Announcing UCM’s New Director

UCM’s Board of Directors recently conducted a search for our next director. We had a great response and interviewed several qualified candidates. We are pleased to introduce Mickey Hart as UCM’s new director. 

We were seeking a director to assist in our transition, to coordinate our Re-Envision UCM strategic planning process, to better bridge our spiritual growth and social justice missions, to expand our fund-sourcing efforts, to revitalize our internship program, to enhance our policies and procedures, to expand our website, to revamp our branding and communications, to grow our educational resources, to curate our history, and to develop future programs. We are confident Mickey has the foundation to do these things and more for UCM.  

Mickey is enterprising, thoughtful, and creative, which will be strong assets in evaluating how and what UCM offers to the community in the future. We look forward to how this will transform our building, programming, outreach, and fundraising. Mickey also has well-developed skills supervising others and serving as team leader. 

With a well-established record of compassionate servant leadership, Mickey has competencies working with college students, minority populations, rural communities, and Appalachian people. We are fortunate that Mickey has a strong knowledge of UCM, Athens, Ohio University, and Southeast Ohio communities. 

Mickey has more than 20 years of experience in higher education. He oversaw the growth and development of OU’s LGBT Center for 11 years. He elevated a ten hour a week programs coordinator position into a full-time director position and transformed the LGBT Center into a vital campus resource providing a wide range of programs, resources, and services to LGBTQA+ students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members. 

Mickey has also served as a resident director for OU’s Department of Residence Life, the director of Campus Life at Antioch College, and the director of Residence Life and Housing at Columbus College of Art & Design. Additionally, Mickey leads interactive workshops on diversity and leadership related topics to college students and other audiences.

Mickey also brings a wealth of non-profit organization experience. Throughout his years in Athens, he served as a UCM board member for nine years. His service on our executive, personnel, and facilities committees gives him a strong understanding of UCM’s operations, systems, policies, and procedures. 

His non-profit experience extends beyond Athens; Mickey is a founding member of Equality Ohio and served on the board for three years. He helped to oversee the organization from a grass-roots concept to a statewide advocate for LGBTQ+ equality. Mickey capped off his time with both non-profit organizations by serving a term as chair of the board of directors.

Finally, Mickey’s passion for UCM and its mission are well established. The UCM Board of Directors feel fortunate to be able to welcome him back as director. Help us welcome Mickey. He can be reached via email at mickey@ucmathens.org or by phone at 740.593-7301.

Greetings From Mickey

Like countless other OU students, UCM has meant a great deal to me since my undergraduate education. Those early days, as part of the Athens Peace Coalition and Open Doors, were foundational to my education. What I know about community, grassroots organizing, consensus building, spirituality, the common good, archive collecting, and community service is due in large part to UCM. I am honored to serve as UCM director.

 My time away from Athens has been professionally fulfilling, personally rewarding, and educationally insightful, but having lived in Athens most of my life I sure did miss this unique community. I visited often over the past nine years, but it’s just not the same as walking these brick streets and pathways on a daily basis. I am glad to be back.  

I understand that I am joining UCM at a critical reflection period in its history. While there are challenges and thoughtful decisions to make ahead, this campus, community, and region need a place like UCM now more than ever. I will strive daily to enhance the reach and impact of UCM.