Kevin Stocks Departs as Executive Director of Twin Cities Gay Men’s Chorus

After four and a half years as the Executive Director of the Twin Cities Gay Men’s Chorus (TCGMC), Kevin Stocks is leaving the organization for sunnier climes. His time at TCGMC began in late 2019, which meant that his work with the chorus was heavily impacted by COVID-19. Stocks was kind enough to take a moment to share what’s on the horizon for him now in addition to discussing the last four years with TCGMC.

When I asked Stocks about his personal highlights from his tenure at TCGMC his response was immediate and two-fold. “The concerts themselves are always highlights, when the performers and audience finally meet after months of work behind the scenes,” says Stocks. “I also consider the relationships I have been able to build with colleagues and counterparts to be a highlight of my 4.5 years in this role.”

TCGMC is a chorus first, but it is also a community builder. “[The] times we have brought people together [are impactful],” muses Stocks. “While I wouldn’t consider myself an extrovert (and I enjoy the behind-the-scenes work) there is an undeniable ‘rush’ when people come together in the same space to share music and to be an advocate for a more equitable community. It’s truly the embodiment of the mission of ‘building community through music!’”

TCGMC does not just build community through concerts. “[I value] the times we bring people together through partnerships with organizations with whom we are aligned such as Clare Housing for our ‘World AIDS Day’ events, or at our annual fundraiser ‘Sing it Forward.’”

Navigating the pandemic as a performing arts organization quickly became Stocks’ primary responsibility after he began at TCGMC. “I’m most proud of…being part of a team to lead our organization through the Covid pandemic,” says Stocks. “I was…immediately in a position where we needed to make some important organizational decisions.”

These decisions were made after carefully exploring questions about the mission of TCGMC in addition to the safety and other needs of chorus and audience members alike. Stocks listed off some of the questions that TCGMC considered: “How do we care for our community of singers and our audiences? Can we still serve our mission when we can’t get together in person? And to add to that, collaborative singing was an activity that was an extremely dangerous activity during that time. What do we do and how do we do it safely?”

Ultimately, TCGMC was able to innovate ways to remain active throughout the pandemic in a manner that reflected its values and prioritized safety.  “I was proud of our organization for being nimble and creative as we presented various “virtual” concerts that were recorded from home, or with strict protocols.” TCGMC found ways to connect artists to their communities in spite of the unprecedented challenge of the pandemic.

The pandemic continues to impact arts organizations and TCGMC is no exception. “Ticket sales have still not returned to pre-pandemic levels, so I’ve been working hard to find alternative sources of support through foundations,” says Stocks. “I hope that can be something the next executive director can continue with to diversify how TCGMC is funded.”

Not all of the challenges that Stocks encountered were related to the pandemic. “There are so many obstacles that someone in the role of executive director faces on a day-to-day basis,” Stocks explains. “Limited resources to accomplish ambitious goals and ideas is a challenge most nonprofit leaders face…I was also proud of navigating a complicated and complex process to secure support through programs such as the Payroll Protection Program and the Shuttered Venues Operational Grant!”

As Stocks’ last day approaches, he and his husband are looking forward to visiting and eventually moving to Mexico. “We focused our relocation research on Central Mexico in an area known as the ‘bajío’ which is a high-altitude plateau,” says Stocks. “We will spend the month of August in Santiago de Queretaro (in the state of Queretaro) and will use that home base as a jumping off point for visiting other communities to discover the right fit!”

Stocks is not a native Minnesotan and, as such, he admits that he never got used to our sometimes brutal winters. “It’s always been in the back of my brain to leave for ‘warmer pastures’ and long considered the Pacific NW to be closer to my family,” says Stocks. After much consideration, Mexico felt like a better fit. “I was in a Spanish immersion school growing up and have spent time in Mexico and other Spanish speaking countries.”

At the time of our interview, TCGMC was still looking for their next Executive Director. “I hope to have some time to overlap with the next executive director! In addition to all the important passwords and files,” Stocks chuckles. “I would want to pass along a deep sense of reverence for the legacy and importance of an organization like TCGMC that has been doing its work for over forty years!”

Stocks will be missed at TCGMC. At the time of publication, the final performance of this season (two nights of Popular: A Broadway Cabaret) will have just passed, leaving Stocks one more month to wrap up loose ends and say his goodbyes. We here at Lavender wish him well in his future endeavors and look forward to seeing what is next for TCMGC.