Phoenix Pride has hired Justin Owen as its new Executive Director. Owen will begin his role on May 13th, replacing the outgoing Executive Director Brandi Sokolosky. Owen has 15 years of experience overseeing large events and programs and a proven ability to build long-term relationships. A board member praised Owen's passion for Phoenix Pride's work and his ability to continue advancing the organization. Owen expressed excitement to serve the LGBTQ community in his new role and expand Phoenix Pride's outreach programs.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Angie Guerra
April 25, 2013 Chairperson, Board of Directors
(602) 277-7433
info@phoenixpride.org
Phoenix Pride Hires New Executive Director, Justin Owen
PHOENIX, AZ (April 25, 2013)— After completing an exhaustive search process, Phoenix Pride is
pleased to announce the hire of the organization’s next Executive Director, Justin Owen. Justin will
officially begin his work as Executive Director of Phoenix Pride on May 13, 2013.
As announced in January, Brandi Sokolosky, Executive Director of Phoenix Pride since November
2007, will officially separate from the organization in June 2013, at which time she will relocate to
her home state of Oklahoma with her partner.
Justin Owen comes to Phoenix Pride with nearly 15 years of leadership overseeing highly-
successful programs and large-scale events, comprehensive fiscal management experience and a
proven capacity to cultivate mutually beneficial long-term relationships.
Having served as Senior Program Manager for Kuoni Destination Management’s Scottsdale
location for the last 6 years, Justin has vast experience with companies, organizations and
initiatives such as the Walt Disney Company, Long Beach Pride, The Trevor Project and Special
Olympics Southern California. Justin has also served as a Volunteer Manager in multiple roles for
the Phoenix Pride Festival since 2007.
Jaime Dempsey, Phoenix Pride board member and chair of the hiring committee, said of Justin,
“We are thrilled to engage a professional of Justin’s caliber. Certainly Justin’s credentials and
experience are impressive and in tight alignment with the qualities we sought in an Executive
Director, but more importantly, Justin embodies an extraordinary passion for the work of Phoenix
Pride. He is the leader we were looking for: someone who can capitalize on Brandi’s legacy of
organizational and programmatic advancement, who can continue positioning Phoenix Pride as a
leading organization within the LGBTQ community and the whole of greater Phoenix.”
Of his new role at Phoenix Pride, Justin Owen said, “I am both honored and excited to lead
Phoenix Pride and cannot wait to serve the LGBTQ community in a new and broader capacity. For
the past 7 years it has been my pleasure to serve as a Volunteer Manager for the Phoenix Pride
Festival, and I feel confident my experience and skills will help move the festival forward in line with
the organization’s vision to become a premier destination Pride celebration. As Executive Director I
look forward to expanding the scope of Phoenix Pride’s Scholarships, Community Grants and other
outreach programs, but most of all I look forward to working in partnership with members of the
diverse LGBTQ community to celebrate and promote the community’s many valuable
contributions.”
To hire the organization’s next leader, Phoenix Pride’s Board of Directors assembled a hiring
committee which included the following members: Jaime Dempsey, Angie Guerra, Shannon Lank,

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John Phebus and Luisa Evonne Valdez from the Board of Directors, and Kirk Baxter and Katy June
as representatives from the community.
The comprehensive job recruitment/posting was published to the Phoenix Pride website and
myriad local and national employment sites at the end of January 2013 and the hiring committee
began reviewing applications during the first week of March 2013. Interviews were conducted in
March and April.
Phoenix Pride is a 501c3 nonprofit organization which celebrates and promotes the history,
diversity and future prosperity of the metropolitan Phoenix LGBTQ community. For more
information about Phoenix Pride, please visit www.phoenixpride.org or call 602-27PRIDE.
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