Equality Florida Executive Director Nadine Smith to Step Down After 28 Years to Lead Color Of Change

Equality Florida Executive Director Nadine Smith to Step Down After 28 Years to Lead Color Of Change

Equality Florida Co-Founder and Co-Leader Stratton Pollitzer Named Incoming CEO and Executive Director

St. Petersburg, FL — After 28 years at the helm of Equality Florida, co-founder and Executive Director Nadine Smith is stepping down to become President and CEO of Color Of Change, the nation’s largest online racial justice organization, in January 2026.

Equality Florida’s Board of Directors has named Stratton Pollitzer, the organization’s co-founder and Deputy Director, as the incoming CEO and Executive Director. The transition marks a new chapter for an organization that, under Smith and Pollitzer’s leadership, has grown into the largest LGBTQ civil rights organization in any state, with nearly half a million members and a record-breaking year of engagement and support.

A Legacy of Impact

Under Smith and Pollitzer’s leadership, Equality Florida has achieved historic victories, including securing marriage equality before any other Southern state; overturning Florida’s ban on gay and lesbian adoption; transforming classrooms with nationally recognized best practices for supporting LGBTQ youth—now benefiting more than two million students statewide; and helping to defeat or block hundreds of anti-LGBTQ bills over the past decades, including 29 of the 30 hateful bills filed in Tallahassee in the last two years alone.

Equality Florida also played a decisive role in challenging the “Don’t Say Gay or Trans” law and winning a legal settlement that dramatically curbed its scope and added new protections for students and families. Through strategic litigation, organizing, and storytelling, the organization has stood as a model of resistance in one of the nation’s most hostile political climates.

“It has been the honor of a lifetime to help build Equality Florida into the most impactful statewide LGBTQ organization in the nation. Together, we have created a movement that has changed laws, saved lives, and inspired hope across our state, and served as a blueprint nationwide,” said Smith. “I step into this next chapter carrying Florida with me. I will remain rooted in this state, and my commitment to Equality Florida is forever. We’ve told the country for years that Florida is the front line, and you don’t abandon the front line in a fight. I’ll continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with this team and this movement.”

“Nadine’s leadership has transformed what is possible for LGBTQ people in Florida and across the country,” said Pollitzer. “I am profoundly grateful for her courage, her brilliance, and her partnership over nearly three decades. This is a moment to celebrate a visionary leader whose impact will echo for generations and to celebrate the strength of the organization she helped build. I could not be more proud of her, nor more committed to carrying our shared mission forward.”

Smith will remain with Equality Florida through January to ensure a seamless transition.

Continuing a Tradition of Shared Leadership

Pollitzer, who co-founded Equality Florida with Smith, brings decades of organizational and policy leadership.

“Equality Florida was built on the principle that no single person defines our movement,” said Pollitzer. “From the beginning, Nadine and I created an organization designed to endure, to stress-test leadership, to build a deep bench of talent, and to ensure that our team could thrive through any challenge. We have never been stronger, more unified, or more ready for the fights ahead.”

“The Board has full confidence in Stratton and the extraordinary team he leads,” said Equality Florida Board Co-Chair Annie Hiotis. “Stratton has been a driving force behind every major victory Equality Florida has achieved. His commitment, strategic clarity, and deep roots in this movement make him exactly the leader this moment requires. And we celebrate Nadine for the pathbreaking legacy she leaves and the continued national impact she is poised to make at Color Of Change.”

“This next chapter is built on a foundation Nadine and Stratton laid together,” added Equality Florida Board Co-Chair Danny Humphress, “The Board is united in our support for both leaders. Nadine’s transition to Color Of Change is a testament to her national stature, and Stratton’s appointment reflects the stability, strength, and vision that define Equality Florida. We look forward with confidence and pride.”

Strong and Growing

Equality Florida enters this transition period in its strongest financial and organizational position to date, with record membership growth, robust reserves, and the largest staff in its history to meet the relentless attacks by those who seek to undo progress. The organization continues to receive top ratings from Charity Navigator and GuideStar for fiscal transparency and accountability.

“This organization has always met the moment,” said Smith. “When they came after our schools, we built Parenting with Pride. When they came after our families, we organized across every county. Each time they’ve thrown something at us, we’ve answered with courage, creativity, and community. That’s the spirit that will carry Equality Florida forward.”

Read Color Of Change’s announcement about Nadine Smith joining as its new President and Chief Executive Officer.

Watch Nadine Smith’s video announcement.

Learn more about Stratton Pollitzer.

Download a high-resolution photo of Stratton Pollitzer.

####

Equality Florida is the largest civil rights organization dedicated to securing full equality for Florida’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community. Through education, grassroots organizing, coalition building, and lobbying, we are changing Florida so that no one suffers harassment or discrimination on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity.