ArtsUnited Honors Community Leaders During Special 'Dining With The Divas' Celebration and Fundraiser

ArtsUnited, a nonprofit organization dedicated to producing quality cultural programming that showcases the LGBTQ community, will honor South Florida community leaders Michael Goodman, Richard Gray, Phil Cordell and Our Fund for advancing the arts during its "Dining with the Divas" Celebration Dinner and Fundraiser set for Tuesday, March 15, at 7 p.m. at Lips. Lips show hostess Nicolette will emcee the entertaining evening which will also feature guests hosts Niki Lopez, Tedd Davis, Ryan Young and Michael Albetta plus a special appearance by Michael Dean as Cher.

"ArtsUnited is proud to recognize these honorees who champion equality and diversity in the arts and serve as positive role models in our community," said Chuck Williams, president of ArtsUnited. "We are grateful for Lips and for the support of our members and patrons who help us fulfill our mission of sharing and nurturing LGBTQ artists' contributions in South Florida and beyond."

Michael Goodman, an avid supporter of the arts, is currently chair of the Florida Theatrical Association and is an executive committee board member for the Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce. As the founder of GPR | Goodman Public Relations, he supports Funding Arts Broward, Island City Stage, South Florida Symphony Orchestra, Fort Lauderdale Gay Men's Chorus, History Fort Lauderdale and World AIDS Museum. He is past board chair of ArtServe, Neighbors 4 Neighbors, the Gay & Lesbian Business Exchange (GLBX) of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce, the City of Wilton Manors Community Affairs Advisory Board and the City of Oakland Park School Advisory Board. Goodman is an honorary board member and past vice chair of Art and Culture Center Hollywood. He is also a past board member of Arc Broward, Junior Achievement, Family Central and Gilda's Club plus a graduate of Leadership Broward Class XV. A highly respected PR practitioner and marketer, Goodman has received two ArtServe leadership awards, a coveted Leadership Broward Foundation Profiles in Leadership Award and Art and Culture Center Hollywood's "Man of the Year 2016" Award.

Richard Gray is the senior vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion for Visit Lauderdale. Since the mid-1990s, he has used marketing campaigns to ignite social change. Richard's vision formed what was the first-ever dedicated LGBT+ marketing

campaign at a Destination Marketing Organization in 1995. Under his leadership, the groundbreaking Celebrate You campaign was the first to feature real-life models representing disabled, plus-sized, non-binary, trans, gay, lesbian, straight and dressed

in drag. As part of this campaign, black and brown were added to the Pride colors to show commitment and belief in black and brown people, making Visit Lauderdale the first DMO to add these colors. His work with the transgender community lead to Visit

Lauderdale being the first DMO to be recognized by the U.N. for support of the transgender community. The recipient of countless honors, most recently he was named by Out magazine as an OUT 100 Innovator and one of the 100 most influential LGBT+ people in the United States.

Phil Cordell, global head of lifestyle brands/new brand development, Hilton, is one of the nation's leading hospitality-industry experts. With over 35 years of experience, his finger on the pulse of consumer trends, his forward-thinking and entrepreneurial mindset, and a track record of successful brand development, Cordell is responsible for the inception and development of new Hilton brands and cultivation and enhancement of existing brands in development. An expert in branding, franchise management and customer service, Cordell has been interviewed by The New York Times, USA Today, Entrepreneur magazine, Harvard Business Review, Fox Business, Reuters TV and others, and is a sought-after speaker.

Our Fund Foundation promotes a culture of responsible philanthropy by uniting donors with organizations supporting the LGBT community to make South Florida (Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach Counties) the most livable community in the country for LGBT people. Launched in 2010 by a small group of committed activist philanthropists in response to the low ratio of philanthropy directed to LGBT organizations in the region, and across the country, Our Fund Foundation has become the 3rd largest LGBT foundation in the country, granting $1,500,000+ annually to worthy non-profit agencies advancing LGBT causes in South Florida.

Attendees will enjoy the witty show hostesses and talented cast who serve up delicious food and entertainment as part of a well-orchestrated revue of past and present leading ladies. Lips is more drag-a-licious than ever with a popular menu of drag queen-inspired delicious salads, appetizers, entrees and desserts, plus a full-bar serving its world-famous frozen cosmos and other signature drinks.

Reservations are required and can be made by visiting www.artsunitedflorida.com. Tickets are $60 per person which includes a three-course dinner and show. A cash bar is available.

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