Long-time conference and events specialist Danny Linden has been named the new Creating Change Conference Director of the National LGBTQ Task Force, effective June 16, 2021. Linden comes to the Task Force with 31 years of conference and events experience and is a much-welcomed addition to the Task Force as the 34th Creating Change Conference approaches in New Orleans, January 12-16, 2022.
After spending several years working at the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt in San Francisco, both in displays and merchandising, Danny relocated to Washington, DC during the early 1990’s and worked on both national and regional meetings for National Minority AIDS Council (NMAC); National Association of People With AIDS (NAPWA) and prior to Task Force, he spent 12 years at National Council for Mental Well Being. At National Council for Mental Well Being, Danny specifically focused on maintaining and growing the Council’s sponsorship, exhibit booth and advertising efforts — and, in the local DC community, Danny spent 20 years helping organize and manage logistics and operations for Mid-Atlantic Leather Weekend, an annual event that draws several thousand individuals to its three-day events at DC hotels, bars and dance clubs.
Danny Linden: “I am thrilled and honored to join the Task Force and view this new opportunity as the highlight and culmination of years of work that I’ve done in Washington, DC. I have always envied those who early on developed a comprehensive roadmap for professional advancement and adventure – wishing that I too were more linear in that way. However, my path has been circuitous. However, and almost always and without fail, roads lead me to where I believe I need to be and where I may make a significant contribution and difference.”
Linden’s appointment to Creating Change Conference Director is another recent addition to the leadership at the National LGBTQ Task Force and the organization is thrilled to welcome Linden to the team at an exciting moment for the future of LGBTQ justice.
Andy Garcia, Director of Advocacy and Action: “I am beyond excited to welcome Danny to the Creating Change family! Danny comes to the Task Force with over three decades of conference planning experience, including his work on the conferences of the National Minority AIDS Council and the National Association of People with AIDS. In our first few days working together, I am incredibly impressed with his energy and enthusiasm. Most importantly, his expertise, insights and ideas will take the Creating Change Conference to new heights as we continue to evolve and innovate to meet the ever-expanding needs of the LGBTQ movement and the thousands of participants who call the conference home each year.”