(One Orlando Alliance logo via One Orlando Alliance’s Facebook)
ORLANDO | The One Orlando Alliance is dismantling its board and coalition to restructure a “new breath” for what the organization wants to accomplish.
In the aftermath of the Pulse shooting in 2016, organizations responding to the tragedy came together to meet the needs of Orlando’s community. This informal partnership grew into the OOA, a coalition of diverse organizations honoring the memory of the lives taken and all those affected at Pulse by serving and strengthening the LGBTQ+ community.
Shea Cutliff, secretary of OOA, says when the organization was formed it was an effort to house everybody under one roof or to have a repository where everybody could serve the community. However, Cutliff shares the missions weren’t brought to full fruition.
“With that being said, that led to a lot of disorganization and honestly introspection. Looking on ourselves as an organization, we decided it was better to get some eyes from the outside to kind of look at the situation and get us to a point where we can refocus,” Cutliff explains.
A consultant was brought in to guide OOA as there are only three original board members, including Watermark Out News Publisher Rick Todd and Leah James in addition to Cutliff. The board secretary says she wants to make the Orlando community feel like they are all working in a concerted effort to handle the issues that plague the community.
The search for new board members began at the end of August and will expend past OOA’s initial Sept. 28 deadline. They hope to announce new members on Oct. 18.
“We’re looking for people who understand that being on a board is more than just coming to a meeting once a month, that there is really work that needs to be done in our community and we can’t waste any more time infighting and arguing or being disorganized,” Cutliff says. “We really need to be in a place where we’re more cohesive because we see that any opposition to our community is very well organized and we need to be on that same page.”
The organization strongly encourages individuals from historically marginalized communities to apply, including but not limited to women, trans and non-binary individuals, people of color, immigrants, people with disabilities and others who have experienced systemic oppression.
“We’re looking for leaders who are impactful and we’re looking for organizations to join the coalition that are interested in collaborating,” Cutliff shares. “Between those two things, we’re looking for our leaders in Orlando to step up and when we say we want them to step up, we want them to be in a place where they are looking beyond their selves and they’re looking into the community and seeing gaps in where we can help address those gaps.”
Cutliff says OOA found itself in a position where it had to stop and “look at ourselves in the mirror” to question its value. She noticed the path they were taking was not in alignment with service to the community and the work they do.
Choosing the board will be intentional and Cutliff says the goal of restructuring is to have the community’s trust.
“We used to be people of one voice, one message and we were very unified, and I think through COVID and a few other things that the closeness kind of broke down,” Cutliff explains. “And we really, as a whole community have lost focus on what we are actually doing to exact change.”
For more information and to apply for a board position, visit 2025 OOA Board Application.
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