Our guest for this episode of Legacy-Makers@Work is Employment Attorney and civil rights activist Gary Ireland. Gary is a relentless advocate for inclusion and non-discrimination. An exciting example: He participated in a multi-year advocacy and media campaign working with his family, the National Organization for Women, and local elected officials resulting in young women successfully becoming full members in the previously all-male Boy Scouts of America. The initiative resulted in over 200,000 new female Scouts and a new name for the premier program: Scouts BSA. Gary recognizes needs and sees ways to make a meaningful contribution in both the non-profit and for-profit world. He is a champion for inclusion and non-discrimination with a powerful story.
Gary consciously aims to leave whatever he is involved with better, setting a positive example. That invigorates him. His core values are integrity and principled leadership. At times you may be devoted to something that disappoints you. Gary found that in recent years with the Boy Scouts, who he no longer felt were living up to their principles, and he decided to act to make change together with his daughter. Listen to the inspiring achievement on this podcast episode.
His pivotal moments in his career and life came from activities beyond his legal work. He didn’t start out to be a civil rights activist, but the passion evolved starting in the early 1990s on the Columbia University campus when he saw there was more to life than what his early legal assignments were directed to. He found he was good at building teams to solve problems, and he has built a strong community of activists to call on.
For many years, Gary has been active in carrying out projects in the non-profit world as he recognized needs and sees ways to make a meaningful contribution. That juices him. Hear what he’s planning next.
Gary’s takeaway advice is not to be concerned with other’s expectations of what you should be doing but rather to run with your passion and bring others to share it. That’s his idea of a life worth living.
Bio
Gary Ireland: Employment Attorney, civil rights activist and so much more!
Gary is a relentless advocate for inclusion and non-discrimination. An exciting example: He participated in a multi-year advocacy and media campaign working with his family, the National Organization for Women, and local elected officials resulting in young women successfully becoming full members in the previously all-male Boy Scouts of America. The initiative resulted in over 200,000 new female Scouts and a new name for the premier program: Scouts BSA.
Gary helps executives maximize income and benefits when joining or leaving a company, enhancing severance, and, if necessary, asserting legal rights in court. Gary seeks to bring out the best in everyone, whether working with executives, employees, or start-ups and small businesses as outside General Counsel. His litigation experience spans high profile matters to lesser-known matters where Gary works behind the scenes to help executives maximize their outcome.
Gary received the NAACP legal prize, “Footprints in the Sands Award”, also the legal award from the Bella Abzug Leadership Institute, and the “Champion for Progress” recognition from the National Organization for Women.
We think he sets an excellent example for Legacy-Makers@Work’s audience for his intentional pursuit of a purposeful legacy.
Contact Gary Ireland at Gary@Irelandlaw.net