Paul Blore Resigns From William Way Community Center

The LGBT nonprofit's jack-of-all-trades is packing up to head to the corporate world.

Blore at William Way's annual Homecoming event. Photo by Marquise Lee.

Emotions are running high over at William Way Community Center (WWCC) this afternoon, as the staff readies for the departure of Executive Assistant / event planner / social-media-grinding extraordinaire Paul Blore. He is packing up today after being with the local nonprofit for two-and-a-half years to work as an executive assistant at Synygy in Chester, Pa.

“Paul has been a terrifically valuable member of the William Way team,” says Executive Director Chris Bartlett, citing Blore’s willingness to go beyond typical executive-assistant duties to come up with inventive ways to increase the organization’s membership and help implement a new donor base. “In everything he does, he always has the well-being of our LGBT communities and the City at large at heart.”

But perhaps one of Blore’s greatest attributes, Bartlett says, is his love of the arts and his work to make WWCC a new stage for culture in Philadelphia. “He helped develop relationships with the Pew Center for Arts and Heritage, and helped us get initial funding to create a new series of innovative arts programs. … Paul’s wide network of friends in the art world helped us find new performers and new audiences.” 

Over the past few years, Blore has been able to bring in a variety of exciting, outside-the-box acts that you may not have found at WWCC a few years ago. Case in point: Last year’s Queer Fear Cabaret that saw the electrifying pairing of gender-bending songbird Justin Bond with Philly’s Bearded Ladies Cabaret. “I never saw my path leading to me working such awesome talent,” he says. “I loved being able to pair [my work] with the sorts of culture I consume here in Philly.”

Blore admits that his move to the corporate world will be a bit of a shock, but he sees the opportunity as a way to advance some future entrepreneurial goals he’s made with his partner Marquise Lee, who also helps him organize the monthly, hyper-sexy NSFW parties. “We have ideas for business things down the road,” he says. “So it will be great to work for a company like Synygy, [which is big on building a fun, creative corporate culture within.] I’m excited to perpetuate that positive culture there.”

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