“I am proud of the Chamber’s success and excited to now be a part of one of the most dynamic chamber organizations in the Greater Houston area.”

HOUSTON, TX (October 11, 2022) – The Greater Houston LGBT Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce that T. Ray Purser (he/him) joins the organization as a consultant to lead government relations for the organization. Through his long tenure in the communications industry, Purser brings extensive leadership and experience in government relations at a key time where the Chamber’s strategic focus is growing in terms of advocacy and policy.

Purser will work with Chamber Leadership to guide the organization’s legislative strategy and ensure that Chamber members are represented at all levels of government.

“The Chamber has been a strong advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, in terms of policy and visibility, since its launch, and Ray will help us grow our impact around advocacy from a strategic perspective,” said Tammi Wallace, Co-Founder, President & CEO, Greater Houston LGBT Chamber of Commerce. “One of the key roles of a chamber is to advocate for its members, and, with Ray’s leadership, we will build on our success to date to do even more to ensure our members have a voice.”

“We are elated to have Ray join the Chamber Team. With the growth plans, the Chamber needs talented leaders like Ray to help us take the organization to the next level,” said Tiffany Tosh, Board Chair, Greater Houston LGBT Chamber of Commerce. “He has supported the Chamber since year one, and now, through his work with the organization, he is committed to the mission and helping push the important work of the Chamber forward.”

About Ray Purser

Purser was actively involved in the cable TV and broadband industry for over 33 years, having held a number of senior level positions in advertising sales, public relations, government relations and community affairs. He retired as vice president, External Affairs from Comcast NBC Universal on April 30, 2021. He formed Purser Public Affairs in 2022 to help provide strategic counsel, policy expertise and advocacy to businesses and organizations.

A community leader and advocate, Purser is actively involved in the Houston community and been widely recognized for his volunteer service. He currently serves on the Boards of the LGBT Victory Fund and Legacy Community Health. Purser also volunteers his time as a court appointed advocate with Child Advocates Incorporated. He has head Chairmanship positions with Legacy Community Health Services and the Texas Cable Association. He is a graduate of Leadership Houston Class XXVII.

In recognition for his work in the Community, Purser was awarded the Excellence in Diversity Award by the National Association for Multi-Ethnicity in Communications and was selected as an Honoree for the Ivy Education and Charitable Foundation. Comcast’s West Division awarded Purser the Circle of Success Excellence in Inclusion Leadership Award in 2014 for the launch of the region’s Out at Comcast employee resource group. He has been a recipient of seven Cable Television Public Affairs Association Beacon Awards for outstanding work in Public Affairs.

In this new role, Purser will be actively working to advance pro-equality policies that promote economic inclusion for the LGBTQ+ community, including inclusion of the LGBTBE® Certification.

“The Greater Houston LGBT Chamber is advancing economic opportunity for LGBTQ+ owned businesses and allies. I am proud of the Chamber’s success and excited to now be a part of one of the most dynamic chamber organizations in the Greater Houston area. Through the Chamber’s various tools and resources, including the LGBTBE® Certification program, we are working to achieve economic parity.” – Ray Purser, Consultant, Government Relations, Greater Houston LGBT Chamber of Commerce

Chamber Leadership welcomes Purser to the organization and is excited about this next step for the organization and the opportunity to engage his talent and experience to move the mission of the Chamber forward.

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About the Greater Houston LGBT Chamber of Commerce

The Greater Houston LGBT Chamber of Commerce accelerates economic opportunity for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer + (LGBTQ+) business community through a strong network of business allies, innovative programs, strategic partnerships and advance policies that foster economic inclusion and equality. Learn more at www.houstonlgbtchamber.com.