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About Us
The mission of the Community Access National Network (CANN) is to define, promote, and improve access to healthcare services and supports for people living with HIV/AIDS and/or viral hepatitis through advocacy, education, and networking. These services must be affordable to the people who need them regardless of insurance status, income, or geographic location.
Read our 2023 Annual Report to learn more about some key accomplishments and information about the organization, or check out our silver transparency profile on Guidestar.
CANN invites you to make a tax-deductible donation, which will allow the organization to continue its national advocacy work to improve comprehensive medical services for people living with HIV/AIDS and/or viral hepatitis.
Board of Directors
Michelle Anderson
Michelle Rigdon-Anderson is the Policy Associate for The Afiya Center, an organization run and lead by Black women whose mission is to serve Black women and girls by transforming their relationship with their sexual and reproductive health through addressing the consequences of reproduction oppression.
Before joining The Afiya Center, Michelle graduated with an A.A.S in Substance Abuse Counseling and served as Counselor 1, HIV Educator for clients and staff and First AID Instructor at a judicial drug treatment facility women's program in Wilmer, Texas. Her goal is to further her education and attain her BA in Political Science.
In her spare time, Michelle formerly 2011 Ms. Plus America, is a National Ambassador for Greater Than AIDS Empowerment Campaign and the Black AIDS Institute where she uses life experiences to eradicate HIV stigma and challenge oppressive laws that creates barriers for Black Women and Girls from achieving access to resources that will allow them to reach full bodily autonomy.
Honorable Donna Christensen, M.D.
The Honorable. Donna M. Christensen retired from the U S House of Representatives in 2015 where she served nine terms. She is the first female physician to serve as a Member in the history of the U.S Congress. In the 111th, 112th and 113th Congress, Delegate Christensen served on the Committee on Energy and Commerce and on its Subcommittee on Health during healthcare reform.
She also served on Committee on Homeland Security, the Committee on Natural Resources and the Committee on Small Business. Congresswoman Christensen chaired the Congressional Black Caucus’ Health Braintrust for 16 years. he practiced family medicine and served in several public health administrative positions prior to her election to Congress in 1996 and recently established the Christensen Institute for Community Health and Empowerment. Dr. Christensen is the recipient of several awards and honorary degrees.
She is on the Medical Advisory Board for Choose Healthy Life, is a board member of the Community Access National Network, Frederiksted Health Care Inc, Consumers4QualityCare, American Kidney Fund, and serves on several other boards and Institutes. She also chairs an advisory council for the Institute for Gene Therapies.
Dusty Garner
Dusty Garner (they/them) is an activator - be it through their storytelling, their philanthropic and services efforts, or their career - Dusty is always seeking to motivate and engage those around them. In their career as a marketing and business consultant, they provide executive guidance to some of the largest enterprise organizations around the globe, but maintain a strong focus on making their services available and accessible to underrepresented entrepreneurs and non-profits.
Dusty has been steeped in patient advocacy since coming out as gay in rural Kansas at the height of the AIDS crisis. While working on their bachelor's degree in political science, Dusty served as Executive Director of Regional AIDS Project in Manhattan, KS - providing grant-funded HIV-related services across three counties in northeast Kansas. Later, while living in Puebla, Mexico, Dusty started an organization to empower HIV+ individuals to take ownership of their stories and use their newfound voice to lessen the stigma of an HIV diagnosis in Mexican culture.
With advanced degrees in Justice Studies and Executive Leadership, Dusty combines their academic background with real-world expertise to drive positive change in various fields. In addition to their consulting work, Dusty is a highly sought-after motivational speaker, coach, and writer. They share their insights and experiences to inspire others to reach their full potential.
Dusty's dedication to making a difference extends to their role as Sister Panti Heaux within the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. For the past five years, they have been an active member and board member of various houses across the country, continuing to spread joy, advocate for important causes, and serve those in need. Splitting their time between New York City and Cincinnati, OH, Dusty is focused on building and nurturing their "logical family" where ever they find themselves.
Dusty's unwavering commitment to creating a more inclusive and compassionate world is at the heart of everything they do.
Kathie M. Hiers
Kathie is the Chief Executive Officer of AIDS Alabama, a nonprofit organization that works statewide to provide housing and supportive services to low-income persons with HIV/AIDS as well as education, outreach and testing.
AIDS Alabama has subcontracts with the other nine AIDS Service Organizations and clinics in the state of Alabama to provide services to all 67 counties.
Kathie has been with AIDS Alabama since January 2001. Prior to that, she was the Executive Director of Mobile AIDS Support Services and the founder of the Lee Simmons Fund for People Living with AIDS in Mobile, Alabama. She is the recipient of the ADAP Advocacy Association's 2013-2014 "William E. Arnold" ADAP Champion of the Year for her tireless work to promote and enhance the State AIDS Drug Assistance Program.
Riley Johnson
Riley Johnson is a frequent speaker and consultant on the barriers to health care experienced by transgender people. For nearly twenty years, Riley has worked to ensure queer and trans people can access respectful and comprehensive care, working quietly behind the scenes to create environments and connections for quality care. In 2014, Riley co-founded RAD Remedy, a collaborative effort to connect trans, gender non-conforming, intersex and queer people to comprehensive and affirming care nationwide.
The organization's groundbreaking work, The National Standards of Care for TGIQ Health, set forth community-driven recommendations for affirming care practices directly informed by patients themselves. In 2016, Riley relocated and began serving on the Florida Comprehensive Planning Network (FCPN), the advisory body to the Florida Department of Health HIV/AIDS Section. He served as Statewide Transgender Representative and Community Co-chair of FCPN for two terms each, and he remains active as the body's Transgender Alternate and a member of the Medication Access Committee.
Riley also currently serves on ADAP Advocacy Association's Ryan White Grantee 340B Patient Advisory Committee. His research interests and time investments frequently concern the relationship of activism and policy, the evolution of community-created harm reduction and safer sex messages, and resilience within trans communities. Riley holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and Anthropology from Knox College and hopes to complete the culminating project for his Masters of Education degree from DePaul University, entitled "Barriers to Health Access in Transgender Populations: Leveraging Critical Pedagogy and Activist Engagement".
Jen Laws
Jen Laws (Pronouns: He/Him/His) is the President & Founder of Policy Candy, LLC, which is a non-partisan health policy analysis firm specializing in various aspects of health care and public health policy, focusing on the needs of the HIV-affected and Transgender communities. In that capacity, Jen has served as the President & CEO of the Community Access National Network (CANN), beginning in January 2022. He previously served as the Project Director of CANN's HIV/HCV Co-Infection Watch, as well as 340B Policy Consultant.
Jen began his advocacy efforts in Philadelphia in 2005, at the age of 19, coordinating team efforts for a corporation participating in the AIDS Walk. His connection to HIV advocacy grew when partnering with Mr. Friendly, a leading anti-HIV-stigma campaign.
He began working in public health policy in 2013, as a subcontractor for Broward Regional Planning Council evaluating Marketplace plans for plan year 2014, advising and educating constituents on plan selection. Jen was a member of South Florida AIDS Network and has worked with Florida Department of Health, Broward and Miami-Dade County Health Departments, Pride Center South Florida, and other local organizations to South Florida in addressing the concerns and needs of these intersecting communities. During this time, Jen was seated on the board of directors for the ADAP Advocacy Association.
Having moved to the New Orleans area in 2019, Jen resumed his community-based advocacy as the chair of Louisiana's Ending the HIV Epidemic planning subcommittee for Data-based Policy and Advocacy, regular participation as a community member and "do-gooder" with other governmental and non-governmental planning bodies across the Louisiana, and engages with other southern state planning bodies. He continues his advocacy in governmental health care policy evaluation, which has been utilized to expand access to quality healthcare by working with RAD Remedy to deliver the nation's foremost database of trans* competent health care providers. Lending his expertise on policy matters ranging from 340B impact on RW providers and patients to strategic communications and data analysis, Jen's approach to community engagement is focused on being accessible across all stakeholder groups and centering the perspectives of PLWHA and Transgender people. He is a community ambassador alumni of the CDC's Let's Stop HIV Together campaign.
In his personal life, Jen enjoys spending his time being "ridiculously wholesome" with his partner, Aisha, and her two amazing daughters. In their personal time, when not immersed in crafts or house projects, they can be found seeking opportunities to help their neighbors, friends, and community members (who have come to rightfully expect exquisite gift baskets of Aisha's homemade jams and jellies from time to time). Jen strives to set a good example both in his personal professional life of integrating values into action and extending the kindness and care that have led him to a life he calls "extraordinarily lucky".
Darnell Lewis
Darnell Lewis currently serves as a Paramedic at Stanly County EMS in Albermarle, North Carolina. Darnell has been living with HIV since May 15,1998. He has served in many different capacities in the arena of public health/service including the Jackson, Mississippi Coordinator for ACCELERATE!, STEPS Coordinator for Priority Health Care in New Orleans, Louisiana. and RAO Community Health Center, in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Darnell continues to stay close to advocacy work on behalf of those individuals living with HIV. His focus areas include the provision of high quality, stigma-free, and patient-centered HIV care. He is particularly supportive of the programs and services that focus on underserved, under-resourced communities, and addressing health disparities, including trauma informed care programming.
As HIV/AIDS care and services advance, many people don't always advance in knowledge around this health issue. Darnell continues his impact on the lives of people living with HIV on many platforms. Educating as many patients about viral suppression and getting to U=U remains central to his work.
Kim Molnar
Kim Molnar is the Director of the Center for Convening and Planning at The AIDS Institute. The AIDS Institute is a national nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that promotes action for social change through public policy, research, advocacy, and education. She has worked in the HIV space for more than twenty years.
Before joining The AIDS Institute, Kim was the Principal Investigator for the Florida Perinatal HIV Prevention Program and the Expanded Testing Initiative, and the Director and Co-Principal Investigator for the Florida/Caribbean AIDS Education and Training Center (AETC). Kim received both her bachelor's and master's degree from the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida. In her personal life, she enjoys spending as much time as possible with her four amazing daughters. She also enjoys traveling and photography.
Judith Montenegro
Judith Montenegro is Program Organizer for the Latinos in the Deep South Program at the Latino Commission on AIDS. Since 2004, Ms. Montenegro has worked with the immigrant population focusing on immigration reform, farm worker advocacy and awareness, and unionization of the workforce. She serves on the Boards of Directors of the American Heart Association, El Centro Hispano, Alianza Americas, and Durham Central Park in North Carolina.
Ms. Montenegro graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a B.A. in Sociology. She was born in Durango, Mexico, and came to the U.S. at a very young age. Her parents applied for U.S. permanent residency under the Amnesty of 1986. She currently lives in Durham, North Carolina with her husband and dog.
Amanda Pratter
Amanda Pratter is Associate Director, Policy Advocacy at Gilead Sciences. As a member of the Government Affairs and Policy team, Amanda leads engagement with external stakeholders on HIV and cross-cutting industry policy priorities and issues. Amanda has deep experience in advancing and fostering new and trusted relationships with a wide variety of stakeholders with strong experience in health equity.
Prior to joining Gilead, Amanda was Director, Advocacy and Strategic Alliances at PhRMA where she managed alliances focused on engaging LGBTQ, progressive and multicultural organizations. At PhRMA, Amanda supported the launch of Equitable Breakthroughs in Medicine Development, a first of its kind initiative to enhance diversity in clinical trials through sustainable, connected community-based trial sites. She also supported alliance development for the Biotechnology Innovation Organization focusing on minority health advocacy organizations.
Amanda did her undergraduate work at the University of Maryland, College Park and holds a MS in Interdisciplinary Health Sciences - Pharmacology and Biochemistry from Drexel University. Amanda is also a proud wife and mother of two young children who have very full schedules – outside of work her favorite role is serving as “chief chaos coordinator” for their many activities and adventures.
Trelvis D. Randolph, Esq.
Trelvis D. Randolph is an attorney and partner in the Miami office of Quintairos, Prieto, Wood & Boyer, P.A., which is the largest women and minority owned law firm in the United States. He served three terms as President of the Wilkie D. Ferguson, Jr., Bar Association, which is the Black Lawyers Association of Miami-Dade County. His practice focuses on premises liability; nursing home and assisted living facilities; personal injury; vehicle negligence; general civil litigation; hospitality industry defense; and negligent security.
He is an elected member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). Leading with the experience of dozens of jury trials and years of litigation history, Mr. Randolph has served as a community activist and consultant to various civil rights and non-profit community empowerment organizations, including the Miami-Dade Branch of the NAACP, where he is the current General Counsel. He is the Vice-Chair of SAVE, which is the premier LGBTQ civil rights organization in Miami-Dade County and he is a board member of the ACLU of Florida.
Mr. Randolph is a United States Army veteran. He proudly served his country as an infantry soldier and in his home state as a reserve with the Tennessee Army National Guard.
Cindy Snyder
Cindy Snyder retired from ViiV Healthcare in March of 2023 where she worked in advocacy, policy and government relations for 10 years. In that role, she worked with patient advocates and policy makers on health policies that improve access to care for people living with HIV and those in need of HIV prevention, at the federal level and in several states.
Prior to joining ViiV Healthcare Cindy was with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) for 24 years. At GSK she held various positions that included working with several state Medicaid programs and commercial insurance plans, advocating for increases to federal and state HIV funding, and improving access for people eligible for Medicaid and the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program.
Cindy is the chair of the Duke Lutherans Committee at her church, serves on the board of The AIDS Institute, is a member of the North Carolina State Bar and lives in Durham, North Carolina with her husband.
Directors Emeritus
William "Bill" Arnold, in memoriam - served 1996 - 2021
Jeff Coudriet, in memoriam - served 1995 - 2011
The Honorable Maurice Hinchey, M.C. - (D - NY 22nd), in memoriam - served 1996 - 2015
Gary R. Rose, J.D., in Memoriam - served 1995 - 2017
Staff & Consultants
Jen Laws, President & CEO
(Email Jen)
Brandon M. Macsata, General Consultant
(Email Brandon)
Travis Manint, Blogger
(Email Travis)
David E. Mickler, Web Consultant
(Email David)
Ranier Simons, Consultant
(Email Ranier)