Amber Hikes Named New Director of the Office of LGBT Affairs

Amber Hikes. Photo credit | Ashlee Kulp

The Mayor’s Office officially announced on Monday that Amber Hikes, a black queer woman, will be the new executive director of the Office of LGBT Affairs. Hikes will begin work on March 6th.

“My diverse experiences in the vibrant Philadelphia LGBTQ community — first as a student, then as a professional, then as a business owner and finally as a community leader — afford me the unique opportunities to view LGBTQ community work in this city from multiple vantage points,” said Hikes in a statement. “I’m eager to serve my community during this pivotal time by increasing the accessibility of the Office, listening to community members and implementing initiatives to serve LGBTQ Philadelphians more efficiently and effectively.”

Hikes is a well-known community leader within the Gayborhood, having served as a board member at the William Way LGBT Community Center, an organizer for the Philadelphia Dyke March, and a community fundraiser for GALAEI, the Attic Youth Center, and ACLU-PA before moving to California for a short time.

Hikes succeeds Nellie Fitzpatrick, who is leaving the office effective today. In an interview with Philly Voice, Fitzpatrick said she will be opening a private law practice in April.*

“Mayor Kenney and I are committed to serving the needs of Philadelphia’s LGBT community,” said Nolan Atkinson, chief diversity officer for the city, who oversees the Office of LGBT Affairs. “Nellie’s work to institutionalize this Office by pushing forward legislation to change the city’s charter helps make this possible, and we appreciate her laying the foundation for the focused community work that Amber will be doing moving forward.”

As executive director, Hikes will focus on “community organizing and engagement, as well as inward facing policy work, both of which are in line with the mission of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, under which the LGBT Office sits.”

*Editor’s note: This sentence was edited for clarity after publication.