Lambda Legal is proud to announce that it has named Sandy Mollett the 2025 recipient of the Harry H. Harkins, Jr. Luminary Award, recognizing her extraordinary leadership, vision, and unwavering commitment to advancing equity, inclusion, and justice for LGBTQ+ communities. Lambda Legal will present the award at its Lambda Legal in Atlanta annual benefit at the InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta on August 17, 2025.
The award, named in honor of the late Harry H. Harkins, Jr.—a pioneering advocate and legal trailblazer—celebrates individuals whose courage, compassion, and conviction illuminate the path forward for others. Like Harry, Sandy Mollett is a quiet force whose impact radiates throughout the South and beyond.
A retired executive turned full-time advocate and changemaker, Mollett has dedicated her “second act” to building inclusive spaces where all people can thrive. She is the founder of Equal Footing LLC, a consulting firm focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion, and is a Certified Diversity Professional (CDP®). Previously, she served in senior leadership roles at Inclusivv, True Diversity, and First Data (now Fiserv), where she championed transformative workplace inclusion initiatives.
Coming out professionally after 25 years in the corporate world, Mollett has since become a powerful advocate for LGBTQ+ equality, workplace equity, and community belonging. Her tireless advocacy has touched countless lives through leadership on multiple boards and organizations, including Georgia Equality, the City of Atlanta LGBTQ Advisory Board, Out Front Theatre, the OUT Georgia Business Alliance, the Mayor’s Women of Atlanta Advisory Board and now as a member of the Lambda Legal Atlanta Leadership Council.
“Sandy embodies the spirit of Harry as an influential and strategic community leader and advocate,” said Michael D. Shutt, Lambda Legal Southern Regional Director. “She is a visionary, a connector, and a quiet but powerful catalyst for change. Her light guides others—just as Harry’s did.”
Sandy lives in Decatur, Georgia with her wife Jennifer and their beloved dog, Luke Adele Skywalker. Through her leadership, service, and example, she continues to inspire a more just, inclusive, and compassionate South.
About the Harry H. Harkins, Jr. Luminary Award
A luminary is someone who lights the way – an individual whose presence, influence, and vision illuminate the path forward for others. In every sense of the word, Harry H. Harkins, Jr. was a luminary: a brilliant force in the legal profession and a tireless advocate for LGBTQ+ rights whose legacy continues to shine.
The rights of LGBTQ+ people and everyone living with HIV in the American South are forever impacted by Harry’s eight years of service on the Lambda Legal National Board of Directors, including his service as Board Chair. In this role, Harry successfully advocated for the opening of Lambda Legal’s Southern Regional Office in Atlanta, leading to numerous legal wins. Harry also understood the need to create a coalition of legal workers who could use their professional expertise to support the rights of LGBTQ+ people and oppose discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. To that end, Harry co-founded and served as the first president of the Stonewall Bar Association of Georgia. Throughout his time in Georgia, he used his financial resources, personal connections, and his personal home as tools to bring people together for the greater community good. Following his move from Georgia to Florida, Harry continued to provide his time and resources to support organizations positively impacting the lives of LGBTQ+ people, including service on the Host Committee for the annual Lambda Legal in Fort Lauderdale benefit event and opening his home for fundraisers in Sarasota. Capacity and community building grounded Harry’s life and cemented his legacy.
For ticket and sponsorship information visit www.lambdalegal.org/atlanta.