San Francisco AIDS Foundation's New Executive Director

On June 1, Mark Cloutier officially started in his role as executive director of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and its global affiliate, the Pangaea Global AIDS Foundation. Mark has over twenty years of experience in the HIV and health arenas, including most recently serving as executive director of Continuum, a community-based HIV health care organization that provides medical care and social support services to people living with HIV in the Tenderloin.

The editors of OUTReach recently interviewed Mark about his thoughts on his new role and the future of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation.

OUTREACH: You are taking on leadership of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation at a critical juncture in the HIV pandemic. What do you see as the major challenges facing the AIDS community at this time?

MARK: There is an unfortunate complacency nationally about new infections. In San Francisco alone there are 750-1,000 new infections occurring each year. We need to find ways to bring that number down significantly and I believe we will only succeed if we can successfully address the factors contributing to new infections, such as speed use, isolation, and untreated depression in the gay community.

Regarding care and treatment for people living with HIV, we need to recognize that San Francisco is faced with shrinking government resources and our HIV service structure needs to adapt to this reality. Nationally, we face tremendous budget challenges that have all but stopped funding increases for programs critical to people living with HIV/AIDS, despite the growing number of people living with the disease.

OUTREACH: What role do you think the Foundation should play in responding to these challenges?

MARK: The Foundation needs to maintain and bolster its leadership in the public policy arena. One of the great contributions of the agency has been its impact in Washington, D.C. and Sacramento on critical legislation and budget issues. In the current political climate, we need to become more effective in working with Congress and the Administration in areas where we share a policy perspective, while simultaneously opposing harmful policies that they are enacting. We have to lead with policies based on public health, science and protecting the rights of people with HIV.

In addition, the role of the Foundation as a program innovator is more important than ever. Funding realities and an evolving epidemic require that we develop programs that effectively meet the service and prevention needs of our community that serve as models for the country.

OUTREACH: What are your hopes for the agency and the achievement of its mission?

MARK: First, I have to say that I am extremely fortunate to be inheriting an unusually strong agency due to the visionary leadership of Pat Christen and the incredible management and programmatic acumen of the agency's staff. The AIDS Foundation has a long track record of setting and achieving high impact goals that have had a profound impact on the epidemic--enactment of the Ryan White CARE Act, legalization of needle exchange, and access to HIV treatments in the developing world among them. I want to make sure this agency continues to reach for high-impact goals that move forward our ultimate objective of ending the pandemic. I'm also aware that a significant element of the agency's success has been its ability to raise private funds to support these high-impact goals. Private donations have allowed the agency to take risks that it could not have taken otherwise. I take on this role with the goal of stewarding these essential resources in the most effective and thoughtful manner possible.

OUTREACH: Can you talk a bit about your past experience in working on HIV issues and how that experience informs your thinking about the role of the AIDS Foundation?

MARK: As executive director of Continuum, I had to deal with the complex challenges of providing services to a population that not only grapples with HIV but also with homelessness, substance abuse and severe mental disorders. I had to confront many of the same financial, human resource, and service delivery challenges faced by the San Francisco AIDS Foundation in its work with clients. I expect that experience will serve me well in this new position.

OUTREACH: What are your thoughts on the San Francisco AIDS Foundation's response to the global pandemic through its affiliate, Pangaea?

MARK: Given that 95% of new infections are occurring in the developing world, it is imperative that we play a role in the fight against this disease globally if our mission is to end the pandemic. And from a high-impact perspective, the opportunity to save lives and reduce human suffering is simply unmatched.

OUTREACH: How was your experience as a first-year rider on AIDS/LifeCycle 4?

MARK: The AIDS/LifeCycle community is simply awe-inspiring. In addition to being a successful fundraising event, it is precisely the remedy needed to address the isolation felt by many in our communities and to reverse the growing apathy around this disease. AIDS/LifeCycle participants are a testament to our communities' unwavering commitment to end AIDS.

OUTREACH: Any final comments?

MARK: Just that I'm thrilled and honored to be taking on this responsibility. I look forward to meeting as many of our donors and volunteers as I can in the coming months. I'll be walking in AIDS Walk on July 17th and really encourage people to join me and take the time to introduce themselves. I am eager to hear from clients, donors and volunteers about our work and the future.