CANOGA PARK, Calif.—Diane Duke announced she will leave her post as CEO of the Free Speech Coalition effective January 1, 2016, with Chairman of the Board Jeffrey Douglas acting as interim head until a replacement has been found. Duke issued the following statement:
“After nine years at the Free Speech Coalition, it was time for me to move on. I am honored to have been able to represent this incredible industry and will always treasure the time I spent as CEO of the Free Speech Coalition. In the meantime, I will remain a resource for the industry until the transition is complete, and I have complete faith in our Board of Directors to continue the fight.”
In the nine years since Duke took over the Free Speech Coalition, the industry has been engaged in numerous political and regulatory battles, from Bush-era obscenity prosecutions to the most recent Cal/OSHA regulations. Duke, a former vice president at Planned Parenthood, has been a staunch advocate for the adult industry in the media, in the legislature and in the medical community.
Under Duke’s leadership, the Free Speech Coalition has defeated mandatory condom legislation in California three times. In 2011, after the closing of Adult Industry Medical testing facility, Duke was instrumental in creating what would become the PASS testing system.
