Human Rights Campaign Announces Eight New Members to its Boards of Directors

The new Board members are listed below. They each serve on one or both of our two boards, the HRC Board of Directors or the HRC Foundation Board of Directors, for a term of two years. This announcement comes as HRC is heading into its Equality Convention and National Dinner weekend, taking place on September 6 and 7, that brings together LGBTQ+ advocates, thought leaders, politicians and celebrities to gather together and unite on the LGBTQ+ community's goals for the November election and beyond.

Josh Beasley, He/Him/His, Houston

Josh Beasley has more than 20 years of experience helping to grow businesses and non-profit organizations. For the first half of his career, Beasley worked in the non-profit sector in public relations, fundraising, marketing, event planning, and management for social service organizations. These organizations included an international hunger and disaster relief charity, central Oklahoma's only shelter for battered women and children, an elementary school for homeless children, and an adult literacy organization. He moved to Houston in 2012 and shortly after transitioned into the business sector in the energy, recruiting/HR, and finance industries. Currently, Beasley is with The Kornmann Group, an Ameriprise private wealth advisory practice, as a Financial Advisor and partner in the business. In addition to advising, he is the Chief Operating Officer to the practice. Beasley volunteers on the fundraising committee for Legacy Community Health, a local health service organization with 50 clinics, and on the HRC Houston Steering Committee. He lives in Houston, Texas, with his husband Andrew and their dog Stella.

Joy Bowling, She/Her/Hers, Charlotte

Joy Bowling joined the Human Rights Campaign during the 2008 fight against Prop 8 in California but had no idea Steering Committees existed until she moved to Charlotte and attended the 2016 North Carolina Dinner. After the 2017 North Carolina Dinner, a friend approached her to join the Charlotte (now North Carolina) Steering Committee and co-chair the 2018 event. Joy has been a member of the Board of Governors since 2018 and has since planned several HRC North Carolina dinners and served in multiple local leadership roles. Nationally, she has served on the Board of Governors Board Development Committee and Executive Committee as Federal Club Co-Chair. Bowling is a graduate of the University of Virginia with a BS in Systems Engineering. She lives in Charlotte, NC with her dog, Bruce, and works as a technology leader in financial services.

Gurpreet Brar, He/Him/His, Washington, D.C.

Gurpreet Brar is Head of Special Projects and a Senior Client Advisor, at Edelman, the world's largest independent communications agency, a Steering Committee member for the WEF's Partnership for Global LGBTQI+ Equality, and a founding member of the Atlantic Council's MLP Fellowship Board. At Edelman he works across the firm in supporting some of the world's largest brands and institutions to evolve, promote, and protect their brands and reputations.

His career has seen him live and work in the United Kingdom, Brussels, Japan, and India. He has worked with multilateral organizations like the United Nations and the European Commission, nongovernmental organizations such as India's Akshaya Patra Foundation, and in bodies like the United Kingdom's Houses of Parliament and Financial Services Authority. He has also partnered with numerous global private sector businesses as a consultant to drive clear outputs and outcomes. His work has included financial services regulation following the financial crisis, building trust in global standards for nutrition, and working with governments to communicate the key elements of building back better. He lives in Washington DC, with his husband, and is excited to apply his global experience for impact with the HRC.

Sophia Bush, She/Her/Hers, Los Angeles

Sophia Bush is an actress, activist, producer, and entrepreneur. She has starred in television and film projects such as One Tree Hill, John Tucker Must Die, Chicago PD, Incredibles 2 and Good Sam.

Most recently, Bush wrapped production on Bryan Greenberg's directorial debut, Junction and in London's West End '2:22 - A Ghost Story' play. She currently hosts her podcast, "Work in Progress with Sophia Bush" and co-hosts the iHeartRadio podcast "Drama Queens" alongside Hilarie Burton Morgan and Bethany Joy Lenz. Beyond entertainment, she's a dedicated activist and philanthropist who passionately supports projects empowering girls and women. Alongside her business partner Nia Linder Batts, Bush is a General Partner and investor in Union Heritage Ventures, a majority African American and women-owned capital firm. She also co-founded and sits on the board of I am a voter® and serves as a Strategic Advisor for First Women's Bank with Billie Jean King.

Ashlyn Harris, She/Her/Hers, New York City

Ashlyn Harris, a former goalkeeper for the USWNT, Orlando Pride, and Gotham City FC in the NWSL, is a celebrated 2x World Cup Champion and Olympian. After retiring from the game, she served as the Global Creative Director of Gotham City FC. Beyond her athletic and creative achievements, Harris has established herself as a pioneer in advocating for social justice, particularly within the LGBTQ+ community, and in challenging stigmas around mental health. Her leadership and instrumental role as one of the plaintiffs in the groundbreaking case suing US Soccer for equal pay for women demonstrates her courage and unwavering dedication to fostering fairness and driving meaningful societal change. She now serves on the board of the Women's Sports Foundation, led by Billie Jean King, and passionately advocates for Title IX and closing the gender gap in women's sports.

In addition to growing Gotham FC to a 5x valuation as their creative director, she now works as a creative consultant and producer, collaborating with brands like Hello Sunshine and ALLY Bank. Her business acumen and passion for advocacy continue to guide her, positioning her as both a leader and a catalyst for progress. In her personal life, Harris finds joy and fulfillment in her family. She welcomed her daughter Sloane, in February 2021 and her son Ocean, in July 2022.

Andrew La Badie, He/Him/His, Seattle

Originally from the Cleveland area, Andrew La Badie moved to Seattle 11 years ago, where he lives with his husband Dan and their eight year old twins, Elinor and Calder. He attended Baldwin-Wallace University, where he earned a BS in Education as well as an MA in Educational Leadership. La Badie spent sixteen years in public education working as a teacher and then school and district administrator before leaving for a bit to stay home with his children. Currently, he is the Executive Director of The Robinson Foundation

La Badie has served on the HRC Board of Governors since 2019 and as Volunteer Engagement Co-Chair on the BOG Executive Committee for the past three years. In Seattle, he serves as Area Rep, Steering Committee Co-Chair, and has helped lead the HRC Seattle Dinner since 2018. He has focused his efforts in developing and stewarding corporate donors, building strong relationships with local LGBTQ+ organizations, growing and supporting the Seattle Steering Committee, and being an ambassador for HRC's work. In addition to his work with HRC, La Badie has served on the Board Chair of the West Seattle YMCA, and as a Trustee and Chair of the Governance Committee of Westside School, an independent school in Seattle.

Andrew Solomon, He/Him/His, New York & London

Andrew Solomon is a writer and lecturer, celebrated for his work on politics, culture, and psychology. "The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression," delves deeply into personal and universal aspects of depression and won the National Book Award; it was also a Pulitzer Prize finalist. "Far from the Tree: Parents, Children, and the Search for Identity," explores the complex relationships between parents and their exceptional children and was listed this summer by the New York Times among the best 100 books of the 40 million published so far in the 21st century. His books have been translated into 24 languages and have won over a hundred national and international awards. He writes regularly for The New Yorker, and his TED talks have been viewed more than 30 million times. In March, he keynoted the U.N.'s first conference on youth mental health. He has visited more than half the world's countries and his reporting from many of them is collected in his anthology "Far and Away." He is now writing a book on youth suicide.

Solomon is a professor of clinical psychology at Columbia University, a lecturer in psychiatry at Yale University, and a distinguished associate of the Centre for Family Research at Cambridge University. He was president of PEN American Center, where he championed free expression and literature. Solomon has made numerous appearances on television and radio, and is frequently called upon by the media for commentary on mental health, family, and disability issues.

As a vocal advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, Solomon has consistently used his platform to address issues affecting the LGBTQ+ community. His essays and books often draw on his experiences as a gay man and father. He has been an active participant in and supporter of LGBTQ+ organizations, including serving on the boards of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and Trans Youth Family Allies. Through his writing and public speaking, Solomon has made significant contributions to the fight for equality, acceptance, and understanding of LGBTQ individuals and their families, promoting a more inclusive society. He and his husband have also made a point of hosting refugees who come to the U.S., often because of genocidal homophobia abroad; one from Libya has lived with the family for eight years, and at the moment he is also housing refugees from Myanmar and the Philippines. He pursues those agendas at the other organizations where he serves as a director or trustee, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the New York Public Library.

Solomon lives with his husband, John Habich Solomon, and son, George Solomon, in New York and London and is a dual national. He also has a daughter, Blaine Solomon, with a close college friend.

Hudson Young, He/Him/His, Washington, DC

Hudson Young began his involvement with HRC by attending a National Dinner over 20 years ago. Young has been a dedicated donor, and volunteer leader holding various roles within the organization. While living abroad; he donated to the fund to purchase the current HRC headquarters in 2003. When he moved back to the states; Young joined the federal club council in 2011 and co-chaired the National Dinner four times between 2015 and 2022. He first joined the Board of Governors in 2016 and is currently the Federal Club Council liaison. Young served on the Board Executive Committee in 2024 and in the spring of 2024; he took the initiative to organize and host a Biden Victory fundraiser along with HRC. The goal was $25,000, and Young raised $44,000, while hosting 100 donors in his home. He is currently working with HRC and the DNC to host similar fundraisers this fall for the Harris campaign. Young was the owner, and President of Scholastic Services INC from 1991 until 2020. He is very involved with the LGBTQ+ community in Washington DC and currently resides there as well.

For a full list of the HRC and HRC Foundation Board of Directors, please visit this link.

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