Date: Tue, 2 May 1995 11:08:48 -0400 From: VictoryF@AOL.COM News Release ****************************************************************************** ***************** Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund 1012 14th Street NW, Suite 1000 Washington, DC 20005 202/842-8679 (voice) 202/289-3863 (fax) email: victoryf@aol.com WAYBOURN TO LEAVE VICTORY FUND Washington, DC -- May 1, 1995 -- William Waybourn, whose vision it was to create the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund in 1991, and who has been instrumental in its direction, has announced he will step down after four years as executive director, on May 31st, according to co-chairs Joy Tomchin of New York and Dr. Scott Hitt of Los Angeles. "We are deeply appreciative of William's leadership in making the Victory Fund the nation's 16th largest independent political action committee. We recognize the significant role he has played in changing the landscape of our community's political structure by helping elect or appoint so many openly lesbian and gay public officials," Tomchin said. The co-chairs said Waybourn will help ensure an orderly transition by being available to the organization for an indefinite time and until a successor can be engaged. "William's role in uniting contributors behind qualified lesbian and gay candidates has been enormous, raising over $1 million for 61 candidates," Hitt said. "He has done much to level the political playing field so our people can not only compete, but win," Hitt said. Waybourn said he was leaving the Victory Fund at the end of his fourth year to encourage new ideas. "It is my philosophy that organizations thrive best when new leadership and fresh ideas are encouraged," he said. Waybourn said he was considering various challenges, but had no immediate plans. In 1991, Waybourn moved to Washington, DC, from Dallas, Texas to start the Victory Fund with the help of activists from around the country, including former Human Rights Campaign Fund executive directors, Vic Basile and Tim McFeeley, and HRCF board members Hilary Rosen, Terry Bean, and John Thomas. Waybourn said the "spiritual godfather" of the Victory Fund was political consultant David Mixner of Los Angeles, who served as the founding co-chair with Lynn Greer of Columbus, Ohio. Others on the founding board were attorney Roberta Bennett of Los Angeles, former Navy midshipman Joe Steffan, former Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund executive director, Tom Stoddard, Washington, D.C. activist Howard Menaker and Avi Rome of Boston. "Waybourn has been extraordinarily successful in attracting some of the best talent our community has produced," Mixner said. "He can get people with opposite views to sit down across the table from each other, convince them that it's in their best interest to cooperate and focus on a common agenda," he said. "Egos in the political world can be just like a minefield and explode due to a simple mis-step, but I've seen William handle it all with great aplomb. He's unflappable and he always stays the course," Mixner said. As executive director of the Victory Fund, Waybourn has been influential in establishing a nationwide donor network of members who contribute directly to recommended candidates' campaigns. He helped establish the first candidate training institute that has graduated more than 300 potential candidates and campaign managers and build the Victory Fund into a resource center for candidates. Waybourn was the leader in establishing Coalition '93, the community- wide effort to press for the appointment of qualified, open lesbians and gay men to the Clinton Administration. Coalition '93 succeeded in helping place more than 50 persons in high ranking positions, including two who required Senate confirmation, Bruce Lehman, Assistant Secretary and Commissioner of Patent and Trademarks, and Roberta Achtenberg, Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. A former president of the Dallas Gay and Lesbian Alliance, Waybourn has a history of helping start community-based organizations, including the AIDS Resource Center, the Nelson-Tebedo Community Clinic, Gay and Lesbian Community Center, the Dallas Gay and Lesbian Alliance Credit Union, the Dallas Legal Hospice. He has served on numerous boards and commissions, and was one of the founders of the Campaign for Military Service, which led the gay community's fight to lift the ban against lesbian and gay servicemembers. William Waybourn was one of the community's leaders to attend the historic Oval Office meeting with President Clinton on the eve of the 1993 March on Washington. In 1994, he worked with White House officials to elicit President Clinton's support in the battle against the anti-gay statewide initiatives. For past two years has been working to bring openly lesbian and gay elected officials to the White House for a meeting with high-ranking Administration officials. That historic meeting will take place on June 13, 1995. Hitt said the Victory Fund would begin an immediate search for Waybourn's replacement and that interested individuals should call 202/842.8679, ext. 343 for further information. ### [For more information, please contact William Waybourn or Kathleen DeBold at 202/842.8679 or victoryf@aol.com.]