Alphabetical
Bios of Planning Committee Members:
Ruth
Banks Bell
Ruth is a family nurse practitioner who has worked
in the field of HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment
as a nurse practitioner since 1997, first in Allegheny
County and currently in Lehigh County. She has been
a member of the committee since 1998 and considers
this work an important commitment to on-going work
in the prevention of HIV across the state. Ruth is
the proud mother of two children Marcus Aaron and
Robin
Annette, who have both, made her very proud of their
achievements. When not working or volunteering with
various HIV/AIDS programs, she enjoys the Arts, Reading
and just enjoying fun times with good friends and
family.
Danielle E. Benson
No information about this member.
Marilyn Bergt
Sister Marilyn, a Sister of Divine Providence, was
involved in full-time HIV/AIDS ministry in Detroit,
MI from 1983 through 1996. Currently the Coordinator
of Community Service, in the Office of Campus Ministry
and Community Service at LaRoche College, Pittsburgh
she continues to volunteer with different non-profit
organizations on a variety of HIV/AIIDS projects.
Among these projects is serving on the Pennsylvania
HIV/AIDS prevention Community Planning Group and being
a Mentor for the Pittsburgh Youth Roundtable, a program
of the PA Prevention Project.
Shirley Black
Shirley’s work began in 1974 as a Health and
Physical Education teacher and coach which has lead
her to implementing HIV prevention education for school
aged youth. In 1999 Shirley began her current work
with the Pennsylvania Department of Education as the
Health and Physical Education Advisor for Pre-K to
16. In addition, she serves as the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention/Division of Adolescent School
Health (CDC/DASH) Project Director for HIV prevention
in for school age youth in Pennsylvania. As a member
of the Community Planning Group (CPG), Shirley advocates
for quality education for Pennsylvania school age
populations.
Rodney N. Brooks
Rodney is the program director for the CRHS
(pronounced Chris) Cares Project at Capital Region
Health System at Hamilton Health Center. CRHS Cares
integrates HIV and substance abuse prevention and
primary care services in order to reduce the incidence
of HIV and substance abuse within communities of color
in the Harrisburg area. The program targets African
American and Latino women and youth. Prior to joining
CRHS Rodney was president and CEO of the Urban League
of Metropolitan Harrisburg, where he served for five
years. In fact, his association with the Urban League
movement/ family spanned more than two decades; serving
in several capacities and in various communities (Canton,
Ohio; Massillon, Ohio; Racine, Wisconsin and Grand
Rapids, Michigan). He is a graduate of Bowling Green
State University in Ohio, where he earned a degree
in secondary education, majoring in English. In addition,
he has pursued graduate studies at Kent State University
in Ohio. Rodney was extensively involved in the communities
in Ohio, Wisconsin and Michigan. He was appointed
to the state of Ohio’s Governor’s Task
Force on Adolescent Sexuality and Pregnancy, as well
as, a number of local boards and commissions over
his years with the Urban League. His commitment to
the common good of the community also brought a commendation
as one of the Outstanding Young Men of America in
1988. His dedication, commitment, energy, and talent
have been transferred to his new home community of
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
Thomas
Chisom
Thomas has completed Project Teach, a project sponsored
via Project Fight with Ryan White Tittle funds. He
is actively involved with ACT UP.
Chuck
Christen
Charles is a licensed professional counselor employed
as the Clinical Coordinator of HIV Services and Education
at Persad Center, Inc. He has served Persad for almost
six years as a clinical therapist in mental health,
specializing in services to clients who are gay, lesbian,
bisexual or transgender and living with HIV. He frequently
presents educational training to various organizations,
social service agencies and corporations related to
the issues gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender
persons face. Charles works in collaboration with
other AIDS service organizations as co-chair for the
Southwestern Pennsylvania healing Weekend. He serves
on the Board of GLSEN (Gay Lesbian, Straight Education
Network) in Pittsburgh. GLSEN’s mission is to
promote safety and respect for all in schools. Mr.
Christen received a Masters in Education in Community
Counseling from Duquesne University. He is a Nationally
certified Counselor and a Pennsylvania Licensed Professional
Counselor. His work before coming to Persad involved
five years of health care ministry with trauma, transplant,
chronically ill and psychiatric patients at Allegheny
General Hospital. He is training in Clinical Pastoral
Care with teaching degree in Biblical Theology.
Sheila Church
Sheila is the Director of Outreach Services at a community
health center in Delaware County. She has worked in
the field of HIV/AIDS for the past fourteen years.
She has experience in providing HIV/AIDS prevention
education via street outreach to the indigent, injection
drug user and other drug abuse populations, minorities
and specifically minority women and individual level
intervention to HIV positive individuals in treatment.
In addition, she also has experience in HIV case management
services and HIV counseling and testing. She is also
a Certified Addictions counselor in Pennsylvania with
thirty years in the field of addiction. She enjoys
going to the movies and watching TV especially the
world news with Dan Rather and the Sunday Morning
Show on CBS.
Ronnie Colcher
Ronnie is a social worker and the Director of Drug,
Alcohol and AIDS Program at Valley Forge Medical Center
and Hospital, Montgomery County. She likes cooking,
basket weaving, giving parties and cross country skiing.
Gloria P. Cole
Originally from Newark, NJ where she did her first
HIV/AIDS outreach training in 1988. She attended Newark
schools and spent the greater part of her adult life
being “Mom” to 3 children, all of whom
are now in their adult years. I am also a certified
African American HIV/AIDS prevention trainer through
the American Red Cross, a hospice care volunteer,
and a facilitator for Grace Unlimited, which is a
prison ministry through the United Methodist Church.
I am caring, fun loving, happy, and enjoy listening
to music, dancing, walking and entertaining friends.
I like most things most days and only really hate
one thing—laundry.
Larry D. Cole
Larry has been a minister in the United Methodist
Church for the last 23 years., having served churches
in Nebraska, and Pennsylvania. He is currently serving
a church in Williamsport, Lycoming County and is Ministry
Director of Sojourner Truth Ministries, a ministry
provided for the homeless of body, mind, and spirit
and for those who feel separated or disenfranchised
from the church for any reason. He also serves as
Director of the pre-and post-release spiritual program
for men incarcerated at the Lycoming County Jail.
He has also had experience working at the Department
of Public Institutions and Department of Corrections
in Nebraska. He has extensive experience in counseling
and teaching, both in the public sector and in the
church. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Special
Education (7th-12th grade) and a Master of Divinity
degree from Saint Paul School of Theology, Kansas
City, Missouri. His free time, when he has any, is
spent playing with his collectable cars and his antique
farm tractor. He also likes to sing but doesn’t
do weddings anymore.
Sonny Concepcion
Working in the field of HIV/AIDS mainly with youth
and incarcerated adults. Is originally from Puerto
Rico and was an IV drug user. He lives in Erie, PA
and is the father of six children. Hobbies include
travel, computer, and music. Sonny is also a member
of the Greater Calvary full Baptist Church, trustee
and coordinator for the AIDS ministries at the church.
Eula Davis
Eula is a public health nurse from the State Health
Office in Chester County where she is involved with
HIV Counseling and Testing services.
Maria O. Deffley
RN
Maria is
a community health nurse for the York City Health
Bureau for 13 years and frontline advocate for the
prevention of HIV. In addition she has a cultural
knowledge and ability to communicate with the Latino
population. She is an HIV/AIDS and TB Programs Coordinator
and HIV Testing and Counseling counselor. She is also
certified as Disease Intervention Specialist for the
STD program.
Brent A. Frank
Brent has been involved in services and programs to/for
the HIV community since 1987. That is the year his
then-partner tested positive to HIV. He has known
the despair of those early years when a positive diagnosis
meant a certain or perceived death sentence. He has
also experienced the tidal high of watching clients
and friends who rose from those depths of despair
and returned to work and school to lead more productive
lives. He worked for over 7 ½ years at The
AIDS Project in Centre County, most recently as Executive
Director. He worked diligently in his position at
The Project to administer granted funds in an effort
to lessen dependency on their resources, and to empower
clients to use their voice to be heard. He is currently
serving as co-chair of the North Central District
AIDS Coalition. He continues to have an interest in
HIV/AIDS services. In his current position as Regional
Manager for MidPenn Legal Services, he continues to
support collaboration and partnerships with other
human service agencies to meet the needs of individuals
living with or affected by HIV/AIDS. Having served
on the PCP for the past year, Brent works on the Needs
Assessment Sub-Committee and serves as co-chair of
that committee as well as serving on the Rural Issues
ad-hoc committee.
Jeff Funston
Jeff is employed by the Office of Medical Assistance,
Bureau of Managed Care, Special Needs of the Pennsylvania
Department of Public Welfare.
Meredith Gaskins
Meredith serves as the Epidemiologist for the Bucks
County Health Department. She is currently working
on her DrPH in Community Health and Prevention at
Drexel University. She has an MS degree in Epidemiology
with a concentration in infectious diseases from the
Harvard School of Public Health.
Brian Green
Brain has been an AIDS activist since his child-hood
best friend died of AIDS in 1987. He completed a Master’s
degree and began work on a PhD in Urban Affairs and
Public Policy to examine why the Federal policy response
to AIDS was so lacking in the early days of the epidemic.
He began his “professional” AIDS career
in 1994 as a Research Manager for a CDC funded HIV
prevention intervention for women. He is presently
the Manager of Quality Improvement and Planning for
the Circle of Care, the Ryan White Title IV grantee
in Philadelphia. He also serves as the community co-chair
of the Philadelphia HIV Prevention Community Planning
Group. He is a member of the PA Integrated Planning
Council, Quality Management Design Team. He is a long
time board member of the SafeGuards Project/LGBT Health
Resource Center. He is also an adjunct professor of
Sociology at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia.
In his “spare time” he is “co-parent”
to 3 dogs and a foster care provider to rescued Italian
Greyhounds.
Steve Godin
Steve began working in HIV/AIDS in 1988 when he contributed
toward the grant writing which funded the "Regional
AIDS Education and Training Center" in New Jersey.
Since 1995, he has been involved in the planning and
delivery of HIV prevention at the regional and state
levels. Since joining the public health faculty at
East Stroudsburg University, he has directed a number
of community-based HIV prevention efforts, as well
as provided technical assistance in a number of program
evaluations and outcome assessments of of HIV prevention
efforts. Recent projects he has coordinated include:
1) a statewide survey of HIV+ consumers' perceptions
of their case management services; 2) a gap analysis
of the AIDSNET region using GIS mapping software to
identify unmet need in prevention and case management
services; and 3) a number of social marketing projects
that have used print media, and radio PSAs using the
"behavior change communications model".
He is dedicated towards improving the quality of HIV
prevention efforts in the Commonwealth and improving
our capacity to evaluate, and validate our HIV prevention
efforts.
Dennie Hakanen
Dennie is an HIV+ volunteer, HIV/AIDS educator, and
activist from rural Cambria County in western, south-central
Pennsylvania and serves as the Rural Issues Advisory
Board volunteer co-chair of the Southwestern
Pennsylvania AIDS Planning Coalition. He is currently
the HIV/AIDS instructor for the Keystone Chapter of
the American Red Cross and serves on several consumer
and community advisory boards of organizations working
with the HIV/AIDS populations in his area. Dennie
also serves as the convenor for the Central Pennsylvania
Chapter of Lutherans Concerned/North America where
his genetic predisposition, as a gay Finn person,
to being stubborn serves him well when dealing with
issues related to the LGBTI in his church and community.
Keith D. Hill
Reverent Hill has a doctorate in Theology and is part
of the New Life Urban Ministries in Braddock, PA,
near Pittsburgh. He is a frontline HIV care services
provider in addition to working with substance abuse
prevention and treatment.
Julie Hirchak
Julie, a resident of Altoona, Pennsylvania, comes
from a diverse background...as a post-operative transsexual
female who was born "male", Julie now lives
her life completely as a woman...as a "male",
she was married twice, with three children...after
college and military service, Julie spent much of
her life in the construction management industry...she
also has many years as a volunteer firefighter, search
and rescue manager/chief, and a PA Registered Paramedic...
unable to continue in those vocations due to societal
rejection as a
transsexual, she recently completed cosmetology school,
and expects to one day operate her own salon...Julie
served 4 years as Region 6 Representative for the
Statewide Pennsylvania Rights Coalition (SPARC), a
volunteer LGBT civil rights organization, playing
a key role in the passage of HB1493 Hate Crimes Bill...Julie
has been asked twice to speak about her journey as
a transsexual, at Penn State University and in Pittsburgh
at the Pennsylvania Transgendered Conference...Julie
hopes to use her life experiences, coupled with her
new found friendships in the LGBT community both locally
and abroad, help the Pennsylvania Department of Health
HIV-AIDS Prevention Planning Committee as a Board
Member, stop the spread of this horrific disease.
Stacey Kulp
Stacey is the Director of the Northeast Regional HIV
Planning Coalition.
Lloyd L. Lyter
Lloyd has many years of directly providing and administering
substance abuse services for chemically dependent
individuals. He has served on the Department of Health
HIV/Substance Abuse Training Team since its inception.
He is Professor of Social Work at Marywood University.
John Montero
John has been employed in the field of chemical dependency
treatment for a period of (25) twenty- five years.
His involvement with HIV related issues started in
1983 as he served, as the vice-president of the South
Central Aids Assistance Network in Harrisburg, PA.
Mr. Montero has also served as the Program Director
of the Gaudenzia Inc. People With Hope program, which
was the first facility in PA. to be created specifically
for the treatment and care of individuals who are
chemically dependant and HIV symptomatic. Apprize
Magazine has honored Mr. Montero by naming him as
one of the most vital people in Pennsylvania. Mr.
Montero was also awarded the prestigious Margaret
Sanger Award from Planned Parenthood. Gaudenzia Inc.
employs Mr. Montero as a Division Director with responsibility
for all HIV related treatment services.
Luisa Morla
No information about this member.
Daphne Parker
Daphne is appointed to the HIV Prevention Community
Planning Committee representing the Pittsburgh AIDS
Task Force, a CDC directly funded AIDS service Organization
(ASO). She has worked the past five years with non-profit
agencies in New York and Pennsylvania. She has directed
programs whose mission was to provide housing and
supportive services to individuals and their families
infected with HIV/AIDS.
Floyd M. Patterson,
MSW
Floyd is is the Prevention Supervisor, Community Relations
Coordinator, and the UHIMWE Project Coordinator at
the Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force, Pittsburgh, PA. Before
coming to work for PATF in 2000, he was employed as
the Social Services Coordinator at the Myasthenia
Gravis Association of Western PA since 1992. He served
as a committee member on the Southwestern PA Health
and Welfare Committees, the Southwestern PA AIDS Planning
Coalition, as well as serving as a board member and
committee chair of the Shepherd Wellness Community,
Inc. In addition, he was also an active member on
the AIDS Interfaith Care Teams. A founding member
of the African-American focus group which originally
sprung from the AIDS Interfaith Care Team, and has
become officially The RAPHA Program (Reach Act Provide
Health Awareness), and is affiliated with the Rodman
Street Missionary Baptist Church's HIV/AIDS Initiative.
I enjoy my church, which is the Fourth Presbyterian
Church, located in the Bloomfield area of Pittsburgh.
I enjoy gospel singing (I like almost anything that
has to do with music). And I really enjoy opportunities
that allow me to get on a dance floor and "work
out" to nice rhythmic sounds. All my biological
family are mostly in the Washington DC area, but I
have been blessed to become a part of the Pittsburgh
"family" of friends network" and I
appreciate this family so very much.
Angi PeaceTree
Angie began working with HIV/AIDS in 1994 as a student
at State University of New York at Potsdam. Angi works
as a case manager for a rural HIV/AIDS organization
in Pennsylvania. She brings her strong sense of egalitarian
values to her work and the CPG. Her background as
a Native American, growing up and living with risk
takers, has made her very sensitive to the needs of
individuals who have special needs in her community.
Caring for her cousin, who died with most of the family
not knowing that he had AIDS, taught her that even
strong ties were not enough to cope, to help, or to
heal. She would like to be a part of the process that
promotes helping and healing for persons living with
AIDS and those that love them.
Yamahira Pineiro
No information about this member.
Deborah Bray
Preston
Deborah is professor emirate of Nursing at Penn State
University, University Park, PA. She has a master
in community health nursing and a doctorate in rural
sociology specializing in rural family and community
health. She currently serves as the Principle Investigator
of a federally funded research grant examining the
effects of stigma on the HIV risk behaviors of rural
men who have sex with men.
Maggi E. Rambus
Maggi started to do HIV outreach with IDUs, homeless
and at risk youth on October 10, 2000. She ahs been
training for this position since 1985 when she was
sent to New York by the Job Corps Program to learn
about this new virus and how it would affect their
students. She worked with the Job Corp Program as
a counselor and was trained each year on HIV, as she
was the counselor assigned to special needs students
(those diagnosed HIV+). She continued to fulfill this
role casually as the alcohol and other drugs of abuse
specialist until she left the program. She graduated
from College Misericordia in 1985 with a BSW and has
now earned her Certified Addiction Counselor (CAC).
She is married with four grown children and four grandchildren.
In her spare time, what little there is, she likes
to read, do needlework and play on her computer.
Jared Roberts
No information about this committee member.
Alex Shamraevsky
Alex started his involvement with HIV/AIDS prevention
in 1995 while attending Taylor Allderdice High School.
After joining the Pennsylvania Young Adult Roundtables,
he became a Red Cross Instructor for HIV/AIDS Fundamentals
and did outreach and education. He currently serves
as one of four Pennsylvania Young Adult Round Tables
Co-Chairs and thinks that the Interventions subcommittee
of the CPG is the most important subcommittee.
Grace Shu
Grace is a medical doctor who serves as special advisor
to the Institute of Human Virology at the University
of Maryland and is Vice President of the Board of
the China AIDS Foundation. The Governor’s Advisory
Commission on Asian American Affairs nominated her
to the HIV Prevention Community Planning Committee.
Grace also serves on the National Advisory Council
on the Minority Health and Health Disparities of the
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Throughout
her career she has helped to improve the health care
of those who are under-served.
Steven R. Simmelkjaer
Steve is employed as a Community Health Specialist
with the Erie County Department of Health providing
education, outreach and HIV counseling and testing.
He coordinates the Street Outreach Prevention (STOP)
activities and provides guidance to the overall team
mission. He has worked in the drug and alcohol field
for over twenty-five years in different leadership
capacities. Experiences have enabled him to serve
on various community boards and presently as the President
of Vision of Hope Advisory Board for a Hepatitis Support
Group. He is also co-founder of a local Father’s
Work Group in Erie, where he serves as a facilitator
for incarcerated fathers. He is originally from Harlem,
NYC where he grew up. He is an advocate and is compassionate
to those who require more individualized assistance.
Jim Taylor
James (Jim) is an HIV positive gay man whose message
is how life's challenges can be opportunities for
the opening and healing of our hearts. Jim's commitment
is to use all of his gifts, including HIV, to touch
others. Throughout Huntingdon County, his story is
that of a person who has chosen to live in a commitment
of telling the truth, and of taking what appears to
be a dark and challenging time and finding a way to
let something beautiful be born out of that. Jim travels
and lectures extensively throughout south central
Pennsylvania where he wants to make a difference in
the lives of those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS.
Currently, he is in the process of resurrecting the
Huntingdon County AIDS Task Force.
Braxton E.
Vaughn
No information about this committee member.
Elsa Vazquez
Elsa works as a social worker for HIV positive patients
at Saint Luke’s Hospital in Bethlehem for the
past eleven years. She previously, provided drug and
alcohol treatment to Latino(a) clientele. She’s
an advocate for better human services for the Latino(a)
population. A single mother of three she likes dancing,
cooking, reading and traveling.
Christopher
Whitney
Christopher is a 9-year member of the committee and
serves as Director, AIDS Education and Training with
one of the county and municipal (Bucks Co.) health
departments in the state. A former high school English
teacher, he has been working in HIV since the epidemic
began in 1981; originally with the National Hemophilia
Foundation and involved with getting Ryan White admitted
to school when his Indiana community blocked his entrance.
He has served on numerous Boards at the local, regional
and national level. A classical pianist and church
organist. He and his partner of fourteen years make
their home in New Hope; one of bucolic Bucks County’s
many tourist destinations.
Yvette
Wiggins
Yvette, for the past three years, has worked for the
Positive Health Clinic, a Ryan White Tittle III provider
at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh. In addition,
she has been involved in infectious diseases for six
years. She wants others who have been infected to
get quality care and to be educated in all areas surrounding
sexually transmitted infections. She works with a
clinical team that consists of passionate and compassionate
people who are professionals in their field. She has
three teenage daughters—14, 16 and 17—and
one daughter who is 20 and a mate that loves her.
She believes she has done her job if she can help
others with prevention and education. She thanks God
every day.
