Earlier this month, Equality North Carolina welcomed Christopher Sgro to their team as their new Executive Director. We were able to catch up with Chris to learn more about his experience and his hopes for his new position at Equality NC.

Equality Federation: How did you become involved in working in politics in North Carolina?
Chris Sgro of Equality North Carolina: I moved to North Carolina in 2007 to work on Kay Hagan’s US Senate Race and was quickly welcomed to the state. North Carolina has a strong history of commitment to social justice and economic equality so I quickly fell in love with living and being involved here. I’ve been able to springboard from there and be involved in major donor fundraising throughout the state as well as other local campaigns. I’ve also been lucky enough to work for Senator Hagan after she won election.

EF: What kind of work did you do as Director of Economic Development in Senator Kay Hagan’s office?
CS: Being Senator Hagan's Economic Development Director has been a wonderful role. I’ve been responsible for developing our statewide strategy to the business community and developing relationships with key business leaders. I’ve also worked to cultivate strong alliances for our office with local electeds, members of the General Assembly, and state agency leaders to ensure we are clicking on all cylinders to improve the economy in the State.

As a member of Senator Hagan’s Senior Staff, my job did not stop at the business community, though. I’ve been privileged to have a role in our strategic vision, branding, and legislation across the board.

EF: What made you decide to apply for the Executive Director position at Equality North Carolina?
CS: My partner, Ryan Butler, and I have made North Carolina our home for 6 years and will be our home for the long run. We love this state and believe it is built on equality. I’ve been a constituent of ENC for quite a while now, and I jumped at the opportunity to work professionally with our talented board and strong staff. Working directly in LGBT justice and equality has always been a dream of mine.

EF: How do you feel your experience in politics and with previous LGBT organizations will help you at Equality North Carolina?
CS: I’ve been able to work on both the political side and the “official” side of Senator Hagan’s organization. Along with past positions at America Votes, CARE International, and with various North Carolina candidates, this has helped give me perspective of political and non-political advocacy, as well as of the larger non-profit community. I’ve spent a good deal of time fundraising and strategically planning communications strategies, both of which I believe are important for Equality North Carolina and equality groups across the country.

I’ve been fighting for LGBT rights since the beginning of my career as well -  from interning at the LGBT Center at American University (where I went to school) to working with LGBT donors and volunteering at ENC townhalls during the amendment fight. I think that my experience is unique in how varied it has been within the overall scope of politics and the LGBT community and will be an asset to the organization as we fully reach our potential.

EF: What kind of changes can we expect to see as Equality North Carolina works towards full equality for the LGBT community in North Carolina?
CS: I am a firm believer that LGBT equality issues are now at the forefront for many North Carolinians. Despite a disappointing result in the Amendment fight, many North Carolinians are now looking to be engaged. I will work with our board and talented staff to build those relationships and make Equality North Carolina a premier organization, not just within the LGBT community but throughout the state for people interested in justice issues. ENC will grow our membership within our ally community. We will also build a network of municipal leaders who are equality-minded and willing to help us achieve victories at the local level, while we continue to lay the groundwork for our members to build a deeper pool of equality-minded legislators to send to Raleigh.

I am incredibly excited to take on this role and for the future of Equality North Carolina.

Congratulations to Chris Sgro and to the whole team at Equality North Carolina!