The executive director of Utah Pride, Steven Ha, resigned his post on Friday due to illness after less than a year on the job, the organization's board president said.
Ha was diagnosed with a recurrence of lymphoma and is stepping down to focus on his treatment, Kent Frogley said, adding: "We hope for the best."
Utah Pride is a non-profit organization which provides information, programs and services to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area.
Founded in the early 1990s, the organization also advocates for social change on behalf of the LGBTQ and annually hosts the Utah Pride Festival, which includes Utah's second-largest parade.
A former board treasurer, Ha was named executive director of Pride last February. Frogley credits him with adding important mental health programming to Utah Pride Center's offerings.
The board will launch a search for a new executive director in January and plans to reach out to the Pride Center's constituency for input as it looks for a new leader, Frogley said. Board member Sheila Raboy, will serve as the center's interim operations director, managing daily operation and programming. Raboy resigned her position on the board to serve in this new role, Frogley said.
"I'm actually really optimistic that the momentum we've been experiencing is going to continue and that we will be able to transition well," Frogley said.
jdobner@sltrib.com
Lennie Mahler | The Salt Lake Tribune Steven Ha, spokesperson for the Phan family, addresses the media after the family met with school district officials at the Capitol Building, Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2012.
Lennie Mahler | The Salt Lake Tribune Steven Ha, spokesperson for the Phan family, addresses the media after the family met with school district officials at the Capitol Building, Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2012.
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