Carsen Beckwith
AIDS United
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Carsen Beckwith is a Capacity Building Specialist for AIDS United’s Capacity Building Assistance (CBA) program. Starting on the Fund for Resilience, Equity, and Engagement team, Carsen moved to the CBA team to pursue opportunities to build into AIDS United’s technical assistance workshops and resources. Carsen comes from a professional background in public health, community engagement, and advocacy for transgender and gender non-confirming communities.

Carsen is a graduate of American University, where they received their Bachelor of Arts in International Relations. With a focus in Identity, Race, Gender, and Culture, they strove to learn about and cultivate inclusive atmospheres in all advocacy spaces, from healthcare to global policy. Through this degree, Carsen developed their passion for prioritizing healthcare services for underserved communities, and aims to create space and opportunities for these communities wherever possible.

Teresa Bedzigui
AIDS United
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Teresa Bedzigui brings over eight years of HIV/AIDS advocacy work. Teresa is a graduate of Brunel University in London, England, where she earned an MSc in Public Health and Health Promotion. With a background in economics, social justice and grassroots organizing, Teresa approaches her work at AIDS United with great enthusiasm.

Rooted deeply within intersectional black feminism, Teresa believes that community based, stigma free approaches to health, focused on preventative care, are key to creating a global AIDS free society. As an immigrant from Yaoundé, Cameroon, Teresa’s perspective has always been multinational and intersectional. She believes that immigrant narratives deserve to be heard and valued when discussing HIV/AIDS in the United States, especially as it relates to solutions. Prior to working at AIDS United, Teresa has held positions at the International Monetary Fund, in addition to participating in many national conferences as a speaker and moderator.

Marilyn Ricker Kases
Inca Consulting
she/her/hers

Marilyn Ricker Kases has worked in the field of public health since 1995. Ricker Kases’ completed her master’s degree with an emphasis on Behavioral Science and Health Education and a quadruple undergraduate degree in Biology/Pre-Med, Spanish, French, and International Studies from St. Louis University.

Ricker Kases has broad experience with creating and translating public health, evidence and science-based prevention and technical materials for both service providers and client use.  Her skill set also includes being a lead trainer for current CDC endorsed behavioral interventions and public health strategies such as HIV Testing in Nonclinical Settings, HIV Navigation Services, Motivational Interviewing, and Social Networking Strategy.

Throughout her career, Ricker-Kases has helped implement condom distribution programs. She has provided trainings and technical assistance nationally and internationally on a wide variety of topics including sexual health, recruitment and retention strategies, PrEP detailing, cultural humility, and competence.

Heather Alberda
Ottawa County Department of Public Health
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Heather Alberda is a Sexuality Educator with the Ottawa County Department of Public Health, where she has worked for the past 19 years.  She received her BA in Criminal Justice from Grand Valley State University and recently completed the University of Michigan Sexual Health Certificate Program. Heather received her AASECT certification as a sexuality educator in 2014. She is one of five certified sexuality educators in Michigan. Her passion for the community, youth and sexual health has taken on many facets throughout the years. 

Her focus over the years has included STI/teen pregnancy prevention, providing parents with the power and information to encourage healthy sexual conversations as well as chairing the local sexual health coalition. Heather’s passion lies within empowering youth and encouraging them to seek correct information about sexuality.

Heather has been recognized for her work in expanding Wear One (a condom distribution program) at the MI State STD Conference with an Outstanding Innovations Award.  Wear One is now covers 40 counties in MI, including the U. P and 3 college campuses, providing access to more than 25% of Michigan’s population.

Samantha Hughes
Consultant (City of Kansas City, Missouri Health Department)
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Samantha Hughes, MPA (she/her/hers), currently works as a consultant for the Kansas City, Missouri Health Department, HIV Services, after serving 27 enjoyable years with the City of Kansas City, MO (KCMO).  She spent 17 years at the KCMO, Health Department in the role of the HIV Services Manager, where her responsibilities included, administering the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Ryan White Part A/Minority AIDS Initiative, Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)/Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (MODHSS) HIV Prevention, HOPWA, and Shelter Plus Care grants. In addition, she served as the Ryan White Planning Council Support Manager for 15 of the 17 years providing HIV Prevention testing and education for the Kansas City Transitional Grant Area in 15-counties, covering two states, responsible for providing high level direction and support to the Mayor’s Ryan White Prevention and Care Planning Council, a legislative body appointed by the Mayor and HIV Prevention Community Planning Group for the State of Missouri Department Health and Senior Services. Samantha is currently pursuing a doctorate in Management and Organizational Leadership from the University of Phoenix; she has earned a Master’s in Public Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Management from Park University and an Associate of Science in Computer Programming from Penn Valley Community College.

Natalie Torres-Negrón
City of St. Louis Department of Health
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Natalie Torres-Negrón is the Program Manager for HIV and STD Prevention Program at the City of St. Louis Department of Health. Natalie comes from a professional background in Public Health, Program Development, Community engagement, and advocacy on prevention services for the Latinx Community in St. Louis Region.  Natalie graduated from the University of Puerto Rico, where she received her bachelor’s degree in Nutrition. In 2012 moved to St. Louis to pursue her studies in Public Health and work with the Latinx community. Since Natalie arrival to St. Louis, she has worked with underserved communities including the Latinx community, facilitating and adapting prevention programs on HIV & STD Prevention, Diabetes, Nutrition, Pelvic, and Breast Cancer. In her free time, Natalie assists on activities from the Puerto Rican Society in St. Louis as the Safety and Logistics Coordinator. She loves to cook Puerto Rican food and watch documentaries.

Tameka White, B.S.
City of Kansas City, Missouri Health Department
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Tameka White is a graduate from Kansas State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Family Studies and Human Services. She has a diverse and extensive background in mental health, HIV/STI education and prevention. For the past twenty years she has devoted her time empowering individuals through social, mental health behavior and sexual health. She is passionate about helping individuals overcome challenges and has worked with people from all walks of life. She currently serves as a Public Health Specialist for the Kansas City, Missouri Health Department which she provides HIV/STI education and is an advocate for individuals that are HIV positive and lost-to-care.