Mission

The mission of Southern AIDS Coalition (SAC) is to end the HIV and STI epidemics in the South by promoting accessible and high-quality systems of [HIV and STI] prevention, treatment, care, housing, and essential support services.

Staff

Nayasia Coleman (They/She)

Nayasia Coleman (They/She)

Executive Assistant

Nichole Davis (She/Her)

Nichole Davis (She/Her)

Director, Finance

Miguel Garcia (He/They)

Miguel Garcia (He/They)

Community Organizer and Advocacy Manager

Mardrequs Harris, MAEd (He/Him)

Mardrequs Harris, MAEd (He/Him)

Deputy Director

David Wyley Long (He/Him)

David Wyley Long (He/Him)

Special Initiatives Associate

Brady Maiden (She/Her)

Brady Maiden (She/Her)

Community Science Programs Manager

Tiffany Patterson (She/Her)

Tiffany Patterson (She/Her)

Administration & Operations Manager

Will Ramirez, MPA (He/Him)

Will Ramirez, MPA (He/Him)

Public Policy & Advocacy, Director

Justin Searcy (He/Him)

Justin Searcy (He/Him)

Grants Manager

Torrie Shepard (She/Her)

Torrie Shepard (She/Her)

Communications Manager

Dafina Ward, JD
(She/Her)

Dafina Ward, JD
(She/Her)

Executive Director

Mission

The mission of  Southern AIDS Coalition (SAC) is to end the HIV and STI epidemics in the South by promoting accessible and high-quality systems of [HIV and STI] prevention, treatment, care, housing, and essential support services.

History

We can change the course of HIV in the South.

We’ve done it before. When we started in 2001, the HIV epidemic in the South was largely ignored. In those early years, we were just a handful of extraordinary advocates working together to demand more resources to address the HIV and AIDS state of emergency in our states. We assembled a number of case studies and released the first-ever Southern States Manifesto in 2002. These case studies were presented nationwide, garnering national attention from the media, funders, and policymakers.

We then turned our attention to the Ryan White Program, determined to change the legislation to create more equitable funding for southern states. After three years of meetings, press conferences, and congressional hearings, H.R. 6143 was passed in 2006. The reauthorization included many significant changes including modifying the distribution formula from cumulative AIDS data to actual living HIV and AIDS cases, redirecting an approximate $30 million to the South.

Since this victory, SAC’s advocacy efforts around equitable and increased funding have continued laying the groundwork for the more recent announcement of the Care and Prevention in the United States (CAPUS) funding in 2012. This new funding initiative, dedicated to reducing HIV and AIDS related morbidity and mortality among racial and ethnic minorities living in the United States, was a result of the powerful, well-organized advocacy of SAC and our vital partners in the HIV-community, including the Southern HIV/AIDS Strategy Initiative (SASI), the 30 for 30 Campaign, the President’s Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA), and many others.

Southern Vision

Southern Vision: We envision a South where every person has access to high-quality health care and essential support services (including safe, decent, affordable housing), free from stigma and discrimination. We also envision a South where every person understands HIV transmission, receives routine screening, and has access to a full range of prevention interventions and harm reduction services.

Board

 Angela Johnson – Chair
NASTAD
Washington, DC

Randevyn Piérre – Vice Chair
ViiV Healthcare
Georgia

Lee Storrow – Secretary
Community Education Group
Chapel Hill, NC

Cathalene Teahan – Treasurer
Georgia AIDS Coalition
Snellville, GA

P.J. Moton-Poole – Development
ViiV Healthcare
Texas

Reginald Vicks – Governance
CrescentCare
New Orleans, LA

Carolyn McAllaster – Strategic Visioning
Duke University School of Law
Durham, NC

Jay Adams
West Virginia Ryan White Part B
Wheeler, WV

 

Samuel Burgess
Louisiana Department of Health
New Orleans, LA
 

Bambi Gaddist
Joseph H. Neal Wellness Center
Columbia, SC

Kathie Hiers
AIDS Alabama
Birmingham, AL

Aryah Lester
Transgender Strategy Center
Maryland

 Butch McKay
OASIS
Fort Walton Beach, FL

Donna Sabatino
The AIDS Institute
Flagler Beach, FL

Darwin Thompson
Gilead Sciences
Atlanta, GA

Robin Webb
Mississippi Positive Network
Cleveland, MS

Funders

Funders

Southern Vision

Southern Vision: We envision a South where every person has access to high-quality health care and essential support services (including safe, decent, affordable housing), free from stigma and discrimination. We also envision a South where every person understands HIV transmission, receives routine screening, and has access to a full range of prevention interventions and harm reduction services.

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