The executive director of the LGBT Center of Greater Reading has been appointed to serve on the Pennsylvania Commission on LGBTQ Affairs.
Michelle Dech’s appointment was announced Thursday by Rafael Álvarez Febo, executive director of the commission. She will be sworn in Friday following remarks from Gov. Tom Wolf and Dr. Rachel Levine, secretary of the Department of Health.
“I am honored to serve on the commission,” Dech said in a press release. “At the LGBT Center, ours is a mission of unity, one that allows us to meet division and hatred with kindness, love, and education. The opportunity to carry forward that mission at the state level is invaluable.”
Dech will work with legislators, professionals and activists from across the state to advise the governor and state agencies on policies, programs and legislation that impact LGBTQ communities and to serve as an intermediary between LGBTQ communities and state government.
Tim Gruesel, board president of the LGBT center, said Dech is an ideal person to represent the LGBTQIA+ community at the state level.
“Her impact at our center is undeniable,” Gruesel said. “I am certain she will broaden and further that impact in her role as a commissioner.”
