Localizing for the Right Reasons

The news that a new equality center was planned for North Baltimore that includes the heavily LGBT-populated areas of Waverly and Charles Village was met by a subtle attempt to stir unnecessary controversy by our local mainstream newspaper.  The teaser tweets relating to their story read, “Former head of GLCCB creating her own LGBT services organization” and “Will Kelly Neel’s North Baltimore Equality Center be a GLCCB partner or rival?”

The implication is that Kelly Neel, who had resigned in October from the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center of Baltimore and Central Maryland (GLCCB) as interim executive director and has proceeded to launch a new organization, North Baltimore Equality Center (NBEq), is motivated by her departure in an attempt to stick a finger in the eye of her previous employer.

This is simply not true.

To be fair, the environment at the GLCCB prompting Kelly’s resignation last October was, as she described, “tumultuous”.  She believed the Board members at the time did not communicate effectively with her, did not provide needed support, nor did they share her vision regarding the Center’s finances and event planning.  In turn, Board members were not fond of her job performance. 

The permanent job (assuming the word “permanent” is even appropriate) was clearly not going to be hers although her application would have been considered.  She read the handwriting on the wall, saw no chance of reaching common ground, and said adios.  Joel Tinsley-Hall was ultimately selected to fill the position.

Evidence of Kelly’s commitment to the community and not retribution towards the GLCCB was demonstrated by her actions immediately following her resignation.  Instead of leaving the Center bitterly and with her tail between her legs as others in that situation may have done, she meticulously provided a detailed blueprint and set of instructions for her successor to ensure as smooth a transition as possible.  I know Joel appreciated that.

Her biggest gripe as stated in an email blast to her friends and supporters that announced her resignation was not so much the GLCCB but the “culture of disconnect between the various organizations that provide services to our LGBTQ community.”  Kelly lamented the lack of communication and collaboration among the organizations causing some people to be unaware of available services.

If you know Kelly, you understand her passion for helping community members receive services and participate in programs, not trying to compete with other organizations including the GLCCB.  That is one of the reasons she wanted to start an Equality Center in North Baltimore, an area where she resides.  Simply put, Kelly wants to partner with other organizations to help the community.

 “There is a need in our community and I intend to work to satiate it, not to run other organizations out of the game,” Kelly Neel told me in an interview. “Programs are similar to that of the GLCCB because there is a need for these sorts of programs across the city, not solely in Mount Vernon.”  

Indeed, there are AA meetings held at the GLCCB, for example, but AA meetings exist all over the city.  No one entity has a monopoly on a program or service; organizations could and should work together.

“I have met with Joel Tinsley-Hall…and have discussed the potential North Baltimore Equality Center and my plans to include the GLCCB as a partner,” Kelly points out.  “Joel expressed that he is 100 percent on board and would love to collaborate in the future. In addition, I see the North Baltimore Equality Center as a way to bring together the various LGBTQ organizations in Baltimore City to collaboratively tackle the issues our community faces.”

Kelly feels the critical issue of money can be best helped by a shared effort. “In my opinion, if we are all working in partnership towards the same goals, it is much more attractive to potential funding groups and foundations,” she explains.  “Applying for grants jointly and in partnership allows the funders’ dollars [to] travel further, allowing two organizations to serve their community through one grant.”

For sure, funding will be a key to success.  Competing for precious dollars from donors and securing grants is a daunting challenge.  Kelly estimates that $60,000-$65,000 will be needed the first year.  She must overcome that competition with other organizations and selling the idea to a steadily disengaging community.  While responses to a needs survey that coincided with her announced launch have been robust during the early stages, completing a survey and writing a check are two different matters.

Should the NBEq Center become successful, Kelly envisions partner sites around the city to help community member access services and programs. “I think it is important to localize the movement but in a cohesive manner,” Kelly says. “Resources and programs that do not cater to the surrounding community's interest will not be successful. In addition, one central organization becomes less effective if the community it intends to serve cannot reach them. Proximity is a big deal in Baltimore. If I cannot easily and affordably reach your services, I am far less inclined to use them.”

This idea of localization is a good one and is something I argued for on a statewide level last March.  We should decentralize the equality movement and establish local and regional outlets, such as Western Maryland Equality, Southern Maryland Equality, Eastern Shore Equality and the several PFLAG chapters already in place throughout the state to more effectively reach our communities.

Local branches would be better equipped to “put out fires” and deal with corresponding local elected officials, school boards, police departments, and business entities since the folks working with them are neighbors.

Kelly Neel’s NBEq venture would apply this principle and make it easier for community members to benefit from the services and programs offered.  This is a smart approach all the way around and should be supported by our communities.  It is by no means intended to settle scores or create rivalries.

Equality Organization Planned for North Baltimore

In an effort to provide needed services and programs to residents in Charles Village and Waverly, a new non-profit called the North Baltimore Equality (NBEq) Center is being planned. Using the catchy theme “Let’s be Bmore Equal,” the goal, according to founder Kelly Neel, is “to bring a small community center environment with programming and resources through partnerships for all ages, races, sexual orientations, gender identities, religions, etc. with a focus on LGBTQ individuals, in addition to programming and services for all underserved populations.” 

On the new website, an additional explanation is offered stating, “While our main focus is to provide a safe and welcoming environment for the LGBTQ community, we also provide support to the broader community by offering low-cost access to technology, programs, events and educational workshops that boost involvement in the arts and environment, and provide skills for healthy, smart, sustainable living. All we ask is that those who choose to use our services make a conscious effort to treat everyone they meet kindly and equitably and strive to “Bmore Equal”. 

Before any plans are set in concrete, Neel is requesting the community to complete a brief survey on the website.  Respondents are asked to choose among a series of potential community programs ranging from adult education/job readiness to bicycle safety.  People can write in their own choices as well.

For community services, among the available choices are a drop-in center, a media center and studio space available for artists and performers for a nominal hourly rate.  Again, the public can add others as they see fit.

In addition, several support groups were proposed including a youth group, a transgender support group, LGBTQ-friendly Alcoholics Anonymous among others.

The website offers a Project Outline, an About page, a Volunteer Application page as well as the survey.  The Project Outline provides the organization’s leadership structure and responsibilities as well as details concerning the proposed programs and services.

Neel, who was the interim executive director of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center of Baltimore and Central Maryland (GLCCB) before resigning this past September, acknowledges that NBEq intends to offer programs and services that have historically been operated by the GLCCB.  She points out that these services are needed throughout the city, not just in Mount Vernon and that GLCCB executive director Joel Tinsley-Hall is “100 per cent on board.”  Neel is seeking the GLCCB to be a partner in this endeavor along with other community organizations.

Kelly Neel

“I see the NBEq Center as a way to bring together the various LGBTQ organizations in Baltimore City to collaboratively tackle the issues our community faces,” Neel told Baltimore OUTloud.  “If we are all working in partnership towards the same goals, it is much more attractive to potential funding groups and foundations. Applying for grants jointly and in partnership allows the funders’ dollars to travel further; killing two birds with one stone, or in a more PETA friendly terms, allowing two organizations to serve their community through one grant.”  A first year budget is estimated between $60,000 and $65,000.

Space to house the NBEq Center’s programs and services are dependent upon the extent in which the partnering organizations become involved and location feasibility.  Initially, the 29^th Street Center is thought of as a good fit because planned programs overlap with existing programs at the Center; however, a partnership has not yet been established. Additional space options are indicated on the Project Outline on the website.

The area in which NBEq intends to serve contains the most concentrated population of LGBT folks of anywhere in the Baltimore vicinity.  However, Neel intends to offer programs and services throughout the city and beyond if this project is successful.

"These services are needed throughout the city, not just in Mount Vernon."--Kelly Neel

“I have stated before that the needs of the community in North Baltimore are different than the needs of the community in say Canton/Fells Point, which differ from the needs in Midtown or Mount Vernon, and from Federal Hill to Druid Hill,” Neel explains. “My hope is that down the road, this type of targeted resource can be established through the North Baltimore Equality Center project by people in those communities. I do want to stress that this in no way implies that programs that are already established will be taken over; my goal is for the project to help support these programs and find a way to more easily house programs/resources in one cohesive location in each community in the city.” 

But now Neel’s focus is to get the organization established and running successfully to serve the North Baltimore population. “Haste makes waste; therefore, I want to make sure everything we do is well planned and supported so that each program can be executed successfully before taking on additional responsibilities and tasks.”

To keep up with developments, follow NBEq on Twitter @bmore_equal or on Facebook at facebook.com/bmoreequal.  Questions can be emailed to thecenter@bmoreequal.org.

The GLCCB's Mounting Challenges

The resignation of interim executive director Kelly Neel from the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center of Baltimore and Central Maryland (GLCCB) further brings to light the mounting challenges facing the 35 year-old institution.  In a candid email sent to 180 friends and colleagues, Neel, who served in that capacity for about five months following the resignation of her predecessor Matt Thorn, wrote, “It has been a tumultuous time for the organization, which has been in transition for quite some time now. While I believe that we have navigated the past year to the best of our abilities, I no longer feel that my values and my vision align with those of our leadership.”

Kelly Neel at 2014 Baltimore Pride

Prior to the resignation, a search for a permanent executive director was underway.  Neel saw the handwriting on the wall: she was not going to win the job through a competitive process.  Neel told me that she did not receive support from the board of directors; there was a decided lack of communication between the board and her; she did not feel valued or respected; and there was a “disconnect” regarding her vision on financial strategies and event planning.

A member of the board acknowledged she was not likely to be offered the permanent position though she would have been considered along with other candidates.  For their part, the board was dissatisfied with her handling of the job, managing and presenting budgets, and the manner in which she interacted with board members. 

Without getting into the he-said, she-said details, one thing is clear: they didn’t get along, and she resigned on her own terms without having to go through the process of inevitably losing out to another candidate.  Cohesion is critical in any organization, and perhaps a better effort could have been undertaken by both sides to improve the relationship.

To be clear, Neel was just one person given formidable tasks to manage the Center. As she had previously pointed out in an open letter, “it takes a village.” All the essential operations and programs of the GLCCB should not be the responsibility of one person.  The board should not simply supervise the executive director but to also assume an “all hands on deck” posture to actively help out as well.  That has not happened.  

To the public (and the executive director is indeed the public face of the Center) Neel demonstrated a calm temperament and demeanor during the contentious town hall meeting at the Waxter Center in July.  She was among those in the cross-hairs during that event, handling the barbs with professionalism, class and respect.  She pledged and followed through on the prevailing theme of establishing transparency by posting minutes of previous board meetings (to the extent that they were available), financial reports, and board applications (since removed) to the GLCCB’s website.  She also arranged for open board meetings of which two have taken place.

As Neel pointed out, she functioned in an environment that she termed as “tumultuous,” – a generous characterization.  She assumed the post of interim executive director just a couple of months before Pride whereby decisions had already been made to shift the location.  Her task was to implement those decisions in a tight timeframe, and despite some cracks in the walls, she and her staff of volunteers pulled off the huge event quite well. 

Prior to Neel’s appointment, the GLCCB’s move to new digs at the Waxter Center last winter did not go over well.  The new venue was and still is not physically and cosmetically ready for prime time depriving the Center from holding a welcoming open house to help reset their image. And the sale of the previous building as well as the move itself was controversial because of the lack of transparency and community input.  

During the town hall and since, Neel issued a public warning that the Center needs the community to survive.  The financial picture for the GLCCB looks dismal with mounting debt and a lack of a reliable income stream to sustain a minimum of $10,000 per month for operations and personnel.  This doesn’t even include program-related expenses.

Neel rightly acknowledged there is a growing apathy among the LGBT communities towards the Center, which would take an enormous effort to reverse. Two months ago I outlined some common-sense suggestions to right the ship.  If followed, there is a chance the Center could build a brand that will provide a rationale for its existence and the donations would possibly follow.

The key to success is community buy-in.  The GLCCB must express a vision that it rightly has a place in Baltimore and whose mission is not centered on Pride alone.  It needs to extend their hands to all communities and allow representatives to help formulate and act on the Center’s mission. It needs a diverse board with a broad range of experiences that would be willing to roll up their sleeves and work.  The Center should continue what Neel was beginning to accomplish by holding small, inexpensive and affordable events to raise money and to show more visibility and relevancy.

Instability at the top (and that includes the revolving door on the board) is not the way to maintain rapport and business relationships with other entities nor will it help bolster confidence in an organization that is in need of it. Kelly Neel was not the problem and a search for a permanent executive director could have waited.

The focus should be on developing a clear strategy to deal with the financial crisis and fast.  Perhaps most importantly, however, the communities must feel there is a reason to keep the GLCCB going.

These are challenges, to be sure, but if not met, the doors could shut down for good.