In April 2024, AIDS United eagerly welcomed Francisco Ruiz to his new position as the director of the White House Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP). Last Friday was Ruiz’s final day as the Director and while his departure from this role is met with great sorrow, we look forward to continuing the work alongside him in his new role at the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC).
Before his appointment to this role, Ruiz had a long-standing past of advocacy and service to the HIV community, from his two years spent as an HIV prevention educator in Ecuador to his decade-long role at the CDC developing the “Let’s Stop HIV Together” public health campaign.
Ruiz made history as the first Latino to hold the position of ONAP director. At a time when queer Latinos were experiencing increases in new diagnoses, Ruiz’s appointment signaled an opportunity for targeted investment in this community, and more importantly that the Latino community living with HIV was given space to address their specific needs. A month into his new role, Ruiz spoke at the National Hispanic/Latinx Health Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C., where leaders spoke on their commitment to health equity and improved health outcomes.
We thank Ruiz for joining us at our May 2024 Public Policy Council meeting and numerous webinars to discuss the needs of people living with HIV. Ruiz demonstrated a consistent willingness to learn and listen to the people he served in his role, and his passion for improving the lives of people living with HIV showed not only in his work but also in the renewed zeal it gave the community.
“AIDS United is honored to have worked alongside Francisco during his time as ONAP director,” shares Carl Baloney Jr., Vice President for Public Affairs and Chief Policy Officer at AIDS United, “ Though his time in this position has come to an end, we know that the work has not, and we look forward to our continued partnership with Francisco to ensure an end to the epidemic. We thank Francisco for all his work, and his support, and wish him well in his next endeavors.”
AIDS United will continue in our work to end the HIV epidemic alongside great partners and allies like Francisco Ruiz.
Photo credit: September 2024, Liz Roll, for Power of A Story Told Well, publication by Matthew Rodriguez, POZ Magazine
