Staff

• Senior Leadership Team

  Charles Lyons

  President and Chief Executive Officer

  President and Chief Executive Officer Charles Lyons joined EGPAF in 2010 after many years managing and developing programs for leading global nonprofits. With a professional emphasis on children's welfare, HIV/AIDS, and global development, Lyons brings a deep commitment to support those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. In his role as President and CEO, Lyons is responsible for the strategic, programmatic, fundraising, financial, and management operations of the organization.
  
  Prior to joining EGPAF, Lyons was director of special initiatives in the Global Development Program at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, where he led a team dedicated to global poverty reduction. Prior to his work at the Gates Foundation, Lyons spent more than 20 years in increasingly prominent roles with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), to include program officer, UNICEF Mozambique; chief of staff to the executive director at UNICEF headquarters; and president and CEO of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. A longtime advocate for global health, he is a member of the Human Rights Watch Health and Human Rights Advisory Committee and worked from its inception to develop the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), serving on the Board of the GAVI Fund and chairing its executive committee from 2004 to 2006.
  
  In September 2011, Lyons was appointed by President Barack Obama as U.S. Alternate Representative to the UNICEF Executive Board.
  
  Lyons studied political economy at the New School for Social Research in New York and has a bachelor’s degree from Carleton College in Minnesota.

  Brad Kiley

  Chief Operating Officer

  Brad Kiley is responsible for overseeing and managing EGPAF's business operations functions, and for translating the programmatic needs of EGPAF's numerous field offices into deliverables. He has deep experience in operations and in the development of business models that are fit for the rapidly changing environment in which EGPAF works to eliminate pediatric AIDS.
  
  Previous to his tenure at EGPAF, Mr. Kiley served as Assistant to the President of the United States for Management and Administration at the White House. As a member of the President’s senior staff, he directed the day-to-day management and operations of the White House Complex, and held responsibility for finance, budgeting, information technology, facilities management, human resources operations, and strategic planning for the Executive Office of the President (EOP). Earlier, in 2008, Mr. Kiley helped lead the transition team of then President-Elect Barack Obama in 2008, which built upon key operations positions he held in the Clinton White House and with the Democratic National Committee.
  
  Mr. Kiley also has significant experience in the not-for-profit world as an original start-up staffer at the Center for American Progress, an educational institute dedicated to improving the lives of Americans through progressive ideas and action, and as an organizer of the International AIDS Trust, a non-profit organization dedicated to fighting HIV/AIDS globally.

  Nicholas Hellmann, MD

  Executive Vice President, Medical and Scientific Affairs

  Executive Vice President of Medical and Scientific Affairs Dr. Nicholas Hellmann is responsible for providing strategic direction for EGPAF's programs and research initiatives, ensuring that children are at the forefront of scientific breakthroughs. Prior to joining EGPAF, Dr. Hellmann played key leadership roles, primarily focused on HIV/AIDS, at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, ViroLogic, Inc., Gilead Sciences, Roche Molecular Systems, and Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceutical Research Institute. He received his M.D. from the University of Kentucky and served as an assistant professor in the Internal Medicine/Infectious Diseases Division at the University of California, San Francisco.

  Philip O’Brien

  Executive Vice President, Communications, Advocacy and Development

  Philip O'Brien is the Executive Vice President of Communications, Advocacy, and Development at EGPAF. The Public Policy, Advocacy, and Communications Department and the Department of Development and Marketing, which he oversees, are charged with increasing visibility and global support for EGPAF through coordinated marketing, communications, advocacy, and fundraising initiatives. Prior to joining EGPAF, O'Brien spent more than 20 years at the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), most recently as the Director of Private Fundraising and Partnerships, where he led global development, advocacy, and communications initiatives. In his role, O'Brien managed the relationship with 36 UNICEF national committees, providing guidance and strategic support related to the individual programs’ brand-building, fundraising, and outreach activities. O’Brien worked with international and non-governmental organizations in Europe, Sudan, Bangladesh, Yemen, and Tanzania. He received his undergraduate degree in social policy and administration, and a master's degree in economic science, at the University of Wales, Swansea. He is based in Geneva, Switzerland.

  Laura Guay, MD

  Vice President, Research

  Dr. Laura Guay serves a dual appointment as vice president of research at EGPAF and as research professor at The George Washington University (GWU) School of Public Health and Health Services. She received her M.D. from GWU in 1985, and went on to a pediatrics residency at Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital and Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) in Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. Guay was a visiting lecturer at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda from 1988 to 1991, and then returned to CWRU to complete her fellowship in pediatric infectious diseases. She then spent seven more years in Uganda, where she worked on the landmark HIVNET 012 trial, which determined the effectiveness of single-dose nevirapine in preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV. Prior to joining GWU, Dr. Guay was a member of the faculty at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Most recently, her research has focused on reducing the rate of HIV transmission in breast-feeding infants and on the testing of an HIV vaccine in infants.

  RJ Simonds, MD

  Vice President, Program Innovation and Policy

  Dr. RJ Simonds oversees EGPAF's work in global technical policy, knowledge management, dissemination of innovations, technical leadership, and exchange of best practices. Prior to joining EGPAF, he spent 20 years as a medical epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in its domestic and global AIDS programs, with a special focus on HIV prevention, care, and treatment of children. Most recently, Dr. Simonds served as deputy director for CDC's Global AIDS Program and as a deputy principal for the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR); he also assisted with the early development of the Global Health Initiative in 2009. Dr. Simonds received a bachelor’s degree in geography from the University of California at Berkeley, earned a medical degree from the University of Hawaii, completed a pediatrics residency at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, and trained in CDC's Epidemic Intelligence Service. In 2010 he was honored as a finalist for a Service to America Medal, an award celebrating federal employees for public service.

  Trish Devine Karlin

  Vice President, Global Business Planning

  Trish Karlin is responsible for program operations and planning; program and resource management; and program design, strategy, reporting, outcomes, and communications at EGPAF. During her 15-year tenure, she has helped EGPAF establish several notable current programs. Before joining EGPAF, Karlin worked for the California State Controller’s Office and served as executive director of the John M. Lloyd Foundation, where she is currently a board member.

  Anja Giphart, MD, MPH

  Vice President, Program Implementation

  Dr. Anja Giphart is responsible for managing the implementation and success of programmatic operations in the countries where EGPAF works. She oversees the technical aspects of EGPAF's in-country work, including monitoring and evaluation activities, quality assurance, country support, and technical assistance. Previous to her role supporting global program implementation, Dr. Giphart worked for EGPAF in Tanzania, first as the organization’s in-country technical director and later as the country director. Prior to joining EGPAF, she worked as an international health specialist for Macro International, and held positions in Zambia and Mozambique providing and supervising clinic services at area hospitals. Dr. Giphart received her degree in medicine from Erasmus University, and her master’s degree in public health from Johns Hopkins School of Public Health.

  Tami Ward-Dahl, SPHR/GPHR

  Vice President, Human Resources and Administration

  Tami Ward-Dahl is responsible for developing and managing the overall strategic human resource systems, practices, and approaches to support EGPAF’s organizational growth and development. Prior to joining EGPAF, she held executive positions at Ruesch International, IOMEGA Corporation, and OTC Division. Ward-Dahl is certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources, a Global Professional in Human Resources, and a Certified Compensation Professional.
  

  Doug Horner

  Vice President, Awards, Compliance & International Operations

  Doug Horner is responsible for leading EGPAF’s global contracts, grants and procurement functions; and compliance and risk management initiatives. He has over 20 years of experience in evaluating and administering publicly-funded programs. Before coming to EGPAF, Horner held senior management positions in two of the U.S. Department of Justice’s major grant-making agencies, reporting to Presidentially-appointed directors. He also served at the Government Accountability Office and the White House’s Office of Management and Budget. Horner earned a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School and graduated with honors from Duke University with a bachelor of arts degree.

  Richard Marlink, MD

  Senior Advisor, Medical and Scientific Affairs

  Dr. Richard Marlink oversees EGPAF’s efforts to expand global HIV/AIDS care and treatment services, including antiretroviral treatment. Currently a professor at the Harvard School of Public Health, Dr. Marlink was part of the team that initially identified HIV-2, the second type of HIV, and he helped coordinate research concerning the clinical and biologic characteristics of both HIV-1 and HIV-2. In addition to a number of Botswana clinical studies in which he participates, Dr. Marlink is the principal investigator of Botswana's first large-scale antiretroviral treatment study.

• Country Directors

  Edward Bitarakwate, MD

  Country Director, Uganda

  Dr. Edward Bitarakwate is the country director for EGPAF in Uganda. Previous to his position leading EGPAF’s efforts in Uganda, Dr. Bitarakwate acted as the country program’s technical director, coordinating prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) services and HIV care and treatment expansion efforts. Prior to joining EGPAF, Dr. Bitarakwate worked in various capacities with the Uganda Ministry of Health, participating in the national scale-up of HIV/AIDS prevention, care, and treatment services. Dr. Bitarakwate is a pediatrician and public health specialist by training, and has practiced clinical and community medicine since 1995. He received his master’s degree in public health from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Public Health.

  Nicole Buono, MPH

  Country Director, Malawi

  Nicole Buono was appointed Country Director for EGPAF/Malawi in October 2012. She has been with EGPAF since 2003, serving in a number of capacities and supporting numerous countries; she has over 15 years of experience in implementing and managing HIV and health programs, particularly in Africa.
  
  Most recently, Ms. Buono was EGPAF's Director for Country Business Plans, and was responsible for furthering the concept of business plans, developing a guidance document for the organization and facilitating the completion of country business plans for Rwanda, Malawi and India. From 2010 to 2012, she was the Director of Project HEART, and managed the successful five-country, CDC-funded Track 1.0 prevention, care and treatment project implemented in Côte d'Ivoire, Zambia, Mozambique, South Africa and Tanzania. Earlier, Ms. Buono served as the Project Director for the USAID Call to Action Cooperative Agreement and as a Senior Program Officer/ Country Officer supporting programs in Côte d’Ivoire, Tanzania, Rwanda, Kenya, Lesotho, and Uganda.
  
  Prior to joining EGPAF, Ms. Buono worked for USAID in Washington and West Africa; the Population Council; and the US Peace Corps as a volunteer, staff member, and trainer. She has resided in Senegal, Ghana, Benin, and South Africa, and has a MPH degree from Johns Hopkins University.

  John Ditekemena, MD, MPH

  Country Director, Democratic Republic of Congo

  Dr. John Ditekemena is the country director for EGPAF in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). In his role, he oversees EGPAF's presence in DRC, leading programmatic and operational activities. Dr. Ditekemena joined EGPAF in 2009 as a prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) specialist, managing the implementation of PMTCT activities in four provinces in DRC. Prior to his tenure at EGPAF, Dr. Ditekemena worked as a PMTCT project manager at the Kinshasa School of Public Health, where he oversaw PMTCT services and conducted national and provincial technical trainings. Dr. Ditekemena received his degree in medicine from the University of Kinshasa, and his master’s degree in public health from the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, Belgium.

  Joseph Essombo, MD

  Country Director, Cote d'Ivoire

  Dr. Joseph Essombo is the country director for EGPAF in Côte d’Ivoire. He is a longtime activist and expert in the fight against HIV/AIDS, and has 20 years of experience in care and community mobilization around HIV issues. Prior to joining EGPAF, Dr. Essombo worked for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Retrovirus Côte d'Ivoire project as program officer for care and treatment and as coordinator for public-private partnership initiatives. Currently, he acts as a member of the International Committee of Sidaction, a French organization focused on raising awareness of and funds for HIV/AIDS. Dr. Essombo received a master's degree in disease control at the Belgium Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, where he was granted the prize of best thesis.

  Mohammed Ali Mahdi, MD, MIH

  Country Director, Swaziland

  Dr. Mohammed Ali Mahdi is the country director for EGPAF in Swaziland. He joined EGPAF in 2006, first as the office’s technical advisor supervising prevention, care, and treatment operations. Prior to joining EGPAF, Dr. Mahdi acted as a prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) technical director for the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Ethiopia, where he worked closely with health facilities to support the implementation of HIV prevention programs; assisted in the development of national prevention guidelines; and organized and facilitated training courses on PMTCT services. Dr. Mahdi received his degree in medicine from Addis Ababa University, Gondar College of Medical Sciences; a certificate of specialty in pediatrics and child health from Addis Ababa University, Faculty of Medicine; and a master’s degree in international health from Copenhagen University in Denmark.
  

  Agnes Mahomva, MBChB

  Country Director, Zimbabwe

  Dr. Agnes Mahomva is the country director for EGPAF in Zimbabwe. Before her role as the Zimbabwe country director, she worked as a senior global technical policy advisor and a regional technical advisor for EGPAF’s country programs in Africa. Prior to joining EGPAF, Dr. Mahomva served as a senior government technical officer for the Zimbabwe Ministry of Health and Child Welfare, where she was responsible for implementing the national prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) program. Dr. Mahomva holds bachelor’s degrees in medicine and surgery, and a master’s degree in public health. She currently serves as the education secretary for the Zimbabwe College of Public Health Physicians, and chairs the Technical Committee of the Global Fund Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM) in Zimbabwe.

  Fernando Morales, MD

  Country Director, Mozambique

  Dr. Fernando Morales is the country director for EGPAF in Mozambique. Prior to joining EGPAF, he was Senior HIV Technical Advisor with the Rwanda CDC program, where he led the implementation of PEPFAR clinical services and worked closely with the local Ministry of Health. Earlier, Dr. Morales served as Global Fund HIV Technical Advisor for UNICEF in Somalia, where he led all technical aspects of the national HIV program. He started his career with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and has lived in several African countries including Mozambique, where he worked in support of the HIV/AIDS program in Maputo. Dr. Morales received his Medical Degree from the University of Buenos Aires.

  Susan Strasser, MPH, MSN, PhD

  Country Director, Zambia

  Dr. Susan Strasser is the Country Director for EGPAF in Zambia. She joined EGPAF in 2008, first as a consultant to EGPAF's Zimbabwe office and then as technical advisor to the Zambia office. Dr. Strasser has more than 15 years of experience in international development and public health. Prior to joining EGPAF, she led Catholic Relief Service's Orphan and Vulnerable Children program, reaching eight countries in southern Africa with child protection initiatives that focused on health, education, and child development. Dr. Strasser is a registered nurse and received a bachelor's degree in nursing from the University of Rochester; a master's in nursing (MSN) and master’s in public health (MPH) from Yale University; and a doctorate of public health from the University of Cape Town.

  Titus Syengo

  Country Director, Kenya

  Titus Syengo is the country director for EGPAF in Kenya. An executive with a wealth of experience managing large-scale international development programs, Mr. Syengo joined EGPAF as Deputy Country Director for Kenya in 2011, playing an integral role in the country program’s success and growth. Prior to joining EGPAF, Mr. Syengo worked for Pact Kenya for almost 12 years, where he served in several progressively more responsible roles. Most recently, he was Chief Executive Officer for Pact Kenya, where he managed several large programs funded by donors such as the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DfID), the European Union (EU), and Danida. Also with Pact Kenya, Mr. Syengo served as Director of Pact Sudan Country Program Operations, where he provided strategic leadership in conflict management, governance, and water and sanitation. He also served as Pact Kenya’s Strategic Communications Services Director and Information Systems Manager.
  

  Appolinaire Tiam, MBChB, DipHIVMan, MMed

  Country Director, Lesotho

  Formerly EGPAF's Senior Technical Advisor in Lesotho, Dr. Tiam now oversees EGPAF's presence in Lesotho, leading programmatic and operational activities; he also oversees the implementation of HIV services and the management of EGPAF/Lesotho's technical staff under the USAID-funded Strengthening Clinical Services Project. Dr. Tiam is a recognized HIV/AIDS technical expert with demonstrated experience managing the technical implementation of integrated HIV/AIDS service delivery projects.
  
  Dr. Tiam has been working in Lesotho since 2005, and brings necessary technical expertise with a strong understanding of integrated HIV/AIDS programming in Lesotho. In addition, he has worked closely with the Ministry of Health (MOH), providing technical assistance in policy formulation and roll-out. Dr. Tiam currently leads technical activities under EGPAF's USAID-funded project in Lesotho, overseeing the integration of care and treatment activities into PMTCT settings; the scale-up of HIV care and treatment services across Lesotho; and compliance with national guidelines at supported sites. He is also principal investigator and/or co-investigator on several operational research initiatives.
  
  Dr. Tiam was awarded his Bachelors of Medicine and Surgery (MBChB) degree from the Ogun State University in Nigeria; received his diploma in HIV Management from the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa; and completed specialty training with a Masters in Family Medicine from the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa.

  Open

  Country Director, Rwanda

  The position is currently open.

  Jeroen van’t Pad Bosch, MD, MPH

  Country Director, Tanzania

  Dr. Jeroen van’t Pad Bosch is the country director for EGPAF in Tanzania. Dr. van’t Pad Bosch joined EGPAF in 2005 as senior technical advisor of HIV programs in Rwanda. In 2008, he transitioned to the role of associate technical director of the Tanzania program, followed by a promotion to technical director. Dr. van’t Pad Bosch was promoted to country director of the Tanzania office in August 2010. Prior to joining EGPAF, he spent over a decade as a clinician and teacher, working for organizations in the Netherlands, Australia and Malawi. Dr. van’t Pad Bosch received his medical degree from Radboud University Hospital in Nijmegen, Netherlands, with a specialization in tropical medicine from the Netherlands Society for Tropical Medicine & Netherlands School of Public Health; he earned his master’s degree in Public Health and Health Systems Management from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.