2023 Collective for Community Action Advocacy Group Members

Pronouns – She/Her/Them/They
HIV Advocate
Domestic Violence Advocate
Humanitarian

Greetings All, I am Dee.
I love Animals, spreading love & spending time with my family and genuinely spreading love. My favorite thing to do is paint or lay in the sun.

Kayla is a Graduate of Columbus State University with her B.S. of psychology, and a current MPH Graduate Student. She is a full-time advocate with her focus being on policy advancement surrounding HIV and reproductive health. Kayla also serves on the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDs, where she and other members advise and make recommendations on the improvement of policy centered around HIV in various communities to President Biden’s Assistant Secretary of Health. In her free time, Kayla is a spoken word artist who travels and uses her voice to tell stories and messages through her words as a way to express herself and educate others based on her lived experience.

Ja’Mel Ashely Ware is an entertainer, entrepreneur, and educator renowned for his significant contributions to HIV awareness and entrepreneurship in the LGBTQ community.

Born with HIV, Ja’Mel has been an inspirational figure, traveling the nation since the tender age of seven, sharing his life story and instilling hope and compassion in countless individuals. Ja’Mel attended the University of Wisconsin – Madison, earning a degree in Social Work. Propelled by his passion, he founded Intellectual Ratchet (IR), establishing himself as an entrepreneur.

My name is Brandon Montanez and I was born with HIV. I have been positive for 32 years. Although growing up positive has been a struggle, it has given me opportunities and has made me stronger. I have worked in the HIV field since 2016 and currently work as a Compliance and Outreach Manager for a HIV/Hep-C non-profit.

I watched my sister who was born positive as well pass away at the age of 5. In memory of her passing, I dedicated myself to providing the best care possible, and by letting others know that they can take back control of their life, but that they are also not alone.

Darnell Lewis currently serves as a Program Coordinator at RAO Community Health Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. Also, Darnell continues to serve part-time as a Paramedic in the greater metro Charlotte area. Darnell has been living with HIV since 1999. He has served in many different capacities in the arena of public health/service including the Jackson Coordinator for ACCELERATE! and STEPS Program Coordinator for Priority Health Care.
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.

​​Meet Nathan Maxey, a proud first-generation college graduate from Texas Southern University who earned a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work and a Master of Public Administration. Nathan is a dedicated and passionate advocate with over ten years of management experience in the healthcare and not-for-profit sectors.

Nathan lives by the mantra, “Nothing for us without us.” This mantra embodies his unwavering commitment to HIV advocacy, as he has openly lived with HIV for the past twenty-three years. His personal experience fuels his passion and vigor in making a meaningful impact on the lives of those affected by HIV.

Pronouns: He/Him/His

Titan Capri is a proud Black Gay Male who is thriving and aging with HIV celebrating 18 years. He is currently employed with Allies In Hope (formerly known as Aids Foundation Houston) as a Peer Navigator Coordinator. He believes that telling his truth and being honest about his lived experience allows him to be the Mental, Emotional and Spiritual support that an individual needs when being diagnosed with HIV or returning to care. He currently serves on the Ryan White Planning Council where he lends his voice to eradicating stigma and Ending the HIV Epidemic.