NMAC hires former director of the White House Office of National AIDS Policy to lead programs, fortify the HIV movement

WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A, February 28, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- NMAC³, a 37-year old community organization that “leads with race” to end the HIV epidemic in the United States, today announced that Harold Phillips will begin a newly-created role as their Deputy Director of Programs. Mr. Phillips has an illustrious career in the federal government advancing national HIV policies and programs. He joins NMAC on April 1 after his successful role as the director of the White House Office of National AIDS Policy¹. As a gay, Black man living with HIV, he brings lived experience and a personal voice to eliminating systemic racial inequities that have led to people of color² being the majority of people living with HIV and the majority of new cases of HIV. Finally, Harold’s arrival aligns with NMAC’s 2024 vision to mobilize HIV community voting in a critical election year that may lead to more severe funding cuts.

“Harold is the future. His nuanced understanding of federal policies and programs, relationships with NMAC’s key partners, and individual story as a person of color living with HIV, are essential to our agency and the HIV movement. My 35 years as Executive Director of NMAC have overlapped almost the entire HIV epidemic. After watching Harold’s career start here in the 90’s, it is a full circle moment to welcome him home. While I’m not ready to leave, I know that the longevity of our agency and our movement are only possible when we nurture the next generation of leaders. I couldn’t be happier knowing that Harold, who has been the community voice within the federal government, will now be our voice to the federal government,” said Paul Kwata, Executive Director, NMAC.

“Leading the White House Office of National AIDS Policy has been an honor and an experience of a lifetime. I am now delighted to transport those learnings and relationships back to NMAC and the HIV community where I began. As a gay, Black man living and thriving with HIV, my life is a testament to the collective gains of our progressive policies, biomedical advancements for prevention and treatment, and evidence-based federal funding appropriations. Yet, we continue to fight the HIV movement’s core issue - a need for systemically equitable inclusions and health access for communities of color. In this critical election year, where so much of our progress risks being eroded, I’m ready to return to NMAC and continue working for our people,” said Harold Phillips, incoming Deputy Director of Programs, NMAC.

About: NMAC is a 37-year old community organization that “leads with race” as the only sustainable way to end the HIV epidemic in the United States. We offer educational and capacity building, advocacy and mobilization, and a range of national events to support people of color impacted by HIV. We host the Biomedical HIV Prevention Summit - the nation’s largest gathering focused on PrEP for HIV prevention and the U.S. Conference of HIV/AIDS - the nation’s largest gathering for community building and advocacy mobilization.

Press Contacts:

Pavni Guharoy
Acting Director of Communications
pguharoy@nmac.org

Taelor Clay
Communications Manager
Tclay@nmac.org

Pavni Guharoy
NMAC
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¹ https://www.hiv.gov/blog/reflections-from-onap-2021-2024/
² https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/group/racialethnic/other-races/diagnoses.html
³ https://www.nmac.org/