Dan Furmansky
Executive Director
Dan
Furmansky assumed the role of Executive Director with Equality Maryland
in November 2003. Under his tutelage, Equality Maryland -- an advocacy
organization, foundation, and political action committee -- has come to
be regarded as one of the most effective grassroots organizations in
the state. In 2005, the organization was cited as a legislative session
"Winner" in both the Baltimore Sun and The Gazette, chosen by the
editors of the Washington Blade newspaper as Best Non-Profit
Organization in its "Best of DC" Issue, and granted the Queer Activism
Award by the Washington Peace Center. Dan was also the recipient of a
DC Capitol Pride Hero award and the 2005 Harvey Milk Chesed Award by
Congregation Bet Mishpachah. In addition to his LGBT statewide
activism, Dan serves on the board of Progressive Maryland.
Before joining Maryland's LGBT civil rights organization, Dan worked at the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) in Washington, D.C., where he served as Senior Field Organizer. Dan was responsible for providing information, training and support to state and local GLBT organizations, leaders and constituency groups in the Western United States. Prior to HRC, Dan was an integral part of the communications department at RESULTS, a D.C.-based citizens' lobby advocating on global and domestic anti-hunger and anti-poverty initiatives. He cultivated dozens of editorials and features in newspapers across the country that advocated for increased Head Start funding, increased U.S. assistance to countries dealing with diseases of poverty, pledges for microcredit programs worldwide, increased transparency of IMF and World Bank structural adjustments, and a progressive approach to TANF reauthorization.
In the past, Dan has worked at a public relations firm in New York City; as an educator on issues of factory farming's impact on the environment and animal welfare issues; and as coordinator for community programs at an animal shelter in Madison, Wisc., where he spearheaded a pioneering Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) program.
Dan lives in Silver Spring, Maryland, where he has resided since 2000.
To contact Dan, email dan@equalitymaryland.org.