Jessica Halem, the dynamic executive director of the Lesbian Community Cancer Project ( LCCP ) and the force behind the organization's rise to additional mainstream prominence, will step down from her post in August. At that time, she will have served five years as the organization's leader.
'Being part of LCCP has been a life-changing experience for me,' Halem said in a statement. 'It has been my honor to lead the organization as it fulfills its mission of advancing the health and quality of life for lesbian, bisexual and queer women and transgender individuals.'
Halem will continue helming LCCP until August in order to ensure a smooth transition for her successor and the organization. After leaving, she plans to focus on the comedy career she began a decade ago.
Halem's contributions have certainly not gone unnoticed by her staff or the LGBT community. 'Jessica first became involved with LCCP in 1999 as a volunteer. When she applied for the ED position, the board recognized her outstanding leadership abilities, and invited her to serve as executive director,' Mary M. York, president of LCCP's board of directors, said in the release. Incidentally, Halem cites those who fight disease with 'strength and humor'—such as York, who is battling kidney cancer—as among those who have taught her the most. 'Jessica has taken the organization from a ( primarily ) volunteer-led grassroots effort to a formidable presence in the LGBT community,' York said.
Among Halem's accomplishments were applying a new vision that included transgender health, initiating a partnership with Howard Brown Health Center ( HBHC ) , and increasing LCCP's visibility, with the agency been featured in numerous publications, including Curve magazine and The Advocate.
In an e-mail to Windy City Times, HBHC Executive Director Mike Cook stated that 'Jessica has been instrumental in strengthening Howard Brown's relationship with LCCP. She brought a new perspective to Howard Brown, and helped us create new programs to better serve the women of our community. She's the best.'
Lisa Tonna, project coordinator of the HBHC-LCCP smoking cessation program Bitch to Quit, also discussed Halem's impact. ' [ Her ] vision and leadership have placed Chicago on the national map for queer women's and transgender individuals' health,' Tonna stated. 'Her commitment to adding tobacco to Chicago's substance abuse agenda and her ability to make smoke-free spaces and transgender and queer women's health sexy and fun [ have ] set the stage for many years of success and continued growth for LCCP.'
'Jessica is an extraordinary leader,' declared Mark Ishaug, executive director of AIDS Foundation of Chicago. 'She possesses that rare combination of a big brain and a wicked sense of humor, both of which have served the GLBT community well. She will certainly be missed, but her legacy is that she's trained and inspired scores of young men and women to be our future leaders. What can be more important than that?'
LCCP's board of directors has already started conducting a nationwide search for Halem's successor. Qualified applicants may submit materials to Michael Godnick at info@mgodnick.com or to 4555 N. Hermitage, Chicago, IL 60640. All inquires will be kept strictly confidential.