Judy Dlugacz
President and Founder
In her 30 years as President and Founder of Olivia, Judy Dlugacz has created a haven for lesbians across the world that embraces community, diversity and compassion. Her vision to create visibility and freedom for lesbians came true when she decided to begin Olivia Records 30 years ago. As founder of the oldest and largest independent record company specializing in women artists, Judy is credited for her groundbreaking success in promoting women and recognizing the need to create a community for lesbians. A pioneer in the music industry, Judy produced hundreds of concerts and events throughout the country, including four sold out shows at Carnegie Hall. She also produced more than 40 albums and sold more than one million records, tapes and CDs by artists like Cris Williamson, Meg Christian, Teresa Trull and Linda Tillery to name a few. Described as an icon and visionary in the lesbian community, in 1990, Judy took her vision one step further and introduced Olivia Cruises & Resorts, a company dedicated to providing premier vacations exclusively for women. Since its inception, Olivia Cruises & Resorts has produced over 50 cruise and land based vacations and has traveled with nearly 50,000 women across the world. It's Judy's passion and spirit, combined with her love for people that has allowed her to create memories and magic for lesbians all over the world.
In addition to leading Olivia's evolution as the premier lesbian company, Judy's roots in music and entertainment allowed her the opportunity to produce two one-hour music video documentaries, widely shown on PBS entitled "The Changer: A Record of the Times" and "Olivia's 15th Anniversary Video Special." She also co-produced an HBO comedy special featuring comedian Suzanne Westenhoefer.
With her passion and commitment to the lesbian lifestyle, Judy has earned accolades for her accomplishments in the lesbian community. She has received Lifetime Achievement Awards from Out and About magazine and from organizations like the National Women's Music Festival and the Bay Area Community of Women. She has also received multiple Cable Car Awards for Best Albums and a Bammie Award for Best R&B album by Linda Tillery. She has been featured in the San Francisco Business Times as one of the Top 100 Women-Owned Businesses in the Bay Area, won Entrepreneur of the Year from the San Francisco GBBA and was also featured in Girlfriends magazine as the longest standing lesbian company in the world. Judy and the Olivia story has been featured in national publications such as Advocate, Curve, Girlfriends, Out & About and People magazine.
Her commitment to community is exemplified in the many non-profit organizations supported by Olivia. The list includes: Arcadia Women's Health Center, Dade Human Rights Foundation, GALA Choruses, GLAAD Media Awards, Human Rights Campaign, Lamda Legal Defense and Education Fund, Lesbian Community Cancer Project, Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center, Mautner Project, National Center for Lesbian Rights, National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, National Organization for Women, National Women's Music Festival, New York Lesbian & Gay Community Services Center, Outfest, Rainbow Community Center, Trevor Project and the California Alliance for Pride and Equality.
A New York native, Judy now lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. Judy is classically trained in piano, flute and oboe. In her free time, she enjoys writing, gardening, golfing, music and collecting art. She is currently writing a book about the last 30 years of the lesbian culture through the lens of her experience at Olivia.