Pride Link Leadership Announcement
The Pride Link Board of Directors is sad to announce that our Lead Community Builder, Ethan Johnstone, will be retiring from his position as of March 18th 2022. As the Founder of Pride Link, Ethan always intended to create, develop, and grow an organization that would sustainably and effectively meet the needs of LGBTQ+ people across the Upstate and ultimately hand the organization off to the next phase of leadership. Through dedication, hard work, and an enormous passion for his community, he has far exceeded his original goal. The organization has made enormous strides in a short period. From partnering in the establishment of the Queer Wellness Center, to building a team of talented and mission-driven professionals and serving more than 600 LGBTQ+ families in under 4 years, Pride Link has become a beacon of community care and compassionate service.
Because of Pride Link’s strong foundation, key partnerships with community leaders, caring organizations, and you - our community of supporters - the Board of Directors has unwavering trust that our upward trajectory will continue and our mission will expand. Our commitment started as a duty to improve the quality of life for all LGBTQ+ people in Upstate, SC and that has not changed. We are excited to continue the work and vision that Ethan fostered.
The Board has begun an intentional search for new leadership that will help usher Pride Link into its bright future. We are confident that we will be able to maintain the active programming and range of quality community services associated with Pride Link. In the meantime, our dedicated team of professionals stand ready to assist with any and all needs, requests, and services. As a Board, we remain actively engaged and are available to assist. We invite you to reach out to our Capacity Building Coordinator, Grayce at grayce@pridelink.org, with any questions, concerns, or clarifications. She is glad to connect you to the right person.
It has been because of you–our community, our donors, our youth, our elders, our participants, our social media followers–that we have made such an impact. Thank you for trusting us to serve you. The Pride Link team is hard at work building upon our successes and refining our service offerings.
We thank each and every one of you for your love, kindness, and support. As always, in a spirit of transparency, we will keep you updated on our exciting developments.
Onward,
Courtney Thomas, Board Chair
Pride Link Board