The Acceptance Academy Foundation is a non-profit organization that manages and oversees the Acceptance Academy Community School, a private, non-profit middle school focusing on students who have difficulty fitting into the school environment because they are LGBTQ+, live in a non-traditional home, or are being bullied. Studies show bullying can lead to substance abuse, poor self esteem and lower academic performance. The Acceptance Academy Community School is a welcoming place that encourages students to indulge in self-expression and intellectual curiosity to ensure they grow into well-adjusted teens.The Acceptance Academy Community School will be located in Lake Worth Beach, a city in Palm Beach County, Florida known for its spirit of inclusiveness. We will launch in August 2025 with classes of 6th and 7th graders. As interest grows and finances and circumstances allow, we will add more classes and additional grades. www.acceptanceschool.org

Stephen has been an independent strategic communications consultant since 2002, ​positioning leaders and organizations to reach their targeted audiences and move them to ​action. He counsels leaders and organizations, including trade associations, nonprofits, ​advocacy groups, government agencies, and corporations.Based in South Florida, Stephen is a strategist and spokesperson for numerous issue and ​political campaigns, and represents clients across the country. He is active in the Florida ​Democratic Party and served two terms as president of the Florida LGBTQ+ Democratic ​Caucus. He has been a leader and board member in many nonprofit and political ​organizations.Stephen held senior communications and management roles in the Bill Clinton, Al Gore and ​John Kerry presidential campaigns, including as advisor to and spokesperson for the Gore ​and Kerry families, and press secretary and spokesperson for the Presidential Inaugural ​Committee, among other positions. He served in both terms of the Clinton Administration, as ​Special Assistant to the Secretary at the US Department of Labor, and Communications ​Director at the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). He also worked for ​several leading public affairs firms in Washington DC.Stephen holds a degree in Journalism from the University of Maryland at College Park.