Mayor Announces Appointment of New Executive Director for the Office of LGBT Affairs

Mayor Kenney today announced that Celena Morrison has been appointed to lead the City’s Office of LGBT Affairs as Executive Director. Morrison will begin the post on March 2, 2020.

In her new role, Morrison will drive the office’s policy work and community engagement. She will advise the Mayor’s Office and Philadelphia City government on the needs of LGBTQ+ individuals, while also helping to educate the City workforce on the needs of the LGBTQ+ community.

Morrison comes to the City after spending two years at William Way LGBT Community Center as Director of Programs, where she spearheaded critical initiatives including the opening of the Arcila-Adams Trans Resource Center. She has also served as a Commissioner for the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations since 2018.Originally from North Carolina, Morrison has been a Philadelphia resident for more than a decade. During her time in Philadelphia, she has been a vocal advocate for LGBTQ+ residents, with a particular focus on the transgender community. She has presented at many local and national conferences, educating organizations on how to better engage the transgender community and people of color. Prior to her work with William Way, Morrison served as Community Engagement Specialist at the Mazzoni Center, where she provided education and support services for members of the transgender community. She is also a Support Specialist for Mazzoni Center’s Pediatric & Adolescent Comprehensive Transgender Services program, known as PACTS.

The Office of LGBT Affairs is part of the City’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). While the office previously reported to the Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer during the first term of the Kenney Administration, formal oversight of the office was established under Executive Order No. 1-20 earlier this year.