On May 3, Marvin Webb, our beloved Vice President of Finance and Administration, marked his 10-year anniversary at Funders for LGBTQ Issues. Having joined the organization in 2010 under the leadership of Karen Zelermyer, Marvin is currently the longest serving staff member at Funders for LGBTQ Issues. In the words of our current president, Ben Francisco Maulbeck:

“Marvin’s talents are too many and too varied to count. He is a financial maven who has shepherded our growth from a time when it was just the two of us on staff to our current team of eleven employees. I’ve never met anyone who’s as smart, planful, and creative when it comes to event logistics. Perhaps most impressively, he manages our human resources with a sense of abundance and love, always looking for how to make our organization a nurturing environment for all staff–especially during trying times like these. I feel lucky to have worked with him and learned from him these past seven and a half years.”

Among the staff and membership of Funders for LGBTQ Issues, Marvin is well known for going the extra mile to support his community. We could not ask for a better colleague and are incredibly grateful he has dedicated so much of his career to advancing our mission of increasing the scale and impact of philanthropic resources aimed at enhancing the well-being of LGBTQ communities, promoting equity, and advancing racial, economic and gender justice.

To end our month long celebration of Marvin, we’re pleased to share with you ten fun facts about Marvin – one for each year of his service at Funders for LGBTQ Issues!

1. Marvin moved to New York City from Kansas City, Missouri,in 1989 with $500 and the dream of being a modern dancer.
2. Marvin lived his dream, spending 17 years as a professional modern dancer performing the works of famed choreographers Martha Graham, Doug Varone, Ralph Lemon, Ron Brown, and Liz Lerman.
3. Marvin has three post-secondary degrees and is working on his fourth. He holds a BA from Creighton University, an MFA in modern dance from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, and an MBA in Human Resources and Marketing from Baruch College’s Zicklin School of Business. An insatiable lifelong learner, he is currently working towards  his MS in Accountancy from Southern New Hampshire University.
4. Marvin is so concerned with the quality of Funding Forward properties – making sure they meet the needs of everyone – that he goes as far as timing the toilet flushes in multiple hotel rooms to examine the strength of their plumbing.
5. If you ever want to buy Marvin a drink at Funding Forward or elsewhere, his go-to drink is a double cosmopolitan in a tall glass.
6. Marvin came back from sabbatical three years ago with a full grown beard – and a remodeled kitchen. 
7. When the stars align and a big grant comes through, Marvin has been known to do splits and other impressive moves from his dancing background.
8. Marvin closes his eyes and calmly says, “I have no push-back,” whenever approached with an idea that he doesn’t hate but knows is going to be a lot of work.
9. Marvin will burn sage to clear bad energy after any tense meeting or in any new space the staff will inhabit. 
10. Marvin is universally loved by the Funders for LGBTQ Issues staff, board, membership, and extended network. His humor, creativity, and brilliance are much appreciated and endlessly enrich our work!