Dale Mitchell

"Dale Mitchell grew up wanting to be an architect.  In the mid-1960s, when he realized he was gay, he opted instead to be himself.  Back then, being open about who you were pretty much ruled everything else out.  And while Mitchell went on to have a long and fruitful career, he still believes leaving the closet behind years before Stonewall and living his life as an out, proud gay man is his most significant accomplishment.

Mitchell spent over forty years as an advocate and change-agent in the public and non-profit sectors in and around Boston, MA.  He was a policy analyst and lobbyist for poor people’s issues, a senior-level public housing administrator, and for twenty-five years, the chief executive officer of a Boston-based non-profit dedicated to keeping the elderly and disabled out of nursing homes. He has an extensive track record of policy and program innovations in social welfare and human service delivery. In recognition of his many accomplishments in the field of LGBT aging, of which he was a national leader, Mitchell was honored as Grand Marshal of Boston’s 2019 Pride.  

Mitchell is retired and lives in Jamaica Plain, MA with his longtime partner and husband, David Imming.  Together, they enjoy gardening, cooking, traveling, art, film, music, entertaining friends and doing what they can to make the world more tolerant, equitable, sustainable and peaceful. Despite a long career as a political and organizational “insider,” Mitchell still considers himself a revolutionary."