Chelsea Gulden, MSW
President &
CEO
She/Her
Chelsea Gulden has worked in the field of HIV for more than 20 years and holds a master’s degree in social work from UNC Charlotte. Early in her career, she developed North Carolina’s first youth program serving young people living with HIV, the Empowering Positive Youth (EPY) Program.
Chelsea’s work has included HIV education and prevention efforts across the US and internationally, national initiatives addressing HIV stigma and comprehensive sex education, and research with UNC Chapel Hill, Wake Forest, and Duke University. She has presented at national conferences, served on national and local advisory boards, and been published in academic journals. Her work and story have been featured in POZ Magazine, TheBody, The Oprah Winfrey Show, USA Today, MSN, and other media.
Named UNC Charlotte School of Social Work’s Alumna of the Year in 2022, Chelsea brings both professional expertise and lived experience to her leadership. She is deeply committed to creating programs that respond to the evolving needs of the community and to mentoring and developing the next generation of leaders.
Darlena Blackwell, MA, M.Ed
Director of Client Relations
She/Her
Jazmin Cedeno
Senior Benefits Manager
She/Her
Rashad Hamilton
Peer Navigator
He/Him
Laurita Lezama
Bilingual Medical Case Manager
She/Her
Beverly Mitzel, M.Ed
Benefits Manager
She/Her
Ediana Sharpe, MSW, LCSWA
Bilingual Mental Health Therapist
She/Her
Sheila Weaver, MSW
,LCSWA
Mental Health Therapist
She/Her
Elgin Phillips, MS
Director of Outreach
He/Him
Breonte Boyd
Retention Specialist
He/Him
Devin Cokley
HIP Program Manager
He/Him
Gabriela "Gaby" Espinal
Support Navigator
She/Her
Kevin Garcia-Sanchez
Trilingual HIP Peer Support Specialist
He/Him
Robert Meggett
Linkage to Care Specialist
He/Him
Charles Perez
Bilingual Peer Retention Specialist
He/Him
Jecari Pulley
Community Engagement Specialist
He/Him
Jariza "Jay" Ricart
Lead Retention Specialist
She/Her
Stephanie Sherard
Investigation Specialist
She/Her
Joseph Tirado
Peer Prevention Navigator
He/Him
Anthony Walton-Tate
Research Project Manager
They/Them
Nathan B. Smith
Vice President, Philanthropy
He/Him
Joyce Brooks, MHA
Grants Coordinator
She/Her
Savannah Lawing-Yates, MPH
Community Resource Coordinator
She/Her
Jacki O'Dierno, MA
Vice President, Operations
She/Her
MariaJose "MJ" Mulgado
Data & Quality Specialist
She/Her
Ronald "RJ" Sharrow
Housing
Manager
He/Him
