Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Recognition
Pronouns
Special Projects Boards Commissions
References
Timeline
Generic

Corey Buckner

Pittsburgh,PA

Summary

I am a progressive lobbyist, who advocates for the growth of People of Color, the LGBTQIA Community, the Labor Movement, Immigrants, Voting Rights, Environmentalism, and the implementation of Equity and Inclusion. My work will always be attributed to my own life experience and the communities that define me. I have been instrumental in helping to pass progressive legislation like Pittsburgh's Ban on Youth Conversion Therapy, the expansion of Gender Affirmation Benefits made available to all City of Pittsburgh employees and families, the implementation of Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Expression training for city departments, and countywide Paid Sick Leave. In 2017, as the Manager of the City of Pittsburgh's Office of Community Affairs and the Coordinator of LGBTQ+ Affairs, I worked closely with leaders and LGBTIQ+ organizations to implement the best practices within government. With my leadership and the support of our community, Pittsburgh received the first 100% score from the Human Rights Campaign on the annual Municipality Index Score Card. In that year, Pittsburgh was also highlighted as the greatest success story by the Human Rights Campaign and we hosted their organization to promote their national report. My career opportunities and personal drive have guided me in claiming space for people who are often left behind. What makes me unique is being able to possess the ability to bring people together on the issues that divide us, and articulating the intersecting issues that we fall blind to. I am a natural leader, who prefers supporting the work of others, especially the countless staff I have been responsible for in many roles. I enjoy executing tasks not solely by directing people and I will always promote the practice of making space for all.

Overview

10
10
years of professional experience

Work History

Advocacy Consultant

Hugh Lane Wellness Foundation
08.2023 - Current
  • I am currently working with the Hugh Lane Wellness Foundation multimillion-dollar budget; over a dozen members on staff, providing direct service & programming and and fiduciary and support of several LGBTQ+ organizations in the Pittsburgh region.
  • My contract has no constraints and I can withdraw from my work at any time
  • Hugh Lane Wellness is an LGTBQIA foundation in Pittsburgh that provides resources and services beyond the traditional role of foundations
  • Hugh Lane Wellness specializes in supporting the health of LGBTIQ+ and HIV+ people while also providing housing services, an onsite food pantry, senior and youth programming, SOGIE training, and legal aid
  • My role at Hugh Lane Wellness provides support to expand their presence and base of supporters among government officials and agencies, elected officials, Pittsburgh foundations, and nonprofit organizations in Pittsburgh, statewide, and nationally
  • My primary work at Hugh Lane has been in building supporters and a strategic plan for creating the first permanent LGBTQ+ Community Center in Pittsburgh that is owned by our community and operated by multiple local LGBTIQ+ organizations
  • When I took on this role, I asked if I could add an additional project to my work that helps to create a voter engagement plan for the 2024 election and Hugh Lane gave me the space to execute this project.
  • In October, HLW received the commitment of a large grant that would assist in creating the first LGBTQ+ voter engagement plan in Pittsburgh that includes paid canvassing, printed materials, providing small grants to partners to support these efforts, and all additional means of voter engagement.

Political Consultant

Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance of the National AFL-CIO (APALA)
09.2022 - 01.2023
  • Last year, I was hired to manage Pittsburgh’s first Asian American Pacific Islander voter outreach program by the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, which is an affiliate of the national AFL-CIO labor alliance
  • In Pittsburgh, What made this program unique was the outside investment of funders who value the need of API people participating in the voting process
  • Our work provided the education needed for API people to understand how various levels of government impact our region’s API community and our purpose was to address the commonly unknown statistics of low voter turnout among API people
  • I was responsible for managing a team of people who were paid to speak with API people, communities of color, and low income regions in Pittsburgh
  • In my role, I successfully executed the responsibilities of hiring and recruiting people paid to carry a critical message
  • I trained them, I completed their payroll, and I addressed common human resource tasks and issues, while creating the priority to make API outreach common during every election cycle.

Western PA Political Coordinator

SEIU 32BJ
02.2018 - 06.2022
  • SEIU 32BJ was the opportunity I needed to utilize my abilities, to experience a new challenge, and to support my commitment for people like me and my community
  • I executed my job with the understanding that I must always be prepared to react, and like the LGBTIQ+ community, workers too are always under attack
  • The focus of my work at 32BJ was in worker justice, with an even greater focus on supporting the lives of black and brown people, and immigrants
  • My role awarded me the opportunity to advance progressive policy locally, while constantly protecting workers statewide from the former majority Republican House Legislature and the majority Republican Senate
  • On the contrary, I also possess the skills to work with Republicans and on some occasions, we gained their support
  • In my role, I was able to pass several city, county, and state legislation that supported the lives of our members and so many working class people across Pennsylvania
  • Winning elections and formulating plans to pass progressive legislation felt amazing, but my greatest takeaway was using my position to inspire our members, hear their stories, carry their voice, and empower them to be a leader.

Manager, Office of Community Affairs and LGBTQ+ Coordinator

City of Pittsburgh
01.2016 - 01.2018
  • The Office of Community Affairs was a critical office that I managed
  • Me and my team were responsible for delivering communications between the Mayor’s Office, government agencies, and more than 60 neighborhood based organizations, nonprofits, and more throughout Western Pennsylvania
  • One key role that we were responsible for was attending community meetings most days and nights
  • Our goal was to provide solutions, share and educate residents about services that people aren’t often connected to, manage city programs, classes on government literacy, and we manage beautification grants for neighborhoods.

Special Assistant to Mayor Peduto, LGBTQ+ Coordinator

Office of Mayor William Peduto
01.2014 - 01.2016
  • My career at the City of Pittsburgh started by being appointed to serve as Mayor Peduto’s Special Assistant
  • As I progressed, I earned the opportunity to Manage the City’s Office of Community Affairs
  • My team and I were responsible for providing outreach to all 90 neighborhoods, their leaders, and to support and manage city initiatives and programs
  • I voluntarily created a role within the administration as the liaison to LGBQTIA Affairs and helped to create the city’s first permanent LGBTQ+ Commission.

Education

Graphic Design

The Art Institute of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA

High School Diploma -

Schenley High School
Pittsburgh, PA
05.2010

Skills

  • Strategic Organizing and Campaigning
  • Program Development
  • Group Facilitation and Mediation
  • Formulating Intersectional Growth
  • Restoring or Creating External Relationships
  • Organizational Advisement and Supporting Positive Reform
  • Protecting Organizational Interests and Managing External Opposition
  • Communications and Messaging
  • Public Speaking and Proficient Writing Skills
  • Well Experienced in Staff Management and Providing Individual Staff Support
  • Executive and Mid-Level Leadership Support and Experienced Working for Advance Teams
  • Facilitation of Board of Director Meetings
  • Responsible at Managing Internal Communications with Staff and Leadership and External Partners
  • Lobbying & Government Relations
  • Policy Writing and Research
  • Policy and News Tracking
  • Budgeting and Fundraising
  • Social Media Management and Rapid Response from the Public
  • Event and Meeting Organizing
  • Former Certified Trainer on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Expression
  • Proficient in Office Suite Software and CRM Software
  • Adobe Creative Suites and Design

Recognition

  • City and State Pride Most Powerful LGBTQIA Leaders in Pennsylvania (Ranking 20 of 100) 2022
  • Next Pittsburgh Who's Up Next in Politics 2017
  • Pittsburgh Magazine 40 under 40 2017
  • New Pittsburgh Courier Fab 40 Under 40 Black Leaders 2016

Pronouns

He/Him/His/They/Them

Special Projects Boards Commissions

  • Former PA Governor Tom Wolf's Commission on LGBTQ Affairs
  • Delegate for Bernie Sanders for President
  • Coordinator of the LGBTQIA+ Advisory Council of Pittsburgh
  • President Obama My Brother's Keeper Committee Pittsburgh
  • Board Member for the Bloomfield Garfield Development Corporation
  • LGBTQIA Working Groups Addressing Issues of Incarcerated Trans People and Non-Binary People
  • Allegheny County Democratic Elected Committee Member
  • Committee Member on UPMC's Board on Diversity Inclusion
  • Elected Democratic Party Leader

References

Kevin Acklin, President of Business Operations, Pittsburgh Penguins, NHL 

Troy Stevenson, Director of State Advocacy Campaigns, The Trevor Project

Timeline

Advocacy Consultant

Hugh Lane Wellness Foundation
08.2023 - Current

Political Consultant

Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance of the National AFL-CIO (APALA)
09.2022 - 01.2023

Western PA Political Coordinator

SEIU 32BJ
02.2018 - 06.2022

Manager, Office of Community Affairs and LGBTQ+ Coordinator

City of Pittsburgh
01.2016 - 01.2018

Special Assistant to Mayor Peduto, LGBTQ+ Coordinator

Office of Mayor William Peduto
01.2014 - 01.2016

Graphic Design

The Art Institute of Pittsburgh

High School Diploma -

Schenley High School

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Corey Buckner