Elizabeth Birch
Executive Director, HRC

Elizabeth Birch was appointed executive director of the Human Rights Campaign in late 1994 and took the helm of the organization in January 1995.

Prior to her appointment, Birch was worldwide director of litigation and human resources counsel for Apple Computer, Inc., where in addition to heading up litigation, she was instrumental in the development of Apple's landmark domestic partnership and non-discrimination policies. She also served as general counsel of Claris Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Apple.

Birch graduated with honors from the Santa Clara University of Law. While studying at Santa Clara, she clerked at the California Supreme Court. After graduating, she joined the San Francisco law firm of McCutchen, Doyle, Brown and Enersen, where she specialized in complex commercial litigation with an emphasis in computer law. In 1989 she joined Apple where she became a visible spokesperson for lesbian and gay equal rights in the workplace, contributing signifcantly to the national movement to establish domestic partnership coverage in a variety of workplace settings.

Birch has a long history of activism in the lesbian, gay and AIDS/HIV communities. She is a former co-chair of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and the founder of AIDS Legal Services, a model program for people with HIV in Northern California. Birch also authored several AIDS anti-discrimination ordinances, which have been enacted in California municipalities.

Under Birch's leadership, HRC has grown to over 250,000 members today. She has guided the growth of the national staff, which is now at more than 60 full-time employees. HRC's annual budget has also grown to over $16 million at the end of HRC's 1998 fiscal year.

Birch has been a visible face in the media in promoting HRC's agenda, having made appearances on such t.v. programs as Crossfire, Meet the Press, and others. She has also written numerous editorial articles and been featured in a variety of press.