Common Ground hires new associate director for LGBTQ campus life

The Office of Common Ground has hired a new associate director for LGBTQ campus life to promote a more inclusive campus.

Lee Dyer, who currently serves as the program coordinator for the University of Cincinnati LGBTQ Center, will be joining the University of Richmond in May. He will fill the role of the former associate director, Ted Lewis, who left UR to work with LGBTQ youth in the broader Richmond community.

The Office of Common Ground connects people, organizations and resources in the UR community working to create a safe and comfortable environment for LGBTQ people and allies at the university.

Kylie Britt, WC '19, works as the LGBTQ support services assistant for Common Ground to organize events throughout the year with the aim of strengthening the LGBTQ community. She has worked under Lewis, and will now be working under Dyer.

“I am super excited to have Lee join us this summer,” Britt said. “He will no doubt bring a renewed energy to our office and new approaches to the problems that LGBTQ campus-life programming faces.”

Dyer will be responsible for promoting an inclusive environment throughout campus, as well as updating policies, trainings and connections among faculty, staff and administration.

“I want to ensure queer, transgender and students of color feel like part of the fabric of LGBTQ campus life and the university,” Dyer said in a media release issued by Common Ground. “I want to bring all the pieces together.”

Since Lewis’ leave, the Office of Common Ground has collectively completed the tasks of a full-time staff member, which has been a challenge, Britt said. Dyer’s presence will help alleviate those tasks.

“Lee stood out due to his breadth and depth of experience doing higher-ed LGBTQ work and for his community work,” Office of Common Ground Director Glyn Hughes said. “Those experiences, along with his easygoing disposition, will make him an accessible and valued leader and collaborator on and off campus."

At the University of Cincinnati, Dyer worked to promote program development and outreach. He also held a leadership position on the Governance Board of the Midwest Institute for Sexuality and Gender Diversity.

“Lee’s obvious passion for working with LGBTQ students is evident and I’m sure he will make amazing changes and continue building the community that Ted Lewis pioneered here,” Britt said.

A search committee of faculty and students was put together in order to find the right replacement for Lewis.

“The search took longer than expected, but we are thrilled that we remained patient and were able to hire Lee Dyer,” Hughes said. “Even though it was hard, we now feel a bit like we won the lottery.”

Contact writer Devon Flinn at devon.flinn@richmond.edu.