The Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund is pleased to announce that Matt Foreman will be joining its staff in late April to direct the Fund’s gay and lesbian program. A nationally known leader in the gay and lesbian movement, Matt will bring to the Fund his experience as a lawyer and activist with a rich background in political advocacy and civil rights work.

Matt has spent 25 years as a passionate and highly respected advocate for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) communities. Currently, he is Executive Director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, a $10 million advocacy organization that is building the grassroots power of the LGBT community and an important Haas, Jr. Fund grantee.

In addition to his national leadership, Matt has an impressive record of leadership in human and civil rights at the state and local levels. He was Executive Director of the Empire State Pride Agenda, the nation’s largest statewide lesbian and gay political advocacy and civil rights organization. Matt was also Executive Director of the New York City Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project, building it into the nation’s leading LGBT crime victim assistance agency during the 1990s. He also worked in prison policy and public administration for 10 years.

When he arrives at the Fund, Matt will lead a team that includes Randall Miller, Program Officer, and Lisa Marquez-Valenti, Program Assistant. He will begin his position in late April of this year.

Matt received his Juris Doctor from New York University School of Law and his Bachelor of Science from West Virginia Wesleyan College.