Board of Directors
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Devon Trotter, Board Chair
Pronouns: He/Him/His or She/Her/Hers Devon is a certified life coach and equity and inclusion professional in the climate and environmental conservation space, who brings a wealth of experience in nonprofit management, community engagement, event planning, fundraising, and peer group facilitation. An active member of the D.C. queer and art communities, Devon is a member of the Kennedy Center's inaugural Culture Caucus and volunteers for Whitman Walker and SMYAL. Devon has been a DJ and event planner since 2011 |
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Andrea López, PhD, Board Vice Chair
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers Dr. Andrea M. Lopez is a professor and researcher with expertise in medical anthropology, urban anthropology, the anthropology of drug use, health inequities, the U.S. welfare state, and subjectivity and social suffering in U.S. urban contexts. She has nearly three decades of experience working with unstably housed and homeless people who use drugs, both as a researcher and in a harm reduction direct service capacity. Dr. Lopez’s anthropological research objectives are broadly concerned with how subjectivities are formed within the context of U.S. War-on-Drugs policies, which include punishment, racialization, and social exclusion of communities and how historical legacies produce health inequities. She has a long history of doing ethnographic and community-engaged work to understand the ways that punitive governance is built into health and social welfare systems and how historically marginalized communities organize against necropolitical social contexts and pursue health justice. |
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Kate Goertzen, Board Secretary
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers Kate is an organizational development strategist and coalition builder also interested in the intersections of art and design with belonging and community building. In her work partnering to grow nonprofits and collectives, Kate seeks partnership and impact as an advocate, communicator, and strategist committed to shifting power and resources to where they can have the highest impact—in the hands of folks directly impacted. Kate also works as a designer, co-creating physical spaces where folks with bold dreams can grow, challenge one another, and connect with or serve their community more effectively. |
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Matthew Rose, Board Treasurer Pronouns: He/Him/His Matthew Rose is a longstanding HIV and social justice advocate. He brings over a decade of experience in community engagement, health policy, and HIV science, with a particular focus on health equity. |
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Dr. Rebecca Atkinson, Board Member
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers Dr. Rebecca Atkinson is a committed environmental and social justice advocate, with over a decade of experience in community engagement/organizing, advocacy, public health research, and policy development. She currently serves as the Program Director for a national public safety reform initiative and is the Founder of a career and life coaching firm for Black and brown womxn (www.alignedllc.co). Originally from Mississippi, Rebecca always carries her experiences in the Deep South with her and uses them to inform the ways she shows up for and supports community. |
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Elizabeth Buckley, Board Member
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers Elizabeth Buckley is the founder of Pantherinae, a software company that develops solutions specific to sextech needs and online performers. She also works for Praetorian, an offensive cyber security firm. Prior to these roles, she worked in the federal government for over 10 years, and prior to that, at the United Nations. She holds an MA in Conflict and Security in International Affairs from the New School and a BA in poetry from LSU. She has volunteered at harm reduction clinics for over 20 years. |
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Kristen Ceranic, MSN, RN, PMH-BC, CARN Board Member
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers Kristen Ceranic holds a Master’s degree in Nursing Leadership in Healthcare Systems with more than ten years of experience in substance use, mental health, and community advocacy. She currently serves as the Director of Nursing for Sandstone Care, a leading facility in substance use and mental health serving the D.C. area. Kristen has earned her Certified Addiction’s Registered Nurse certification as well as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing Board Certification. Kristen has worked with the Act on Addiction Campaign and Juniper Program through Inova Health System to provide tools and resources to those seeking treatment for addiction and HIV/AIDS care. She has a passion for raising awareness, reducing stigmas, and fostering community engagement. She is committed to advocating for equality, social justice, and equitable access to healthcare services for all individuals. Beyond clinical practice, Kristen enjoys event planning for personal and professional events. |
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Chelsea L. Ricker, Board Member
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers Chelsea L. Ricker is a lifelong sexual and reproductive rights activist with over 15 years professional experience supporting global and local women's and human rights organizations develop policy, program, and advocacy initiatives that work for their needs. Through her consulting practice, www.chelseasaidso.org, Chelsea specializes in building organizational strategies, and learning and capacity-strengthening tools that are inclusive, intersectional, and community-driven. |
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Mazen Saleh, Board Member Pronouns: He/Him/His Mazen Saleh is the policy director of Integrated Harm Reduction at R Street Institute where he oversees policy strategy, fundraising and management of the program. Prior to joining R Street, he served in senior roles at the National League for Nursing and the Association of American Medical Colleges. His experience cuts across health education and research, public policy, business development and strategy. He holds a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts from Georgetown University and a master’s degree in global health and development from the University College London. |
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Aaron Shapiro, Board Member
Pronouns: He/Him/His They/Them/Theirs Aaron Shapiro, MD, MPH, AAHIVS, EDAC is a primary care doctor focused on providing quality healthcare in underserved communities. His clinical work centers harm reduction and liberation medicine to provide non-judgmental, patient-centered primary care to those who experience significant barriers to receiving quality healthcare. He also has experience in health system management, health information technology, quality improvement, healthcare built environment design, and founded ddn.health to work towards improving people's experiences with healthcare at every interface. |
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Joseph Strango, Board Member
Pronouns: He/Him/His They/Them/Theirs Joseph Stango is a Senior Program Manager at AIDS United, helping lead the HRSA HAB Using Innovative Intervention Strategies to Improve Health Outcomes among People with HIV initiative (2iS). He has led conference sessions and provided technical assistance on topics including implementing a status neutral approach to HIV service delivery; program development and strategic planning; and instituting empowerment programs with and for Transgender Women. He is particularly passionate about fostering programs that serve and encourage healing in people who have experienced sexual trauma, and in his time outside of AIDS United, Joseph enjoys practicing yoga, watching movies, and dancing to old disco records. |
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Lauren Webre, Board Member Pronouns: They/Them/Theirs Lauren is a D.C. based education researcher, programmer, and performing artist. Lauren has a diverse background spanning social work, trauma-informed care, efficacy research, relationship coaching, data analysis, and exotic dance. They are honored to be working with HIPS toward dignity and harm reduction for those who most need it. |
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Jonathan Zucker, Board Member
Pronouns: He/Him/His Jonathan Zucker is a political technology entrepreneur and campaign finance attorney; he is the founder of Democracy Engine (2009) and Every State Blue (formerly It Starts Today - 2016). He was the first COO and second CEO of ActBlue. Before joining ActBlue in early 2005, he spent the 2004 election cycle as the National Director of Operations - Finance at the Democratic National Committee. Prior to that, he was an organizer, fundraiser, administrator, or attorney for a variety of progressive organizations, including the Interfaith Alliance, HRC, Color of Change, Genderpac, and Gill Foundation. |