Chelsea Gulden, MSW
President & CEO
Chelsea Gulden is a longtime HIV advocate, service provider and inspiring national speaker. She joined the RAIN staff in 2010 after creating and implementing the first comprehensive program serving HIV-positive youth in North Carolina, Empowering Positive Youth (EPY). EPY regularly receives national attention for its peer leadership model. The program has served over 1,000 positive youth through individual case management and support groups.
Gulden began working in the HIV service sector shortly after her own diagnosis. She is an expert in HIV service delivery, programming and prevention. She brings 15 years of experience in coordinating programs for optimal health.
Recently, Gulden spoke at the national virtual Ryan White conference and was a co-presenter on Intersectional Stigma and HIV for the National Institute of Health. She is currently Co-Chair of the Ryan White HIV Planning Body for Anson, Cabarrus, Gaston, Mecklenburg, Union, and York Counties.
She is a presenter at national conferences, college campuses and a frequent guest on radio/television broadcasts. In 2006, she was a panelist on the Oprah Winfrey Show. Gulden has conducted prevention work in Ghana Africa and participated in the U.S. Executive Summary Report advocating for Comprehensive Sexual Education in schools.
Gulden has received numerous honors including features in POZ Magazine and HIV Plus.
She holds a Masters of Social Work from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Her research focused on the intersection of intimate partner violence and HIV. She has additional training in trauma-informed care.
Darlena Blackwell,
MA, M.Ed
Director of Client Relations
Darlena Blackwell, MA, M.Ed
Darlena has been with RAIN since October 2008, when we brought in Medical Case Management services. She has worked in the field of HIV/AIDS for 18 years, and has a background in Trauma and Crisis Management. Darlena works with persons 25 and older who require support services in order to successfully manage overall health outcomes and basic needs.
Nathan B. Smith
Vice President, Philanthropy
Nathan B. Smith
Nathan has been with RAIN since 2005 and is responsible for successfully creating, leading and implementing an integrated development strategy and nurturing new and existing relationships to build the organizations visibility, impact, and financial resources. He has close to 25 years of experience working in the non-profit field and is passionate about giving back to his local community.
Nathan found his passion for fundraising while working with City Year Columbia and Hands on Charlotte prior to joining RAIN. He is a member of the Charlotte Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. He has a gift for building and sustaining relationships within the community.
Johnny Wilson
Director of Outreach
Johnny Wilson
Johnny has been with RAIN since January 2018. He has devoted his life in changing the way people think of HIV. When he was young, he questioned the purpose of his life. He began to speak, dance and write poetry as a form of advocacy. Johnny wants to make an impact on people’s lives and his job at RAIN is a way he can do it. He likes working with people and likes his work at RAIN because it is about long-term contact, its “hands-on”, building relationships. That is the most important part.
