Paraguay RPCV Pamela Barnes Named President and CEO of the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation



Ms. Barnes has over 12 years of non-profit management experience, including a senior management position at the International Trachoma Initiative, an organization dedicated to eliminating the leading cause of preventable blindness in the world. Her experience in global health was bolstered by a mid-career stint as a Peace Corps volunteer in Paraguay where she and her husband Tim worked to secure funding for a library and a high school, and helped set up the first public water system, in Rojas Silva, Paraguay.

Paraguay RPCV Pamela Barnes Named President and CEO of the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation

Pamela Barnes Named President and CEO of the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation ; Board of Directors Unanimously Votes to Appoint COO to Lead the Foundation

Mar 29, 2006 - PR Newswire

Caption: Pam Barnes (second from left) with Foundation supporters Larry Babbio (left), Sheri Babbio, and Jonathan Tisch.

WASHINGTON, March 29 /PRNewswire/ -- The board of directors of the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation today voted unanimously to appoint Pamela Barnes as president and chief executive officer, effective immediately. Ms. Barnes has been chief operating officer of the Foundation since November 2004 and has been interim CEO since November 2005. The appointment of Ms. Barnes, who has guided the Foundation skillfully through a period of rapid growth and change, puts the Foundation in a strong position to capitalize on its recent momentum and advance its mission to eradicate pediatric AIDS and provide care for children and families around the world living with HIV/AIDS.

Ms. Barnes will also serve on the Foundation's board of directors.

"The board of directors reached a unanimous conclusion that the best person to lead the Foundation was already in place," said Dr. David Kessler, chairman of the board of directors of the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. "Pam Barnes was the candidate who had everything we were looking for, including extensive experience in global health, sound judgment, and the vision to lead the Foundation into a new phase of accomplishment."

As COO of the Foundation, Ms. Barnes was an important influence during a tremendous period of growth. She will now focus her energy on strengthening the Foundation's unique combination of research, implementation, and advocacy on behalf of children in the United States and around the world. Ms. Barnes recently announced a stepped-up commitment to pediatric AIDS research while presenting three Elizabeth Glaser Scientist Awards at the annual Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Denver. Research, which has always been the cornerstone of the Foundation's work, continues to inform the expansion of the Foundation's international programs.

Since 2000, the Foundation has reached 1.7 million women with services to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV and in the past two years has served 40,000 children and adults with life- saving care and antiretroviral treatment. Ms. Barnes will also help drive the Foundation's ongoing advocacy efforts to improve children's health.

"I am honored and most appreciative of the opportunity to lead a Foundation that gives a much-needed voice to children and families affected by HIV/AIDS," said Ms. Barnes. "We are pointed in the right direction thanks to our committed staff, and now it's time to work even harder -- from the research lab to the most remote village of Africa -- so that every child has the chance to grow up healthy."

In addition to her work with the Foundation, Ms. Barnes has over 12 years of non-profit management experience, including a senior management position at the International Trachoma Initiative, an organization dedicated to eliminating the leading cause of preventable blindness in the world. Her experience in global health was bolstered by a mid-career stint as a Peace Corps volunteer in Paraguay where she and her husband Tim worked to secure funding for a library and a high school, and helped set up the first public water system, in Rojas Silva, Paraguay. Ms. Barnes was also a senior executive at Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic in New York.

Prior to her non-profit work, Ms. Barnes worked for more than 20 years in investments and corporate finance at GTE and RCA in New York. Ms. Barnes is a graduate of Marymount College and earned an MBA in finance from Fordham University.

"We feel exceptionally fortunate to have someone of this caliber at the helm of the Foundation as we continue to ramp up our response to this emergency," said Bob Burkett, board member and co- chair of the CEO search committee. "It's rare to have somebody with the experience, expertise, and the passion that Pam Barnes brings to the position of president and CEO."

"When Elizabeth, Susan, and I started this Foundation 17 years ago, we never dreamed that it would expand so rapidly, responding with skill and excellence to the needs of children in the U.S. and abroad," said Susie Zeegen, a co-founder and board member of the Foundation who was also a co-chair of the CEO search committee. "When I think of the future of the organization and what we still have to accomplish, I know that Pam is the absolute best person to ensure Elizabeth's legacy is at the core of everything we do, every day."

About the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation

The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation is the worldwide leader in the fight against pediatric AIDS and other serious and life-threatening diseases affecting children. Our innovative research programs, collaborative training initiatives, advocacy efforts, and rapidly expanding international programs are bringing dramatic changes to the lives of children worldwide.

SOURCE Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation

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