2024 MLP: Executive Activator Cohort

Beatriz Acevedo (she/her) is the Senior Director of Health Equity at NASTAD. Beatriz is an educator on antiracism and architect of equitable ecosystems for organizations and communities. Beatriz brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to this work, both personally and professionally. She has had a wide range of firsthand experience as a facilitator, public health educator, program developer, and organizational leader. She has dedicated most of her life to this work. She continues to use her gifts, skills, and knowledge in dismantling and rebuilding a more just and equitable society. Beatriz leads with her spirit, head, and heart while being emergent and responsive to this work. 

Brenda Hernandez (she/her) is the Deputy Director of the Division of STD Prevention & HIV Surveillance. She began her tenure at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health in 2009 as a Disease Intervention Specialist, performing contact tracing and field-based case investigation as part of the National Partner Services Program to prevent and control sexually transmitted infections and HIV. She has had various leadership roles where she has had the opportunity to train and mentor staff, strengthen provider and community engagement, and apply her skill sets to lead with a health equity mindset to ensure public health interventions and responses are equitable and accessible to marginalized communities. Brenda earned a Bachelor of Science in Health Administration from George Mason University and a Master of Science in Project Management and Development from the University of Massachusetts. Brenda loves the outdoors and is a yoga aficionado. A self-proclaimed “foodie,” she enjoys trying new cuisines and experiencing different cultures.

Africka S. Hinds (she/her) is a distinguished professional with over 30 years of experience encompassing public health, social services, advocacy, housing, and education. Presently holding the position of Health Program Supervisor at the CT Department of Public Health for the Health Care Support Services of the Ryan White Part B Program, Africka consistently exhibits an unwavering commitment to advancing community health equity, serving others in need, and promoting self-care. Complementing her professional endeavors, Africka has demonstrated unwavering dedication to her community serving as Moderator with Asylum Hill Congregational Church, Mentor for 12 young women of color on five college campuses in the Greater Hartford area, and Managing Consultant with several community-based organizations. Despite a wealth of experience and volunteer services, Africka continuously seeks ways to educate herself in various subjects focused on Health Equity, Cultural Humility, Implicit Bias, Generational Divide, and Holistic Health to develop a more inclusive healthcare system. This dedication enables her to engage individuals at various stages of their leadership aspirations, attentively address needs, and actively contribute to the realization of her vision of love where everyone has a seat at the table. She collaborates with her colleagues to drive meaningful change within broken systems, establish future leaders, and create opportunities for BIPOC to serve as leaders in any industry, especially in public health, as the MLP Executive Activator was designed to achieve. Central to her life roles is her role as a mother to Mali and Janai, who are following in her footsteps, showcasing service, appreciation for the arts, and a commitment to fostering positive change by harmonizing traditions with technology.

Maria Jackson (she/her) is the Care and Services Program Manager for the Office of STI/HIV/VH at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE).  Maria manages the Client Support, Health Care Access and Linkage to Care Units as well as the coordination of the Ryan White Part B Program. Maria’s experience includes more than thirty years in HIV care and prevention program management.  She has been with the Office of STI/HIV/VH since 2001.  Prior to her employment at CDPHE her experience includes ten years of providing direct HIV Care and Prevention services working for community based organizations.  Maria serves as the 2024-2025  Vice Chair of NASTAD Board of Directors and also as a member of the Ryan White Part A Denver HIV Resources Planning Council.

Tangula Jefferson (she/her) has been married for 41 years. She has 2 adult children and 4 grandsons that are the love of her life. She serves as the Assistant Commissioner with the Syndemic Infectious Disease Bureau at the Chicago Department of Public. She has worked in the public health sector for 25+ years. As the Assistant Commissioner, she is responsible for leading and managing all aspects of the bureau’s finance and administration responsibilities. She oversees contracts, finance, budgets, and works closely with Human Resources, and partners with bureau leadership.

Angela Johnson (she/her) is the Director of Development and Strategic Partnerships at NASTAD. She has worked in domestic and global HIV prevention for over 15 years and currently serves as Chair of the Southern AIDS Coalition Board of Directors. Angela believes in intersectional approaches to health, and integrates her expertise in HIV with her passion for maternal health and reproductive justice. She is known as an energetic leader who enjoys training, facilitation, problem-solving, and fostering strong relationships with her colleagues. Angela earned her MPH from Emory University and her BA from the University of Virginia. Outside of work, she enjoys finding four-leaf clovers, making pottery, and exploring her local community with her family.

Dr. Phadre Johnson (she/her) is the Director of the Ryan White Part B Program at the Tennessee Department of Health (TDH). She oversees the statewide Ryan White Part B program, administers the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP), the Minority AIDS Initiative (MAI), and the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) program. Prior to this role, Dr. Johnson worked as a Medicaid Eligibility Director with the Bureau of TennCare, where she was responsible for determining eligibility and annual recertification of member benefits. She also served as the CAPUS Program Coordinator for the Tennessee Department of Health, providing oversight of the Corrections Navigation Program, Social Network Strategy, and Disease Intervention Specialist program. Dr. Johnson has over 11 years of experience leading public health programs and serves as a member of the TDH IRB Board, the National Alliance of State & Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD) Board of Directors, and the Tennessee Part A Planning Council Board. She earned a Doctor of Education in Leadership from Trevecca Nazarene University, with a focus on Healthcare Administration.

“It is our duty to fight for our freedom…We have nothing to lose but our chains” - Assata Shakur

Sharday Lewis (she/her/hers) is an associate director on the Drug User Health team at NASTAD. She leads grantmaking within the Drug User Health portfolio, with a focus on prioritizing diverse needs and creating low-barrier funding opportunities that better align with the principles of harm reduction. Prior to NASTAD, Sharday worked to enhance harm reduction infrastructure and capacity building at the health department in Washington,DC. With a background in trauma-informed approaches, change management, and HIV/AIDS and substance use prevention, Sharday is passionate about advancing systems change rooted in equity and justice and dismantling systems of oppression through solutions that are person-centered, and healing oriented. She holds a B.S in Allied Health Sciences from The Illustrious Howard University (Washington, DC) and an MPH in Management and Policy from SUNY Albany (Albany, NY).

Roselyn Perez (she/her) has always had an affinity for improving the well-being of others. From a young age, Roselyn served children under compromised situations as a volunteer, providing recreation activities in transitioning facilities. From there her work has expanded into promoting health and stopping the spread of communicable diseases. Roselyn currently serves as a Consultant for the Partner Services & Disease Intervention Program at the South Carolina Department of Public Health. She has been employed with the agency for 17 years. During her tenure as a DIS, she was sought out for her abilities to engage, inform, and motivate clients (particularly clients of Hispanic ethnicity) to engage in programmatic activities to promote healthy outcomes, seek and accept treatment, and participate in appropriate communicable intervention processes. Roselyn received a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Carabobo, Aragua State-Venezuela where she is originally from. 

Dennis Rivera (he/him) is a native of New York City, NY. He received his master’s degree in Social Work from the Fordham University School of Social Work in 2006 and obtained his LCSW-C license in 2011. Beginning his work in the hospital setting, Dennis has been helping people with HIV since 1999. He currently serves as the Deputy Director of the Infectious Disease Prevention and Health Services Bureau with the Maryland Department of Health’s Prevention and Health Promotion Administration. Prior to his role at the Maryland Department of Health, Dennis was the Director of Social Work and the Manager of Ryan White Services in the Bartlett Specialty Practice at Johns Hopkins Hospital located in Baltimore, MD. Dennis has extensive experience working with people living with HIV including serving on the Greater Baltimore HIV Health Services Planning Council.

Nikita Spears (she/her) is a distinguished public health professional with over 21 years of experience across community-based, local, and state government sectors. She has extensive experience in leading statewide and county initiatives aimed at chronic disease and communicable disease reduction. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Community Health Education from North Carolina Central University and a Master of Public Administration from Strayer University. Nikita is the HIV & STD Community Health Manager for the HIV/STD/Hep C Community Program with Wake County Health and Human Services in Raleigh, NC. In her spare time, Nikita enjoys spending quality time with her family and friends, traveling, and engaging in community service as a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.

Evan Thornburg (they/she) currently serves as the Health Equity Officer for the Philadelphia Department of Public Health in the Division of HIV Health. Evan received her BA in American Studies/Civilizations from Ursinus College, and a Master’s in Urban Bioethics/Medical Ethics at Temple School of Medicine specializing in the ethics of biotechnology/AI and the public health threats of mis/disinformation in media. Evan works on projects relating to health equity and HIV health access for marginalized/vulnerable communities through qualitative and quantitative assessments, program designs, and interdisciplinary social science research.

Adyam Redae-Woodson (she/her), MA, currently serves as the Assistant Director of HIV and Hepatitis Prevention at the Virginia Department of Health Division of Disease Prevention. With over 15 years of experience in public health, Adyam has held various contract administrative positions, focusing on quality assurance, process standardization, training development, and capacity building. She has been instrumental in creating healing-centered approaches in HIV prevention programs and has coordinated advisory boards for marginalized communities. Prior to her current role, Adyam worked on the Community Transformation Grant at the Prince George's Health Department in Maryland, where she concentrated on chronic disease prevention, particularly tobacco and obesity prevention. Adyam is deeply committed to applying health equity principles to transform existing care systems and has a strong passion for public health. She prioritizes compassion for consumers and community-based organization staff and ensures agency accountability for efficient and effective program implementation, always with the consumer at the heart of the program. Adyam also initiated and facilitated Mental Health First Aid and Revive Lay Person training for Virginia-funded sub-recipients. Moreover, she has established internal work groups and committees for BIOPIC staff, including the Equity and Inclusion Action Committee and the Employee Recognition Group. Adyam has a bachelor’s degree in political science from Virginia Commonwealth University and a master’s degree in counseling with a concentration in Community Mental Health Counseling from Hampton University.

MLP: EA Facilitators work in concert with each other to provide fellows a safe space to explore their lived experiences and activate their leadership. Each brings their own unique flare and style of facilitation rooted in transformative justice that involves a blend of storytelling, small-group facilitation, and skill-sharing. From instructional design to long-arc strategy cultivation, facilitators bring over a decade of combined experience surrounding organizational change, equity-focused program development, conflict resolution, and embodied systems navigation. With an intersectional approach that centers holistic healing and compassionate mentorship, MLP: EA facilitators build the infrastructure for powerful leaders of color across the nation to improve the lives of the communities they serve.