LGBT Chamber of Commerce of Illinois Director Jerome' Holston has publicly acknowledged that he will be leaving his post at the end of this month.
In a statement, he said, "As my role as Director of the LGBT Chamber of Commerce of Illinois come to an end this month, I am forever grateful for the experiences and relationships that this role provided me.
"I've spent four years at the Chamber doing some of the coolest and most impactful work of my career. The opportunity allowed me to realize a passion in supporting both small and corporate businesses in growing, supporting their employees, and being thoughtful community partners. While I wasn't able to accomplish all of my goals, I can leave confidently in saying I played a small role in moving our organization forward.
"To all of our members, thank you for trusting in me, and being shining examples of talented and brilliant business owners who serve as the backbone for local neighborhoods.
"Thank you to our corporate partners for showing up, and investing in our work. I had never been responsible for corporate partnerships, and still can't believe how much I've come to love that part of the work.
"To our board members, thank you for giving me the chance to be a leader. Matt Phillips, you were an incredible partner and board chair. Congratulations to you on a job well done as you end your term as board chair.
"Together, we created new programs and events, increased income, advanced advocacy efforts, diversified our board and membership, and slowly enhanced our presence around Illinois. Our work has made it just a little bit easier to be an LGBTQ+ business owner in Illinois. This is only the beginning, and I'm so excited to see where the organization goes in the next four years.
"[I'm] still in Chicago, so I'm not going anywhere. I look forward to continuing to work will all of you to make Chicago a place where business can thrive and be successful. Let's keep the work going!"
Holston is also a board member for the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network of Chicago (YNPN Chicago).