Kris Fair is LGBTQ+ Center’s first Executive Director.
The Frederick Center has been volunteer led since it started in 2012.
Frederick, MD (NS) On Tuesday, The Frederick Center announced the hiring of their first Executive Director Kris Fair. The hiring comes as The Center has seen unprecedented growth.
Since it’s inception in 2012, the group has expanded to hosting nearly 500 program events in 2021. Their Frederick Pride event on October 3 is expected to bring over 10,000 attendees.
With the organization’s growth of resources, the board of directors unanimously voted to hire Fair as its first full-time staff member.
Fair says he’s honored to lead the group, “Yeah it’s a wild feeling it’s very humbling. You know, growing up in Frederick County, and spending my life growing up here, I can tell you as a child and as a teenager and going to high school, I could never imagine there being an LGBTQ+ support and advocacy center in Frederick County.”
Fair has over twenty years of social justice work including six years on the board of directors for The Frederick Center and four years as board chair. He has been honored with the Community Foundation of Frederick County’s Wertheimer Award, The Human Relations Commission’s Lord Nickens Public Service Award, and Hood College’s Thurgood Marshall Civil Rights Award.
Board Vice-Chair Amilynn Adams said, “Kris’s record on supporting LGBTQ+ people is unparalleled in our community. He is a tireless advocate and a determined steward of our organization.”
Fair says the future of The Frederick Center includes a lot of growth, “I go into the position understanding the many complexities we are going to face as an organization and look forward to working with our LGBTQ+ family to build a community center that reflects and respects the beautiful diversity of our region.”
The Frederick Center’s website is www.thefrederickcenter.org