Press Release – Washington, DC – Today Victory Fund and Victory Institute announced the resignation of President & CEO Aisha C. Moodie-Mills, and that former Houston Mayor Annise Parker will be the new leader of the organizations. The transition comes as both organizations prepare for the enormous opportunities in the 2018 election cycle – with more LGBTQ candidates running for elected office than ever before. Mayor Parker’s experience as a former elected official, as well as decades of experience leading numerous organizations, will position Victory Fund and Victory Institute to be a vital player in electing LGBTQ people in the years ahead.
“As the first openly LGBTQ mayor of Houston, Annise understands the challenges inherent in running and winning elected office, and she’s ideally positioned to help us fulfill our mission now and in the future,” said One Victory Board Chair Kim Hoover. “During Aisha’s tenure we grew the organization’s leadership initiatives to ensure LGBTQ people from across the country were prepared to run for office and be a voice for our community. We invested in game-changing campaigns and took on anti-equality incumbents with historic LGBTQ candidates, and won. And we strengthened and grew our network of LGBTQ elected officials, who work tirelessly to be the change we want to see in the world. We are grateful for her leadership, and now we are excited to build on her great work and use Annise’s experience and expertise to ensure Victory Fund and Victory Institute have an even greater impact moving forward. And she is eager to get started.”
“Victory played such an important role in my political career, beginning with my run for Houston City Council through my campaign for mayor, and I am thrilled about the opportunity to lead the organizations and help other LGBTQ elected officials win and make change,” said Mayor Parker. “2018 could be a historic year for our community – with more openly LGBTQ people running for office in more places – and I am confident we will be a difference-maker in helping these candidates across the finish line. I appreciate all Aisha has done to take the organizations to the next level, and am honored to continue to build on that success.”
“Over the last two years I’ve been fortunate to lead an incredible team at Victory, and together we have achieved great progress in in our efforts to elect LGBTQ candidates across the country,” said Aisha C. Moodie-Mills, President & CEO of Victory Institute. “We witnessed a surge in the number of LGBTQ people from across the country who want to run for office and be our voice in the halls of power – and it has been so personally rewarding for me to have helped historic candidates win elections thought impossible just a few years ago. Most importantly, I am proud that we’ve positioned the organizations for growth at a critically important time – a turning point in our movement to build LGBTQ political power and wield it on behalf of equality. I am so happy that such a capable leader like Annise will be continuing the vital work of Victory Fund and Victory Institute, and look forward to supporting the organizations as they continue to secure representation for our community.”
Mayor Parker will begin serving as President & CEO of Victory Fund and Victory Institute on Monday, December 11.
