From the AEN President ...

Welcome to the NEW AEN: Everybody's Network!

If you have not been to an AEN meeting in a while, now is the time to come! This month, we will have our first meeting in our new permanent home, Trois. Located in the heart of Midtown Atlanta on 14th Street, Trois offers AEN members and guests free valet parking, and the dining room is open for reservations following the AEN meeting!

In June 2008, the Centers for Disease Control released data showing a 12% rise in HIV infection among young gay men. On July 17, AEN's guest speaker will be Tracy Elliott, executive director of AID Atlanta, the Southeast’s largest AIDS service organization, to talk about how the 27 year-old organization is addressing the needs of Atlanta’s at-risk gay and bisexual population.

Within his first year at the helm of AID Atlanta, Mr. Elliott successfully increased the annual operating budget by more than $1 million, allowing the organization to expand life-saving and life-transforming services to more people within the community. In addition, he initiated a business model innovation planning process to help transform the organization through the next 10 years and assembled a robust development team to ensure sustained resources for future needs.

With more than 25 years of leadership experience in both the social and private sectors, Mr. Elliott served as executive director of the Damien Center, the largest HIV/AIDS service organization in Indiana, prior to joining AID Atlanta. His accomplishments there include leading a transformation of the organization’s impact and brand position, innovative reform of their client service model and the establishment of a community HIV-care network. In addition, he implemented a successful $3.2 million capital campaign and vastly expanded HIV prevention and testing capacity. His work at Damien Center has been recognized by the Charity of Ethics Award, the Social Enterprise Award and by the Indiana Achievement Awards.

He was recently named to the 2008 Leadership Atlanta team and holds an M.S. in Administration from Notre Dame and a B.A. from Harvard University.

We hope that you will join us at Trois for “AEN Third Thursday” on July 17! Doors will open at 5:45 p.m. for networking.

As always, I welcome you to contact me directly if you have any feedback, questions or comments about the NEW AEN! Welcome aboard!

Best always,

Justin Ziegler, President
AEN Board of Directors
404-822-7967 (Wireless)
www.aen.org
www.myspace.com/aenatlanta

Upcoming Events

August 21 - AEN's annual Summer Networking Party and mixer at Trois.

September 18 - A discussion with Atlantis Cruises, the largest gay and lesbian tour operator in the world. Speakers include Charlie Rounds, president of RSVP Vacations and Rene Jonjmans, president of Vacation Express.

October 16 - Gay Legal Issues 101 - a seminar with attorney Jeffery Cleghorn of Kitchens New Law Firm. Topics include marriage/civil unions, employment, domestic partnership agreements, hospital visitation, wills, etc. A concise update on the state of the law, both state and federal, as it pertains to LGBT citizens and our families.

November 20 - Bob Amick and Todd Rushing, co-founders of Concentrics Restaurants, a company that has been recognized in national publications such as the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal.

December 11 - AEN's annual Holiday Networking Party and mixer at Trois.

Introducing New AEN Board Members

Kyle Bailey

Kyle is director of Chapter and National Development for the National Stonewall Democrats and has previously served the LGBT community through his roles with YouthPride and Georgia Equality. A graduate of the University of Georgia, Kyle holds a B.A. in political science and an A.A. in liberal arts from Young Harris College. In addition to his tenure with AEN, Kyle is affiliated with the Human Rights Campaign, AID Atlanta, The Associate of Fundraising Professionals and the American Political Science Association.

Alex Page

Alex is a sales professional with Tiffany & Co. His experience in retail management and hospitality management makes him a welcome addition to AEN’s board of directors. Alex will be chairing AEN’s networking committee and will be creating new and easy ways for members to stay connected with other professionals and businesses in the Atlanta area. Alex holds a B.A. in communications, public relations, and marketing from the University of South Alabama in Mobile.

Daniel Mastrodonato

Daniel is the senior sales manager for CompuPay. Prior to moving to Atlanta, he served as district sales manager for E-chx Payroll Solutions and served on the board of directors for several non-profit organizations in his home of Rochester, N.Y. Daniel is also a member of the Buckhead Business Association, the Chamber of Commerce, and founder of Business Resource Group.

Fred Miller

Fred is the managing partner and broker of the Atlanta Restaurant Exchange. His professional experience includes 15 years as the executive director of the Business Expansion Funding Corporation, Corporate lender for Bank of America and regional manager of the Advanced Mortgage Corporation. Fred will be serving on AEN’s finance committee. Prior to entering the workforce, Fred spent two years of active duty with the United States Army. He also holds an M.L.A. from Queens College and a B.A. from Sacred Heart College in Belmont, N.C.

Community Events

AEN Advocacy Policy: AEN will accept non-profit and partnership event information for inclusion in its monthly newsletter if submitted to a board member by the first Saturday of each month. The listings here are for information purposes, and should not be read as an endorsement of a particular political party or candidate. Events of interest to AEN members from partners and community non-profits, including those of a political nature, are welcome.

Want to Help Lead our Community?

AEN is seeking qualified candidates who are interested in leading AEN and our community by serving on the board of directors. If interested, please contact Justin Ziegler at 404-822-7967 or at justinziegler@aen.org.

Not a member? Join online today!

Even though gas prices continue to rise, AEN memberships are still only $100 for an entire year! Membership includes admission to all AEN meetings, networking events, and parties; access to our exclusive online membership database; as well as exclusive offers from our partners! Joining has never been easier… simply visit www.aen.org/join

JOIN NOW - AEN is a whole new organization and you will not want to miss out!

Partnership Opportunities Available!

Looking to expand your market into the LGBT community? AEN partnership opportunities are available to help you and your business do more business while building and shaping the community around you. Partnering with AEN ensures logo placement in our online and print advertising, access to the AEN exclusive member directory, exhibit tables at AEN meetings, and memberships for your staff. Custom partnership packages are available. For questions, please contact the AEN partnership chair, William Duffee-Braun at william@aen.org.