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 Welcome Seasoned Political Strategist Says: ‘Its Never Been More Exciting Being a Gay Republican’ GOP’s Michael Aronowitz Celebrates a 'New Political Reality’ |
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Compiled By GayToday Courtesy of the Log Cabin Republicans
After years in the trenches of the dot-com corporate world, honing his skills for a rapidly changing economy, Aronowitz has come on board the staff of Log Cabin Republicans as Senior Strategist -- at a time of rapidly changing political tides in the gay and lesbian movement. His challenge: to guide the senior leadership in plotting the course of the nation's largest gay Republican organization for the next decade, and in gathering the means to make it happen. It is the first time in LCR's 8-year corporate history that a staff person has been designated for strategic planning. "We got to this important moment because people with courage and vision worked hard to get us here," Aronowitz said. "Now that we're here, we have the job of bringing a whole new generation of gay and lesbian leaders into the movement who will help rechart its course for the new century. We know that a staff of four or five cannot meet this challenge, and I'm here to help LCR make the move and expand." "Times are changing," he added. "And we all have our role to play in the new political world we live in." Aronowitz worked his way up in the ranks of the organization from the ground up, starting with his election as the LCR New York City president in 1996. There, he built a strong local board and transformed the chapter into a powerhouse of gay politics in the nation's largest city. He led gay and lesbian voter efforts on behalf of the re-election campaigns of Mayor Rudolph Giuliani (1997), Senator Al D'Amato (1998) and Governor George Pataki (1998), and forged alliances with local and statewide Republican organizations and leaders in New York. Under his leadership, the New York City chapter was a driving force behind the passage of Mayor Giuliani's sweeping domestic partnership legislation in 1997, and substantial state funding increases for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program. He assumed the leadership of the New York State chapter in 1998, joining the national board of LCR the same year.
Now he's on staff at LCR, bringing together his activism and career into one focused effort. From his base of operations in Boston, Aronowitz works directly with Rich Tafel, LCR's executive director in Washington, D.C., and the national Board of Directors in developing the organization's strategies, while spending at least half of each month on the road consulting with LCR Trustees -- the leading contributors who invest in the organization's future -- and political leaders both inside and outside the LCR family. He checks in regularly with Kevin Ivers, public affairs director in the Washington office, and James Campbell, grass-roots field director in the Dallas field office, to share intelligence on local and national political issues. "We've learned that we have, by prioritizing it, built excellent relationships within the Republican Party that extends now to the House, the Senate and the Bush Administration," Aronowitz said. "Other organizations have built tremendous fundraising operations first. We can learn a lot from the successful models they have created as we bring the two together. You need both to meet such a big challenge." Aronowitz believes the best way to stay ahead of the curve is by bringing together a wide cross-section of people with exceptional commitment to the organization's long-term goals. "I'm spreading the word that the time is now to step up to the plate for those who are ready to make the commitment that is needed," Aronowitz said. "That's my mantra everywhere I go. The response has been incredible, much like we expected after the election. We don't have time to waste, and we're on a set timeline for moving forward." Which reminds him he's got another meeting. He starts down the hall to join a planning session for LCR's seventh annual Washington Weekend leadership conference. Each year since 1995, the Washington Weekend has brought together the LCR Board of Directors and top contributors in the LCR Lincoln Club and LCR Trustees for a series of meetings with top Republican elected officials in the nation's capital, reviewing the progress of the organization's efforts and looking ahead to the coming year. The 2001 weekend, running May 2 through May 6, begins with events around official Washington and ends with a Black-Tie dinner celebration at Union Station. "This Washington Weekend will be unique because we have more ground to cover than ever before," Aronowitz said. "We always work hard at the fly-in, but you can be sure that there will be plenty of celebrating, too." "For those of us who went through the darker times, like at the 1992 GOP Convention, we've worked hard and come so far. It has never been more exciting to be a gay Republican." |
