Every year at our Summer Meeting, we take the time to recognize our members who are doing exceptional work in the fight for LGBT equality. This year, as we gathered in Salt Lake City, we honored two state leaders whose work over the past year showcased the absolute best our movement has to offer: Monica Meyer from OutFront Minnesota and Ann Kaner-Roth from Project 515.

The Federation’s Leadership Award was created three years ago in order to honor Executive Directors of member organizations who displayed incredible leadership in their organizations and in the state-based movement.

This year, Monica Meyer from OutFront Minnesota and Ann Kaner-Roth from Project 515 were honored -- not only for their outstanding leadership but for their collaboration and friendship as they worked to win marriage for all loving couples in Minnesota. In the midst of two tough battles -- Ann and Monica brought together their two organizations with national partners to build a strong campaign to win.

In 2012, under Monica and Ann’s leadership, Minnesotans United:

• mobilized 27,000+ volunteers statewide
• engaged more than 87,000 individual donors, 89% of whom were from Minnesota
• coordinated 700+ coalition members
• logged millions of conversations over 18 months
• became the first campaign to defeat a Constitutional amendment banning marriage equality at the ballot

In 2013, Minnesotans United followed its historic win at the ballot with a successful campaign to pass a marriage bill in the Minnesota General Assembly. On May 14, 2013, on the steps of the Minnesota State Capitol, Governor Mark Dayton officially signed the freedom to marry into law, surrounded by legislators, families, and more than 6,000 Minnesotans. The bill goes into effect on August 1.

Ann and Monica were honored with the Federation’s Leadership Award because of these incredible victories and because of the commitment to service, collaboration, and openness that was the cornerstone of their work together over the past many years.

Congratulations to Monica and Ann for their outstanding leadership! You are an example for us all!