Date: Wed, 08 Oct 97 20:55:37 EDT From: "communications" Subject: HRC News Release: Stachelberg Named Political Director ________________________________________________________ NEWS from the Human Rights Campaign 1101 14th Street NW Washington, DC 20005 email: hrc@hrc.org WWW: http://www.hrc.org ________________________________________________________ FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Wednesday, Oct. 8, 1997 STACHELBERG NAMED POLITICAL DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN Move Comes as HRC Merges Legislative Department and Political Action Committee WASHINGTON -- The Human Rights Campaign has consolidated its legislative staff and political action committee into a single department under the direction of Winnie Stachelberg, who has been promoted to political director. "The most effective PAC is one that's linked to a legislative team," HRC Executive Director Elizabeth Birch said in announcing the merger and promotion. "By placing both areas under Winnie Stachelberg's capable leadership, we will be able to maximize our strength on Capitol Hill and in congressional campaigns." Birch said Stachelberg will lead the largest team of federal policy advocates of any lesbian and gay political organization. Earlier this year, Stachelberg hired two new senior policy advocates. HRC's PAC is now among the largest and most successful in Washington. In the 1995-96 election cycle, HRC's PAC contributed $1.1 million to federal candidates, 83 percent of whom went on to win their elections. "I am excited to see these two important functions united into a single political department and look forward to achieving even greater successes in the legislative and electoral arenas as a result of this coordination," Stachelberg said. Stachelberg, 33, was named HRC's legislative director in 1996. Before that, she spent two years as HRC's senior health policy advocate. Since joining HRC, Stachelberg has demonstrated her ability to marshal support for HRC's priorities on Capitol Hill and in the AIDS and civil rights communities, Birch said. "She has led and will continue to lead the drive to pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, a bill to outlaw job discrimination based on sexual orientation," Birch said. "That bill came within one vote of passing the U.S. Senate in 1996, the first time either chamber of Congress had voted on a gay rights bill." Earlier in her tenure, Stachelberg's work was instrumental in overturning then-Rep. Bob Dornan's mean-spirited amendment to kick out all HIV-positive service members. She worked tirelessly on the reauthorization of the Ryan White AIDS CARE Act. And she has worked with other AIDS advocacy organizations to develop a more strategic and unified approach on AIDS and the other health care concerns facing the lesbian and gay community. Stachelberg is on the executive committee of National Organizations Responding to AIDS, and has served as co-chair of that body. Before joining HRC, Stachelberg served as a health policy advocate in the federal Office of Management and Budget under Presidents Bush and Clinton. As a budget examiner in the Health and Income Maintenance Division of OMB from 1990 to 1993, she formulated and reviewed health care budgets for the Office of the Secretary at the Department of Health and Human Services. Stachelberg holds a master's degree in public administration from George Washington University. After obtaining her bachelor's degree from Georgetown University, she taught English at a New York City public high school. She is a native of New York City. The Human Rights Campaign is the largest national lesbian and gay political organization, with members throughout the country. It effectively lobbies Congress, provides campaign support and educates the public to ensure that lesbian and gay Americans can be open, honest and safe at home, at work and in the community. - 30 -