FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - December 13, 2007 - CeaseFire PA, a non-profit organization dedicated to preventing gun violence, announced the hiring of a new executive director with extensive campaign experience to direct a growing statewide coalition that supports stronger handgun laws for Pennsylvania.
According to Phil Goldsmith, President of CeaseFire PA, the organization is hiring Joe Grace, an attorney, former journalist and communications professional, to serve as the organization's fulltime executive director. He will assume his position on January 14, 2008.
"We're hiring Joe Grace because it's time for CeaseFirePA to take its growing coalition in support of stronger handgun laws to the next level," Goldsmith said. "As CeaseFire PA takes its campaign to communities across Pennsylvania, it needs an experienced campaign strategist who understands what it takes to achieve results. Joe is that person and we're pleased to welcome him aboard."
Joe succeeds Diane Edbril, who has served as part-time executive director.
"Diane has done a wonderful job. But our growth requires a full-time individual at the helm. I am delighted she will continue on a part-time basis to work with Joe as we further our mission to make communities safer," Goldsmith said.
Grace served for the last two and a half years as communications director for Philadelphia Mayor John F. Street. In that role he interacted with mayors from across Pennsylvania on the issue of growing violence caused by illegal handguns, and with the national coalition of mayors focused on reducing gun violence headed by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Boston Mayor Tom Menino.
Prior to his work in Philadelphia, Grace served as campaign manager for a number of winning political campaigns, including several nationally targeted races for U.S. congressional seats. He served as a deputy campaign manager in the successful Rendell for Governor campaign in 2002. Grace, an attorney and former prosecutor, was also an award-winning journalist whose work was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize.
"I'm honored to join an organization like CeaseFire PA and I support its mission to prevent handgun violence in Pennsylvania," Grace said. "We need stricter handgun laws to protect our police officers who put themselves in harm's way to protect us, and to protect the public as well. This campaign is winnable. As Governor Rendell recently said, we need our legislators to stand up and support our police and the public on this issue - not the special interests."
Goldsmith said Grace's hiring would be effective next month, following the completion of his public service in Philadelphia. Grace's hiring is the latest in a series of moves by CeaseFire PA that demonstrate the organization's continued growth and momentum, including:
- CeaseFire PA coordinated a press conference and rally in Harrisburg earlier this week featuring Gov. Rendell, mayors and police officers from seven Pennsylvania cities, more than a dozen legislators from different cities and regions, and advocates for stricter handgun laws. The rally speakers urged the General Assembly to pass stronger handgun laws, specifically HB 29, which establishes a reporting requirement for firearms lost, stolen or missing.
- CeaseFire PA recently released a poll of six targeted House districts in key swing districts that shows overwhelming voter support for the lost-stolen-missing reporting legislation (96 percent support, 3 oppose), as well as strong public support for a law limiting the number of handguns a person can purchase to one handgun per month (70 percent support, 26 percent oppose).
- CeaseFire PA recently added four new members to its board of directors, including a prominent former police union official, a former legislative aide who is well-versed in Pennsylvania politics, a former mayor from Reading and a college professor from Lewisburg, P who is helping to organize CeaseFire PA's college outreach efforts.
"All of these steps are focused on the same goal: reducing handgun violence in Pennsylvania through the passage of stronger and sensible handgun laws by our General Assembly," Goldsmith said. "We recognize this is a marathon, not a sprint. We're not going away."
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