Biography
Richard D. Burns
Executive Director
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center
208 West 13th Street
New York, NY 10011
212.620.7310
www.gaycenter.org

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Richard D. Burns has served as executive director of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center in New York City since December 1986. The Center provides mental health and social services, cultural programs, public policy and recreational programming, and meeting space to more than 6,000 lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people each week.

Burns previously worked as managing editor and later served as President of the board of directors of the Gay Community News in Massachusetts. Burns, an attorney, is the immediate past co-chair of CenterLink, the association of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community centers which he co-founded in 1994. CenterLink is the national voice for nearly 150 LGBT community centers across the country.

Burns serves on the steering committee of the National LGBT Executive Directors Leadership Institute and he is a member of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force’s National Policy Roundtable. Burns is the founder of the New York State LGBT Health and Human Services Network, and serves on the Citizen’s Advisory Committee of New York City’s Human Resources Administration.

He has served on the Board of Directors of the NonProfit Coordinating Committee since 1987.

He is a graduate of Hamilton College and Northeastern University School of Law.

In September 2008, Richard was inducted into the Public Interest Hall of Fame of OMB Watch at their 25th Anniversary celebration in Washington, DC.