ADAP ADVOCACY - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Senior Director at Johnson & Johnson, Health Care
Andrew Weber is a Senior Director at Johnson & Johnson, Health Care Systems Inc. in Piscataway, New Jersey. Andrew is committed to spreading the word about access2wellness® as our single point of access that aligns and coordinates resources to ensure that un- and underinsured individuals get access to medications and medical products for free or at a discount. Andrew joined Johnson & Johnson in 1996 as Director of International Strategic Brand Management for Janssen Pharmaceutica, located in Belgium. In 1999, he came back to the States to take on a leadership role in pharmaceutical marketing. In 2006, he was chosen to develop and execute the enterprise wide Johnson & Johnson access and affordability platform entitled access2wellness. In this role he leads a team that is working to spread the message about access2wellness and to assist those who are in need get access to programs for which they may qualify. Andrew has over 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry with a proven record of successfully obtaining results across a wide range of disciplines. Andrew holds a Master's Degree in Business Administration from Oklahoma City University and a Master's in Public Health from the University of Oklahoma. Andrew and his wife Ann reside in Pennsylvania and are the proud parents of four children.
Anselmo Fonseca was born in Brooklyn, New York and educated in the continental US, but currently reside on the "Island of Enchantment", Puerto Rico. He has an Associate's degree in Computer Operations & Administration, with continued self education in Microsoft Office, HTML editing among programs, he also has countless hours education in the HIV/AIDS field, and has graduated with honors from the University of Surviving HIV, HIV + since 1991. His passion for food, lead me to an apprenticeship as Chef in the Culinary Arts and worked in the field for several years. He also accumulated vast experience in the medical field due to his computer skills and knowledge of interpreting data to code, worked in Management Information Systems in Medical Reimbursement and collections for a Hospice, a Skilled Care Nursing Home and Hospital for 6 years. He also served on their Medicare Medical Utilization Review Board. In 1988 his then partner was in a car accident resulting in complications, later he was diagnosed with AIDS. Much to my surprise, his quality of life deteriorate rapidly, later in 1991 he died. The lack of sensitivity, quality of care and stigma witnessed by me caused a harsh impact on my potential future plans. Four years later he moved to Puerto Rico to live-out what life he might have left with my mom. Upon arrival I become acquainted with a man with remarkably similar circumstances. He too lost his life-long partner one month before. After a year Anselmo and his now partner of 15 years Jose Fernando Colon became more than friends and established an Educational Center specialized in English as second language for professionals in the Hospitality and Medical fields, also basic computer and INTERNET courses Then one day while preparing the daily work plan, they heard on radio that prominent political figures were being singled-out as victims in the San Juan AIDS Institute Scandal from 1988-1994. We were not willing to allow this farce to prevail, when the true victims were and continue to be the thousands that died or fled and the loved ones left to carry the scars of those horrific years. So together we co-founded Pacientes de SIDA pro Política Sana in 1999 for the purpose of redirecting the truth of the trial. Eleven years later we continue to defend the rights of People living with HIV/ AIDS primarily in Puerto Rico and where ever there is social injustice. Anselmo served as Community Rep. and Chaired the PWA committee of the San Juan EMA Planning Council for four years, currently as Community Rep. and chair the By-laws Committee of the Part B Planning Body of the State of Puerto Rico, he is also a member of the National Latino AIDS Action Network- Leadership Committee. Also as a Consumer Advisory Council member of National Quality Center he has worked to raise awareness among Ryan White grantees, HIV providers, and people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) across the United States about the importance of consumer involvement in quality improvement activities and has contributed to the improvement of the quality of HIV care throughout the U.S. and jurisdictions. He firmly believe that "knowledge = power", just as surely as "silence still = death", and truly believes "together we can make a difference.
Job Titles:
- Director of Federal Government Relations
As Director of Federal Government Relations, Arika Pierce is responsible for developing HMS's Federal Government Relations program. This program serves as a vehicle for supporting legislation that promotes healthcare expansion and efficient government healthcare spending. In addition, Ms. Pierce works closely with CMS, Federal legislators, and other health policy stakeholders to develop and promote policy and legislation that furthers the reach and effectiveness of public health programs. Prior to joining HMS, Ms. Pierce worked in the Federal Affairs Department of the American Academy of Pediatrics where she advocated on child health issues before members of Congress and Federal agencies. Ms. Pierce also worked for the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging and holds a J.D. from the George Washington University Law School.
Bill Arnold is a longtime HIV/AIDS activist and consumer organizer and has been active in developing HIV/AIDS organizations and HIV/AIDS policy at the local, state and national level since the mid 1980's. Arnold is a founding director (1996) of the Community Access National Network (CANN), formerly the Ryan White CARE Act Title II Community AIDS National Network (TIICANN); he is currently its CEO. He is also a founder (1995) of The National ADAP Working Group, a Washington, DC based advocacy coalition of HIV/AIDS organizations.
His involvement with grassroots HIV/AIDS work has included roles from Board Chair and Board Member, to "Buddy" to AIDS Educator, Community Outreach Director, & pre & post test HIV Counselor. Arnold has testified on HIV/AIDS issues before several county legislatures, the New York State Assembly and the United States Congress on numerous occasions. In addition, Arnold has been active in global AIDS activities as Secretary/Treasurer of AIDSETI (AIDS Empowerment and Treatment International). He also serves on the Fair Pricing Coalition.
More recently, Arnold has also invested a lot of time in raising awareness about Viral Hepatitis.
Bill Arnold is a longtime HIV/AIDS activist and consumer organizer and has been active in developing HIV/AIDS Organizations and HIV/AIDS policy at the local, State and national level since the mid 1980's. He is a founding director (1996) of The Title II Community AIDS National Network and is currently its C.E.O. CANN is active nationally and at state and local levels in advocacy and policy issues involving Ryan White Title II (Part B) funding with a particular focus on the crucial role of ADAP programs in the access to HIV care discussions. Mr. Arnold is also a founder (1995) of The National ADAP Working Group, a Washington, DC based advocacy coalition of HIV/AIDS organizations, medical care providers, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and others. The ADAP Working Group advocates at the federal level for ADAP (AIDS Drug Assistance Program) resources and policies. His involvement with grass roots AIDS work has included roles from Board Chair and Board Member, to "Buddy" to AIDS Educator, Community Outreach Director, & pre & post test HIV Counselor in multiple "Grass Roots" Community Based Organization, and AIDS Service Organization settings. Mr. Arnold has testified on HIV/AIDS issues before several county legislatures, the New York State Assembly and the United States Congress on numerous occasions. Mr. Arnold has also been active in global AIDS activities and served as Secretary & Treasurer of AIDSETI (AIDS Empowerment and Treatment International) from 2000 to 2006 - an international association of PWA led AIDS service organizations (NGO's) who actively provide HIV/AIDS medical treatment to their members - in 14 countries in Africa and the Caribbean. AIDSETI has main offices in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. He currently serves as Co-Chair of the Board of aaa+ (ADAP Advocacy Association) - focused on national and local grass roots advocacy revival efforts as key to the broader access to HIV care and treatment for everyone in the U.S. who needs it - regardless of ability to pay.
Job Titles:
- Managing Partner of the Macsata - Kornegay Group, Inc
Brandon M. Macsata serves as Managing Partner of The Macsata-Kornegay Group, Inc. - a national political and fundraising consulting firm specializing in grassroots campaigns, media messaging and political fundraising. He is widely recognized for his ability to connect national, state and local stakeholders interested in influencing public policy. Macsata has extensive experience working with political candidates, national and statewide trade associations, and other corporate entities. In November 2009, Macsata was acknowledged by HIV-Plus Magazine to be amongst the "Top 25 LGBT Leaders Fighting HIV/AIDS".
First diagnosed as HIV-positive in March 2002, Macsata has dedicated much of his professional and personal life advocating for persons living with HIV/AIDS. He currently serves as CEO of the ADAP Advocacy Association. In his capacity as CEO, he has successfully assembled a wide spectrum of ADAP stakeholders to re-energize patient advocacy around the AIDS Drug Assistance Program at the national level. From November 2003 to March 2006, he authored a weekly news column on national HIV-related stories for The Weekly News in Miami, Florida.
He is also a former ADAP recipient. At the age of 27, Macsata was the youngest Executive Director of a national trade association; he managed the American Congress of Community Support & Employment Services (ACCSES) from 2000-2003, a national trade association representing the interests of community, non-profit agencies providing supports and services to persons with disabilities. Prior to moving to Washington, DC in 2000, he opened a 100-bed assisted living care facility in Wilmington, North Carolina. Serving as the facility's assistant administrator, Macsata worked closely with community leaders and state agencies to advocate for seniors.
Macsata has advised candidates for political office, and has also run for office himself at the local and national levels. In 1995, he was just 79 votes short of beating a 22-year incumbent and becoming the youngest person ever elected in the State of North Carolina. In 2000, he formed an exploratory committee to run for the U.S. House of Representatives before ultimately deciding against running for that office. He is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, where he graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts in political science. In April 2009, UNCW awarded Macsata - and his business partner - the Political Science Department's "Outstanding Political Science Graduate" award in recognition for their accomplishments.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of National Advocacy
Christine Campbell, Vice President of National Advocacy and Organizing oversees Housing Works' national and global policy, advocacy and organizing activities including Housing Works' support of the Campaign to End AIDS (C2EA), managing the DC and Mississippi offices and advocacy participation in the International AIDS Housing Roundtable and International AIDS Conferences.
Ms. Campbell has her Masters of Science in Organizational Development from American University and has spent over 21 years operating housing programs, training HIV/AIDS housing providers and advocating for people with special needs. Ms. Campbell serves as a board member of the National AIDS Housing Coalition that works to insure that indigent persons living with HIV/AIDS have access to stable housing and services and served as an adjunct professor New York University's Wagner School of Public Administration.
Claude Martin has a long history of involvement in HIV and HIV related issues, such as poverty, substance abuse and homelessness. He was one of the initial volunteers that helped then Lafayette CARES, now Acadiana CARES, get started back in 1985. He has been Executive Director of Acadiana CARES since 1998. He is Co-Chair of Louisiana AIDS Advocacy Network, an organization that is committed to bringing awareness about HIV and the need for greater funding for HIV related services in the state, such as increase funding for prevention efforts and the expansion of the Louisiana AIDS Drugs Assistance Program or ADAP. He is also a board member of the Southern AIDS Coalition, an advocacy voice for the South whose mission is to promote accessible and high quality systems of HIV/STD prevention, care, treatment, and housing throughout the South. The National AIDS Housing Coalition elected him to their Board of Directors in January of 2009. He holds a Masters of Science in Rehabilitation Counseling from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Prior to joining Acadiana CARES in a professional capacity, he was a Service Coordinator for Regional AIDS Interfaith Network (RAIN) and he own and operated his own landscaping business from 1979-1999.
Job Titles:
- Research and Evaluation Manager at Health
Connie Jorstad serves as the Research and Evaluation Manager at HealthHIV. In this role, she manages Research & Evaluation projects from conceptualization and development, including numerous nationally and regionally-based surveys. Before joining HealthHIV Connie served as Senior Program Manager at Gilead Sciences where she developed and implemented an evaluation strategy for the Testing and Linkage to Care Initiative.
She is also a former Program Manager at the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors, where she oversaw a diverse portfolio of prevention issues (including technical assistance, mental health, substance use, corrections, and community planning). Connie holds a Masters of Public Policy from the American University. She is a graduate of Minnesota State University - Mankato, and received her M.A in Political Science from Ball State University.
Cynthia Jones has more than 15 years experience in the healthcare industry and is a subject matter expert for enrollment services including eligibility determination, HIPP and AVS. She designed and led the development of HMS's IntegriMatch product and provides oversight for all new HMS projects includint project management, operational installation and IT enhancement. Ms. Jones has managed care Certification, AHIP Continuing Education, a MS from Rush University and a BA from Northwestern University.
Elmer L. Cerano is a nationally recognized advocate for people with disabilities. His impact as an uncompromising advocate has been recognized in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Washington, D.C. and throughout the nation. Mr. Cerano has served as the Executive Director of the Arc Maryland (formerly The Association for Retarded Citizens of Maryland) as well as the President and Chief Executive Officer of United Cerebral Palsy Association of Metropolitan Detroit.
In addition, Cerano served as the Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Protection and Advocacy Service and currently serves as the Executive Director of the Michigan Protection and Advocacy Service, Inc. Cerano earned a bachelor degree from Western Michigan University and a Master's Degree in Educational Sociology from Wayne State University, in Detroit, Michigan. In addition, Cerano earned a Certificate from the University of Grenoble and successfully completed course work in Governing for Nonprofit Excellence through the Harvard Business School.
Job Titles:
- Associate for the AIDS Institute
Emily McCloskey is the Public Policy Associate for The AIDS Institute, a national nonprofit public policy research, advocacy, and education organization located in Washington, DC. Prior to joining The AIDS Institute in 2009, she worked in Congressman John Olver's office (MA-01).
In addition, to her federal legislative experience, she has also been actively involved in both state and local politics. Emily is a graduate of Ursinus College.
Eric Flowers Ramsell, a family-owned company since 1967, has a rich history of creating positive outcomes for the health and safety of underserved populations. Ramsell works with its clients in public health, education and corrections maximize limited funds and resources through cost-effective coordination of care and services. By offering our partners highly-configurable web-based technology and expertise, Ramsell has become a leader in connecting people to the services they need. Eric joined the Flowers family business in 1994 and quickly moved up the ranks, playing a crucial role in transforming the company into a leader in ADAP services. Starting as a Vice President, Flowers developed and managed the Enrollment & Eligibility Network for the ADAP programs in San Francisco, Santa Barbara and San Mateo counties. He was promoted to CFO in 1996 and played a pivotal role in securing ADAP contracts with California and Washington. Assuming the role of President/COO in 2002, Flowers was responsible for the day-to-day management, strategic planning and implementation of corporate initiatives.
Eric Flowers earned his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California at Berkeley in 1990 and was a recipient of the Ford Foundation Fellowship award. A passionate advocate of community health issues and education, Flowers has a long history of helping others through work and volunteerism. While at the University of California at Berkeley, he worked as a counselor and tutor at The Best Resort, a group home for boys. In 1994, Flowers joined Ramsell and quickly moved up the ranks, playing a crucial role in transforming the company into a leader in AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) services. Starting as a Vice President, Flowers developed and managed the Enrollment & Eligibility Network for the ADAP programs in San Francisco, Santa Barbara and San Mateo counties. He was promoted to CFO in 1996 and played a pivotal role in managing the company's pharmacy network and in securing multiple statewide ADAP contracts with California and Washington. In 2002, Flowers was named Chief Operating Officer of Ramsell Corporation. In 2005, Ramsell Corporation underwent a reorganization separating its various lines of business into individual companies. At this time, Flowers was named President and CEO of Public Health Service Bureau, Ramsell Holding Corporation's Pharmacy Benefit Management subsidiary, and was responsible for more than $250 million in annual business. Flowers was instrumental in developing core competencies in payer of last resort administration and coordination of benefits that safeguard State and Federal dollars so that more dollars can go directly to patient care. Flowers was responsible for the day-to-day management, strategic planning and implementation of corporate initiatives. Also in 2005, Flowers in support of and along side of his father co-founded the Flowers Heritage Foundation (FHF). FHF's mission is to "Serve under-served communities and take care of the most fragile among us". Flowers, who earned an M.B.A from Saint Mary's College of California in 2004, ensures that Ramsell consistently delivers efficient and compassionate service to public health sponsors, service providers and clients. As the company's Chief Privacy Officer, Flowers has worked closely with the Office of Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to ensure that the privacy of patients is strictly maintained. In January 2008, Flowers assumed the role of President and CEO of Ramsell Holding Corporation taking over for his father, the company's founder, Sylester Flowers. In 2008, Ramsell continued its expansion and entered into contracts with Texas and Colorado to manage HIV/AIDS specific drug programs. Eric Flowers and his wife Hillary Flowers live in Oakland, CA.
Job Titles:
- Manager of Policy & Federal
Gabriel Seth Koch is the Manager of Policy & Federal Affairs at the Community Access National Network. He began his work on HIV/AIDS in 2004 as an intern at CANN during his junior year at George Washington University. Taking his International Affairs major and combining it with the Congressional experience he gained at CANN, Seth spent his final semester at GW interning for Senator Joe Biden, then Ranking Member, on the Foreign Relations committee. After graduating in 2006, Seth moved into campaign politics and ran field operations in 6 Washington State counties for Senator Maria Cantwell in the mid-term elections. Shortly thereafter, he moved back into issue advocacy focusing on energy and the environment. As the Canvass Director for Environment Maryland, his work was crucial in passing the 'Clean Cars Act of 2007' through the state legislature and the 'Clean Energy Act of 2007' through Congress.
Glen Pietrandoni, R.Ph, is a 1979 graduate of the St Louis College of Pharmacy. After a decade as an owner of a small chain of independent pharmacies in Chicago, he joined Walgreens as a store manager and pharmacist at various locations throughout the Chicago area.
With the advent of early HIV therapy in the late 1980s, Glen addressed the needs of this community by establishing a relationship with a nearby physician's practice devoted to treating HIV patients and by understanding the unique needs of this population. In 1996, Walgreens opened its first HIV-focused pharmacy inside the Howard Brown Health Center, the Midwest's largest gay and lesbian healthcare center, which provides primary patient care, case management, social services, and research under one roof. Glen served as Pharmacy Manager for the Walgreens site at Howard Brown Health Center until 2003. As Walgreens expanded its HIV services and locations, Glen moved into the corporate office to manage nationwide HIV and hepatitis patient programs and services throughout the company's enterprise of retail, specialty, and other business units.
Glen has received numerous awards and recognition for his work in HIV and community pharmacy, including Pharmacist of the Year from Drug Topics Magazine in 1998 and 1999, and Volunteer of the Year for Test Positive Aware in 2002. Glen is a member of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care, the American Academy of HIV Medicine, the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association, and supports numerous AIDS service organizations across the country.
Job Titles:
- Co - Founder and President of Black
Guy Anthony is Co-Founder and President of Black, Gifted & Whole who is a well-respected HIV/AIDS activist, community leader, and author. Diagnosed with HIV as a teen, Guy has dedicated his adult life to the pursuit of neutralizing global HIV/Aids-related stigmas. He released Pos(+)tively Beautiful: Affirmations, Advocacy & Advice on World AIDS Day in 2012. This collection of inspiring narratives, raw imagery, and affirming anecdotes have earned Guy much acclaim, including being named one of the top 100 HIV prevention leaders under 30 by POZ Magazine and as one of the top 100 Black LGBTQ/SGL Emerging Leaders to Watch by National Black Justice Coalition.
Guy served as a Program Manager/Coordinator for the Treatment Adherence program at Us Helping Us, a local AIDS service organization serving Black communities in the Washington, DC area for two years. In his role at US Helping Us, Guy worked with newly diagnosed Black gay men to help them come to terms with their status, navigate the complex health care system so they can access care, and develop plans for them to adhere to their treatment regimen and achieve viral suppression. Guy also served on Washington, DC's Metropolitan Ryan White Planning Council, overseeing millions of dollars in HIV funding for the city for two terms and is a regular contributor to AIDS.gov and POZ.com. Guy serves as a brand ambassador to ViiV Healthcare, one of the country's largest pharmaceutical companies. He is the President/CEO the Black, Gifted & Whole Foundation, a two-fold intermediary organization that provides scholarships to Black gay men attending Historically Black Colleges & Universities.
Guy is currently focused on providing mentorship and financial assistance to the 6 Black, Gifted & Whole HBCU ambassadors from across the country.
Job Titles:
- Senior Government Relations Manager at Drinker Biddle & Reath
Hilary Hansen has over fifteen years of experience in health care advocacy, grassroots, and alliance development. As the Alliance Development Director for Merck, Hilary is responsible for partnership development and grants management across Merck therapeutic areas, including oncology, diabetes, and hepatitis C. Working with patient advocacy groups, professional societies and trade associations, Hilary serves as the Merck point of contact on federal policy issues.
During her time as a senior government relations manager at Drinker Biddle & Reath, Hilary focused her practice on grassroots and advocacy outreach, with an emphasis on assisting nonprofits and associations. Hilary has worked with nonprofit patient advocacy groups systems to draft and implement legislative strategies, particularly related to appropriations and Medicare-related legislation. She has designed advocacy capacity building strategic plans for organizations that include Capitol Hill days, coalition building and grassroots advocacy.
Prior to joining Drinker Biddle, Hilary worked at the American Nurses Association (ANA) as the senior political action specialist, where she was responsible for organizing grassroots efforts. During her time at ANA, Hilary organized the "Nurses for Obama" campaign and was heavily involved in health care reform efforts. Hilary also worked as an aide to Congressman Martin Frost (D-TX) from 1999-2000.
Jeffrey R. Lewis is a recognized leader and philanthropic entrepreneur. An expert in health care, pharmaceuticals and women's pension and retirement issues, he has learned to use the power of the marketplace to create change.
Prior to joining the Heinz Family Office, Mr. Lewis worked in Congress for three Republican Senators and one Democrat. He also worked as an assistant to the last Republican Governor of Oregon.
Mr. Lewis has published extensively and holds three educational degrees: a law degree, a Master's in Gerontology from the University of Southern California, and a bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan.
Job Titles:
- Independent Policy Consultant
Jen Laws is an independent policy consultant and advocate specializing in various aspects of healthcare policy and focusing on the needs of the HIV Affected and Transgender communities. He began his advocacy efforts in Philadelphia in 2005, at the age of 19, coordinating team efforts for a corporation participating in the AIDS Walk. His connection to HIV advocacy grew when partnering with Mr. Friendly, an anti-stigma campaign, affiliated with CARES Michigan.
He began working in the field of HIV policy consulting in 2013, as a subcontractor for Broward Regional Planning Council evaluating Marketplace plans and working to educate navigators and community members on navigating the Marketplace for their clients and themselves. Jen is a member of South Florida AIDS Network and has worked with the Broward County Health Department, the Pride Center South Florida, and other local organizations in addressing the concerns and needs of these intersecting communities.
His advocacy in governmental healthcare policy evaluation has been utilized to expand access to quality healthcare by working with RAD Remedy to deliver the nation's foremost database of trans* competent healthcare providers. He regularly participates in RAD's outreach efforts by contributing his expertise in a digestible format regarding the latest developments in governmental policy toward trans* issues. Jen has also worked closely with trans* advocate, Buck Angel, on a number of projects including fundraising events, raising awareness of trans* sexual health needs, and extending awareness of how HIV affects the trans* community.
Jennifer Vaughan is a California native, a teacher, mother of three and the founder and creator of Jennifer's Positive Life, a YouTube channel featuring her life living with HIV. Launched 5 months after her February 2016 diagnosis, her channel now features over 200 videos and is followed by more than 40,000 subscribers (2019).
Her videos propelled her into instant advocacy and from that she founded a private support group through Facebook for HIV+ women. The majority of her members are newly diagnosed and women who have lived years without ever knowing another poz female. Her group currently supports 200 women from all over the globe.
Plus Magazine named Jennifer 2018's 5th Most Amazing HIV+ People of the year, while POZ Magazine included her in their 8th Annual Celebrating POZ 100 Women of the year issue. Jennifer attended AIDS2018 International in Amsterdam as a Social Scholar representing the Prevention Access Campaign (U=U). She received a scholarship from N.M.A.C. and attended the USCA conference in Florida as a Social Media Fellow. In September 2018, she attended ADAP's Advocacy Association's Annual Conference in Washington D.C. as the Keynote Speaker and was the recipient of the 2018 Social Media Campaign of the Year for her YouTube channel. She's also a blogger for The Well Project.
Her influencer mentality is continually projected through all her social media in an attempt to educate the masses on HIV and combat the stigma that surrounds the virus.
Joey Wynn is a person living with HIV for over 23 years. In 1994, he was involved in the start up of the first Ryan White (Title 1 / Part A) Outpatient HIV Special Immunology Services (SIS) Department at Mercy Hospital in Miami, Florida. In 1996 he joined Florida AIDS Action, a statewide advocacy agency involved throughout Florida to provide medical treatment information & education for both consumers and physicians. Increasing the awareness of State politicians for the need to increase state funding for HIV related services, especially AICP, was another main goal accomplished while at FLAA. He then served for 5 years as the Ryan White Patient Care Administrator for the Broward County Health Department's AIDS Program office, overseeing provision of $20 million of HIV services for two clinics four pharmacies and seven subcontractor agencies throughout Broward County. Since then he worked for over 5 years in the Statewide Medicaid HIV Disease management program, Positive Healthcare, as the statewide Community Relations Director. He now works at Broward House, Broward's Oldest & Largest AIDS Service organization, providing medical care, substance abuse rehabilitation, mental health, and social services for people living with HIV and addressing their long term housing needs. He is a 14 year member of the Florida AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) workgroup. He also was a member of the Florida Statewide Medicaid Advisory group and also a past President of the People With AIDS Coalition (PWAC) in Miami Dade County in 1994. He has worked on various Pharmacy formulary panels and workgroups over the past 15 years, and developed a Ryan White funded analysis of Pharmacy efficiency / effectiveness evaluations for the Broward EMA, comparing Florida EMAs cost & utilization models with Florida ADAP.
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer of AIDS Alabama
Kathie M. Hiers is the Chief Executive Officer of AIDS Alabama, a nonprofit organization that works statewide to provide housing and supportive services to low-income persons with HIV/AIDS as well as education, outreach, and testing. AIDS Alabama has subcontracts with the other nine AIDS Service Organizations and clinics in the state of Alabama to provide services to all 67 counties. Kathie has been with AIDS Alabama since January 2001. Prior to that, she was the Executive Director of Mobile AIDS Support Services and the founder of the Lee Simmons Fund for People Living with AIDS in Mobile, Alabama. Kathie is one of 25 people appointed to the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS, the body that provides advice and expertise to President Obama and Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius. Kathie was recently awarded the University of Alabama's 2010 Outstanding Woman in the Community Award. Kathie has served locally as Co-Chair of the Central Alabama Ryan White Consortium and two-year term as President of the Metropolitan Birmingham Services for the Homeless. Kathie is a member of the Governor of Alabama's HIV Commission for Children, Youth, and Adults and facilitates the Alabama Legislative Workgroup. Kathie leads the advocacy efforts for the State of Alabama, educating legislators on the state's HIV/AIDS issues and promoting financial support for HIV/AIDS efforts from the Alabama State Legislature. Kathie has been called upon for guidance on the development of state advocacy networks in Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Nationally, Kathie served for four years as Co-Chair of the Southern AIDS Coalition (SAC) and currently heads the Public Policy Committee. Kathie also serves as Vice President of the National AIDS Housing Coalition, as an elected member of the Federal AIDS Policy Partnership Convening Group, and as a board member of the Community Access National Network. Kathie recently ended a four-year term on the board of the National Association of People with AIDS, where she served as Treasurer. She also represented Alabama's nine Title III clinics in the Communities Advocating for Emergency AIDS Relief (CAEAR) Coalition from 2000 through 2003. Several national magazines, including HIV Plus, Poz, The Washington Blade, The Houston Blade, Positive Populations, Mother Jones, the Progressive, Marie Claire, the Congressional Quarterly, and Southern Voice, have published interviews with Kathie. Her work in Alabama has also been featured in Jacob Levenson's book, The Secret Epidemic: The Story of AIDS and Black America. Kathie co-authored the housing portions of the Southern States Manifesto, as well as major portions of the Southern States Manifesto: Update 2008, released on July 21, 2008. The Manifesto: Update provided the lead story for MSNBC on July 25, 2008, the Kaiser Daily, and periodicals and stations across the country. Kathie is frequently called upon to speak on AIDS housing, advocacy, and service issues. She has been a featured speaker for many press conferences and Congressional Briefings on the Ryan White Act and Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS program, as well as for the Southern AIDS Coalition. Kathie served as Co-Chair of the 2005 National ADAP Conference. In 2006 and 2007, Kathie was featured on a national webcast for the Southern AIDS Coalition, and she conducted workshops for the U.S. Conference on AIDS, the National AIDS Housing Coalition, the National Minority Quality Forum, the National Association of People with AIDS, and the University of Alabama at Birmingham Sparkman Program for visiting physicians from across the globe. Kathie is a graduate of the University of South Alabama with a BA in English.
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer of Welvista
Ken Trogdon is the Chief Executive Officer of Welvista. He has led the organization since 1997, steering Welvista toward innovation through partnerships to provide access to healthcare for the uninsured. Under Trogdon's leadership, Welvista has emerged as a leading mail-order pharmacy for the uninsured in the country providing access to medications for the uninsured with the long-term outcome of reducing the cost of uncompensated care while improving quality of life. During his tenure, Welvista has expanded its reach into free clinics, hospitals, and community health centers throughout South Carolina. It has also experienced a cultural transformation driven by the establishment of a set of core values, a commitment to continuous process improvement, and a collaborative approach to serving its patients. As Chief Executive Officer, Trogdon has successfully led Welvista to strong growth programmatically, operationally, and publicly. Under Trogdon's leadership, Welvista's programs have been widely recognized as a model program for the uninsured. Welvista was selected as a Best Practices Initiative by the Department of Health and Human Services, validating Welvista as an innovative model of non-governmental health care intervention. Trogdon has played a key role in the success of Welvista, delivering a program that has proven to help bridge the gap in health care. Trogdon is a graduate of the University of South Carolina. He is married and he and his wife Christy have two daughters.
Job Titles:
- Chief for the HIV / STD Hep C Section for the Arkansas Department of Health
Kevin Dedner serves as the Section Chief for the HIV/STD Hep C Section for the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH), where he's responsible for overseeing Arkansas' efforts to prevent HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases. The program also provides care to those living with HIV infections. Since coming for ADH, Kevin has taken significant steps to improve quality, performance, and accountability of the HIV/AIDS program. Over the past year and a half, with his new management team, Kevin, "has demonstrated a willingness to critically examine all program components and assess what is not working." Recent accomplishments include moving to a medical case management model, increasing the number of prevention providers from two to nine and creating an internet partner services notification pilot. Prior to joining the Arkansas Department of Health, Kevin served as the Director-State Government Relations and Public Policy for the Mid-South Division of the American Cancer Society; he was responsible for managing the public policy agenda for the six-state division. Some of his successes include helping to pass laws in Arkansas and Louisiana that prohibit smoking in public places and one of the most comprehensive Colorectal Cancer Control laws in the country. Kevin has also enjoyed a stint in the political arena, including being appointed director of the African-American outreach effort for Al Gore's presidential run. He also was the director of outreach for the Arkansas Democratic Party. Kevin has served on the Bio-Ethics Committee of Arkansas Children's Hospital. He has also served on the Arkansas Tobacco Control Board. He is currently serving on the Executive Committee for the Southern AIDS Coalition and the National Association of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD). Kevin is a graduate of the University of Arkansas with a degree in Political Science and also holds a Masters of Public Health from Benedictine University. Through his very diverse back ground, Kevin has developed relationships across the state of Arkansas and the country. Kevin holds many awards and accolades including: Powerplay Magazine- Next Top Powerplayers Under 30, (2006), Arkansas Business- Forty Under Forty, (2007), and the University of Arkansas Medical Sciences/ Arkansas Cancer Community Network-2007 Health Policy Award. In his spare time, Kevin enjoys reading, traveling and working in his yard. He is a member of Rufus K Young Christian Church. Kevin is the charmed husband of the former Olivia Walton. Kevin and Olivia are blessed with a son- Davis Gibson and a daughter- Ella Marie Lillian. Kevin said he has adopted the words of George Bernard Shaw as his own," "I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community. And so long as I live it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die for the harder I work the more I live."
Job Titles:
- Director of Government Relations for the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors
Laura Hanen has been the Director of Government Relations for the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD) for the last nine years. NASTAD represents the chief HIV/AIDS program administrators who are responsible for managing federally and state-funded HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment services in every state and territory. Ms. Hanen's primary responsibility is to oversee the policy development and federal lobbying on appropriations and legislation related to HIV/AIDS and viral hepatitis prevention, care and treatment issues. Ms. Hanen has leadership roles in a number of national coalitions including the Federal AIDS Policy Partnership, the HIV Health Care Access Working Group, the ADAP Working Group, and the Hepatitis C Appropriations Partnership. Ms. Hanen joined NASTAD in May 2000. Prior to coming to NASTAD, Ms Hanen was the Senior Lobbyist for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists for 3 years. Ms. Hanen was a legislative assistant for Congressman Rick Boucher of the Ninth District of Virginia. Ms Hanen was also a legislative assistant in the Government Relations Department of the Biotechnology Industry Organization. Ms. Hanen received her Bachelor's degree from Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana and a Master's degree in Public Policy from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.
Job Titles:
- Living Well Peer Support Specialist
Lisa Johnson-Lett is an entrusted Living Well Peer Support Specialist who is originally from New York City and now resides in Alabama. Lisa served honorably in the U.S. Armed Forces - Army for 10 years and is a graduate of the Audrey Cohen School of Human Services and Education. Lisa holds two degrees: Bachelors of Professional Studies - Human Services and Associate Degree - Speech Communications. Diagnosed with HIV while serving the country in 1995, Lisa learned to embrace HIV well-surpassing the criminalization and stigma. She immediately involved herself in Peer lead support groups and partnerships with the following entities while representing community: Alabama Disability Advocacy Program-(ADAP); Alabama Consumer Advisory Board - (ACAB); Patient Advisory Board - (PAB).
More recently, Lisa has invested time into Positive Leadership Council and Alabama + Action projects Promoting HIV/AIDS Policy and Advocacy-partnering with AIDS UNITED and the Positive Women's Network to raise HIV Awareness and to encourage MIPA-Meaningful Involvement of People Living with HIV/AIDS.
Since 2006, Lorraine has been serving as the Program Director for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program. As the ADAP Program Director, she serves as a member of the National ADAP Crisis Task Force for the State of Florida. She has facilitated the development of a comprehensive quality management program, the development of annual reports, and several new initiatives aimed at improving client services and adherence. Prior to ADAP, she was the Executive Director of the Nursing Student Loan Forgiveness and Nursing Scholarship Programs for the Office of Public Health Nursing. There she also served as the Associate Director for the Governor's Mammography Accessibility Workgroup, and participated in leading a statewide interagency hurricane preparedness committee for Special Needs Shelters and was involved in leading deployment activities during the historic 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons. Lorraine has vast experience in facilitative leadership, building stakeholder relations/partnerships, and strategic planning and evaluation. Lorraine holds a degree in Communications from Florida State University. She was a Supreme Court Certified Mediator from 1996 - 2006 and to this day provides Alternative Dispute Resolution consulting services.
Lyne graduated with a bachelor of pharmacy from the University of Montreal in 1982 and later obtained an MBA from Concordia University.
She worked most of her career at Merck & Co., with the last 15 years in executive level positions. From 2013 to 2018 she held the position of Senior Vice-President and Chief Commercial Officer at Theratechnologies, a global specialty pharmaceutical company addressing unmet medical needs of people living with HIV. Lyne also served on the Board of Directors of a biotechnology company with a rare condition asset and as advisor to a US start-up focusing on rare diseases. Since 2021 she was appointed Chair of the Board of Small Pharma Inc, a neuropharmaceutical company developing innovative treatment options for depression and other mental health disorders.
Her association with the HIV community goes back to the early days of her professional life when she was involved with the launch of a protease inhibitor and, at that time, established HIV advocacy relations and corporate community support for Merck in Canada. Later, she got involved in preparing for the launch of an integrase inhibitor, another new mechanism of action in the fight against HIV. More recently she lead the US launch of an orphan drug for the treatment of multi-drug resistant HIV-1. As part of her career she lived, with her family, in the Los Angeles area where she experienced firsthand the realities of market access for patients living in the US.
As Lyne would say: "We all play a different role in support of the HIV community. My motivation has always been, going back to my DNA as a pharmacist, to bring the science of inspired researchers to help patients with their medical needs. However it is through the strength of collaboration, connections, and diversity that we can have the greatest impact on people's lives."
Job Titles:
- Executive Director of the National AIDS Housing Coalition
Nancy Bernstine has served as Executive Director of the National AIDS Housing Coalition (NAHC) since 2003. NAHC is a national membership housing advocacy and policy organization working to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic by assuring that persons living with HIV/AIDS have quality, affordable and appropriate housing. Since 2005 NAHC has convened the HIV/AIDS Housing Research Summit series, the premiere venue for the presentation and discussion of research documenting housing's role in prevention and healthcare. Prior to joining NAHC, Nancy was a member of a Washington, DC law firm representing nonprofit housing organizations and housing industry trade associations. She also served as Director of Government Relations for the National Housing Law Project, providing back up services for legal services housing advocates and as Senior Policy Associate at the McAuley Institute, providing policy analysis on issues impacting community based organizations developing affordable housing. A graduate of Northwestern University School of Law and the LL.M. program at the University of Wisconsin Law School, Nancy is a member of the D.C. Bar and the A.B.A. Affordable Housing Forum and serves on the board of the National Low Income Housing Coalition.
Nick Rhoades, who has been HIV+ since 1998, was a board member for 2½ years with the Waterloo, Iowa-based Community AIDS Assistance Project (CAAP). CAAP focused largely on fundraising efforts to directly assist the quality of life and emergency needs for PLWHA in Iowa's Cedar Valley. Currently Nick represents Iowa from two different angles. First, his volunteer affiliations: Nick is a member of Community HIV/Hepatitis Advocates of Iowa Network (CHAIN); a member of the Iowa HIV Community Planning Group (CPG) chaired by Pat Young from the Iowa Department of Public Health; a member of the "Take A Stand Committee" (TASC) - also recognized as the Iowa Men's Health Task Force - specifically targeting the MSM community with regards to HIV prevention efforts; and Nick is a member/volunteer of Positive Iowans Taking Charge (PITCH), an educational and emotional support group comprised of Iowans living with HIV/AIDS. Last but certainly not least, Nick is at the ADAP Crisis Summit as one of ninety-nine Iowans on the ADAP wait list as of June 28, 2010.
Job Titles:
- Research and Program Associate at Health
Paul Angelone serves as the Research and Program Associate at HealthHIV. An integral member of the Research & Evaluation team, Paul provides assistance collecting and managing evaluation data as well as provides assistance analyzing and reporting on those data. Before joining HealthHIV, Paul served as an Associate at the White House where he worked on human resources projects, performed research, and assisted in the identification of nominees for the Fall 2009 White House Internship Program. Prior to that, Paul worked as an organizer on the Obama for America. A former Quality Analyst for the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL), Paul conducted program evaluation of CAEL's tuition assistance programs customer care department. Paul has taught English and working as an editor for the Asian Development Bank (ADB), working on bulletins and reports focused on market development and rural-urban migration. Paul holds a Bachelor of Urban Planning and Development from Ball State University and studied at the Gujarat University's Center for Environmental Planning and Technology in Ahmedabad, India.
Job Titles:
- Director of the San Francisco HIV Health Services Planning Council and Has Been Living With HIV
Randy Allgaier M.A. is the Director of the San Francisco HIV Health Services Planning Council and has been living with HIV for a quarter of a century and is also co-infected with Hepatitis C. Mr. Allgaier serves on the board of Directors of the Communities Advocating Emergency AIDS Relief (CAEAR) Coalition and serves as the co-chair of the coalition's PLWHA Caucus and the board of Directors of the National Working Positive Coalition where he chairs the coalitions' Policy and Advocacy Workgroup. From 1995-2000, Mr. Allgaier was the Director of the HIV Advocacy Network in the Public Policy Department of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation (SFAF). During his tenure at SFAF he was one of the primary architects of developing a statewide coalition that successfully advocated for the first substantial increase of state funding for California's AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP). Allgaier was one of the first HIV/AIDS advocates in the nation to work on Medicare issues more than a year before the debate began on the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 and wrote a consumer advocate guide on Medicare issues for people living with HIV/AIDS for the National Association for People with AIDS, a project that was funded by the Kaiser Family Foundation. He also developed a program of consumer education on Medicare Part D for people living with HIV/AIDS that was funded by Gilead Sciences. Mr. Allgaier holds an A.B. from Cornell University and an M.A. from Harvard University's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.
Robert Greenwald has over twenty years experience in the fields of health, public health, and HIV law and policy. Robert has taught at Harvard Law School since 1989. He is the Managing Director of the Legal Services Center of Harvard Law School and the Director of the Law School's Health Law and Policy Clinic. Robert oversees the work of Harvard Law clinical staff and students engaged in direct legal services in the areas of health, family, LGBT, domestic violence, employment, consumer, insurance, disability and estate planning law. Robert and his Health Law and Policy Clinic staff also are actively engaged in state and national research, policy development and advocacy on health law reform. Since 1998, Robert has served as Director of the Treatment Access Expansion Project, working on the national and state levels to improve access to early and comprehensive treatment for people living with HIV and AIDS. Robert is currently serving as co-chair of the HIV Health Care Access Working Group and as a member of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS.
Acupuncture, chants, crystals, Chinatown docs, herbs, teas, tears, memorials, grief groups, brotherhood, Manhattan Center for Living, Friends In Deed and ACT UP NYC. Fast forward: the millennium approaches; Robin lives. 'Empowerment' (yawn) is suddenly so 80s; act-up morphs into act-out: with 149 t-cells now in tow, RW moves on up to Gramercy Park, coasts along fashionably, a la AIDS and the City, when "HA!" comes calling, yet again. His partner of 10 yrs. dies. There's 9/11. RW moves to Mississippi to face in-your-face stigma, isolation, disparities, inequities in ways he never imagined, joining ranks with 10,000 other MS HIV survivors. Depression mounted; isolation was lethal. Ultimately on August 29th, 2005, the very day Hurricane Katrina utterly ravaged his homeland, Robin Timothy Webb ended his own life, sadly, end of story. Naw, not really. Instead, he dug deep, found his voice by singing the old spiritual, I Ain't Got Time to Die. Quick to confront, Robin joined Ryan White and CPG groups and the Board of the Southern AIDS Coalition; he co-founded AIDS Action in MS ("AAIM," an affiliate of Housing Works) and recently A Brave New Day, both aiming to help the "left behinds" -- rural Deep South survivors -- when it comes to empowerment, advocacy, activism, oppression, AIDS services, all that. No day but today! Oil-spills notwithstanding.
Roy Hayes has been living 26 years with HIV/AIDS and 26 years drug free. Since 1987, he has been an active member in AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power, ACT- UP Philadelphia; he is well-known for his continuing role as a leader in ACT UP and as a mentor to people living with HIV to become advocates and activists. Roy is also a former member of the Ryan White Planning Council of Philadelphia, Positive Committee.
Theresa Nowlin tested HIV positive in 1986, when she was 24 years old. Theresa contracted HIV through unprotected sex and or IV drug use. In 1991, Theresa started treatment after she found out she was pregnant with her first son, Mark, who was born September 3,1992 (at 18 months old, Mark tested HIV negative). In 1994, Theresa gave birth to her second son, Sean, who at 6 months old also tested HIV negative. Theresa's physician was unsure about starting treatment during her pregnancy with Mark but by the time she was pregnant with Sean the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention cleared the way for pregnant women to take AZT.
Due to the harshness of medications in the 1990s, Theresa refused to take medication. In 2006, she only had 3 T-Cells and her viral load was in the millions. She had a nervous break down, followed by a stroke and ended up in the hospital in a coma. During the hospital stay, Theresa was put on Atripla. After completing her physical rehabilitation in the nursing home, Theresa was homeless in a wheelchair.
Theresa credits Peer Support and all of the professionals who cared for her as the reason for being alive today. She is now a vocal advocate for medication adherence after participating in a study at Fenway Health, which included a counseling component. Today, Theresa is in full compliance with taking her medication and attends all of her doctor appointments.
Vernon Watson has been working with people living with HIV/AIDS for over 15 years. Watson started out working as a Health Educator developing measurable goals objective for HIV prevention strategies and interventions in defined target populations specifically among the underserved communities. He graduated from Binghamton University with a Bachelor's of Science Degree in Business Management. He has been working for MOMS Pharmacy for over 15 years in sales as the Regional Manager of the northeastern region. Watson is currently a volunteer at the Glen Cove Boys and Girl Club working with the youth in health and awareness projects related to STD and HIV.
Job Titles:
- Principal of Shubert Botein Policy Associates
Virginia (Ginny) Shubert is a principal of Shubert Botein Policy Associates, a public policy consulting group that supports the development and implementation of public policies and programs that impact low-income people and communities. Ms. Shubert has 25 years' experience as an advocate, service provider and consultant working on poverty and health issues including homelessness and access to housing, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and drug and alcohol dependence. A graduate of the Harvard Law School, she has been counsel in landmark lawsuits involving access to care and services for disabled persons, including Mixon v. Grinker, brought to establish the right of persons with HIV illness to safe, medially appropriate housing, and Henrietta D. v. Giuliani, a federal class action that has established the right of disabled persons to reasonable accommodations necessary to ensure access to public entitlements. In 1988, Ms. Shubert founded the AIDS Project of the Coalition for the Homeless, and in the early 1990s she was a founder and Co-Executive Director of Housing Works, where she established and headed its Advocacy and Public Policy Department. For the last fifteen years Ms. Shubert has worked as a consultant on housing, health, and economic justice issues. Since 2005, she has worked with the National AIDS Housing Coalition and the Ontario HIV Treatment Network to plan and document the Housing and HIV/AIDS Research Summit Series. In addition to her consulting work, Ms. Shubert has written on a range of health and housing issues.
Wanda Brendle-Moss, R.N. was diagnosed with HIV in July 2002. Wanda has always been open about her positivity except in the early years because an employer threatened to fire her if she discussed her status. She was member of Consumer Leadership Corps Trainers with AIDS Alliance. She volunteered during XIX International AIDS Conference in Washington DC where she was photographed as part of the "Graying of AIDS."
She also participated in Caitlin Margaret Kelly's photo display of women living with HIV called "Please Call Me By My True Names." Wanda has actively participated in numerous advocacy efforts, including Treatment Action Group, HIV is Not A Crime, Positive Women's Network, The Well Project, "A Girl Like Me," HealthHIV Pozitively Healthy, Global Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS North America, AIDS Watch and the ADAP Advocacy Association.
In 2014, she received the ADAP Advocacy Association's prestigious "Emerging Leader" award. Wanda is also involved with the Moral Monday Movement in North Carolina, Wanda Believes that we "Lead By Example" and "Age with Purpose!"