News  New Director Announced for LGBTQ Youth Commission

The Commission announced Corey Prachniak-Rincón as its new Director, starting Monday, July 17.

“The Commission is proud to welcome a strong leader with extensive knowledge of LGBTQ issues and a diverse set of advocacy and service experience at the local, state, and federal levels,” said Commission Chair Michel Anteby. “We are confident that Corey will advance the Commission’s commitment to reducing disparities for LGBTQ youth in health, safety, housing, and economic security.”

“I am honored to come on board as director of the Commission, which is a model for the nation in making schools safer and public services more equitable,” said Prachniak-Rincón. “As someone who first came to Massachusetts to be closer to my young niece and nephew, it's powerful to think that the policies the Commission develops today will build the community that my family grows up in tomorrow.“

Prachniak-Rincón joins the Commission after a fellowship through Harvard University on health and human rights in Colombia. Previously, they launched a LGBTQ legal clinic at Whitman-Walker Health in Washington, D.C. and worked with state and federal agencies on healthcare and social service reforms to improve the lives of LGBTQ people, especially low-income individuals, people of color, and the transgender community.

Prachniak-Rincón has also consulted on a national effort to prevent and reduce tobacco use among LGBTQ youth and has interacted with state and national officials. They hold a JD from Georgetown University Law Center and a MPH from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and they trained as a Zuckerman Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.