Krystal Marx
Seattle Pride Names Krystal Marx as Organization’s First Executive Director
Burien City Councilmember to Lead Expanding Organization & Growing Pride Celebration
As Seattle Pride has evolved into a year-round advocacy organization, and the Seattle Pride Parade – which it produces – has grown to become one of the largest in the country, the board of directors of Seattle Out & Proud (commonly known as “Seattle Pride”) has selected Krystal Marx as its first executive director.
As executive director, Marx becomes the not-for-profit organization’s first paid staff position in its 14-year history, as well as throughout the 46 years of the Seattle Pride Parade. In recent years Seattle Pride’s work has grown into a year-round effort – working to create unity, honor diversity and achieve equal human rights for Seattle’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community.
In her new role, Marx will be responsible for advancing Seattle Pride’s mission, expanding community relationships, and providing oversight support for the organization’s signature events – Seattle Pride Parade and Volunteer Park Pride Festival – which combined attract more than 400,000 each year. She will also work with Seattle Pride’s volunteer board to steward the organization’s grants and sponsorships in support of community-based LGBTQIA+ organizations, to promote awareness of LGBTQIA+ issues, and to advocate for equal human rights for all.
Seattle Pride has an annual budget of approximately $1.1 million, and relies on support from its hundreds of valued sponsors, community partners and volunteers.
As with other LGBTQIA+ Pride organizations nationally, Seattle Pride’s significant growth – combined with the increasing complexities of producing large-scale public events – has exceeded volunteerism alone. Pride organizations in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Miami, San Diego and Portland all employ a year-round executive director, among other staff positions.
Marx will report directly to the Seattle Pride board, led by newly elected board president Alex Ruble, an AWS technical recruiter at Amazon.
She currently serves as a Burien city councilmember, for which she serves on the King County Board of Health and the Regional Law Safety & Justice Committee, and has held previous leadership roles with the Washington State Democrats, NAMI Washington, and She Should Run as a contracted program facilitator.
Marx, who identifies as bisexual, and her husband – a U.S. Army combat veteran – reside in Burien with their blended family of two boys and two girls. In her spare time she enjoys painting, experiencing local festivals with her family, writing her first fantasy novel set in Seattle, and volunteering as the 2019 vice chair of the King County Young Democrats and as co-founder of Washington Initiative.