After 12 rewarding years as the Executive Director of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA), I am passing the leadership baton to a long-time colleague, friend, and mentee, Caroline Talev, MPA, who will now serve as Executive Director of PACHA and the advisory council’s Designated Federal Officer (DFO). Ms. Talev has served as the Council’s Alternate DFO since 2019, so in addition, Timothy Harrison, PhD, Principal Deputy Director of the Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy (OIDP), will now serve as the Alternate DFO for PACHA. I have had the pleasure and privilege of working with both of them for over a decade and I am confident that they will be an impactful asset to PACHA.

I announced these changes during the PACHA meeting on Thursday, March 28, 2024. The members of the Council warmly welcomed both Ms. Talev and Dr. Harrison to their new roles.

“I am delighted to congratulate Caroline Talev on her promotion to support PACHA! Her leadership, enthusiasm, passion, and hard work continue to inspire us all, and I can’t wait to see what she’ll help the Council to accomplish next in her new position,” PACHA Co-chair Marlene McNeese shared. “Caroline and Dr. Tim Harrison have been incredible assets to the federal HIV response, and I wish them both the best in their new roles.”

PACHA Co-chair Vincent Guilamo-Ramos added, “Congratulations to Caroline Talev and Timothy Harrison! Both represent leaders deeply committed to advancing our nation's overall health. We are fortunate for their leadership in guiding our collective efforts to achieve the goal of ending the HIV epidemic.”

PACHA is a federal advisory committee that is managed by OIDP. PACHA provides advice, information, and recommendations to the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services regarding programs, policies, and research to promote effective HIV diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and quality services. Learn more about PACHA.

Ms. Talev brings a wealth of experience with PACHA to her new role. She has worked alongside me since I began as Executive Director in 2012. She is also a Senior Management Analyst in OIDP where she is engaged across the office’s portfolio, including our work on HIV, syphilis, and congenital syphilis. Her career at HHS began in 2012 in the HHS Office on Women’s Health before she joined OIDP. During her tenure at OIDP, she has also served on a White House Office of National AIDS Policy special task force on employment and people living with HIV. Read more about Ms. Talev on the PACHA Members & Staff page.

Dr. Harrison’s career at HHS spans more than 20 years, all of it focused on HIV and infectious diseases. As the Principal Deputy Director of OIDP, he provides leadership and oversight of the office’s broad portfolio, which includes HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis, sexually transmitted infections, vaccines and immunization, blood and tissue safety and availability, antimicrobial resistance, and four federal advisory committees. Dr. Harrison’s work, particularly through his management of the Minority HIV/AIDS Fund, has focused on efforts to reduce infectious disease health disparities and improve health outcomes for racial, ethnic, and sexual minorities, and address the syndemic of HIV, viral hepatitis, STIs, and substance use and mental health disorders. Read more about Dr. Harrison on the PACHA Members & Staff page.

Serving as Executive Director of PACHA has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career. As the Director of OIDP, I will remain involved with PACHA and I am thrilled to see Ms. Talev and Dr. Harrison shine in these critical positions as we continue to work together to end the HIV epidemic.