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Mark Sadlek recently joined the staff at American Title Oak Lawn, a gay-owned company with residential title, commercial title and document preparation divisions. He is also co-chair of the Dallas-Fort Worth Federal Club, an organization whose members contribute $1,200 $600 a year for those under 30 or more each year to the Human Rights Campaign.
When did you first come to Dallas?
I moved here for my first job out of college. I was a sales rep for the Richardson Vicks company. Moving to Texas hadn’t really been on my radar, and I didn’t think I would be here long. But moving to Dallas ended up being one of the best things that could have happened to me.
How did you get involved in GLBT community activism?
In the late ’80s, I joined an organization called Arete, kind of a precursor to the North Texas GLBT Chamber of Commerce. That’s where I met my partner, Steve Habgood. I went on to join the DIFFA board. Then I met Carl Parker, and he got me involved as founding member of Leadership Lambda. I worked with Ann Wigodsky to start the first gay and lesbian Toastmasters chapter in the country. I joined the local Federal Club governing committee in 2003, and this year I began my two-year stint as Federal Club co-chair with Stephanie Carreon.
What is your primary task as Federal Club co-chair?
Our job as co-chairs is to keep the organization fresh and to find new ways to get people to join the Human Rights Campaign at the Federal Club level, and we have a variety of new things we are very proud of. We recently had our first-ever family event. We have started a very nice outreach to people of color, and we have a stronger outreach to people under 30. In a couple of weeks, we will start a new outreach to our straight allies.
What are your hobbies outside of your activism?
Steve and I will celebrate our 18th anniversary in September, and we love to spend time with our two dogs. I love to cook all the kinds of food that are not popular today high in carbs. I am not politically correct in my cooking. And I love to read.
What would you like to see happen in the community?
It is my hope that everyone in the community will get involved in some form or fashion with some organization that is working for our civil rights.
Soundout is a weekly column featuring people whose jobs and interests have an impact on the daily lives of members of the GLBT community. It features those who often go unnoticed by the press and community. If you’d like to recommend someone to cover in this column, contact staff writerTammye Nash at nash@dallasvoice.com.
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition, July 7, 2006.