2022-2023 Community Ambassadors

Ryan Alvey – Clarkson, KY

Ryan grew up in rural Kentucky, where he struggled with his sexuality and being bullied. After coming out, he left home and, at age 17, joined the military. However, trauma from his past and bullying eventually led to a substance use disorder, which he struggled with, but overcame. His biggest fear became a reality on November 20, 2020, when he was diagnosed with HIV. Within a few months, he began to share his journey on social media to educate others, fight stigma, and prevent HIV. Ryan joined the Kentuckiana AIDS Alliance Peer Advocacy Program committee to launch a local program, which unites people who have a new HIV diagnosis with an advocate who can help them navigate their new normal. Ryan lives in rural Kentucky but spends time in Louisville and Lexington, KY, and Nashville, TN. He is committed to confronting the social and economic injustices that fuel the HIV epidemic.

Kelvin Barlow – Charlotte, NC

Kelvin has worked in HIV prevention and intervention for more than 17 years. He wears a smile every day and is an inspiration to many. Working in community engagement and education, he creatively approaches tasks with a fresh lens and a dedication to meeting the needs of people with HIV and youth in the local schools. Kelvin’s work has a tremendous and positive effect on the community and state. He has created new programs to promote HIV prevention, implement medical care interventions, and focus on programming and education. Kelvin takes the necessary approach to connect with the audience that most needs to hear his messaging. One example is his ability to go into the trenches and meet people where they are. As a cosmetologist, he has created an environment where conversations about safer sex are permitted, and HIV disclosure is not a problem. Kelvin has a passion for community service and, accordingly, has become a leader in the community.

Ashley Cobb – Atlanta, GA

Ashley is a certified sex coach who describes herself as the millennial microphone for women of color seeking sexual liberation. Affectionately known as “your favorite friend in filth,” Ashley is dedicated to bringing the conversation of Black sexuality to the forefront across generational lines. She is a women’s health and sexuality writer, media personality, and HIV activist known for her fun, down-to-earth, and practical commentary. Ashley’s mission is to get people comfortable talking about sex out loud. She’s been featured in top media outlets, including Essence, Huffington Post, Cosmopolitan, Women’s Health, and Self, and appeared on Bravo TV in the hit show “Love Match Atlanta.” Ashley resides in Atlanta, GA, where she also works as an HIV advocate for Black women.

Damion Evans – San Antonio, TX

Damion was born and raised in rural south Texas, where his passion for HIV education and prevention was sparked by the lack of education and resources he was offered. He noticed from a young age that people in his community were more comfortable with the consequences of misinformation than the benefits of talking openly about sex and STDs. Damion now lives in San Antonio where he is a student at the University of Texas and is expected to graduate in 2023 with his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. He is also a team lead for Beat AIDS, an acronym for “Black Efforts Against the Threat of AIDS.” Beat AIDS is a local black-owned nonprofit with a mission to provide the highest quality HIV and AIDS prevention, education, and services to the community. Through Damion’s work at Beat AIDS, he coordinated events for testing and information, hosted online meetings to educate community members on STDs and HIV, and has been able to bring many previously undiagnosed HIV patients into care.

Curtis Jackson – Los Angeles, CA

Curtis is an undetectable HIV positive person. He is an Army veteran who proudly served on the frontlines and now proudly advocates for the LGTBQIA+ community. Curtis is particularly proud of being an educator and advocate for minority communities, which are disproportionately affected by HIV. Curtis aims to eliminate stigma and discrimination within the HIV and LGBTQIA+ communities by raising awareness through education and empowerment. In 2022, Curtis completed an epic 545-mile AIDS/Lifecycle charity bike ride from Los Angeles to San Francisco, which helped raise a record-breaking $18 million for the LGBT Center, and the San Francisco AIDS foundation. Curtis actively engages his community through public speaking events, podcasts, social media, radio interviews, and grassroots involvement. Curtis says his work is not done until we live in a world where everyone has the resources, tools, and quality healthcare to be HIV-free.

James Moore – Highlandville, MO

James grew up in Highlandville, Missouri, after his family moved from California. James earned an undergraduate degree in Political Science from Missouri State University and worked with student government and student organizations to encourage bodily autonomy. This included increasing awareness of and access to routine HIV and STI testing. After graduation, James continued his HIV advocacy in Taiwan and became a Taiwan-United States Sister Relations Alliance (TUSA) global ambassador. James serves as an HIV prevention specialist and lead PrEP navigator for the AIDS Project of the Ozarks and works to provide free HIV and STI testing to underserved populations in Southwest Missouri. Along with testing, James provides detailed PrEP education and PrEP navigation to all people interested in care. He plans to continue using his voice to amplify others and help end HIV stigma in the United States.

Gerald Lee Vega – Caguas, PR

Gerald is the founder and CEO of the only organization in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean that addresses the primary needs of transgender men. As a transgender man, he is proud to be an ambassador for CDC’s Let’s Stop HIV Together initiative since transgender men do not appear in HIV prevention programs on the island and lack access to PrEP, PEP, and the l=l or U =U initiatives. Gerald is a nutritionist and adherence and retention specialist for the transgender masculine group at the Ararat Center – Translucent Clinic in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and a collaborator for Arianna’s Center, an organization that works with transgender  women over 50 living with HIV. Gerald says, “Together we can end HIV, live to serve with dignity, educate, and prevent.”

Alumni Ambassadors

Brenda “Bre” Azanedo – Paterson, NJ

Bre earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from William Paterson University. She is an Afro-Latina educator and activist. Through her work, she strives to raise awareness and resources, and educate people on safer sex practices, harm reduction, and HIV prevention methods. Bre serves as Black Lives Matter Paterson Harm Reduction program manager. In this role, she identifies barriers and develops programs and initiatives to help participants overcome them. She believes that an important part of ending HIV is meeting people where they are, walking beside them, and helping them find and amplify their voices—all of which is done through building genuine relationships with people. Bre also serves as a member of the Black Harm Reduction Network. She is looking forward to continuing to break down HIV stigma, increasing awareness, and providing education on a larger scale to the Black and Latino communities.

Rymsky Evans – Jackson, MS

Rymsky is an HIV community leader from Jackson, Mississippi, who is actively engaged in HIV prevention and care. She is chair for the Black Treatment Advocacy Network of the Black AIDS Institute, a national network of HIV and AIDS stakeholders who mobilize Black communities across the country to confront HIV. Rymsky is responsible for leading meetings and providing technical assistance to local organizations. She founded Beloved Inc., an organization that provides peer support to women and girls with HIV. Rymsky is also an HIV advocate on the Mississippi HIV Planning Council, where she develops strategies and implements interventions to engage more people with HIV, especially women of color. She currently serves as the state lead for the Positive Women’s Network and the Mississippi Center for Justice Advisory Council.

Nestor Kamurigi (Rogel) – Los Angeles, CA

Nestor was born with HIV in South Central Los Angeles to undocumented parents in 1990. He quickly learned that HIV was not the most immediate threat to his life. He managed to survive the many socioeconomic disparities that affected his community. Throughout his formative years, he did not have any resources or peers that he could talk to, and education surrounding HIV was so stigmatized, it took him years to no longer internalize his feelings. For the last 9 years he has dedicated himself to ending HIV. He began as the sole HIV outreach specialist for Charles Drew University, and is now a community embedded disease intervention specialist at a local clinic in the neighborhood in which he grew up. In addition, Nestor has organized his own grassroots efforts within South Central and the Vertical community.

Queen Hatcher-Johnson – Atlanta, GA

Queen was born and raised in New York City, which she believes helped make her a dynamic force. She is a Black woman who is passionate about her work as a program manager at Positive Impact Health Center. Her transgender experience and identity provide great benefits for the gender-inclusive programs at the center. Queen says her liberation comes through advocacy, mentorship, public speaking, storytelling, and assisting humans in healing. She is passionate about everything when it comes to HIV and transgender issues, especially housing, which affects everything regarding health disparities. As a resident of Atlanta for the last decade, she has spoken at many events and worked with celebrities, including Kandi Burruss and comedian Sam Jay. Queen has been featured in commercials and was the Oscar Party speaker for the Elton John AIDS Foundation. She believes, “Hurt people, hurt people. Healed people help to heal others.”

Ronaldo Andrés Vázquez Maldonado – San Juan, PR

Ronaldo is a person with HIV who works as an HIV advocate and community health worker in San Juan, Puerto Rico. As an advocate, visual artist, and educator, Ronaldo uses his HIV diagnosis and knowledge of graphic design and social media to normalize HIV conversations and raise awareness about HIV stigma and disinformation. Actively talking about HIV gives him an opportunity to raise awareness about U=U, and talk about HIV testing and prevention options like PrEP, PEP, and HIV Treatment as Prevention. Ronaldo encourages others to have conversations about HIV with family, friends, and partners to eliminate both new infections and stigma in communities. Ronaldo says, “We can have many breakthroughs and advances in HIV treatment, but stigma is still out there, limiting others to live well, test, prevent, start, or stay in HIV treatment. Let’s talk about HIV and end stigma.”

Raul Marca – Queens, NY

Raul is a senior program manager for the Sexual and Behavioral Health program at the Wyckoff Heights Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York. With over 6 years of experience in HIV, he does field work with vulnerable populations, including immigrants and the LGBTQI+ community. Raul is working on his bachelor’s degree in Public Health at Hunter College. He has a particular interest in examining how social support networks can improve health care needs and social problems in the Latino community. In 2021, Raul participated in the Let’s Stop HIV Together campaign as a community ambassador. He has used social media to lessen the anxiety and stigma that people with HIV may face, and he advocates for universal access to prevention and treatment. Raul remains a leader, supporter, and role model, inspiring others to continue their resilience.

David L. Lester-Massey – Atlanta, GA

David graduated with honors, earning his Bachelor of Science and Master of Business Administration in Management degrees, making him uniquely qualified to assist clients with overcoming organizational challenges, changing management, and further developing an executive presence in written and verbal communication. David has a career that spans over 10 years in public health and advocacy, which includes developing programming and key messaging for major awareness campaigns. He is a motivational coach who works with top talent such as celebrity licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Sherry, a trusted voice in mental health and monthly curator for Essence magazine who has appeared on Bravo TV, VH1, and MSNBC, and viral internet sensation Brandalyn Shropshire, seen on ABC, NBC, and CBS.

Shadawn McCants – Houston, TX

Shadawn is a licensed professional counselor, furious leader, practitioner, international activist, bestselling contributing author, model, and actor. Shadawn is also the founder of 2 Know is 2 Live, an organization dedicated to promoting active, engaged, and empowered Black women, girls, and marginalized communities to address HIV and AIDS disparities by focusing on awareness, education, and prevention through out-of-the-box creative initiatives and campaigns. Shadawn loves leveraging her social media to raise awareness about HIV, sex positivity, and stigma. In addition, she is the co-chair for the Texas Black Women’s Health Initiative Houston chapter, an active member of Positive Women’s Network-USA, and a sought-after public speaker, trainer, and educator. While Shadawn has several pursuits that she is passionate about, her overall desire is to empower you to Know and Live. Until there is an end to HIV, she will be a catalyst to live BRAVELY and show up fully “Positive and Positive”!

Milani Varela – Chicago, IL

Milani is an Afro-Latinx, gender nonconforming, drag performer and activist, and the lead navigator for Essential Support Services at Comprensión y Apoyo a Latinos en Oposición al Retrovirus (CALOR), an affiliation of AIDS Healthcare Foundation. Named one of the “POZ 100” in POZ magazine, she has worked in HIV prevention since 2008. Her work includes biomedical HIV prevention, and she has presented at the U.S. Conference on AIDS on how to disseminate information on PrEP, PEP, HIV vaccines, and rectal microbicides in the Hispanic/Latino community. As a former Miss Latina Continental Plus, Milani has been able to use beauty pageants as a platform to expand her work in HIV prevention. She has won many pageants, trophies at balls, and received many awards from community leaders and organizations, but her biggest reward is being able to continue to do the work for her community.