Openhouse Announces New Executive Director
San Francisco, CA - Openhouse today announced the hiring of Kathleen Sullivan, Ph.D. as its new Executive Director. Sullivan, who has 20 years of experience in creative community design, will be relocating from Portland, Oregon, where she has earned a reputation as a tireless advocate for elders, the LGBTQ+ community, and affordable housing. Openhouse provides housing, direct services and community programs to LGBTQ+ seniors in the San Francisco Bay Area.
"We are delighted and fortunate to find someone with Kathleen’s direct experience, proven expertise, and deep passion in the area of affordable housing and services for LGBT elders," says Openhouse Board Co-chair Tim Sweeney. "Given her background of advocacy, management, coalition building and fundraising, we know she is immensely capable of leading the Openhouse community as we step into this next phase of our development."
Sullivan's educational background includes a Ph.D. in Urban Studies and Planning with a focus on housing for LGBTQ mid-life and older adults. She served as Director of the Senior Services Department for the Los Angeles LGBT Center, which provides a comprehensive suite of services for LGBTQ older adults including healthcare, housing, and social services. She also served as Executive Director of Generations Aging with PRIDE in Seattle, WA. As Regional Director of EngAGE NW, she was instrumental in bringing 1,100 new units of intergenerational affordable housing to the Portland metro area and rural Oregon. In addition, she teaches two courses in Social Gerontology and Families & Aging as an Adjunct Professor at Oregon Health Sciences/Portland State University School of Public Health.
"San Francisco's LGBTQ elders led a revolution for civil rights in this city and country. Having the opportunity to work with the community is the highest honor I can imagine," says Sullivan. "Carrying on the work, with a focus on serving those in our community who are most vulnerable due to institutional racism, transphobia and discimination and looking for new ways to further serve LGBTQ older adults is an opportunity I am very grateful to have. I look forward to learning from them and marching forward together, as we further the ambitious mission of Openhouse."
Sullivan is slated to take the reins of Openhouse on July 19, just several weeks after the Mayor's Office of Housing and Community Development tapped Mercy Housing and Openhouse to construct and manage 120+ units of new affordable senior housing on a City-owned lot at 1939 Market Street. The building site is located directly across the street from the existing Openhouse campus on Laguna Street that includes 119 units of LGBT-welcoming affordable housing for seniors, the Bob Ross LGBT Senior Center, and the Openhouse-On Lok Community Day Center, which was completed in Spring 2019. Upon opening, the Center will house Community Day Services, one of the nation's first community-based adult day programs co-designed for and with the LGBTQ+ community.
About Openhouse
Openhouse enables San Francisco Bay Area LGBTQ seniors to overcome the unique challenges they face as they age by providing housing, direct services and community programs. The Openhouse and Mercy Housing buildings include 119 affordable LGBTQ-welcoming senior apartments, a shared outdoor courtyard and balcony, and 10,000 square feet of programming space, as well as large community rooms and individual meeting rooms throughout. On-site structures include the apartment building at 55 Laguna, the Bob Ross LGBT Senior Center at 65 Laguna, the Marcy Adelman and Jeanette Gurevitch Openhouse Community at 95 Laguna, and the Openhouse Community Center at 75 Laguna.
Founded in 1998, Openhouse works to center the voices and experiences of LGBTQ+ older adults by providing opportunities to make social connections and build community. Openhouse is committed to creating a safe environment to encourage and support community members to share diverse perspectives and identities to foster dynamic community engagement.