Important Staff Updates at Outright - And a Stronger Path Forward for LGBTQ+ Youth!

We have some exciting and important updates about how we’re evolving to better serve LGBTQ+ youth, their families, and the partners who show up alongside them. 

As we expand our reach and deepen our impact statewide, we’re making intentional shifts to our staffing structure. These shifts are designed to help us meet the moment, strengthen our daily operations, and stay aligned with our 2025–2030 Strategic Plan.

Let me be clear from the jump: our full staff team remains in place, with new hires on the way. These shifts are not about anyone leaving - rather, reorganizing to strengthen our impact, grow our programs, and respond to emergent needs. It’s our glow up, baby! 

Why these changes, and why now?

More LGBTQ+ youth are reaching out, more families are looking for guidance, and more schools, providers, and allies want training, support, and connection. To meet these needs, we’ve refined our internal structure so that our team can work with deeper focus and clarity, prioritizing sustainability and impact.

This moment also reflects an ongoing commitment to our guiding principles, including Youth to the Front - because Youth power is central to the success of our mission, and youth leadership must inform every level of the organization. These staffing shifts allow us to build clearer pathways for youth input, youth power, and youth partnerships throughout the organization now and in the years to come. Heck Yeah! Changes to how we work together will keep us showing up for LGBTQ+ youth in all the ways they deserve. 

Here are some other highlights: 

• We’re super excited to welcome Matthew DeGroot, Knowledge and Grants Manager. In his role, he will ensure that our programs are having the impact we intend and support the internal team with program analysis.

• We are also proud to share that after years of dedication, incredible support of LGBTQ+ youth, clear leadership, and big impact, several deserving staff members have been promoted. To learn more about people’s roles, check out our staff page. 

• Importantly, our internal leadership team has been reshaped and expanded to provide more cohesion and collaboration  over segments of our work. 

How does this connect to our 2025-2030 Strategic Plan?

We’ve shared with you our 2025–2030 Strategic Plan, which calls us to build Outright into an irresistible, sustaining place to work, one where LGBTQ+ youth, staff, volunteers, families, and allies feel energized and valued. These staffing updates move us closer to that goal by:

• Strengthening our internal systems so our team can thrive.
• Creating more stability and support for youth-facing programs.
• Expanding our capacity to engage youth as true co-creators in the work.

The plan also pushes us to reach more deeply into communities across Vermont. To do that well, we need a structure that reflects our values and helps us sustain the people doing the work. These shifts help us grow thoughtfully and stay aligned with the future we’re building.

What this means for our community

You’ll see us communicate more often, collaborate more widely, and create more access points for LGBTQ+ youth and the people who care about them. While some staff members will be moving into new or expanded roles, the team you know is still here and queer, committed, energized, and ready for the next chapter. Thanks for being a part of it!