After 17 months on the job, the Center on Halsted's media spokesperson has announced his departure.
Brian Richardson, who has served as the Center's media liaison since July 2011, has accepted the position of director of public affairs for the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH).
"CDPH is a phenomenal opportunity," Richardson told Windy City Times. "Obviously public health is becoming more and more important as we move forward."
Richardson says the new job is a chance to continue his work impacting the LGBT community.
He started at the Center during a time of challenge for the organization, as some Lakeview residents blamed the Center for a perceived uptick in violent crime in the area at that time.
According to Richardson, the Center has tripled its number of Facebook fans since he started. Richardson also oversaw the rebranding of the Center, which included a redesign of its website. According to him, the redesign has doubled the site's traffic.
Richardson previously worked at Google, as a spokesperson for the Democratic National Convention and as press secretary for the U.S. Senate.
