People Worth Knowing – Monique Tula

This week’s #PeopleWorthKnowing interview features Monique Tula, Executive Director of the National Harm Reduction Coalition (NHRC).

Monique has devoted her career to lifting the voices of people pushed into society’s margins caused by capitalism and racial inequity. Central to her belief system is the deep awareness of our interconnectedness, regardless of individual circumstances. Her life’s work is a conscious manifestation of the belief that harm to one is harm to us all. She aims to live each day in the moment, in pursuit of balance, personal growth, and discovery—some days are harder to do this than others.

Mother of Christian, grandmother of Malcolm, and life partner of Adam, she lives in Los Angeles with her family and their two agro black cats, Necro and Mancer.

You can visit NHRCs website by clicking on the logo, below, and links to their various social media pages will be listed below.

People Worth Knowing – Diana Feliz Oliva

This week’s #PeopleWorthKnowing interview features Diana Feliz Oliva, Senior Manager in Public Affairs at Gilead Sciences.

Diana Feliz Oliva has worked in the field of social services and public health for almost 25 years.

Her work began in 1994 with the County of Fresno – Department of Social Services to her new position as HIV Community Liaison at Gilead Sciences, Inc. in 2017.

In addition, Ms. Oliva has more than 15 years of experience in working with the HIV-positive communities which include, women, MSM, transgender individuals, sex workers, mentally ill, substance users, homeless individuals, incarcerated adults, youth, elderly, people of color and undocumented individuals.

A graduate of Columbia University with a Master’s Degree in Social Work in 2005, her particular interest has been advancing the development of public policy that addresses community-level health and social problems. Turning her daunting personal challenges and barriers into the very basis of her activism, Ms. Oliva has become an effective social advocate and role model. Her work is shown giving voice and visibility to not only the HIV + positive communities, but also to the multiple, overlapping communities her life has touched.

People Worth Knowing – Dr. Stephen Lee

Dr. Stephen Lee
Executive Director
National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors

This week’s #PeopleWorthKnowing interview features Dr. Stephen Lee, Executive Director of the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD).

Stephen oversees all NASTAD programs – Health Care Access, Prevention, Hepatitis, Drug User Health, Health Equity, Policy & Legislative Affairs, and Health Systems Integration – as well as NASTAD’s overall operations. Stephen has deep expertise in program and organizational management, and his experience as a physician brings a practical perspective with regard to policy and program implementation.

Prior to joining NASTAD, Stephen was a global HIV expert for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, where for 13 years he managed the development and implementation of programs that provided prevention, care, and treatment services to individuals affected by HIV.

He has a bachelor’s degree in biology from Baylor University, a degree in medicine from Emory University School of Medicine, an MBA from Heriot Watt University, and a post graduate diploma in health systems management from the University of London, School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

You can learn more about NASTAD by visiting clicking on their logo to visit their website and/or following them on social media.

Photo of Dr. Georges C Benjamin

People Worth Knowing – Dr. Georges C. Benjamin

Georges C. Benjamin, MD
Executive Director
American Public Health Association

This week’s #PeopleWorthKnowing interview features Dr. Georges C. Benjamin, Executive Director of the American Public Health Association (APHA).

Dr. Benjamin is known as one of the nation’s most influential physician leaders because he speaks passionately and eloquently about the health issues having the most impact on our nation today. From his firsthand experience as a physician, he knows what happens when preventive care is not available and when the healthy choice is not the easy choice. As executive director of the APHA since 2002, he is leading the Association’s push to make America the healthiest nation in one generation.

He came to APHA from his position as secretary of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Dr. Benjamin became secretary of health in Maryland in April 1999, following four years as its deputy secretary for public health services. As secretary, Dr. Benjamin oversaw the expansion and improvement of the state’s Medicaid program.

Dr. Benjamin, of Gaithersburg, Maryland, is a graduate of the Illinois Institute of Technology and the University of Illinois College of Medicine. He is board-certified in internal medicine and a fellow of the American College of Physicians, a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration, a fellow emeritus of the American College of Emergency Physicians and an honorary fellow of the Royal Society of Public Health.

An established administrator, author and orator, Dr. Benjamin started his medical career in 1981 in Tacoma, WA, where he managed a 72,000-patient visit ambulatory care service as chief of the Acute Illness Clinic at the Madigan Army Medical Center and was an attending physician within the Department of Emergency Medicine. A few years later, he moved to Washington, D.C., where he served as chief of emergency medicine at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. After leaving the Army, he chaired the Department of Community Health and Ambulatory Care at the District of Columbia General Hospital. He was promoted to acting commissioner for public health for the District of Columbia and later directed one of the busiest ambulance services in the nation as interim director of the Emergency Ambulance Bureau of the District of Columbia Fire Department.

At APHA, Dr. Benjamin also serves as publisher of the nonprofit’s monthly publication, The Nation’s Health, the association’s official newspaper, and the American Journal of Public Health, the profession’s premier scientific publication. He is the author of more than 100 scientific articles and book chapters. His recent book The Quest for Health Reform: A Satirical History is an exposé of the nearly 100-year quest to ensure quality affordable health coverage for all through the use of political cartoons.

Dr. Benjamin is a member of the National Academy of Medicine (Formally the Institute of Medicine) of the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine and also serves on the boards for many organizations including Research!America and the Reagan-Udall Foundation. In 2008, 2014 and 2016 he was named one of the top 25 minority executives in health care by Modern Healthcare Magazine, in addition to being voted among the 100 most influential people in health care from 2007-2017.

In April 2016, President Obama appointed Dr. Benjamin to the National Infrastructure Advisory Council, a council that advises the president on how best to assure the security of the nation’s critical infrastructure.

You can visit APHA’s website by clicking on the logo, below, and links to their various social media pages will be listed below.

Logo for American Public Health Association

Photo of Ty Williams, Project Coordinator for the Community Education Group

People Worth Knowing: Ty Williams

Photo of Ty Williams, Project Coordinator for the Community Education Group
Ty Williams
Project Coordinator
Community Education Group

This week’s #PeopleWorthKnowing interview features CEG’s own Ty Williams.

Ty has been with CEG since March 2020, and serves as our Project Coordinator for our People Worth Knowing video series, and will be spearheading CEG’s forthcoming Trans Health series.

Ty will also serve as the Host and Moderator for CEG’s first ever YouTube Live event, Learning Our Roots: A Journey Through Transmasculinity, on Tuesday, June 30th, 2020 at 6:00 PM Eastern

In addition to his work at CEG, Ty also serves as the Director of Operations at FLUX and on the Leadership Council at Black Transmen, Inc., and is also a brother of the Alpha Omega Kappa Incorporated fraternity, a fraternity for Transmasculine and Transmen.

Ty’s first blog post – Trans People Are Black People, Too – debuted, last week, over at CEG’s Community Perspectives blog, where he will be regularly featured as one of our bloggers.

Ty is a Trans* rights activist, motivational speaker, advocacy educator, organizer, chef, and violist.

You can follow Ty on his Facebook Page and Instagram by clicking on their respective icons.

Photo of Tori Cooper, Founder and Executive Director of Advocates for Better Care Atlanta

People Worth Knowing: Tori Cooper

Tori Cooper
Founder & Executive Director
Advocates for Better Care Atlanta

This week’s #PeopleWorthKnowing interview features Tori Cooper, Founder and Executive Director of Advocates for Better Care Atlanta (ABCA).

ABCA seeks to further her mission of education, empowerment and opportunities for marginalized people. Since its inception, she has self-financed this agency which prioritizes transgender women and men as well as people living with HIV. 

In addition to founding ABCA, Ms. Cooper also serves as the Director of Community Engagement for the Transgender Justice Initiative at the Human Rights Campaign (HRC).

Ms. Cooper holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Human Services. Tori is a staunch advocate for the Trans and HIV communities and travels across the country providing education to providers, clinicians, consumers, students and communities of every size and scope.

She is currently matriculating towards her Master of Arts degree in Public Health. Tori believes that empowerment, education, and opportunity are three important factors in success.

Cooper has received numerous awards for her work and is a published author, most recently appearing in print and video. Her work is featured in a new documentary titled, “Silent Epidemic” where she talks about the trans community and HIV in the South.

She created the Hour of Power which is an empowerment group that meets twice monthly for the trans, gender nonconforming communities and allies. The HoP recently celebrated its second anniversary.

She is also an ordained Deacon at Tabernacle Baptist Church under the pastorate of Bishop Dennis A. Meredith. Tori has received numerous awards and honors for her work, but she measures true success when the people she serves achieve viral suppression, when they master new life skills and achieve health and financial equity.

You can make a donation to Advocates for Better Care Atlanta through Cash App. Donations can be sent using the following Cash App tag:

$ABCORG

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People Worth Knowing: Katrina Harmon

Katrina Harmon, Executive Director
West Virginia Child Care Association

This week’s #PeopleWorthKnowing interview feature’s Katrina Harmon, Executive Director of the West Virginia Child Care Association (WVCCA).

Katrina Harmon was appointed Executive Director of the WVCCA in March 2017 after serving 2 years as Associate Director.

With years of experience in the non-profit sector, Katrina works with 15 member agencies to provide a voice for the most vulnerable children in West Virginia who have experienced abuse, neglect, emotional and behavioral challenges, substance abuse and/or delinquency.

WVCCA advocates for children and families by sharing member knowledge and resources, embracing partnerships and influencing public policy.

Prior to joining WVCCA, Katrina’s career roles included serving as a non-profit marketing consultant; nearly 10 years as Marketing Manager & Director at the state’s largest cultural arts facility and children’s museum; VP of Sales & Marketing for a construction firm specializing in community revitalization and development; and Account Executive for the Charleston, WV Convention & Visitors Bureau.

She received her Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations from West Virginia University and was one of the first graduates of WVU’s cutting-edge Integrated Marketing Communications Master’s degree program in 2005.

Katrina volunteers her time with the Winfield Baptist Church Awana program, and local United Way and 4-H youth programs. She enjoys practicing martial arts with her husband and son.

You can learn more about the West Virginia Child Care Association by visiting their website by clicking on their logo, below, or by Liking their Facebook page by clicking the icon below the logo.

Logo for the West Virginia Child Care Association

National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable logo

People Worth Knowing: Jesse Milan, Jr.

This week’s #PeopleWorthKnowing video interview features Jesse Milan, Jr., President and CEO of AIDS United, a national organization focused on policy, grantmaking, and capacity building.

AIDS United has granted over $120 million over 30 years, and its Public Policy Council organizations and current grantees number over 300 in 40 states and territories. Mr. Milan is a lawyer whose career includes leading HIV programs and organizations at national, regional and global levels. He has chaired five non-profit boards including the Black AIDS Institute, was AIDS Director for Philadelphia, has chaired federal advisory committees, and serves currently on the Scientific Advisory Board for PEPFAR. He is a graduate of Princeton University and the NYU School of Law. Jesse has been living with HIV for over three decades.

You can find out more about AIDS United by clicking on the logo below.

Photo of TruEvolution, Inc. Founder and CEO, Gabriel Maldonado

People Worth Knowing: Gabriel Maldonado

Photo Credit: City of Riverside, CA – City Government Facebook Page

For the inaugural entry in our new video series, #PeopleWorthKnowing, we decided to feature Gabriel Maldonado, Founder and CEO at TruEvolution, Inc., in honor of CEG’s recent partnership with TruEvolution on a national sign-on letter to members of Congress, asking for a $5 billion federal grant appropriation dedicated to supporting, expanding, and mobilizing Rural Health Service Providers (#RHSPs) and the long neglected and underfunded public health infrastructures in rural America (read more), and a newer collaboration to form the Rural Health Service Providers Network (RHSPN).

As the Founder and CEO of TruEvolution, Gabriel Maldonado has led the organization’s efforts for the last eleven years to now include comprehensive HIV prevention and care services, a mental health clinic, and an emergency supportive housing program.

Logo of TruEvolution, Inc.

As a former member of the U.S. Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS under President Obama, Gabriel works to elevate the representation of minority community-based organizations in state and federal policy priorities. In addition to his work at TruEvolution, Gabriel continues his advocacy serving on regional boards, such as Borrego Community Health Foundation – the 2nd largest federally-qualified health center in the U.S. – and global organizations such as the AIDS Healthcare Foundation.

Bringing a passion for business and consultancy, Gabriel works to advise industry leaders as an advisory board member for Viiv Healthcare and Merck & Co.

Gabriel believes that the needs and priorities of marginalized populations should be heard in every room and at every table impacting those communities. What drives Gabriel’s passion is his experiences in witnessing the devastating impacts of the industrialization of poor urban communities. Raised in the City of Compton, Gabriel watched not only his health but the health of his family and neighborhood be affected by the corrosive effects of refineries, smog, logistics and chemical facilities.

Now as a person living with HIV, Gabriel is firmly-rooted in advancing the quality of life and human dignity of people of color in the LGBTQ experience.

#CEGInWV is proud to serve alongside #TruEvolution as we work to ensure that rural Americans across the nation have access to the services provided by #RHSPs.

You can visit TruEvolution’s website by clicking on the logo, below, and links to their various social media pages will be listed below.

Mountain Climber Summer

Community Education Group Premiering New “People Worth Knowing” Video Series

CEG’s new video series, People Worth Knowing, will launch on May 20th, 2020.

People Worth Knowing will feature three-to-five-minute interviews with people from West Virginia, across the nation, and around the world with a wide variety of backgrounds, lived experiences, and fields of work, including users unions, Rural Health Service Providers, child services, trans health, and many others.

People Worth Knowing will launch simultaneously across CEG’s new YouTube channel, our website, and our social media pages on Wednesday, May 20th, 2020, with new videos launching on Wednesdays.