NASTAD Announces Boatemaa Ntiri-Reid, JD, MPH as Next Executive Director
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Board of Directors of NASTAD (National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors) announced Boatemaa Ntiri-Reid, JD, MPH as NASTAD's next Executive Director. Boatemaa will begin her post on April 20, 2026. In her role as Executive Director, she will lead NASTAD's mission to end HIV, viral hepatitis, and intersecting epidemics while advancing health equity and addressing the structural inequities that shape the health of marginalized communities.
NASTAD partnered with DSG | Koya, a DSG Global company dedicated to mission-driven leadership, in a rigorous national search process to select NASTAD's next Executive Director.
“The appointment of Boatemaa Ntiri-Reid as NASTAD’s next Executive Director signals an exciting next chapter for the organization,” said Sarah Braunstein, NASTAD Board Chair. “At this critical time in public health, Boatemaa’s leadership will help sustain and accelerate NASTAD’s role as a strong and steady advocate for the resources and policies state and local health departments need to address HIV, viral hepatitis, and syndemic conditions. The Board and I are ready and excited to support Boatemaa and all of NASTAD through this transition to make it successful and smooth.”
Boatemaa Ntiri-Reid brings more than 20 years of public health experience and over 15 years leading national and state-level initiatives at the intersection of infectious disease prevention, population health, and policy innovation. Most recently, she served as Senior Director, Syndemic Approaches at NASTAD, where she led three teams comprising nearly half of NASTAD's programmatic staff and oversaw a portfolio of more than $15 million across HIV, viral hepatitis, and overdose prevention. During her tenure, she drove development of more than $6 million in successful funding applications, significantly expanding NASTAD's capacity to deliver technical assistance and capacity building to its members and 80 overdose prevention partners.
A licensed attorney and public health strategist, Boatemaa has built a distinguished career advancing equity-centered public health solutions at the local, state, and national levels. Prior to her senior leadership role at NASTAD, she served as Director, Hepatitis at NASTAD and as Chief of the Center for Viral Hepatitis at the Maryland Department of Health, where she directed a $4.8 million CDC cooperative agreement that contributed to increasing HCV confirmatory testing among antibody-positive individuals from 40% to 95%, and resulted in 543 people living with chronic HCV being treated and cured. She has also served as a CDC Assignee at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and as an Equal Justice Works Fellow at the Legal Aid Bureau, where she designed and implemented medical-legal partnerships to improve health outcomes for people living with HIV.
Boatemaa is a sought-after national speaker and published researcher whose work spans syndemic approaches, ending HIV, viral hepatitis elimination, and the integration of law and public health policy. She was named one of Maryland's Top 100 Women in 2024 and was an invitee to the White House for A National Program for Hepatitis C Elimination in 2022.
She holds a Juris Doctor with a Law and Health Care Certificate from the University of Maryland School of Law, a Master of Public Health in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention from Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of Michigan.
"I am truly excited about the appointment of Boatemaa Ntiri-Reid as NASTAD's next Executive Director,” said Maria Jackson, Chair-Elect of NASTAD’s Board of Directors. “After a thoughtful and thorough process, I am confident that Boatemaa not only brings the vision and leadership we need but a genuine passion for our mission. I look forward to working alongside her and embarking on this next chapter together."
Boatemaa Ntiri-Reid succeeds Dr. Stephen Lee, who for six years has provided outstanding leadership to NASTAD. Stephen’s tenure began shortly before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. As fear and uncertainty regarding the pandemic unfolded, Stephen's unique blend of patience, nimbleness, and emotional intelligence emerged. As a result of his leadership, NASTAD thrived. Some of his successes include the development of an innovative strategic plan, exponential growth of the staff and its programs, and an expansion of the NASTAD membership to ensure better diversity and inclusion.
“I have had the pleasure of working closely with Boatemaa throughout my entire tenure as NASTAD’s Executive Director,” said Dr. Stephen Lee, NASTAD’s outgoing Executive Director. “Boatemaa has demonstrated the vision, leadership, and strategic thinking necessary to lead NASTAD into its next chapter. I am confident that Boatemaa will build on the strong foundation NASTAD’s staff, Board of Directors, and members have laid over the last 35 years while bringing fresh ideas and approaches that will chart a new path as NASTAD continues its vital work of ending the HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, and intersecting epidemics.”
“I am truly honored to lead NASTAD at such a pivotal moment for our mission,” said Boatemaa Ntiri-Reid, JD, MPH, Incoming Executive Director, NASTAD. “Every day, I am inspired by the dedication, expertise, and passion of NASTAD’s staff, whose work strengthens and supports health departments and their partners across the country as they lead the response to HIV, viral hepatitis, and drug user health. Having worked closely with health departments throughout my career, I understand both the challenges they face and the critical role NASTAD plays as a trusted partner to the field. I look forward to building on our strong foundation by investing in our talented team, deepening partnerships with health departments and communities alike, and advancing innovative, syndemic approaches that move us closer to ending these intersecting epidemics.”
About NASTAD
NASTAD is a leading non-partisan non-profit association that represents public health officials who administer HIV and hepatitis programs in the U.S. We work to advance the health and dignity of people living with and impacted by HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis, and intersecting epidemics by strengthening governmental public health through advocacy, capacity building, and social justice.