Staff

Chuck Wolfe is the president and CEO of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund and Leadership Institute, the nation's leading organization that identifies, trains and supports openly lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender candidates, campaign staff and public officials. He served on the Victory Fund's Board of Directors for four years prior to joining the staff.  During his tenure as CEO, hundreds of openly LGBT candidates have been elected to public office, and the list of states with no out elected officials has dropped from 13 to just five.

Mr. Wolfe has an extensive background in politics, issue advocacy and organizational development. He previously served as executive vice president and chief operating officer of the American Legacy Foundation, which was created as a result of the 46-state settlement with the tobacco industry. Mr. Wolfe was the Foundation's first employee and initiated national tobacco control programs such as the groundbreaking "truth" advertising campaign.

Mr. Wolfe entered the public sector as an appointee to the late Florida Governor Lawton Chiles. In addition to serving on the governor's 1994 reelection campaign as operations manager, he served the governor for seven years in such capacities as director of external affairs, director of tobacco control and executive director of the Miami Financial Oversight Board. During his tenure, among numerous other achievements, Mr. Wolfe developed and implemented programs that aided the relief efforts of Hurricane Andrew, the City of Miami's financial emergency and the Florida Tobacco Pilot Program.

Mr. Wolfe, an Eagle Scout, has a long history of leadership within the Boy Scouts of America, including a two-year term on the National Executive Board. For more than ten years he was active and outspoken in the effort to rid scouting of its discriminatory policies towards gays and lesbians.  His efforts were profiled in a report on CBS News' 60 Minutes.

Mr. Wolfe is a 1985 graduate of Stetson University in Florida and completed the Negotiating Skills Seminar at the J.F.K. School of Government of Harvard University in 1997. A native of Florida, he has resided in Washington, D.C. since 1999.

Robin Brand is the deputy executive director at the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund and Leadership Institute, the nation's leading organization that identifies, trains and helps elect openly LGBT leaders to public office.  As deputy executive director, Brand develops strategies and oversees programs for the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender political action committee.

Prior to taking on her current role, Brand was chief operating officer for Gill Action, and earlier was a senior vice president at the Victory Fund and Leadership Institute.  Her work in LGBT politics has included raising record-breaking amounts in candidate-specific funds, and helping elect the first openly LGBT legislators in several states.

Prior to working with the Victory Fund, Robin served as the eastern political director for the Democratic National Committee and as the executive director of the Washington State Democratic Party.

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Joshua Beety--Compliance and Revenue Manager

Torey Carter--Director of Finance and Administration

Brian Cox--Victory Campaign Board Director

Mark Anthony Dingbaum--Digital Marketing Associate

Denis Dison--Vice President, External Affairs

James C. Dozier--Deputy Political Director

Martin Espinoza--Events Manager

Martín Garcia--Political Associate

Kate Karasmeighan--Director of Board Management & Relations

Samir Luther--Director of the Presidential Appointments Project

Sarah McCall--Major Gifts Officer

Tim Meinke--Director of the Victory Cabinet

Jason Mida--Vice President, Development

Jillian Rubino--Events Associate

Jeff Spitko--Director of Marketing

George Walker--Vice President, Leadership Initiatives

Shawn Werner--Director of Campaign Services