Anita Smith, Co-Founder of Children’s AIDS Fund, Appointed To Co-Chair Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS
HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson on Thursday announced the appointment of Anita Smith, co-founder of the Children's AIDS Fund, as co-chair of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV and AIDS, according to an HHS release. Smith will replace former Rep. and Sen.-elect Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), who had resigned from the position to run for the Senate. Smith -- who will be the first woman to serve as PACHA co-chair -- has been a member of the council for several years and is an expert on youth development, according to the release. "Anita brings a tremendous degree of experience and expertise to the council, which only strengthens this administration's commitment to help end the pandemic of HIV and AIDS," Thompson said, adding, "Anita will help lead an already strong team that continues to make great strides in halting the spread of HIV and AIDS across the world through results-driven initiatives, extensive research and an expansion in access to quality care and treatment." Former HHS Secretary Louis Sullivan, who serves as a co-chair of PACHA, said, "I am very pleased about the appointment of Mrs. Smith as co-chair," adding, "As a member of the council since early 2002, Mrs. Smith has shown herself to be exceptionably knowledgeable about HIV/AIDS and tireless in her efforts to improve the nation's response to this epidemic." Marsha Martin, executive director of AIDS Action, said, "Anita and I have worked together on a number of issues over the years. She's always professional and always well-informed with the most up-to-date information available" (HHS release, 12/16).
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