Pride Lafayette Appoints Derrick Jones as Interim Executive Director
LAFAYETTE, IND. – The Board of Directors of Pride Lafayette is proud to announce that it has appointed board member and Development Chair Derrick Jones as its first executive director on a part-time, interim basis.
“One of Pride Lafayette’s greatest long-term goals is a full-time staff that can help us implement our year-round programming and secure the funding we need to serve the LGBTQ+ community in Greater Lafayette,” said Ashley Smith, president of Pride Lafayette. “Derrick brings a background in non-profit management, marketing and fundraising that will help the organization grow in the present and establish the necessary framework and organizational infrastructure for future staffing goals.”
A native of Springfield, Illinois, Derrick Jones spent more than 25 years based in Washington, D.C. working for several non-profit organizations, becoming accomplished in non-profit management, marketing and design, event planning, fundraising, communications, and social media. He has designed and executed marketing, fundraising, events, and public relations campaigns on a local, state, and national level. A graduate of The Catholic University of America with a degree in drama and production management, he is the founder and chief storytelling officer of Vine Street Creative, a boutique marketing, advertising, and event planning agency, which he will continue to lead. He relocated to Lafayette in the fall of 2020 and joined the board of Pride Lafayette in January 2022.
“I look forward to working with the Pride Lafayette Board of Directors, our community partners, and the LGBTQ+ community of Greater Lafayette to not only strengthen the organization and our connections to the community, but also lay the groundwork for future expansion and growth,” Jones said. “Pride Lafayette has a tremendous 20-year history as a valued and respected community organization and my goal is to ensure we’re here to serve the LGBTQ+ community for decades to come.”
Founded in 2003, Pride Lafayette is Greater Lafayette’s premiere link to the LGBTQ+ community. Pride Lafayette operates the Pride Community Center on Main Street Lafayette, the oldest LGBTQ+ community center in the state of Indiana. The organization produces OUTFest in downtown Lafayette, which annually brings together more than 7,000 members of the LGBTQ+ community and allies to celebrate the diversity of Greater Lafayette and call for greater equity and inclusion in the community.
