Women At The Helm 2010
Executive Director, Outfest
Before becoming its executive director in 2009, Kirsten Schaffer served as both the director of programming and deputy director of Outfest, an organization that presents and preserves LGBT films. Some of its signature festivals and programs include the Outfest Legacy Project for LGBT Film Preservation and Fusion: The Los Angeles LGBT People of Color Film Festival. Schaffer recently received a 2010 Woman in Business Award and was named one of POWER UP’s Top 10 Women in Show Business in 2006. She has also awarded prizes to gay or lesbian films at the Berlinale Film Festival as a member of the Teddy Award jury. Schaffer previously served as the co-executive director of the Seattle Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. “Images have the power to create change and LGBT films play a vital role in empowering our community, changing perceptions and ultimately, influencing mainstream culture,” Schaffer says. “We have accomplished so much in the past three decades, but there is still more work to do and more stories to be told!”
These dynamos lead some of America’s most influential nonprofit organizations—they are fighting the good fight and their work enriches our lives in countless ways.
Cynthia Powell
Artistic Director, Stonewall Chorale and Melodia Women’s Choir of NYC
As the leader of Stonewall Chorale, the nation’s first LGBT chorus, and the Melodia Women’s Choir of NYC, Cynthia Powell has conducted performances for discerning New York audiences at prestigious venues like Merkin Concert Hall, BAM and Symphony Space. Powell also serves as music director and organist of West End Collegiate Church on the Upper West Side. “There is nothing better, to my mind, than making music with other people,” Powell says. “Producing concerts that introduce audiences to new and unusual works is a tremendous joy. Commissioning new works through Melodia has been a delight, especially from younger, emerging women composers.” Powell stresses the role of community in her work as artistic director. “While the Stonewall Chorale is mixed LGBT men and women, and Melodia is all women, both are very important to the musical life of New York City,” she says. “Both organizations provide a kind of family, a way for singers to get together to create something of beauty, socialize and develop friendships that last for years.”
