FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MAY 19, 2003
(Contact Rob Nixon, ASP Communications Manager,
404-874-7926 ext. 16, rnixon@aidssurvivalproject.org)

AIDS SURVIVAL PROJECT NAMES NEW BOARD MEMBERS
Organization Marks Anniversary with Renewed Energy for Future

AIDS Survival Project has named 5 new members to its board as the organization marks a milestone anniversary – 15 Years of Advocacy, Self-Empowerment and Partnership, providing vital programs and service to people affected by HIV.

The new board members bring a range of experience, skills, and commitment to the organization’s mission and offer great energy and support for new developments on the horizon as AIDS Survival Project moves into the future.

The new board members, who will fill interim positions until official board elections in September 2003, are:

Cindy Abel: President of bizvox Marketing Communications, an advertising and public relations firm specializing in reaching niche markets, particularly gays and lesbians, and adept at garnering media attention for under-represented issues. Cindy’s 14 years of professional communications experience include senior corporate marketing positions, political campaign leadership, and serving as Executive Director of two lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender (LGBT) organizations. In keeping with her vision of an inclusive society, Cindy frequently provides her firm’s resources in support of several LGBT organizations and serves on the boards of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund and National Gay & Lesbian Journalists Association/Atlanta, as well as Rep. Denise Majette’s Congressional Committee.

Michael Baker: Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender Community Outreach Coordinator for the political campaigns of Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, State Sen. Sam Zamarripa, and State Reps. Doug Teper, Kathy Ashe, Pat Gardner and Nick Moraitakis. Michael is also a member of the Board of Directors of the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League PAC, and a member of Georgia Equality, Human Rights Campaign, and the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund. He is an alumnus of the Victory Fund’s Campaign Training Institute and serves locally as the Convener of the organization’s Political Sub-Committee. In addition to serving on the organizing committees for such events as the Human Rights Campaign annual dinner and the "Voices United" benefit for the Center for AIDS and Humanity, Michael works as personal assistant to Dr. Lawrence Cooper.

Judi Clark: Social Service Tech/Peer Counselor at the Cobb County Health Department. Mother of three and grandmother of 6, Judi began volunteering with the health department when she was diagnosed 8 years ago. She brings her considerable experience, knowledge, and compassion to such activities as providing counseling and testing at local churches, outreach and referrals to Cobb County’s newest HIV/AIDS service organization "Someone Cares" Inc. of Atlanta, and frequent public speaking and education, including panels for the African-American Outreach Initiative. Judi is also President of the Miracle AIDS Network.

Jacqueline T. Muther: HIV Policy and Grants Manager at the Grady Infectious Disease Program (IDP), with a focus on public policy and advocacy, in addition to management of grants and contracts. Jacque has been working in the HIV/AIDS community since the mid 1980s, and for 13 years she was the Administrative Director of Pediatric and Adolescent HIV Services at the IDP. She has been a member of the Georgia AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) Task Force since its inception and is a member of the board and Treasurer of the National Communities Advocating Emergency AIDS Relief (CAEAR) Coalition, which advocates in Washington for authorization and appropriations for the Ryan White CARE Act. She also currently chairs the Metropolitan Atlanta HIV Health Services Planning Council. In 1997, she was the recipient of the Emory University Award of Distinction for outstanding service and contributions to the university and to the community. Jacque is committed to keeping HIV prevention and care on the agenda of our elected officials and to assuring that funding is available to serve those in need.

Barron Segar: Director of the Southeast Chapter of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, which provides education, advocacy, and fundraising in nine states to support UNICEF’s global work. Prior to this position, he served as the Director for Development for Public Broadcasting, managing $8.5 million in development activities and setting an organizational fund raising record. He is a founding board member of the Elton John AIDS Foundation where he currently oversees the foundation’s top revenue-producing affinity product. Barron also serves on the board of the Women’s Economic Development Council and Project Open Hand. He is an advisory fund member of the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, a lifetime member of the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, and serves on the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Foundation’s Board of Visitors.

"As a member of a community affected by HIV and AIDS, I am humbled and honored to work with AIDS Survival Project," comments Michael Baker. "The organization’s 15-year history of advocacy, self-empowerment and partnership truly is a guiding tool for my own life. I look forward to serving my community in a way that I feel makes a difference for many people infected and affected by HIV and AIDS."

The new members join existing members Eddie Young (President), Susan Cornutt (Vice-President), Joan Campitelli (Secretary), Greg Jesse (Treasurer), Scott H’Doubler, Larry Sheldon, Mark Tatro, and ex-officio member Jeff Graham (ASP Executive Director) on a board that – keeping with AIDS Survival Project’s mission and founding philosophy – continues to be governed by an HIV-positive majority.

AIDS Survival Project was founded in 1988 as a coalition of people with HIV, based on principles calling for representation of people living with AIDS by people living with AIDS. Today, the organization offers a number of programs and services, including peer counseling; the monthly Survival News publication; the nationally recognized Treatment Resource Center; regular community forums offering the latest treatment information as well as education on resources and services available throughout the metro Atlanta area; outreach to targeted communities; and the bi-monthly THRIVE! Weekend, a comprehensive, interactive two-day workshop on a wide range of HIV-related topics.

AIDS Survival Project has also been one of the leading advocacy organizations in the state, working not only for the rights of people living with HIV but for sound, equitable public health policy across the board. This important part of the organization’s mission has been realized through activities generated within the agency itself and through its membership and coalition work with a number of organizations on the local, state, and national level. Building on this long, successful record, AIDS Survival Project will soon launch the Positive Action Network, a statewide advocacy program that partners with other groups throughout Georgia to train people to become their own self-empowered advocates. In this way, the network will strive to ensure that those who have been traditionally overlooked – particularly people of color and those living in rural areas – will have a voice in setting priorities and policies. Board President Eddie Young notes that the experience and dedication of the new board members, and those who have long served on the board, is an invaluable asset for taking this next step toward an even greater statewide presence.

"I've never been more optimistic about the future of AIDS Survival Project," Young says. "The willingness of these people to serve confirms that the community respects our work and our vision for improving the quality of life for all people living with HIV. Moreover, these folks want to be a part of an organization that has never wavered from doing what is right, rather than what might be merely expedient."