Our Leadership

Tyler TerMeer, PhD, joined San Francisco AIDS Foundation as CEO in February 2022 and is the first person of color and first person living with HIV to hold this role within the organization’s more than four-decade history. Reporting to the Board of Directors and working in partnership with a leadership team, Dr. TerMeer is responsible for setting the organization’s strategic priorities with the Board of Directors and ensuring programmatic and operational excellence, strong fiscal management, effective human resources, and long-term financial viability of our work. He holds primary responsibility for building positive public awareness of SFAF as well as its associated brands, and for developing and maintaining constructive working relationships with funders, civic leaders and other organizations working toward common goals.

Dr. TerMeer has more than 20 years of experience in HIV and AIDS policy, advocacy, and nonprofit management. Previously, he served as CEO of Cascade AIDS Project, the largest community-based provider of HIV services in Oregon and southwest Washington. During his time at the helm of Cascade AIDS Project, Dr. TerMeer oversaw a merger with Our House of Portland, expanded the organization from one office to seven across two states, and launched Prism Health to serve the primary care and mental health needs of LGBTQ+ community members.

Previously, Dr. TerMeer served as the Director of Public Policy and Government Relations at AIDS Resource Center Ohio, as Director of Ohio AIDS Coalition, and on a variety of HIV and AIDS policy organization councils and boards including Positive Pedalers (PosPeds), the National Association of People with AIDS, and the National Center for Innovation in HIV Care. He is currently a member of the AIDS United Governing Board of Directors and has served for nearly a decade as the elected co-chair of the AIDS United Public Policy Council. For nearly two decades, Dr. TerMeer has supported San Francisco AIDS Foundation as a donor through his participation AIDS/LifeCycle as both a Rider and a Roadie.

Dr. TerMeer is personally committed to the work of SFAF. Throughout his career and personal life, he has worked to ensure that people living with HIV have the resources and support they need to live healthy lives, that LGBTQ+ community members have access to affirming and non-judgmental care, that our nations overdose response is treated with the dignity and humanity that all people deserve and that Black-led organizations, and that Black-led organizations and Black and Brown leaders are supported and empowered through justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion policies and resources. In 2012, he was honored by the White House as one of the “Nation’s Emerging LGBTQ+ Leaders,” in 2013 was named by the White House as part of the “Nation’s Emerging Black Leadership,” in 2020 was named a Portland Business Journal “Executive of the Year," and in 2024 received a commendation from the San Francisco Board of Supervisors for his leadership of San Francisco AIDS Foundation.

Dr. TerMeer holds a PhD in Public Policy and Administration, and an MS in Nonprofit Management and Organization Leadership from Walden University. He is also a graduate of the UCLA/Johnson and Johnson Health Care Executive Management Program. Dr. TerMeer grew up in Central Ohio. When he is not working, he enjoys spending quality time with friends and chosen-family, running, urban hikes and spoiling his rescue dog - a pug named Riley.

Ben Cabangun-Hice, MA thrives by cultivating creativity with teams. At his core, he’s a problem solver and human-centered design practitioner. At San Francisco AIDS Foundation, Ben is a cross-function thought partner and co-designs solutions to administrative and operations challenges across programs.

Prior to joining SFAF, Ben was managing director and principal investigator at the 28-year CDC-funded national HIV capacity building program, Capacity for Health. There, he led the design of organizational development and management consulting frameworks and training curricula integrating design thinking for HIV and public health contexts. His program design, implementation, and evaluation experience began in 2008 at the organization now known as the San Francisco Community Health Center. Since 2010, he has served on the San Francisco HIV Community Planning Council and has served terms as council co-chair, Jurisdictional Planning Committee Chair, and is currently co-chair of Community Engagement. He completed graduate school at the College of Ethnic Studies at San Francisco State University, and is an alumni of the CompassPoint Next Generation Leaders of Color, the Rockwood Leadership Institute, and the +Acumen Community of Social Innovators. He’s obsessed with indoor cycling, single origin coffee, yoga, reality TV, and happy hour.

Brenda Kiner is the Chief Program Officer, overseeing program development, ensuring that SFAF projects align with our strategic goals, and enhancing our impact on our strategic priority communities. Brenda works alongside department and team leaders to shape our program business strategies and drive excellence across all of our programs and service initiatives.

Prior to joining San Francisco AIDS Foundation, Brenda worked at a variety of healthcare and government-sponsored programs over a 20-year career. Most recently, she served as the first female African American Chief Executive Officer for Pierce County AIDS Foundation (PCAF), and previously as Chief Operations Officer for the State of Arizona Division of Developmental Disabilities, and Vice President of U.S. and Philippines Operations for HealthHelp, a WNS Global Company. Brenda also currently serves as the President-Elect of the National Association of Healthcare Executives AZ-Chapter.

She holds a bachelor's from Arizona State University, Senior Executive Leadership Certification from Harvard, and Executive Change Management Certification from Cornell University.

Peter Parisot is the General Counsel and Vice President of Business Strategy, leading San Francisco AIDS Foundation’s compliance program, acting as legal counsel for the agency, and identifying new strategic business partnerships and opportunities to drive growth and increased revenue for the agency. Peter works closely with agency leadership to provide strategic direction, ensure the agency meets all regulatory and legal requirements with an eye toward equity, and sustain growth initiatives.

Before joining SFAF, Peter held various roles at Cascade AIDS Project (CAP) in Portland Oregon, including Chief Impact Officer & General Counsel, most recently. At CAP, Peter oversaw the departments of People & Culture and Policy & Advocacy, and acted as Project Director for the Federally Qualified Health Center, Prism Health. Additionally, he provided legal counsel to the agency on a variety of topics, including employment and labor law, regulatory compliance, and real estate transactions. Before that, Peter worked as Director of Economic Development in the Office of the Mayor for Portland, Oregon. Peter received his JD from the Northwestern School of Law of Lewis & Clark College in 2000.

Peter lives in Portland, Oregon, with his husband Ben, their three dogs, and a grumpy cat named Cosmo. Peter is a fan of hiking, river sports, cooking, gardening, and international travel.

Jasmin Alvarez is the Director of Strut Programs & Services at San Francisco AIDS Foundation, joining first in 2015 as a lab technician. Jasmin was born and raised in the Bay Area and has deep roots in the heart of the Mission where she grew up. Having lived in a Latine Community most of her life, she has experienced health disparities firsthand with herself, her family, and her friends. That’s one reason why she advocates for marginalized communities and has a passion for health rights.

Working in laboratory fields, Jasmin makes connections with clients by listening to their stories, experiencing and the challenges they face every day just to take care of themselves. Their stories are the drive and passion behind her work. When she’s not working to dismantle racism and misogyny in the workplace, Jasmin is kept busy by her two loving dogs who would do anything for a tennis ball.

Nathaniel Anderson is the facilities director at San Francisco AIDS Foundation, leading a team overseeing facilities operations, budgets, maintenance and workplace safety and security.

For six years prior to his current role, Nathaniel led events production for AIDS/LifeCycle. Nathaniel has previously worked with several Bay Area arts organizations, including managing development and front of house operations for Museum of Craft and Design and development and special events for Kala Art Institute. He received his Master’s degree in arts administration from the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University, Bloomington.

Vince is a gay Chamorro (Pacific Islander) long-term HIV/AIDS survivor who believes in the power of community and has dedicated more than 30 years to HIV/AIDS activism and LGBTQ communities. He is passionate about bringing health care and social justice equity to people of every sexual identity, HIV status, gender, race and age.

Vince currently runs a program for long-term HIV survivors at San Francisco AIDS Foundation. He also co-chairs the HIV & Aging Work Group of the Mayor’s Long Term Care Coordinating Council. Vince has led a number of grassroots HIV advocacy organizations both in the U.S. and overseas. He was executive director of the Coalition of Asia Pacific Regional Networks on HIV/AIDS, founded the Pacific Island Jurisdiction AIDS Action Group, and served as a United Nations NGO delegate for the Asia Pacific.

Steve Fagundes is the Controller, leading SFAF’s accounting function and overseeing financial processes and systems. Steve first joined the organization in 2022 as the Assistant Controller, and returns to SFAF from Drew School, where he led the business office.

Prior to his career in nonprofits, Steve held various financial reporting and audit positions in the tech industry. Steve is a CPA and holds an MS in Accountancy from San Diego State University.

In their free time, they enjoy taking scenic walks through San Francisco and exploring the many restaurants and bakeries the city has to offer.

Ashley Fargeon is the Director of Navigation and Benefits, overseeing Lobby Services at our main office and Strut, the HIV & PrEP Benefits Navigation team, service navigators at Strut, our TransCare program, and the financial subsidies and benefits team. She plays a pivotal role in developing and implementing navigation and referral strategies to ensure that SFAF clients are fully aware of and linked to services, programs, and events that cut across building locations, topic area, and department. She is passionate about ensuring our clients experience positive, high-quality interactions with SFAF’s programs and services, and is committed to service provision that adheres to regulations and policies related to public benefits.

Ashley joined SFAF in 2016 as the Services Lobby Manager. She has been promoted several times holding roles as the Associative Director of Services Navigation, the Director of COVID Response, and the Director of Lobby Services. Prior to SFAF, Ashley worked in many different levels of care in the San Francisco residential treatment continuum of care spaces for over 10 years, earning her the 2013 HOPE Award for program management by the California Association of Social Rehabilitation Agencies. Ashley is an enthusiastic team player who is always happy to help anyone in need. She is a strong advocate and thought partner, always caring to help community members and support colleagues navigate an oftentimes difficult social service and treatment landscape.

In her off time, Ashley loves to go on adventures, stay active, travel, cook n’ bake and much more. She cycled AIDS/LifeCycle for the first time in 2024, overcoming her anxiety, fear and utter lack of cycling experience to have the most awesome and treasured ride, making memories that will last a lifetime!! She is originally from Los Angeles, and has lived in San Francisco since 2006.

Ernest Hopkins leads the San Francisco AIDS Foundation national policy and legislative activities at the federal administrative and congressional levels, seeking appropriate levels of resource and sound public health policies that promote the health and wellness of San Franciscans living with and at risk for HIV.

Ernest marked 20 years at SFAF in 2017 having led federal policy and legislative activities since 1997. Prior to joining SFAF, Ernest was the director of health and treatment at the National Association for People with AIDS (NAPWA) in Washington, DC where he led clinical trial review and consultation at the inception of HIV antiretroviral development and availability, advocating for safety, effectiveness and affordability. Ernest leads and has led national advocacy coalitions like the National Black Gay Men's Advocacy Coalition (NBGMAC) and the Communities Advocating Emergency AIDS Relief (CAEAR). He has testified before congressional committees and advised Congress on legislative initiatives, earning him the Congressional Black Caucus's Leadership Award.

Eric Jost is the director of marketing at San Francisco AIDS Foundation and oversees the development of SFAF’s public health campaigns, digital presence, and paid marketing efforts. He first fell in love with sexual health and harm reduction promotion while interning at AIDS service organizations in Washington D.C. and Sydney, Australia, and he’s dedicated his life to connecting people with vital information in fun and creative ways.

Prior to joining SFAF, he led content development for one of California’s largest physician practice management companies and a nutritional health start-up. He’s also enjoyed a successful freelance writing career, publishing articles in LGBTQ+ outlets that explored the impact of queer identity on pop culture.

In his free time, Eric leads historic walking tours of San Francisco and enjoys sipping tropical cocktails on a beach.

Sara Kunitake is the Senior Director of SFAF’s People and Culture team. She is passionate about empowering and engaging employees to do the hard work necessary for an organization to succeed.

Prior to joining SFAF, Sara worked in people operations and business partner roles to help College Track through a CEO transition, reorganization, and the implementation of a new performance evaluation process. Prior to College Track she worked at Penumbra, Inc. where the People Team grew the organization from 650 employees to 2500 employees. Before making the switch to Human Resources she worked in fundraising with LGBTQ+ and environmental nonprofits and community organizing for electoral campaigns. 

Sara attended University of California, Irvine, where she earned a degree in Political Science, Sociology, and Education. On weekends, Sara enjoys hikes and bike rides but can be talked into a day of binging the latest shows on Netflix. Vacation days are spent traveling to other countries or volunteering on campaigns in more competitive areas than her native San Francisco.

Maria Martens is the Director of Strategic Operations, where she leads the organization’s strategic planning and the execution of key initiatives to drive the organization's mission to promote health, wellness, and social justice for communities most impacted by HIV. She works closely with all departments to implement their Objectives and Key Results (OKRs), ensuring alignment with the organization's mission and goals.

With over a decade of experience, she has provided Capacity Building and Technical Assistance to community-based organizations (CBOs) and health departments, strengthening the nation’s HIV workforce. As a social worker by trade, Maria has a deep commitment to community well-being. Her background includes facilitating groups for people living with HIV and working directly with individuals to address trauma, foster resilience, and build pathways toward healing and empowerment.

Outside of her professional role, Maria is a dedicated fitness enthusiast who frequents the gym and channels her passion for wellness into running an online nutrition coaching business. Balancing strategic leadership with a commitment to health and community, she brings a holistic approach to everything she does.

Mazdak Mazarei leads and oversees justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) initiatives at San Francisco AIDS Foundation. He is passionate about working collaboratively with staff to identify and successfully implement JEDI-related projects that are person-centered, evidence-based and anchored in the organization’s mission to promote health, wellness, and social justice for communities most impacted by HIV, including within the organization. Mazdak works closely with his People & Culture colleagues to maintain a work environment that supports effective talent acquisition, development, and retention of employees, particularly those from historically marginalized backgrounds.
 
Mazdak has more than 20 years' history providing capacity building assistance to the nation’s HIV workforce, informed by his experiences providing direct services at AIDS service organizations in the Bay Area and lessons learned from staff at the agencies he's worked with across the country.  During this time, Mazdak supported community-based organizations, clinics and health departments to better operationalize their JEDI-related values.
 
Outside of his role at SFAF, Mazdak is a certified end-of-life doula.

Brian Ragas is the Director of Black Health, leading the development and implementation of innovative programming including Black Brothers Esteem (BBE), Healing & Uniting Every Sista (HUES), and TransLife. He oversees staffing and training initiatives, establishes operational protocols, and directs marketing efforts in addition to managing relationships with subcontracting agencies and supervising data reporting systems to ensure programmatic excellence.

Brian is an accomplished administrator with over a decade of experience advancing health and human rights within civil society organizations. With a strong background in management and strategic communication, he has a proven track record of enhancing organizational efficiency and fostering meaningful relationships with major donors, clients, and stakeholders.

Brian holds a degree in Ethnic Studies from San Francisco State University and has completed advanced studies in HIV/AIDS Management at Stellenbosch University. He is currently pursuing studies in Global Health Policy at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Jorge Roman oversees clinical services at Magnet, the sexual health clinic at San Francisco AIDS Foundation. Passionate about health care delivery for clients living with HIV and HIV PrEP, Jorge came to SFAF in 2019. Prior to that, he worked at OLE Health where he led efforts for LGBT inclusion and culturally appropriate care.

Jorge holds a Bachelor of Science (BS) from the University of California, San Diego, and a BS and a Master of Science from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. Jorge is passionate about bringing health equity through health care delivery that focuses on BIPOC communities. Jorge lives in Sonoma with his partner of over 20 years and beagle Tucker.

Jorge Zepeda, MSW, LCSW, MPH is the Director of Latine Health, where he oversees individual, group, and outreach community support programs for Latine community members. Jorge has more than 30 years of experience in HIV, social work, and designing and implementing programs and services for Latine communities. Jorge is an Xicane immigrant whose primary language is Spanish. He joined SFAF to work the HIV information Hotline in 1992, was hired as a case worker in 1997, and has worked to address structural and systemic barriers that Spanish-speaking and Latine communities face ever since.

Jorge was born and raised in Puebla, Mexico, and migrated to the United States in 1989. As a Spanish-speaking Latino immigrant, he found navigating systems of care and support to be confusing and difficult. After becoming proficient in English, Jorge began volunteering at several community-based organizations where he learned to advocate for himself and fellow Latine community members.

Jorge is passionate about uncovering structural inequities and pushing for social justice. He is aware that Latine communities are affected by many social forces, including institutional racism and structural oppression, that affect the most vulnerable minority groups including immigrants and Indigenous people. He dedicates his expertise to building a more just community.

Jorge dedicates additional efforts to reach out to the communities who usually do not engage with services, including those who are unhoused, people who use drugs, and people who are undocumented immigrants. When Jorge is not working in the field and visiting homeless shelters or encampments, he enjoys spending time with his family and friends. Jorge is also passionate about dancing Salsa, Tango, and fixing any machinery crossing his path including pocket watches.