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NASTAD Recognizes Members, Staff, and Partners during 2025 Annual Meeting

Stephen Lee, Executive Director, NASTAD

During the 2025 Annual Meeting, NASTAD celebrated the accomplishments of dedicated members, staff, and partners. This year, NASTAD was pleased to recognize the contributions of the following health department staff and NASTAD partners: 

  • 2025 Chair’s Challenge Award: Michigan Department of Health and Human Services – Mahogany Blue 
  • 2025 Service Award: Clover Barnes (Washington, DC) 
  • 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award: Thomas Bertrand (Rhode Island) 
  • 2025 Partnership Award: Jesse Milan Jr., President and CEO of AIDS United 

 NASTAD was also pleased to recognize the following staff who received 10-year and 5-year service awards:   

  • 10-Year Service Award: Edwin Corbin-Gutierrez, Senior Program Advisor 
  • 5-Year Service Awards: 
    • Chloe’ Y. Bernard, Manager, Health Care Access 
    • Elika Upadhyay, Senior Associate, Drug User Health 
    • Kirsten Forseth, Associate Director, Drug User Health 
    • Krupa Mehta, Senior Manager, Prevention 
    • Lillie Armstrong, Senior Manager, Drug User Health 
    • Matty Helton, Senior Associate, Syndemic Approaches (Prevention) 
    • Nicole Elinoff, Senior Manager, Capacity Building 
    • Rabia Masood, Senior Associate, Finance & Accounting 
    • Stephen Lee, Executive Director 
    • Virginie Carey, Deputy Executive Director 

2025 Chair’s Challenge Award: Michigan Department of Health and Human Services 

This year, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services was awarded NASTAD’s 2025 Chair’s Challenge Award for their Mahogany Blue Campaign. The 2024-2025 Chair’s Challenge, “Black Women and BIPOC Leaders: Breaking Barriers and Building Bridges”, focused on prioritizing Black women as a key population in the fight to end the epidemics. The Mahogany Blue Campaign successfully addressed this Chair’s Challenge by highlighting HIV prevention resources that assist Black women in making informed decisions about their sexual health. The campaign recognizes the unique barriers Black women encounter in accessing HIV prevention resources, such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), and provides them with the tools they need to take the steps towards HIV prevention. Thank you to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services for doing this important work of prioritizing Black women in the fight to end the epidemics. 

2025 Service Award: Clover Barnes (Washington, DC) 

Clover Barnes, Senior Deputy Director, HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis, STD, TB Administration (HAHSTA) at Washington, D.C.’s heath department, was awarded a NASTAD Service Award for her exemplary term as NASTAD’s 2024-2025 Board Chair. In this role, Clover implemented many events, programming, and resources that uplifted her Chair’s Challenge, “Black Women and BIPOC Leaders: Breaking Barriers and Building Bridges”. Her term consisted of several sessions and resources that focused on prioritizing Black women in the fight to end the epidemics, as well as strategies to increase the number of BIPOC leaders in health departments and support them to oversee and advance efforts to end the epidemics. NASTAD appreciates Clover’s dedication to this role and is honored to present her with this award. 

2025 Lifetime Achievement Award: Thomas Bertrand (Rhode Island) 

Thomas (Tom) Bertrand, Chief, Office of HIV, STD, Viral Hepatitis and TB, at the Rhode Island Department of Health, was awarded NASTAD’s 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award for his many decades dedicated to ending the epidemics. Tom has been a committed NASTAD member and former Board member, and provided leadership in many ways, such as assisting with the development of NASTAD’s strategic plan. At the Rhode Island Department of Health, he made substantial contributions to public health, particularly, gay men’s health and the health of people who use drugs. His work resonates in his jurisdiction of Rhode Island, as well as on a national level. Thank you, Tom, for the many years dedicated to ending the epidemics and NASTAD looks forward to all that you will continue to accomplish in the future. 

2025 Partnership Award: Jesse Milan Jr., President and CEO of AIDS United 

NASTAD awarded Jesse Milan Jr., President and CEO of AIDS United, the 2025 Partnership Award. Jesse Milan Jr. has been committed to ending the HIV epidemic for over 40 years. Jesse’s lifelong advocacy and wealth of experience has made him a very valued partner to NASTAD over the years. In fact, before his current role, he worked as one of the original trainers in NASTAD’s Minority Leadership Program, helping NASTAD cultivate the program into the success it is today. Since Jesse Milan Jr. joined AIDS United as the CEO in 2016, he has worked to unite NASTAD and AIDS United through policy and advocacy work, cooperative agreements, and strategic leadership. NASTAD will miss Jesse and his astute leadership as he is retiring this summer, but he is leaving the organization in the very capable hands of Carl Baloney.   NASTAD looks forward to our continued work together. 

NASTAD Staff Awards 

Along with member and partner awards, NASTAD awarded staff with 5-Year and 10-Year Service Awards. The 5-Year Service Awards were awarded to: Chloe’ Y. Bernard, Manager, Health Care Access; Elika Upadhyay, Senior Associate, Drug User Health; Kirsten Forseth, Associate Director, Drug User Health; Krupa Mehta, Senior Manager, Prevention; Lillie Armstrong, Senior Manager, Drug User Health; Matty Helton, Senior Associate, Syndemic Approaches (Prevention); Nicole Elinoff, Senior Manager, Capacity Building; Rabia Masood, Senior Associate, Finance & Accounting; Stephen Lee, Executive Director; and Virginie Carey, Deputy Executive Director. The 10-Year Service Award was awarded to Edwin Corbin-Gutierrez, Senior Program Advisor. In their respective roles, they have provided NASTAD with their support, expertise, and commitment. We are very appreciative of their notable hard work and dedication to NASTAD for five years or more.

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