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| Cheryl Jacques, executive director of the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest gay political group, resigned this week over differences with directors of the organization. The group was criticized for strongly attacking President Bush during the recent campaign, including an advertising campaign with the slogan, ‘George W. Bush, you’re fired.’ (Photo by Judy G. Rolfe; photo illustration by Joey Carolino) |
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HOME > NEWS > NATIONAL NEWS
By: LOU CHIBBARO JR.
COMMENTS |
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WASHINGTON — Cheryl Jacques, executive director
of the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest gay advocacy group, resigned
abruptly from her post on Nov. 30, just 11 months after she gave up a seat in
the Massachusetts State Senate to take the job.
In a statement released Tuesday, HRC said Jacques resigned over “a difference
in management philosophy” with the organization’s board of directors.
Her departure follows weeks of behind-the-scenes e-mail and telephone deliberations
by board members over concerns about Jacques’ leadership style, which
sometimes led to clashes with high-level members of the HRC staff, according
to sources familiar with the organization.
HRC officials said Jacques’ departure was not related to the results
of the 2004 election, in which 11 states voted to ban same-sex marriage. But
the official statement released by the organization said the board would “prioritize
the [HRC] agenda and organize the transition to new leadership” at the
board’s regularly scheduled meeting this weekend in Las Vegas.
The statement said Jacques would be replaced on an interim basis by Hilary Rosen,
a former HRC board member who coordinated the group’s fight this year
against a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage, and board co-chair
Michael Berman, the president of a Washington, D.C., lobbying firm.
Berman said Jacques’ resignation took effect immediately. He said she
would remain on the HRC payroll for a period of time under the terms of a severance
clause in her contract. He declined to disclose details of the severance package.
“There’s a staff of 120 people there,” Berman said. “There’s
a very strong senior team that’s been there for a long time. We’re
there to help out until the search is done.”
Berman said he has “absolutely no interest” in throwing his hat
in the ring as a candidate for Jacques’ replacement and said he’s
certain that Rosen also is not interested in the position. Rosen could not be
reached by press time.
The two are seasoned Washington lobbyists. Berman is president of the Duberstein
Group, a Washington lobbying and government affairs firm founded by Kenneth
M. Duberstein, who was White House chief of staff for two years during the Reagan
administration.
Berman, who handles lobbying activities for Democratic members of Congress,
served as deputy chief of staff to Vice President Walter Mondale during the
Carter administration.
Rosen is the former chief executive officer of the Recording Industry Association
of America, which represents the U.S. music recording industry as well as big
name recording artists. She played a key role in the late 1990s in pushing the
government to crack down on free online “exchanges” of CD recordings
through Internet sites such as Napster, drawing praise from the industry and
condemnation from some Internet enthusiasts.
Rosen is also the domestic partner of Elizabeth Birch, who served as HRC’s
executive director for eight years before Jacques replaced her. Rosen was on
the HRC board at the time Birch was first selected to run the organization.
Birch, who together with Rosen is raising two children, cited an interest in
devoting more time to her family and children as her reason for leaving HRC.
After her departure, Birch briefly joined the Howard Dean presidential campaign
as a consultant. Birch, an attorney, served as a counsel to Apple Computer before
joining HRC.
Jacques, 42, resigned her seat in the Massachusetts Senate in January 2003 to
take her position at HRC. She held her Senate seat for six years and served
in the Massachusetts House of Representatives before winning election to the
state Senate.
She ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2002,
losing in the Democratic primary. Her departure came just days before the state
legislature debated a state constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, which
Jacques vowed to lead the effort in opposing. It passed by a narrow margin and
will be considered again this year.
Although Jacques became known as a highly visible, openly gay legislator, she
did not publicly disclose her sexual orientation until three years before joining
HRC. This prompted some observers to question whether she had the breadth of
experience in the gay civil rights movement needed to head a group like HRC.
Berman and HRC spokesperson Steve Fisher said neither HRC nor its directors
would elaborate ...
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