Valley Synergy Fund, a program of the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation, assisted with the merger, covering expenses related to legal, accounting, graphic and tech support. Additional legal support was provided by Mark Aurand of Davison & McCarthy P.C.