First LGBTQ Executive Search Firm Welcomes Supreme Court Decision
Palm Springs, CA, June 15 – McCormack + Kristel, the nation’s first openly gay-owned executive recruiting firm when it was established 27 years ago, praised today’s Supreme Court ruling extending protections to millions of LGBTQ workers nationwide by a 6-3 decision.
The firm was founded by veteran search consultant, Joseph A. McCormack as McCormack & Associates on April 1, 1993, in response to the AIDS pandemic, when emerging service providers for the LGBTQ community were in desperate need of professional leadership. For the first five years, service providers and research and policy organizations like amfAR, Housing Works, and AIDS United were the core of the firm’s practice. In time they began to recruit CEO’s and C-suite executives for a broader spectrum of LGBTQ organizations like the Los Angeles LGBT Center, the Trevor Project, Servicemembers Legal Defense Fund, Lambda Legal, PFLAG, the Point Foundation, and numerous others.
The historic nature of the firm’s founding was reflected in its coverage by the Wall Street Journal and the Associated Press, and an interview with Joe McCormack by the New York Times for the Sunday, June 27, 1993 Business Section. This led to a flood of resumes from LGBTQ executives and others seeking help with their job searches. McCormack & Associates found its niche with mission-driven nonprofits, expanding its practice over time to include clients such as the ACLU, Planned Parenthood, Amnesty International, the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, J. Paul Getty Trust, Natural Resources Defense Council, and numerous others. Throughout its history, McCormack has aligned with clients whose values, particularly a prioritization of diversity, equity, and inclusion, are shared with those of the firm.
Managing Partner Michelle Kristel joined with McCormack in 2013. Kristel is the former executive director of In the Life Media (ITLM), a nonprofit organization that produced a documentary series for public television on issues related to gender, HIV/AIDS, and LGBT rights.
In response to today’s Supreme Court ruling, Kristel said, “Today’s decision by the U.S. Supreme Court extends significant protections to millions of employees nationwide. This incredibly important ruling affirms the basic civil rights of LGBT workers. As a firm that recruits diverse candidates to leadership positions across the country, we are assured to know all the executives we place will be afforded federal workplace protections.”
McCormack + Kristel has offices in California, New York and Washington, DC. The firm, which is owned by a veteran and a woman, is a certified LGBT enterprise and its principals are members of the Network of Nonprofit Search Consultants (NNSC).