Dave Garcia, Executive Director of Michigan's Affirmations LGBTQ+ Community Center, to Step Down
Deputy Executive Director Cheryl Czach to take over
Affirmations LGBTQ+ community center Executive Director Antonio Dave Garcia has announced his intention to step down at the end of the year. Newly hired Deputy Executive Director Cheryl Czach will take over Jan. 1. For the next six months, Garcia said he will work closely with Czach and that he expects a smooth transition. The decision to leave, Garcia said, had been made some time ago.
Garcia, who first served as ED from 2012-2015, spent five years in California before returning to Michigan and the ED post in 2019. His first contract was only for three years.
“But Covid happened, and then when three years came I was ready to step down then but we didn’t have a good transition plan,” he said. “So, I didn’t want to see what’s happened in the past happen again.”
What happened before is that the center’s board did a massive, costly national search in 2015, which ended with the hiring of Darrious D. Hilmon as ED. But Hilmon left the center after less than year. Czach, who previously served on the center’s board, including as president for a time, was brought on as deputy ED in April. And a plan was set in motion.
“When I joined it was with the idea that there was a transition coming,” said Czach. “But I didn’t know it was going to be me. The board decided that they didn’t want to spend the time and money on a search. Historically, searches have not worked out well for Affirmations. Some of them have cost, like, $50,000.”
With that in mind, Garcia began looking in-house.
“I wanted to develop a strong internal candidate and then it would be up to the board whether to accept that candidate or do a search,” Garcia said. “The board made the decision to forgo the search. We all believe Cheryl is going to do a great job.”
Czach, who first started with the center as a volunteer in 2014, was an obvious choice, according to Garcia.
“I trust Cheryl,” he said. “I’ve known Cheryl for a long time now. She worked very closely with me as board president. She’s a passionate, intelligent leader.”
Garcia said he looks forward to having Czach “by his side” for the next six months as he prepares her to take over. Filling Garcia’s shoes, she said, will not be easy.
“It’s daunting, of course,” said Czach. “These are big shoes to fill with Dave. Not only has he done an amazing job turning the center around, but he is very loved in the community. What makes me feel comfortable about it is that I have a lot of faith in the staff.”
The board, too.
“Our board is pretty phenomenal,” she said. “It’s more diverse than it’s ever been. They’re very involved and they’re very engaged. And because I was on the board, I have strong relationships with them and we have a lot of mutual trust.”
For his part, Garcia said that stepping down from the ED post does not mean he is totally leaving Affirmations. Instead, he’s going to stay on contract as a consultant.
“I’m going to do arts and culture, and advocacy and certain projects Cheryl might need help with,” he said, adding that he also wants to do contract work with other centers across the country. “I feel I’m at the point that I want to do something bigger. Heading in the 2024 election, I think my talents can best be used to help us in 2024."
“I just felt it was time to do more policy and advocacy,” he continued. “We’ve done some. But I haven’t been able to do as much as I’d like.”
Read More
Biden-Harris Campaign Launches LGBTQ+ Voter Initiative at Affirmations — How You Can Get Involved in the 2024 Election
The election season is officially heating up in Michigan, with a special focus on queer voters. On April 10, local and statewide community leaders and elected [...]
Tips on Selecting a Wedding Venue When You’re Stuck on the ‘Where’
One of the most critical decisions engaged couples will make is choosing a ceremony and reception venue. These choices will impact almost every other choice, so [...]
How the Recently Passed Michigan Family Protection Act Will Safeguard LGBTQ+ Parents and Families
Michigan Democrats have held a “trifecta” of power since late 2022 when the party flipped both chambers of the House and won the governorship and [...]
Let's *Not* Say Forever and Other Ways LGBTQ+ Folks Are Queering Their Wedding Vows
My perhaps ill-advised decision to permit connection with my extremely heterosexual and extremely traditional mom on social media has resulted in many [...]
Celebrate Michigan-Founded International Transgender Day of Visibility
As any card-carrying member of the Michigan LGBTQ+ community likely knows, International Transgender Day of Visibility was born right here in the Great Lakes [...]
Ferndale-Based Hate Group Church Militant: Gone For Good?
We fighters for LGBTQ+ rights have to take our victories where we can get them. As state governments continue to try to take our rights away, as right-wing [...]
