Dr. Michael Shutt (he/him) has over 20 years of experience providing strategic leadership in the LGBTQ movement through his work at nonprofit organizations and institutions of higher education. He currently serves as the Southern Regional Director of Lambda Legal, the oldest and largest national legal organization whose mission is to achieve full recognition of the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people and everyone living with HIV through impact litigation, education and public policy work. In this role, he supports a ten-state region through fundraising, public policy advocacy, and community outreach and engagement.
Prior to his work at Lambda Legal, Michael served in several roles at Emory University including the Assistant Dean and Director of the Office of LGBT Life, Interim Sr. Director of the Center for Diversity and Inclusion, and Sr. Director of Campus Life. Michael also served as the Founding Director of the University of Georgia’s LGBT Resource Center, the first LGBT resource center at a public university in Georgia. Beyond the work on his own campuses, Michael served as a consultant to institutions such as New York University, Princeton University, Spelman College, and Georgia Institute of Technology in the development and assessment of LGBTQ student support services.
Michael also engages in service in the community. He was the Chair of the Board of Directors of the Equality Foundation of Georgia and Co-Chair of the Consortium of Higher Education LGBT Resource Professionals. In 2014, Michael was named one of Atlanta Pride’s Grand Marshals and in 2020 was honored as one of the OUT Georgia Business Alliance’s Most Influential LGBTQ+ Georgians.