A Special Announcement from AVP’s Executive Director & Board
From the New York City Anti-Violence Project Website
Dear Members of the AVP and LGBTQ+ Communities,
Today, we share with you the news that AVP’s Executive Director, Beverly Tillery will be stepping down after eight years of dedication and service to survivors of violence, and the greater LGBTQ+ community. Her last day at the organization will be July 31, 2024. We are excited to celebrate Bev’s leadership and AVP’s accomplishments during her tenure and to begin the search for the next dynamic leader who will shepherd the organization into the future.
A hallmark of Bev’s leadership is that she fearlessly champions the needs of those in our community who are most impacted by violence and most marginalized by our society. AVP has adapted its work to reflect a focus on violence prevention, seeking to create a world in which all LGBTQ+ and HIV-affected people are safe and free. AVP also became more nationally recognized, launched innovative programs like the TGNC Leadership Academy, and drove change across New York and nationally by advocating for LGBTQ+ communities and with local and state policymakers, members of Congress, and federal officials. Bev initiated important work to modernize AVP’s hotline and expand its capacity to provide legal services to meet the growing needs of our communities, including hundreds of asylum seekers.
“I am so proud of the work we have done over the last eight years, years which have been some of the most difficult our community has experienced in decades. Despite the real threats that have steadily increased since I started as Executive Director, I am grateful for the many ways our staff has come together to meet challenge after challenge. We helped our communities respond to the increases in hate violence attacks and came together with other targeted communities to protect each other. We listened to our community and created the TGNC Leadership Academy, one of the first of its kind in the nation, and our increased focus on decriminalization to improve the lives of all LGBTQ+ and HIV-affected community members,” says Tillery. “But the most rewarding part of this work is that I have had the privilege to work side by side with AVP’s talented and compassionate staff to respond to and support survivors and the families of victims of violence, helping them to heal and working to make the world safer for generations to come.”