LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION honoring Alan van Capelle upon the completion of
his distinguished service as the Executive Director of Empire State
Pride Agenda

WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to take note of and
publicly acknowledge individuals who have distinguished themselves
through their exemplary careers, accomplishments, and purposeful lives
of service to their community; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to honor Alan
van Capelle upon the completion of his distinguished service as the
Executive Director of Empire State Pride Agenda; and
WHEREAS, Alan van Capelle became the Executive Director of Empire
State Pride Agenda and Empire State Pride Agenda Foundation in April
2003; at 34 years old, he is one of the youngest LGBT leaders in the
nation; and
WHEREAS, As the Executive Director of Empire State Pride Agenda, Alan
van Capelle has continued the organization's track record of delivering
on legislative and political promises made to New York State's lesbian,
gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community; and
WHEREAS, Under his leadership, the Pride Agenda has won passage of a
number of statewide measures, including a law guaranteeing same-sex
domestic partners the same access rights as spouses and next of kin when
taking care of loved ones in hospitals and nursing homes and a law
giving domestic partners the same priority as spouses in making deci-
sions about burial of a loved one; and
WHEREAS, During his tenure, the Pride Agenda has also successfully
worked with state agencies, like the New York State retirement fund, and
local government entities like the cities of Albany, Buffalo, New York
City and Rochester to respect out-of-state marriages of same-sex
couples; and
WHEREAS, Additionally, Alan van Capelle has initiated new programs
aimed at accomplishing the Pride Agenda's objective of winning full
equality and justice for LGBT New Yorkers and their families; emphasiz-
ing grassroots organizing both inside and outside the LGBT community,
these programs -- "Pride in Our Union," "Pride in My Workplace" and
"Pride in the Pulpit" -- build upon the Pride Agenda's traditional
strength in the legislative area and strengthen the organization's abil-
ity to mobilize people across New York State in support of the group's
public policy objectives; and
WHEREAS, Alan van Capelle has also assembled a staff of professional
community organizers with experience in building alliances with groups
that share the organization's objective of winning equality and justice
for all New Yorkers; the Pride Agenda's programs and approach to organ-
izing have also become models that other LGBT groups across the nation
seek to replicate; and
WHEREAS, Prior to joining the Pride Agenda, Alan van Capelle worked
for nearly ten years for the Service Employees International Union
(SEIU), where he moved up through the ranks of the organization in rapid
fashion; he began by organizing interns and residents in hospitals
around the country in 1994 and after a series of promotions became the
Deputy Political Director in 2001 of SEIU Local 32BJ, the largest build-
ing service union in the country representing 75,000 cleaners, doormen,
porters, maintenance workers, window cleaners, security guards, super-
intendents, and theater and stadium workers in New York, New Jersey, and
Connecticut; and

WHEREAS, Alan van Capelle was the driving force behind the landmark
New York City Displaced Worker Law, which created job protection for
building service workers when residential and commercial properties were
transferred from one owner to another; he is credited with turning
around what was a declining political operation at Local 32BJ into one
of the most active and successful organizations in the labor movement;
and
WHEREAS, Alan van Capelle is a member of Reboot: A network for Jewish
Innovation funded by Bronfman Foundation and Steven Spielberg's Righte-
ous Persons Foundation; and
WHEREAS, Alan van Capelle, a man of singular distinction, whose
wisdom, guidance and most of all unparalleled professionalism, earned
him the admiration, esteem and affection of all those he has come in
contact with throughout his seven years of serving the Empire State
Pride Agenda; and
WHEREAS, As Alan van Capelle steps down from his current position to
begin a new venture as Deputy Comptroller for External Affairs with the
New York City Comptroller's office, he leaves behind more than mere
bricks and mortar but a legacy which will long endure the passage of
time; and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that when individ-
uals of such noble aims and accomplishments are brought to our atten-
tion, they should be celebrated and recognized by all the citizens of
the great State of New York; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Alan van Capelle upon the completion of his distinguished service
as the Executive Director of Empire State Pride Agenda; and be it
further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Alan van Capelle.