After conducting a national search, the Fair Wisconsin Boards of Directors announced the hiring of Abigail Swetz as Executive Director of Fair Wisconsin. Fair Wisconsin is the state’s only LGBTQ+ civil rights and political advocacy organization and has been on the forefront of the fight for LGBTQ+ equality in Wisconsin for the past 30 years. Swetz will bring extensive experience in policy, public education, and advocacy to the role. Most recently, Swetz worked at the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction where she served as the department’s Communications Director and as a member of the State Superintendent Dr. Jill Underly’s Cabinet.
“I’m thrilled to have Abigail Swetz join the Fair Wisconsin team as our new Executive Director. She has long fought for the most vulnerable in our community, and her extensive experience in communications promises to amplify our collective voice when many are working to drown it out,” said Fair Wisconsin Education Fund Board President Jodi Grieg. “Under her leadership, Fair Wisconsin aims to reinvigorate its presence across the state, and to continue its mission to educate on key LGBTQ+ issues.”
“I am honored to be entrusted with the future of an organization with such a storied and impactful past of working to ensure the safety and civil rights of LGBTQ+ Wisconsinites. As the leader of Fair Wisconsin, I look to build on that rich history by rooting our present work in hope and equity as we look to a future of liberation and full inclusion for our LGBTQ+ siblings in this state,” said Executive Director of Fair Wisconsin Abigail Swetz. “To my LGBTQ+ family and our allied friends here in Wisconsin, let me say this: buckle up – we’ve got work to do, and I’m ready to lead it together.”
Swetz’s professional experience reflects her deep commitment to equity and inclusion, the safety of LGBTQ+ Wisconsinites, and the liberation of our queer community. She is an award-winning middle school teacher and Gender and Sexuality Advisor, having been recognized as the 2017 GSAFE Educator of the Year and with the Rockwell Cooperating Teacher Award from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Inspired by the activism of her students, Swetz attended the La Follette School of Public Affairs, where she earned the Penniman Prize for her policy analysis. After graduation, she worked in domestic violence policy and advocacy, and in the Secretary’s Office at the Wisconsin Department of Health Services at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic before her tenure at the DPI. During her time at the DPI, Swetz dedicated her communications and leadership work to bringing the voices and perspectives of students and educators into the policymaking process.
“This is an opportunity for growth and expansion for Fair Wisconsin, Inc. We have the opportunity, and frankly, the obligation, to reach out to more of Wisconsin’s LGBTQ+ residents during a crucial time politically and socially in our country,” said Board President of Fair Wisconsin, Inc. Laurie Guilbault.
In addition to her professional advocacy work, Swetz has been an outspoken advocate for youth involvement in activism and policy development, having spoken at the 2017 Women’s March on Madison and the 2022 March for Our Lives rally in support of gun law reform. She is also an award-winning playwright, performer, spoken word poet, and published writer.
