This month, as our country celebrates LGBTQ pride, we at LISC reaffirm our commitment to supporting inclusive and equitable communities.
Part of our mission at LISC is to do everything we can to help all Americans live with dignity and contribute to and share more broadly in the prosperity of our country. That includes LGBTQ Americans. In recognition of LGBTQ history month, we’re reaffirming our commitment to creating inclusive communities, and reflecting on how we can do better.
For example, we have supported affordable housing for low-income LGBTQ seniors in Chicago. We also helped build a new facility for the venerable Los Angeles LGBT Center, which has been providing services and advocacy since 1969. And there are many more examples of similar work underway. We at LISC are always working to make sure our own staff represents the same diversity--of race, ethnicity, age, gender and sexual orientation--as the communities we serve. Only when we pool the collective talent of our diversity can we achieve excellence.
All of this is critical. In order to realize the extraordinary promise of this country, we must tap and develop the talents of all and work to ensure that all have access to the abundance of opportunities throughout our beloved communities. During this month of celebration and pride, LISC rededicates itself to these values.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Maurice A. Jones, President & CEO, LISC
Prior to joining LISC, Maurice was the Secretary of Commerce for the Commonwealth of Virginia, where he managed 13 state agencies focused on the economic needs in his native state. Before that, he was second in command at the U.S. Dept. of HUD, serving as deputy secretary in charge of operations. He has also been Commissioner of Virginia’s Dept. of Social Services and Deputy Chief of Staff to then-Gov. Mark Warner. At the U.S. Treasury Dept. during the Clinton Administration, he managed the CDFI fund. His private sector experience includes top positions at the Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk, a Richmond law firm and a private philanthropy investing in community-based efforts to benefit children in Washington, D.C.