Frederick Bowers and Luis Alberto Rincón de la Cruz seek to be next Affirmation president
Voting members of Affirmation: LGBTQ Mormons, Families & Friends have the opportunity to elect a president every two years. The president serves as both the executive of the organization and provides leadership to the board of directors in consultation with their vice presidents, collectively called the executive committee. While there was a special election earlier this year to fill the term of a president who resigned, the upcoming election is a regular election. The winner will serve from January 1, 2025, until December 31, 2026.
The filing deadline for candidates was October 11, 2024. Two candidates filed by this deadline, Frederick Bowers and Luis Alberto Rincón de la Cruz. These candidates were announced during the plenary session of the 2024 Affirmation International Conference on October 12.
Frederick Bowers
Frederick Bowers is the current president of Affirmation. He was elected in a special election earlier this year that concluded on February 29, 2024, and has been president since March 1. Before being elected president, Frederick served as acting president from January 1 through February 29 and senior vice president from October 2023 until becoming acting president. His involvement with Affirmation began in the 1990s and has included serving as Washington DC Chapter Director, Chapter-at-Large Director, Special Assistant to the Executive Committee on Strategic and Business Affairs, Assistant Vice President for Strategy and Development, and Affirmation Conference Chairperson in 2012. He also received Affirmation’s Mortensen Award in 2012.
In his candidate statement, Frederick wrote, “For seven months, I have had the honor of serving as the elected president of Affirmation. During this period, I learned that Affirmation’s mission is simple and complex. I’ve also learned that the people of Affirmation and its allies appreciate and support the organization because it welcomes people across the spectrum of LGBTQ Mormon Life.”
Frederick has nominated David Widdison and Dominick Morales for senior vice president and vice president. David grew up as a Latter-day Saint and has spent his career working in positive youth development programs in non-profit organizations in Washington, Idaho, and Utah. He currently serves in the leadership of the Fathers in Affirmation affinity group. Dominick is a recent convert to the Church, and his professional life has been dedicated to bringing people together and fostering understanding. He is currently a development assistant at a San Antonio based university.
Joel McDonald and David Doyle, currently senior vice president and vice president serving with Frederick in the executive committee, opted not to seek re-appointment. “They have passionately supported Affirmation’s mission. They have done an excellent job supporting Affirmation during this period of change and growth,” Frederick wrote about Joel and David. ” I see their love and support for Affirmation daily, and neither I nor the Affirmation community will ever forget it. I feel tremendous gratitude and respect for them and their work, and I thank them for joining me on the journey of serving the people of Affirmation as part of the executive committee.”
Luis Alberto Rincón de la Cruz
Luis Alberto Rincón de la Cruz is the current president of Affirmation Dominican Republic. He has been a member of the Church since 1995 and has served as a missionary. He has held several church callings.
In his candidate statement, Luis Alberto wrote, “As president, I want to work with other leaders as a unified team to help Affirmation: LGBTQ Mormons, Families & Friends grow and be a stronger organization. Grow in terms of numbers and quality. I want to help more people access this space of safety, love, and hope.”
Luis Alberto nominated Joaquin Alexander Romero Pachano and Wander de León as his senior vice president and vice president.
The Election
Voting members of Affirmation will receive a ballot by email on November 12. To receive a ballot, you must be a voting member of Affirmation by November 11. To check your membership status, please log in to your member dashboard. For more information about membership in Affirmation, please see our membership page.
Voting will be open from November 12 through the new deadline of November 27. After voting closes, an independent election committee will certify the results to the board of directors, and the results will be announced.
The election winner will begin their term in office on January 1, 2025.