Wilton Manors Entertainment Group is bringing in a familiar face to lead the organization during strenuous times.
Peter Jackson, a longtime Wilton Manors businessman, has been appointed WMEG’s first-ever president. The group announced the decision in a press release and also revealed a rebranding effort under the title WMEG Community Marketing and Events.
“I am excited by this opportunity,” Jackson said, in a press release dated Dec. 11. “Promoting the paradise that Wilton Manors is to the LGBTQ community far and wide is a great objective and benefits every resident and business owner. Doing so through multiplatform marketing and fun events that allow our community to come together in a post-COVID world makes the job even sweeter.”
Formed as a non-profit in 2014 to serve in partnership with the city and its development alliance, WMEG is primarily tasked with operating special events designed to attract visitors and tourists. Its marquee event is the Stonewall Pride Parade & Street Festival, a tribute to the New York City riots which sparked the modern-day gay rights movement.
Keeping Wilton Manors a gay destination is the group’s chief mission.
“We desperately need to promote Wilton Manors as the prime LGBTQ destination that it is,” said Jeff Sterling, CEO of WMEG, in a press release. “The way to do that is through events that give people a reason to visit as well as through strategic local and national marketing of the people and businesses that make our Island City so welcoming and special.”
Jackson presently serves as vice president of the Wilton Manors Business Association. His previous business ventures include owning a couple of gyms, a yoga studio and being a corporate officer for the now-defunct Florida Agenda.
“This is a challenging time for non-profits as traditional funding sources evaporate — but we see this as a time to innovate and grow in new and exciting ways,” Jackson said.
In addition to the Stonewall, WMEG produces three monthly events: Art Walk, Vibes on the Drive and Pride Skate Night.
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