As the director of the Rutland County Pride Center (RCPC), William Fourney-Mills is a pillar of LGBTQ+ advocacy in the Killington-Rutland area, overseeing the 501c3 organization he launched over two years ago. In championing inclusivity, diversity, and community building, his work is particularly vital given the current political climate, making Rutland County Pride an essential force in the region.
RCPC is perhaps best known as the driving force behind the annual Rutland Pride Festival, a vibrant celebration that draws participants from across the region. This year’s festival is taking place on Saturday, June 21, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., on Merchants Row in downtown Rutland.
But well beyond this marquee event, Fourney-Mills and his team—mostly volunteers—provide crucial year-round resources, support, and advocacy, including discussion groups, educational programs, and collaborations with local businesses and other nonprofits.
An ordained minister, Fourney-Mills honed his leadership and management skills by serving on the board of a suburban Philadelphia church for years.
“I was traveling the country helping other churches with their backend bookkeeping and making sure all their paperwork was correct,” Fourney-Mills said. “So I gained knowledge on how to do the nuts-and-bolts pieces for a nonprofit like the Rutland County Pride Center.”
Fourney-Mills has been in Vermont for 20 years and understands the unique challenges faced by the LGBTQ+ community, especially in rural areas—issues like isolation, limited resources, and persistent prejudice. With his imposing stature, one might not expect it, but Fourney-Mills is a wonderfully jovial man—quick to laugh and extending a hearty welcome even to visitors who drop into the center’s headquarters.
He emphasizes building bridges and fostering dialogue, approaching his advocacy with a blend of passion and respectful communication. Before the Rutland Center opened, the nearest Pride Center was two hours away in Burlington.
“We birthed the Rutland County Pride Center out of necessity,” Fourney-Mills said. “We just started looking and listening to the friends and family that we talked to every day to see what they wanted and then started building from there. And now we are a strong part of the community.”
He continued, “We get involved in everything from the Rutland Feud to the Halloween parade, just basically anything that we have an opportunity to show people that it’s okay to live your life and be who you are.”
Fourney-Mills’ philosophy is deeply humanistic: “I’ve always been about helping other people, and I don’t care what your belief system is; we all have something in common. I think that’s the problem with humanity right now, that we refuse to acknowledge our connections. Instead, we highlight our differences.”
Rutland County Pride offers vital programs, including weekly recovery meetings, “Queer Working Hours” for remote workers seeking community at the Pride Center’s offices, and “Fierce Fridays” social events with mocktails and coffee to support sobriety. RCPC also organizes bingos and other events to bring entertainment and connection to different areas of the county.
To be sure, like most nonprofits, the RCPC also faces its challenges. Fourney-Mills highlighted the dedication of his team but stressed the need for funding to hire paid staff.
“We’ve done a great job, and I think we’re victims of our own success because people see how much we can do with so little,” he admitted. “While we continue to explore options for hiring a paid program coordinator, the current funding landscape makes adding additional staff a significant challenge in the near future. That said, we’re always actively seeking out resources, grants, and partnerships to make this vision a reality sooner rather than later,” he added.
Fourney-Mills is pleased to report that the RCPC finalized its strategic plan in April, providing a clear roadmap for its next phase of growth, including program development, financial sustainability, and infrastructure goals.
“It’s already been a valuable tool in guiding our organizational focus and engaging with potential funders,” he said.
Fourney-Mills envisions expanding the center’s clinical services at some point.
“Right now, we’ve been focusing on the social because that’s what we’re able to do,” said Fourney-Mills. But we would love to have a clinician available, [so people could] get the help and the resources that they need on a more clinical basis as opposed to just referring them elsewhere.”
Fourney-Mills has been in a romantic relationship for the past four years and is the proud parent of 22-year-old twins. As such, he is compassionate about what he calls “the persistent and unique heartbreaking needs,” of LGBTQ+ individuals who are not as fortunate in having a loving family.
“The majority of the folks I know have a segment of their family life that’s not available to them anymore,” he explained. “As horrible as it is, it’s something that we’ve dealt with historically all the time.
“I can’t imagine how kids feel today, especially in the political climate that we’re in,” he continued. “Stonewall [the pivotal 1969 Greenwich Village gay rights protest] drove me forward, yet all they’re seeing is the division and the hatred towards people and the non-acceptance. And that’s making them even reach out to us more because now they’re looking for a safe place, and they don’t feel safe,” he added.
William Fourney-Mills’ leadership of the Rutland County Pride Center is a testament to his dedication to social justice and his belief in the community, ensuring that all LGBTQ+ individuals in the county feel safe, supported, and celebrated.
Reflecting his early work as a minister in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Fourney-Mills’ parting message was poignant and emblematic of his empathy and compassion: “Everybody has the ability to belong and love and find community, and nobody should be ostracized for that.”
For more information, visit: rcpride.org.
Liz DiMarco Weinmann, MBA, is a strategic growth specialist, nonprofit leader, business educator, and author. Her L3C consulting firm works exclusively with charities and educational institutions on strategic planning, organizational development, and fundraising. lizdimarcoweinmann.com.
