Kevin Chase Executive Search Completes Search for Executive Director, interACT: Advocates for Intersex Youth

July 6, 2022 -- Kevin Chase Executive Search is delighted to announce that it has successfully completed its search for the Executive Director of interACT: Advocates for Intersex Youth?(https://interactadvocates.org/).

Following a targeted, national search, Erika Lorshbough (they/she) has been hired as the new?Executive Director of interACT. Erika will formally join interACT from the New York Civil Liberties Union on July 11th, following a period of interim leadership after the departure of previous E.D. Kimberly Zieselman at the end of 2021. Erika was unanimously selected from a diverse and talented group of nonprofit legal, policy, and direct service professionals, the majority of whom were intersex-identified leaders working both within and outside of the intersex and larger LGBTQIA movements.

Erika is a seasoned intersex advocate and activist for civil and human rights. Most recently, they served as Deputy Director for Policy at NYCLU and led the organization’s extremely successful state-wide legislative program, advancing principles of freedom, justice, and equality. Along with their experience in programs ?and organizational management, Erika brings two decades of heart work in community organizing and social action.

“Erika comes to us as an experienced advocate, lawyer, and community-builder, and as an intersex person themself. Their demonstrated commitment to pushing for laws and policies that safeguard personal autonomy and meet the needs of underserved communities will be a tremendous asset to interACT. In fact, in their previous position at the New York Civil Liberties Union, Erika already worked in collaboration with our Law & Policy team – alongside other coalition members – to shape our intersex-affirming work in the state of New York,” said interACT Board of Directors Co-President Niki Khanna.?

"interACT warmly welcomes Erika with confidence that she is the ideal person to step into the role of Executive Director and continue to grow the momentum that drives our work forward. I can’t wait for you to meet them.”?

Erika’s law and policy experience has spanned the areas of gender and sexuality, voting rights and democracy, economic justice, criminal legal system reform, and the rights of people experiencing detention and incarceration. They completed their undergraduate studies in psychology and public policy at UCLA and the Luskin School of Public Affairs and received their J.D. from Brooklyn Law School. In addition to numerous public interest awards and legal fellowships, Erika has been honored as a Rising Star by the Brooklyn Law School Alumni Association, and was named one of the Best LGBTQ+ Lawyers Under 40 by the National LGBTQ+ Bar Association

“Erika was a stand-out candidate in a field of stand-out candidates,” said Kevin Chase Executive Search Group Managing Partner Kevin Chase. “This role required someone with some very specific professional skills and knowledge – which Erika has in spades – and because of the nature of interACT’s work and the community it serves, lived experience was also super important. Identity matters.” ?

?“Our shared commitment from the beginning was to be sure that intersex-identified professionals (and direct allies whose work was already known, trusted in the movement) were over-represented in the candidate pool. We couldn’t be any happier about this outcome.”

?Founded in 2006 as Advocates for Informed Choice, interACT Advocates for Intersex Youth is one of the largest organizations in the world advocating for the rights of intersex individuals. interACT promotes the bodily autonomy, self-determination, and well-being of intersex people by advocating for changes in laws and policies, raising awareness through media, and supporting young intersex leaders to sustain the movement.

?Kevin Chase Executive Search Group is a national consulting and executive search firm serving mission-driven, nonprofit organizations in the human services, social justice, healthcare philanthropy, and education sectors. The firm helps its client partners navigate the changing of leaders in their organizations so they can focus on leading change in the world.?