Courtesy: Arizona Daily Star

After six years on the job, Kent Burbank is resigning as executive director of Wingspan, Tucson's gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community center.

During his tenure, Burbank grew Wingspan from a mostly volunteer grass-roots group with three staff members and an annual budget of $316,000 to the high-profile nonprofit organization it is today, with 20 staffers and a budget of $1.1 million. It's the state's largest GLBT community center and frequently takes a lead role in advocating for gay rights on a state and national level.

Burbank, 38, simply believes it's time to move on. He notified his board and staff of his resignation Tuesday but plans to remain in the job several more months as Wingspan conducts a national search for a new leader.

"A sign of a good leader hopefully is knowing when it's time for someone else to take over," Burbank said. "I've really accomplished what I'd set out to do. Wingspan is in a time of transition, developing a new strategic plan. I love Wingspan and care about it and will continue to be its biggest supporter. But it needs a new leader."

Burbank is Wingspan's first executive director. He began working for the 18-year-old organization shortly after he moved to Tucson from Mexico City with his partner, Vicente A. Talanquer, an associate professor of chemistry at the University of Arizona.

Under Burbank, Wingspan expanded its anti-violence programs and merged with the Southern Arizona Gender Alliance, a transgender-community resource center. Services to seniors also grew, a health and wellness project sprang up and the organization moved from a storefront space to its own building on Seventh Street near North Fourth Avenue.

"He is kind, warm, incredibly intelligent and hardworking, and at the same time he's a visionary. He does a great job with day-to-day tasks, but he also sees the big picture," said Cathy Busha, Wingspan's director of programs. "Anyone who came in contact with him felt special — it's a gift he has."

Perhaps the biggest change during Burbank's tenure was one of visibility. Wingspan's become a more public force, disseminating information about local gay and lesbian events and publicly speaking out for gay rights. He's been well-known for forging ties with local government, business, arts and religious leaders. One of his proudest moments was the "Rainbow Build" — when Wingspan, its supporters and other groups raised funds and labor to build a Habitat for Humanity home.

"He has a great reputation in the community as the face of Wingspan," board President Laura E. Olguin said.

"He's been a fantastic spokesperson," board member Kathy Altman agreed. "We're all incredibly sad. We know he worked many, many long hours and put a lot of time into his job."

Burbank, who holds a master's degree in social-service administration from the University of Chicago and a master's of divinity from the Meadville Lombard Theological School, isn't certain about what's next regarding his career, but he expects to remain in Tucson.

"We're going to miss working with him," Busha said. "But we're also excited for him. He's leaving Wingspan a very strong organization."

● Contact reporter Stephanie Innes at 573-4134 or at sinnes@azstarnet.com.