Equality Utah has selected as its new executive director Mike Thompson, who worked on the Don't Amend Alliance campaign.
Thompson, executive director of the Insurance Scholarship Foundation of America in Kansas City, will start Aug. 1 at Equality Utah, a gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender political advocacy group.
Thompson said in a statement that he fell in love with Utah when he worked for the Don't Amend campaign against a state constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, which voters approved. He has nearly 20 years' experience in nonprofit management and business development.
"The work of Equality Utah is about relationship-building at all levels," Thompson said. "I am looking very forward to rolling up my sleeves to work alongside the incredibly wonderful people here."
Outgoing executive director Michael Mitchell said he believes Thompson, who helped Don't Amend raise nearly $800,000, will bring the state's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender political advocacy group "to an entirely new level.
"It will mean we will be able to be more effective in what we do, not only because more people will be donating money, but because more people will be personally invested in the organization," Mitchell said.
Mitchell, who served since 2001, will step down June 15 to lead the American Civil Liberties Union's new national Marriage Campaign. Board chairwoman Jane Marquardt will serve as interim director.
Marquardt said Thompson has "amazing organizational skills" which will allow him to quickly get up to speed on Utah politics.
"Some of the other applicants had more recent full-time experience in LGBT political groups," she said. "We felt that overall, Michael Thompson has a great combination of skills. . . . Political skills are based on relationship-building and understanding. He excels on relationship-building."
Before his current post, Thompson served as executive director of the Town & County School in Tulsa, Okla. He was presented The Center for Nonprofit Management's Nonprofit Management Excellence Award in 2000.
Equality Utah, which has an operating budget approaching $200,000, is comprised of three interrelated education and political organizations. It was organized as Unity Utah in 2001.
E-mail: dbulkeley@desnews.com