Health GAP Staff & Board

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	Staff & Board

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Health GAP Staff and Board

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The US Global AIDS Plan

Staff

Paul Davis, Director of Global Campaigns:

Paul is based in Kenya and is currently organizing country-based coalitions that are increasing funding and programmatic demand on global health initiatives (GHIs) like the GFATM and PEPFAR, while also working to reform the way often-times invisible GHIs and international financial institutions to make them more accessible and accountable to poor people and PLWHAs at the front lines. Prior to February 2009, Paul was the Director of U.S. Advocacy for Health GAP for nine years, and bottom-lined successful campaigns to create and reform both phases of PEPFAR. He first learned community organizing when he worked at Seattle’s Tenant Union with renters and homeless people, most notably through a direct action group that successfully established hundreds of units of self-managed housing for homeless activists by occupying illegally abandoned buildings. He has been a member of ACT UP Philadelphia since 1994. Paul is a 2008 recipient of the Keith Cylar Courage Award from Housing Works. Paul has various published essays including a chapter in “Sickness and Wealth” (with Meredith Forte) (South End Press, 2003).

Jennifer Flynn, Managing Director: Jennifer was the co-founder and Executive Director of the NYC AIDS Housing Network for 9 years prior to joining Health GAP in September, 2007. She was a Taproots Fellow at the Center for Community Change, a consultant to the Open Society Institute, and worked at the Lower East Side Harm Reduction Center. Jennifer holds a Masters Degree from the New School for Social Research and was the first US based and focused human rights activist selected for Columbia University's Human Rights Advocates Training Fellowship. Jennifer was a recipient of the Union Square Award, Robert Wood Johnson Community Health Leadership Award and New York City Council Hero Award. She was named one of the most promising AIDS activists in 2001 by Poz Magazine and most was highlighted as one of the leading 25 LGBT AIDS Activists in 25 years by HIV Plus Magazine in 2009. She was a member of ACT UP NY, Fed Up Queers and other direct action groups. She was on the steering committee of the first US Social Forum and the Still We Rise Coalition. She has written numerous articles on AIDS and social justice issues, including "The Drug Users Organizing Manual" (OSI, 2005) and a chapter (with Eustacia Smith) in "That's Revolting: Queers Strategies for Resisting Assimilation" (Soft Skull Press, 2004). Jennifer lives with her "spouse" in Brooklyn, NY and 2 dogs.

photo of matthew kavanagh, director of us policy speaking out at rally about HIV denialist in South Africa, former Minister of Health Matthew Kavanagh, Director of US Advocacy: Matthew has worked with a wide variety of NGOs and social-movement organizations in the US, Latin America, and Southern Africa. He was previously the global campaigns director for the RESULTS Educational Fund and executive director of Global Justice, working on policy and organizing surrounding global health, trade, and development issues. His organizing work has ranged from water rights and Apartheid reparations campaigns in Johannesburg to racial justice work with the Boston Youth Organizing Project. Matthew has been interviewed in outlets ranging from the Washington Post to the BBC to Al Jazeera and writes regularly for the Huffington Post. He holds a BA in political science from Vassar College and a Masters in community organizing and education from Harvard University. Matt lives in DC and is an active member DC Fights Back.

Asia Russell, Director of International Policy: Asia has been working with Health GAP since the beginning. Asia has been a leader with ACT UP Philadelphia, and the fight against AIDS for over 20 years. She has also worked with Philadelphia FIGHT and various other AIDS activist and service organizations. She attended Bryn Mawr and Temple University and was the NGO representative from North America to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria from 2007 to 2009. Her writing can be found in "Global Politics of AIDS", edited by Paul G. Harris and Patricia Siplon ( Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2007) and The Lancet (Jun 20, 2009 & September 5, 2009). Asia is a consultant to the International Preparedness Coalition and is a highly sought after public speaker. Asia is a 2008 recipient of the Keith Cylar Courage Award from Housing Works, the 2011 John M. Lloyd Leadership Award and also the The AIDS Service Organization (TASO) Uganda award for being one of the most eminent members who have positively impacted the struggle against HIV/AIDS (Health Care) in Uganda.

Michael Tikili, Community Organizer: Mike is a community organizer of Nigerian descent who was raised in Brooklyn and Guyana. Mike got involved with Health GAP through his work with Queerocracy, a grassroots activist group that focues on issues that affect the queer community, particularly Global Health and the AIDS epidemic. Mike holds a Masters degree in Business Management from Duke University's Fuqua School of Business and a Bachelors of Science in Psychology and Neuroscience from Duke University as well. He currently resides in NYC and is an active member of Queerocracy and ACT UP NY.

Board

Brook Baker (Boston, MA, USA): Brook is a Law Professor at Northeastern School of Law and is Health GAP's Policy Analyst.

Sean Barry (NYC, USA): Sean is the Director of the Voices of Community Activists and Leaders (formerly the NYC AIDS Housing Network), the nation's only membership organization comprised and led by low-income people living with HIV/AIDS, people who were formerly incarcerated and former and active drug users. Sean has worked with CHAMP, Campaign to End AIDS and Global Justice/Student Global AIDS Campaign.

Aaron Boyle, Treasurer (NYC, USA): Aaron is a high school teacher in Bushwick, Brooklyn, a member of ACT UP NY and a fomer Peace Corp volunteer.

T. Richard Corcoran (NYC, USA): T. Richard is the President of Alouette, a company based in Brooklyn, NY. T. Richard has been on the programme board of UNAIDS.

Jose de Marco (Philadelphia, PA, USA): Jose is the founder of Proyecto Sol Filadlephia, and is an active leader and long-time member of ACT UP Philadelphia.

Dazon Dixon Diallo (Atlanta, GA, USA): Dazon is a long-time activist for women's rights. She is the Executive Director of Sister Love in Atlanta , Georgia and South Africa.

Alice Kayongo (Kampala, Uganda): Alice is an HIV/AIDS Policy Advisor to MSF France working in Uganda. She has worked with community based organizations in Kampala such as UCOBAC.

Amanda Lugg, Chair (NYC, USA): Amanda is the Director of Advocacy or African Services Committee in Harlem, NYC. She is a board member of Queers for Economic Justice.

Sharonann Lynch (NYC, USA): Sharonann was an original staff member of Health GAP and is currently an HIV/AIDS Policy Advisor to the Nobel Prize winning organization, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).

Eustacia Smith, Secretary (NYC, USA): Staci is the Program Director of the Ben Michalski Residence, which provides supportive housing for 18 formerly homeless people living with AIDS in NYC. Staci is also a founding member of Health GAP, a member of ACT UP NY, former member of Fed Up Queers and is a mother of twins.

Paisan Suwannawong (Bangkok, Thailand): Paisan is the founder and Executive Director of the Thai AIDS Treatment Action group (TTAG) and the Thai Drug Users Network. He is the former chairman of the Thai Network of People LIving with HIV/AIDS

Graziela Tanaka (Sao Paolo, Brazil): Graziela is the Director of Mobilization at Idec - Instituto Brasileiro de Defesa do Consumidor. She was the Brazil campaigner for Avaaz.org and has been a community organizer for the NYC AIDS Housing Network.

Davis Njguna (Nairobi, Kenya): Davis is the Board Chair of NEPHAK, one of the most important grassroots groups lead by people living with HIV/AIDS in Kenya.

Rob Weissman (Washington, DC, USA): Rob is the President of Public Citizen. He is the former director of Esstential Action and the editor of Multinational Monitor. He was an attorney with the Center for Responsive Law.

Jennifer Flynn (NYC, USA): Ex Officio

Additional Steering Committee (core) members: Dr. Jennifer Cohn (UPENN, Kenya); Siham Elhamoumi (Boston); Johnny Guaylupo (Housing Works, NYC), Mark Milano (ACRIA, NYC); Trish Siplon (St. Mikes College, Burlington, VT), Esther Wanjiku (GROOTS, Kenya).