Out On The Lakeshore (OOTL), a non-profit LGBTQ+ community center
has announced the appointment of its new executive director. The OOTL Board of Directors selected Kate Leighton-Colburn for the role, effective October 10, 2022.
“Out On The Lakeshore’s Board of Directors are very excited for the leadership Kate is
bringing to our organization,” said Wendy Rebhan, board chair for OOTL. “Her talents
and vision will continue to grow our presence in the lakeshore area bringing more
resources and programming for the LGBTQ+ community”
Leighton-Colburn is a Holland native and graduate of Hope College. She’s spent the last six years working at a youth development agency in New York and told WGVU, she’s excited to return home and serve her community in new ways.
“I love my hometown and I think there’s a lot of good work to be done out there and a really strong community of people doing that work,” Leighton-Colburn said.
Out On The Lakeshore was created in Holland in 2015 to serve as a center for LGBTQ+ people and allies, providing programming, resources support and education. The nonprofit notably worked to pass a nondiscrimination ordinance in the city in 2020. That’s something Leighton-Colburn followed closely, even from New York.
“I stayed up until like two in the morning, waiting for that vote. It was huge, and I think it was huge for a lot of people. That’s something I said to my now wife I just as a young person couldn’t have imagined that happening and I’m just so grateful for all of the people who put the time and the energy into making that happen,” she explained.
When asked what she hopes to accomplish during her time at the helm, Leighton-Colburn said increasing engagement and LGBTQ+ visibility.
“I think there’s already a lot of good work being done first and foremost, like there’s a really strong foundation with pride and there’s a really lovely community foundation in Holland. So I want to continue building on that as well as building out some new programming. I’m really passionate about programmatic design and I think there’s a lot we can do there,” she said.
Leighton-Colburn will officially step into the role on October 10.
