Previous Challenges
Read more about the previous Chair's Challenges below.
2023 – 2024: Access, Engage, & Activate: Centering and Re-centering Key Populations
As the 2023-2024 Board Chair, Dave Kern of Chicago, launched the Chair’s Challenge, “Access, Engage, & Activate: Centering and Re-centering Key Populations.” This challenge focused on centering or re-centering the following key populations:
- Persons of transgender experience
- Persons who use drugs
- Persons aging with HIV
- Gay, bisexual, and other same-gender loving men, Black and Latino men in particular
Dave's Chair's Challenge highlighted that within these populations, BIPOC individuals are disproportionately impacted, so it is imperative to prioritize efforts to increase access and services for these communities, in particular. The Challenge also called for whole-person approaches for engaging these populations with humility and long-term commitments, for focusing beyond HIV and hepatitis, and for being okay sitting in places of discomfort.
2022 - 2023: Implementing Strategic Visions to End the Epidemics
As the 2022-2023 Board Chair, Elizabeth (Beth) Crutsinger-Perry of Washington launched the Chair’s Challenge, “Implementing Strategic Visions to End the Epidemics.” This challenge focused on NASTAD’S new strategic plan and updated mission and vision statements; values; guiding principles; and four strategic priorities. This update came at a time when NASTAD was reflecting on the accomplishments of the last 30 years, and planning on how the organization would like to move forward in the future. Beth encouraged her colleagues in every jurisdiction to join and align their work with NASTAD’S four strategic priorities and uphold its values and principles.
2021 - 2022: 30 Years of Leading Change
During her 2021 - 2022 term, Beth stepped into the role as NASTAD Board Chair and presided over the 30 Years of Leading Change Chair’s Challenge. This Challenge highlighted the importance of looking back to celebrate NASTAD’s achievements over 30 years, while also looking ahead at what still needed to be done to end HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, and intersecting epidemics. During this time, NASTAD staff, members, and partners prioritized addressing racism as a public health crisis; spearheaded programs and projects that focused on the EHE initiative; and navigated COVID-19 with innovation at the forefront.
2020 - 2021: Leading with Policy
During her 2020 - 2021 term, Marlene McNeese of Houston presided over her Challenge, Leading with Policy. This Challenge emphasized the importance of sound policy rooted in science for ending the HIV and hepatitis epidemics. Marlene called on NASTAD and its members to renew their commitment to developing federal, state, and local policies that provide the foundation for access to prevention, care, and treatment. This Challenge also highlighted police violence and racism happening against people of color and emphasized police violence and over-policing as a public health issue. Marlene also encouraged members to center minority public health professionals who were at the front lines of the COVID-19 response while also experiencing dehumanizing patterns of racist violence.
2019 - 2020: The Time is NOW: End the Epidemics
During her 2019 - 2020 term, Johanne Morne of New York presided over her Challenge, The Time is NOW: End the Epidemics. Under this Challenge, NASTAD and its membership engaged in the federal initiative to end HIV by 2030. NASTAD held provided technical assistance to states to help them launch Ending the Epidemic plans and hosted a peer learning event to connect 20 health departments with federal and community partners. Also under her Challenge, NASTAD launched HepTAC, its Drug User Health Team, and developed a map to track jurisdictions that have signed on to the U=U consensus statement.
2018 - 2019: Achieving Health Equity to End the Epidemics
During her 2018 - 2019 term, Jacquelyn Clymore of North Carolina announced her Challenge, Achieving Health Equity to End the Epidemics. Under this Challenge, NASTAD released a new toolkit, Talking Points: The Resource Guide for Facilitating Stigma Conversations, and hosted a stigma summit at the 2019 National HIV Prevention Conference. In addition, NASTAD doubled the size of the 2018 Minority Leadership Program (MLP) cohort to 24 participants and established the goal to continue increasing the cohort so that by 2022, 180 individuals will have participated in MLP.
2017 - 2018: Unite to End the Epidemics
During her 2017 - 2018 term as Chair, Shanell McGoy of Tennessee announced her Challenge would be called Unite To End The Epidemics. Some of her achievements included implementing supplemental membership dues for the Minority Leadership Program (MLP) and other mission-driven, health equity activities; continuing the collection of Success Stories; and strengthening key partnerships in continuing the goal to end the epidemics.
2016 - 2017: Ready to End the HIV and Viral Hepatitis Epidemics
During her 2016 - 2017 term as Chair, DeAnn Gruber of Louisiana announced her Challenge, Ready to End the HIV and Viral Hepatitis Epidemics, that called on U.S. health departments to accelerate progress towards a future free from HIV and hepatitis. Her challenge stressed the importance of innovation, vision, and commitment to strengthening programs to prevent new infections and better meet the needs of people living with and at risk for infection. DeAnn also oversaw the addition of the local jurisdictions directly funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to the NASTAD membership, a first in the organization’s history. In addition, the Core Competencies Index provided an examination for health departments to end the HIV epidemic.