Gnade, who ran the Utah chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union for 14 years, came out of her first retirement in 2015 to take over the center. It had experienced two years of instability, including the unexpected resignation of the previous director and allegations of financial mismanagement.
“It’s no secret that the center was kind of in crisis,” said Gnade, who is now 72. “They needed someone who could be vocal, had some experience in the community and who could give [the center] the opportunity to look at things and decide what needed to be done.