Beyond AIDS Foundation Leaders
In its final biennial election on November 19, 2017, Beyond AIDS agreed to merge at the end of 2019 with its Beyond AIDS Foundation, maintaining the Foundation’s structure, focus on education and research, and tax-deductibility, while retaining Beyond AIDS’ involvement in public policy, and to a minor degree in legislation. The Foundation will be the ongoing corporate entity, and henceforth will be empowered to select its own officers and directors. Meanwhile, the following 9 officers and directors appointed by Beyond AIDS will serve as the Board of Directors of the Beyond AIDS Foundation during 2020, 2021 and 2022:
| President: | Gary A. Richwald, MD, MPH (California) |
| Vice-Pres: | Jeffrey Klausner, MD, MPH (California) |
| Secretary: | Ronald P. Hattis, MD, MPH (California) |
| Treasurer: | Richel Strydom, MD, MPH (California) |
| Directors: | Donna C. Futterman, MD (New York) |
| Jean Davis-Hatcher, PhD, PA (California) | |
| Franklyn N. Judson, MD (Colorado) | |
| Elizabeth Kidder, MD, MPH (Washington, DC) | |
| Cary Savitch, MD (California) |
The Advisory Council of the Beyond AIDS Foundation consists of the following, and may be revised or expanded by the Board:
Denise Bleak, MSN, PHN (California)
Deanna Stover, PhD, FNP (California)
Josileide Gaio, MPH (Brazil)
Peter Kerndt, MD, MPH (Washington, DC)
Monica M. Sweeney, MD, MPH (New York)
Jennifer Veltman, MD (California)
Federico Cruz-Uribe (Hawaii)
The Scientific Committee advises the Beyond AIDS Foundation on scientific matters:
I. Jean Davis-Hatcher, PhD, PA, DC (California)
Donna C Futterman, MD (New York)
Ronald P. Hattis, MD, MPH (California)
Elizabeth Kidder, MD, PhD, MPH (New York)
Franklyn N. Judson, MD, MPH (Colorado)
Jeffrey Klausner, MD, MPH (California)
Gary A. Richwald, MD, MPH (California)
Cary Savitch, MD (California)
Colin Shepherd, MD (Washington, DC)
Deanna C. Stover, PhD, RN (Nevada)
Monica M. Sweeney, MD, MPH (Florida)
Jennifer Veltman, MD (California)
BRIEF BIOGRAPHIES OF BOARD MEMBERS OF BEYOND AIDS FOUNDATION:
OFFICERS, THEN DIRECTORS IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER
GARY A. RICHWALD, MD, MPH, President
Gary Richwald, current President of Beyond AIDS Foundation, received his engineering degree from Cornell University, medical degree from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City, and Master's in Public Health (MPH) in health services research/epidemiology from UCLA. He completed his specialty/subspecialty training in internal medicine, geriatrics, and preventive medicine at the University of Michigan and UCLA. He was a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Scholar at UCLA/RAND in health policy services research.
From 1981 to 1989, Dr. Richwald was a full-time faculty member at UCLA in the Schools of Public Health/Medicine, and subsequently served as Director and Chief Physician, L.A. County Sexually Transmitted Disease Program (1989-2000). He has been a consultant on STD policy and clinical care for the AME, American Sexual Health Association (ASHA), and CDC. He chaired the California STD Control Association for 3 terms, and was a founding member, National Coalition of STD Directors. He has worked with GSK, Novartis, Abbott, Merck, 3M Pharmaceuticals, and Focus Technologies/Quest Diagnostics in the development of STD-related health care technology.
JEFFREY D. KLAUSNER, MD, MPH, Vice-President
Jeffrey D. Klausner is a UCLA Professor of Medicine and Public Health. He is a physician, board certified in Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases. He served as a CDC Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer 1995-1997, Deputy Health Officer and Director of STD Prevention and Control Services, San Francisco Department of Public Health, 1998-2009, and Branch Chief for HIV and TB, CDC South Africa, 2009-2011.
Dr. Klausner has been a leader in implementing the public health approach to HIV prevention and control through policy and programmatic activities resulting in the streamlining and evaluation of routine HIV testing, early HIV case detection with HIV RNA screening, linkage-to-care and contact tracing and partner notification services. In addition Dr. Klausner through his epidemiologic research, identified the role that bacterial STDs, the Internet, sex clubs, methamphetamine and Viagra played in augmenting the risk of HIV transmission and implemented successful population-based programs to mitigate those risk factors. In collaboration with community leaders and organizations, he initiated sexual health campaigns and peer-led sexual health services for sex workers and gay men in San Francisco which have been replicated globally.
Dr. Klausner has been conducting research in laboratory-based diagnostics for HIV infection and other STDs since the early 1990s and is considered an expert in infectious disease detection and management. He has a busy clinical HIV/AIDS practice in Los Angeles and regularly attends on the infectious diseases consultation service at UCLA Ronald Reagan Hospital. Dr. Klausner brings nearly two decades of public health, clinical and research experience to the Board, much of it specific to HIV prevention.
RONALD P. HATTIS, MD, MPH, Secretary
Ron Hattis is a Past-President of the Foundation and of the former entity Beyond AIDS. He is Secretary of our continuing tax-deductible Beyond AIDS Foundation. He has been active in contacts with federal leaders, and in Beyond AIDS' legislative efforts in California, and has represented our organization in consultations with the California Office of AIDS. He developed the original Bylaws for both the membership organization and the foundation, and has mentored many of our past interns.
He is a physician, board-certified in Public Health/Preventive Medicine, and lives in Redlands, California. He was formerly the Chief of Medical Services at a large state hospital, where in addition to medical management, he was in charge of HIV testing and training HIV educators for 20 years, and he treated HIV/AIDS patients at the infectious disease clinic. Since retiring from that position, he has worked part-time in clinical medicine, currently including student health and primary care. He has been an HIV clinician/specialist.
Dr. Hattis is an Associate Clinical Professor of Preventive Medicine Loma Linda University School of Medicine, where he has lectured on HIV as a representative of our Foundation. He spent 23 years with a disaster medical assistance team, serving at the World Trade Center, Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Ike, and the Northridge earthquake.
Other past positions in reverse order have included teacher of family medicine, county health officer, country family physician (on Kauai in Hawaii), and Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (assigned through field services to the Hawaii Department of Health).
His goals for Beyond AIDS Foundation over the next two years include continued advocacy for more effective implementation of the HIV Care Continuum. In particular, he plans to continue to work to promote public health follow-up of HIV reporting to trigger outreach for referral of patients to treatment, partner services, and other services to prevent transmission; and to enhance HIV prevention science. As a supplementary activity not involving substantial Foundation funding, he will continue to provide input from our organization regarding relevant legislation in California and important states, as well as at the federal level.
STRYDOM, MD, MPH, Treasurer
Richel Strydom, MD, MPH, the current Beyond AIDS Foundation Treasurer, is presently a primary care physician in the High Desert north of San Bernardino, CA. She attended the Loma Linda University (Loma Linda, CA) Preventive Medicine Residency. Prior to her Preventive Medicine Residency Training, Richel obtained a Masters degree in Public Health, with a Global Health Concentration, at the Loma Linda University School of Public Health. Before that, Richel completed a couple of years of Family Medicine Residency Training, in Tallahassee, FL.
Dr. Strydom was born and raised in the country of South Africa. The HIV burden of the South African population, as well as the HIV burden within many African and other countries, including within the U.S.A., have contributed to a strong, persistent public health problem. In July 2016, shortly following the June 2016 launch of the “Test and Treat” HIV care approach in Lesotho, the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to formally adopt this strategy recommended by UNAIDS in 2015, Richel had the privilege of attending a briefing on the new program while doing a rotation in HIV and Tuberculosis care and prevention, at Maluti Adventist Hospital, in Lesotho.
While a Family Medicine Resident in training, in Tallahassee, FL, Richel worked as a volunteer to provide education and comprehensive support to people who are living with HIV, within an eight-county area of Florida. Earlier, while attending medical school at the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine, she worked with students and faculty members to actively promote knowledge about, and the prevention of, HIV and STIs. Prior to that, while attending North Carolina State University, she worked with the Alliance of AIDS Services – Carolinas (AASC) as a volunteer “care partner” for a young woman living with HIV.
Richel feels compelled to work to improve HIV care and prevention policies and practices. Serving with Beyond AIDS Foundation furthers that aim.
JEAN DAVIS-HATCHER, PH.D, DC, PA, MS, Director
Dr. Davis-Hatcher has extensive specialized training and experience with HIV/AIDS. She has worked as a Clinician at the AIDS Healthcare Foundation since 2018, and before that worked for the Desert AIDS Project as a clinician and Clinical Services Manager, 2011-2012, both in Southern California. She participated in the Primary Care Residency Program, Pacific Aids Education and Training Center U.S.C. Medical Center, 1996 and 2000. Dr. Davis-Hatcher belongs to the American Academy HIV Medicine (AAHIVM) where she serves as a member of the California Hawaii Steering Committee, and to the Physician Assistant AIDS Network (PAAN). She was also a Co-PI, Clinical Director, and Master Trainer for the Pacific AIDS Education & Training Center (PAETC), Charles R Drew University (CDU) of Medicine and Science, College of Medicine, 1995 – 2011. She is the most recent addition to the Beyond AIDS Foundation Board, and before that she was a member of the Beyond AIDS Advisory Council.
In addition, Dr. Davis-Hatcher has worked at the Dust to Dawn Urgent Care since 2014, and Integrated Medicine Director of Total Health Matters since 2011. She has held a number of faculty and research positions at Charles R. Drew University, UCLA, and the Cleveland Chiropractic College. She has completed training as a Physician Assistant and in Chiropractic Medicine, and has a PhD in Preventive Medicine. Dr. Davis-Hatcher has special interests in minority health, which has great relevance to HIV/AIDS and similarly transmitted diseases.
DONNA FUTTERMAN, MD, Director
Dr. Donna Futterman is a Professor Emerita of Pediatrics at the Einstein College of Medicine and the retired Director of the Adolescent AIDS Program at Children’s Hospital at Montefiore in the Bronx, New York where she has worked from since 1989 to 2022. She is a career-long Bronxite. She joined the Beyond AIDS Foundation Board as a director in 2022 as its most recent new member.
She is passionate about youth and is considered one of the top national and international leaders in care and prevention of HIV among youth. Her program was has been funded by NIH, CDC, HRSA and the NYS and NYC DOH and has provided care to over 800 HIV+ youth and hundreds of youth at-risk for HIV and STIs.. Her program has most recently been funded to provide comprehensive care for LGBTQ (including Trans*) youth and to provide PrEP care for youth and scale up Routine HIV testing at Montefiore.
Dr. Futterman has published more than 90 articles, chapters and websites on the care of HIV + and at-risk youth as well as an award-winning book entitled: Lesbian and Gay Youth: Care and Counseling. She has served as a national leader on youth and HIV, chairing the NIH-funded Adolescent Medicine HIV/AIDS Research Network and served on the CDC/HRSA AIDS Advisory Council, the Committee on Pediatric AIDS of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the HIV Medical Association. She was recently US board chair of a South African HIV program called Mothers to Mothers. She currently is a Board member of: Life Beat - Music Fights AIDS. She has received the Clinical Excellence Award from the New York State Department of Health and the Esperanza Award from the Latino Commission on AIDS.
Articles quoting Dr. Futterman have appeared in in multiple publications and she has been featured on multiple broadcasts.
Dr. Futterman earned her Bachelor of Arts from Barnard College, Columbia University (1975) and her medical degree from Albert Einstein College of Medicine (1985). She completed a social pediatrics residency at Montefiore Medical Center, and trained as a fellow in Immunology/Infectious Diseases at the University of Medicine and Dentistry in Newark, New Jersey.
FRANKLYN N. JUDSON, MD, MPH, Director
Frank Judson received his BA from Wesleyan University in 1964, his MD from the University of Pennsylvania in 1968, and his house staff training from the University of Wisconsin Hospitals (internal medicine) and the University of Colorado (infectious diseases). He was an Epidemic Intelligence Service officer with the Centers for Disease Control assigned to the Colorado Department of Public Health (1970-72), and Scientific Liaison, Global Program on AIDS, Geneva (1990 -91). He is board-certified in internal medicine, infectious diseases and preventive medicine.
For over four decades, his research interests have concentrated on the epidemiology and control of sexually transmitted infections including hepatitis B and HIV. His public health policy interests have run the gamut from childhood and adolescent vaccine programs, to urban air pollution, bioterrorism preparedness, and tobacco, tuberculosis, influenza, and HIV prevention and control. He has authored or co-authored more than 270 scientific publications.
Dr. Judson has served as President of the American STD Association (ASTDA), President of the International Society for STD Research (ISSTDR), President of the International Union Against the Sexually Transmitted Infections (IUSTI), Chairman of the Board of the American Social Health Association (ASHA), Chief of Infectious Diseases for the Denver Health Medical Center (1983-2002), and Director of the Denver Public Health Department (1986-2004). He has been a member of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA), the CDC/HHS Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the Board of Regents of the American College of Preventive Medicine, and the Colorado State Board of Health. Currently, he is a member of the Colorado Governor’s Expert Emergency Epidemic Response Committee (GEEERC) and Professor, Department of Medicine (Infectious Diseases) and the Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado, Denver.
ELIZABETH (BETSY) KIDDER, MD, PhD, MPH, Director
Elizabeth (Betsy) Kidder, MD, PhD, MPH is a primary care doctor with Board Certification in Internal Medicine. She currently practices medicine at a Federal Qualified Health Center in New York. Dr. Kidder’s practice and research interests center on access to quality health care, particularly in rural settings and communities, including access to addiction treatment and patient-centered cancer screening strategies for hard-to-reach populations. As a part of her primary care practice, Dr. Kidder provides medical treatment for Hepatitis C infection, and is certified to provide medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder. Her dissertation research investigated self-administered HPV testing as a cervical cancer screening option for under-screened women.
Dr. Kidder’s public health and public policy experience has included research and technical assignments with the United Nation’s World Food Program, the National Academy of Public Administration, the Global Health Council, and the Department of Defense HIV/AIDS Prevention Program. She received her master’s degree in public health (MPH) and doctoral degrees in medicine (MD) and public policy (PhD) from the George Washington University. She completed her residency training in internal medicine and primary care at the George Washington University.
Betsy joined Beyond AIDS in 2001 as an intern, and has served as a Board member since 2003. Her interest in issues related to HIV was initially sparked by the case of Nushawn Williams, a young man who knowingly spread HIV in her small hometown community and high school. After that incident, she traveled to South Africa, where she studied the epidemic in the Eastern Cape, taught an HIV/AIDS education class, and volunteered in a pediatric HIV clinic, all of which deepened her commitment to staying involved with HIV advocacy through her career.
CARY SAVITCH, MD, Immediate Past-President
Cary Savitch was one of the Founding Members of Beyond AIDS, organized and hosted its founding meetings, and was elected its first President. He has served on the Board of Directors since the founding of the organization, and the same for Beyond AIDS Foundation which will is the ongoing entity. He recruited many of the early members of the organization by speaking to friends, colleagues, and patients about the need for HIV reform, writing a book about the subject, and giving talks on HIV, especially in Ventura County and the surrounding area where the founding meetings were held.
He is an infectious disease physician, and has taken care of AIDS patients for the past 33 years (starting even before the disease had a name).
In 1997, he published a book, “The Nutcracker is Already Dancing,” which highlighted the lack of application to HIV of sound public health practices that had been successfully utilized for diseases such as syphilis and tuberculosis. He believes strongly that the mission of Beyond AIDS, to stop the transmission of HIV, is the direction we must take in order to save lives in this epidemic.
He expresses pride in the time he has already spent with Beyond AIDS, which he believes is the only organization willing to stand up and support the necessary public health policies needed to contain HIV. His goals are to continue these efforts in every and any capacity needed, and to encourage others to join our battle for HIV/AIDS prevention.
In 2022, Cary retired from a long career as an Infectious Disease specialist.