Contact: Emily Land, eland@sfaf.org

SAN FRANCISCO, January 4, 2022—Tyler TerMeer, PhD has been appointed the 8th Chief Executive Officer of San Francisco AIDS Foundation, effective February 14, 2022. Dr. TerMeer brings more than 17 years of experience in nonprofit leadership and HIV/AIDS policy and advocacy to the organization. He joins SFAF from Cascade AIDS Project and Prism Health, where he serves as CEO for both organizations. 

“As a person living with HIV for nearly 18 years, I am deeply committed to and inspired by the mission, vision, and values of San Francisco AIDS Foundation, and its long history of serving the community with essential HIV and support services,” said Dr. TerMeer. “It is an honor to be selected for this role at such a pivotal moment in the HIV movement, and I am looking forward to contributing my leadership to best serve people living with and at risk for HIV in the Bay Area and beyond.” 

Dr. TerMeer has served as CEO at Cascade AIDS Project, the largest community-based provider of HIV services in Oregon and southwest Washington, for more than seven years. In that time, he has grown the organization from a staff of 55 to more than 185, expanded from one office location to seven across two states, overseen a merger with Our House of Portland, 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, and as Director of Ohio AIDS Coalition. In 2012, he was honored by the White House as one of the “Nation’s Emerging LGBTQ+ Leaders,” and in 2013 was named by the White House as part of the “Nation’s Emerging Black Leadership.” Dr. TerMeer is living with HIV; he has served on the Board of Directors for Positive Pedalers (PosPeds), an HIV-positive cycling group, and has participated in AIDS/LifeCycle eleven times. He holds a PhD in Public Policy and Administration from Walden University.

“The Board Search Committee was tasked with finding a leader that could oversee the complex and multi-faceted strategy and service delivery of SFAF. We have found that leader in Dr. TerMeer,” said Douglas Brooks, co-chair of SFAF’s Board of Directors and Chair of the Board Search Committee. “We have every confidence that he will guide the organization toward even greater progress on achieving the transformational goals of racial equity and health justice outlined in our strategic plan.”

“Dr. TerMeer is an incredibly talented leader and has made clear his commitment to HIV prevention and care,” said Maureen Watson, co-chair of SFAF’s Board of Directors. “His personal connection to the work, combined with his skill and demonstrated leadership in this field will no-doubt serve SFAF well. We are looking forward to seeing how he moves the work of SFAF forward.”  

“I was very excited to hear that Dr. TerMeer will be joining San Francisco AIDS Foundation as the next CEO,” said Cleve Jones, the co-founder of San Francisco AIDS Foundation. “Dr. TerMeer is eminently qualified for the role through his leadership in HIV and AIDS. And it is notable that he will be our first CEO who is a person of color and also living with HIV over the organization’s nearly 40 years of history. This is an incredibly historic moment, and one that I welcome fully. With Dr. TerMeer at the helm, I have no doubt that the organization will continue to grow and evolve in order to fulfill its commitment to all of us living with and at risk of HIV.”

“San Francisco AIDS Foundation is pleased that our Board has selected the next CEO for our organization, with commitment to finding the right person for this unique role,” said Kevin Rogers, SFAF’s interim CEO. “Dr. TerMeer has demonstrated he is a strategic leader, whose focus on equity, racial justice, and experience in HIV health will serve him well as he leads our organization into its next chapter.” 

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About San Francisco AIDS Foundation

San Francisco AIDS Foundation promotes health, wellness, and social justice for communities most impacted by HIV, through sexual health and substance use services, advocacy, and community partnerships. Founded in 1982, SFAF envisions a future where health justice is achieved for all people living with or at risk for HIV, ultimately striving for a day when race is not a barrier to health and wellness, substance use is not stigmatized, HIV status does not determine quality of life, and HIV transmission is eliminated. Each year more than 25,000 people rely on SFAF programs and services and millions more find advocacy tools and information they need online at sfaf.org.