New York — The ADL announces the election of Barry Curtiss-Lusher as its new national chair.
A businessman and community leader in Denver, Curtiss-Lusher has been involved with ADL for more than 30 years.
He was elected to serve a three-year term and formally assumed the position on Nov. 16 during ADL’s 2012 annual meeting in Chicago, Illinois.
His term extends through the agency’s centennial year in 2013 and beyond.
He becomes ADL’s 18th national chair, with a mandate to fight anti-Semitism and discrimination of all forms.
“It is a tremendous honor to take the mantle as ADL’s national chair, especially at the beginning of our centennial year,” said Curtiss-Lusher.
“I look forward to marshaling our leadership and staff to direct efforts against hate and anti-Semitism in the United States and around the world, because bigotry and discrimination must not be permitted to fester in civil society. This is the core of who we are. We fight hate against Jews and against all people who are attacked for their perceived differences.”
In his many years of service with ADL, Curtiss-Lusher has held prominent national leadership positions, including development chair, vice-chair of development and regional operations, and chair of the nominating committee.
He has served on ADL’s national commission since 1993, and as a member of the national executive committee, ADL’s highest policymaking body, since 2000.
He and his wife, Gay, also a prominent ADL leader, have participated in many leadership delegations abroad, including Israel, Europe, Turkey, Jordan, Poland and the United Arab Emirates.
“Barry is a champion of America’s democratic values and a person who believes deeply in our constitutional freedoms and the First Amendment, and he has made significant contributions to ADL’s deliberations on policies and programs on both the local and national level,” said Abraham H. Foxman, ADL national director.
“Barry is goal-oriented, persistent and an extraordinary leader. He is deeply committed to the safety and security of the Jewish people and is a strong supporter of the state of Israel. I look forward to working closely with him as we begin the second century of our work.”
Curtiss-Lusher has served in numerous leadership positions with the ADL Mountain States Region, based in Denver, since joining a young leadership program there in 1982. He has chaired most of the region’s committees, and was board chair, 1999-2000. In 2007, the Governor of Colorado presented the ADL Distinguished Community Service Award to Curtiss-Lusher at the region’s annual community-wide event.
Curtiss-Lusher is a graduate of Yale University and the University of Michigan Law School.
He is principal and co-founder of McKenzie Curtiss-Lusher & Associates, Nexus Resources, Blind Squirrel Partners (BSP) and MC-L Holdings.
Nexus and BSP are oil and gas exploration and production companies, and MC-L Holdings is involved in private equity and green technology investments.
Curtiss-Lusher has held leadership positions with Colorado Public Radio, Rose Medical Center and Rose Community Foundation, City Year Denver and the PeaceJam Foundation.
Curtiss-Lusher and his wife have three grown children.