DETROIT – Detroit-based LGBT non-profit the Triangle Foundation announced this week that they have received renewed funding for 2009-2010 by the Victims Crimes Act Grant in the amount of $119,000. They also recently welcomed three new staff members, while saying farewell to two others.
Dr. Selma Massey has joined Triangle as the director of victim services, replacing Melissa Pope, who will be accepting a judgeship. Attorney Joshua Moore will take the place of Victim Services Advocate Georgia Carpenter, who is seeking higher education. Moore and Massey will assist the LGBT community with addressing violence statewide and take in reports of hate crimes in Michigan against LGBTs.
Additionally, Robert Thomas is joining Triangle as the director of operations.
"Combined, they bring enormous talent in organizational development, community outreach and grant writing," executive director Alicia Skillman said of the three.
The announcement comes just over a month after the organization received a two-year grant totalling $500,000 from the Arcus Foundation, to be used for general operations and strengthening of administration and leadership.
Massey comes to Triangle Foundation from private practice as a clinical psychotherapist and several years of working with government grants. Moore was formerly with Medical Social Work Rehabilitation Management as a case manager. Robert Thomas most recently served as the associate development director for the new Michigan AIDS Coalition (formerly the Midwest AIDS Prevention Project and the Michigan AIDS Fund). Robert comes to Triangle with several years of human resources experience.
"While it is great to move forward with strong people, it is so bittersweet to say goodbye to such wonderful staff – but not just staff – friends that I looked forward to working with daily," stated Skillman. Melissa L. Pope, director of victim services, and Georgia Carpenter, victim advocate, are both leaving Triangle Foundation to pursue new challenges.
Youth Services Coordinator Brett Beckerson also recently left Triangle and now works for the National Center for Institutional Diversity in their Youth and Community Program. His position at Triangle has not been filled.
In June 2009, Melissa Pope was sworn in as an appellate justice to the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians Tribal Court, located in Manistee, Mich. In July, she was asked by the court to serve as the chief justice of this sole appellate court for the tribe. Pope will continue to advocate for the LGBT community as the coordinator of the Gender and Sexuality Center at Oakland
University.
Pope also plans to serve as the Triangle representative on the Transgender Day of Remembrance Planning Committee. Melissa Pope stated, "I am devoted to Triangle and look forward to working with Alicia Skillman and the new team to provide the services so desperately needed throughout the state of Michigan."
Georgia Carpenter is pursuing a Ph.D. in Family and Child Ecology with a specialization in Marriage & Family Therapy at Michigan State University. She is a recipient of the Mansfield Evelyn Endowed Fund.
Carpenter stated, "I will continue to remain involved with the Triangle Foundation, who will lead us into an era of equality in Michigan. I know that without Triangle, I could not have taken this tremendous step in my career and I am confident that Michigan is in good hands."
The Triangle Foundation is Michigan's statewide LGBT organization, focusing on equality and victim services, and education.
For more information on the Triangle Foundation, visit http://www.tri.org.
