Trevor Easton After a turbulent period, OUTLine has a new Manager. Trevor Easton is full of positivity about the future, and certainly appears to have the skills and passion to once again steady this crucial community organisation. Easton comes to the non-for-profit sector from working at the management end of the broadcasting world. He was a Business Analyst and Sales Business Systems Advocate at Sky TV and Revenue Systems Manager at TVNZ. “I was at a point of my life where I was frustrated with what I was doing. I didn’t know what my next step would be. And I wanted a change – I’d been in broadcasting/advertising for 30 plus years and I thought it would be nice to do something slightly different,” Easton tells GayNZ.com. “I had tried to apply for a job in the AIDS Foundation, but I had just missed the deadline, that was about two years ago. So I was looking at the non-profit area.” He laughs while explaining he was also made redundant, which made him “thoroughly look” at what he was going to do with his life. He looked at a number of options, saying “applications were flying” from his home office desk. In the week he was offered an interview for the OUTLine job, he received two offers from the broadcasting sector. “I had to toss up what was going to be best, and this is the role I headed for. And that’s because it’s an organisation I have some affinity with, having prior working with, and I am passionate about. So here I am.” His background is broadcasting is in advertising and sales, but more on the operational side, so admin and processes are his bread and butter. He’s also been on the Advertising Standards Complaints Board and at TVNZ he was on the Ethics Committee, and was the ‘harassment contact’. “That’s the skillset I think, what the board saw in me,” he laughs. “You’d have to ask them!” Easton takes over at OUTLine after another period of upheaval. Things are much more solid at the organisation thanks to the work of interim manager Steve Newton, following the sudden departure of the former GM from the top job. The fact Easton has a history with OUTLine (when it was Gayline) as a board member and phone support volunteer went down well with the current Board. It says that, along with his fresh perspective and professional skills made him the ideal candidate. Easton describes himself as a middle-aged out gay man, who had a slow coming out process which stretched through his early 20s. However he has since been fully out to family, friends and colleagues and has been with his partner for 20 years. While he has only been in the OUTLine role for a matter of weeks, he’s had a bit of a chance to take the organisation’s temperature and praises its core of very passionate people. His early concern is its visibility, as he wonders whether the OUTLine brand is understood by the wider community. “I like the name because it’s broad and encompasses what we are – it’s just about making sure the rest of New Zealand knows that.” Easton says that’s so people who need support, from all walks of life, know what it’s about and what it offers. One of the biggest changes since his time with Gayline has been the wider network of gay community organisations. “It’s blossomed. That’s a good thing,” he says. “The bad thing is we’re all going for the same funds,” he laughs. “And we survive on the smell of an oily rag. It’s not quite pay packet to pay packet, but it gets close to that I think at times. So funding is going to be the most challenging part for me. That and the outreach. But the funding has to be done, for a selfish reason – I want to be paid! I have a life!” A downsize of sorts is imminent. OUTLine will move back to smaller offices, likely back to its previous home next door, but still within the Pompallier Centre Three Lamps. Easton says that will be hard, because it has expanded. “Like everyone in their own home environment, you expand to meet the size and you utilise it. And then shrinking back is very hard.” A great landlord gave them the bigger space at the same price, but on the condition that they needed to sublet offices. They were not able to find tenants though. They have been on a floating contract so an office swap should work out fine – as the tenants of the former office have expanded their business and want a bigger space. Ultimately OUTLine would like to share a hub with Rainbow Youth. Easton says they work together on a few things, but obviously also have different needs, and there is still a lot to consider “That could be long term,” he says of the plan. Other than that, Easton is still getting his head around the role, but he is clearly determined and passionate, so, as we like to say, watch this space. Jacqui Stanford - 21st August 2013