3 Philadelphians Make POZ 100 List

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POZ, the print and online magazine for people living with HIV/AIDS, just released its annual POZ 100 list, and three Philadelphians made the cut. According to POZ, the list is “made up of 100 HIV-positive unsung heroes from around the country who are committed to ending the epidemic. From people who volunteer for AIDS service organizations or work as policy advocates, to those who act as educators to promote prevention and treatment, the POZ 100 represents an incredibly diverse spectrum of people living with HIV who are making a difference on the front lines.” And the Philly honorees are:

Jaci Adams, the amazing trans activist and volunteer coordinator at the AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania, who was also honored this year with the Mazzoni Center’s Activist Leader award. Here’s what POZ had to say about her: “Jaci Adams is a 55-year-old transgender woman who transformed her experiences as an abused and neglected child into empowering lessons and advocacy for the neglected and vulnerable. She has been a long-term volunteer with the AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania and helps coordinate volunteers and educate others on HIV and transgender awareness. Jaci served as a member of the Morris County Planning Committee and the Philadelphia Trans-Health Conference Planning Committee. She is a founding member of the Temple University Community Advisory Board and founded the People with Hope Trans Conference in 2004. Jaci is currently battling Stage IV cancer. But that isn’t stopping her: She sold raffle tickets for an AIDS Law Project fundraiser to her chemotherapy treatment team.”

Teresa Sullivan, the Project TEACH instructor and peer support specialist at Philadelphia FIGHT. Her bio in the POZ publication reads, “Teresa Sullivan is an instructor and peer support specialist for Project TEACH (Treatment Education Activists Combating HIV), an innovative health education program that trains people living with HIV to be peer educators and advocates in the underserved communities hardest hit by the epidemic. She also advocates for HIV-positive individuals who are being detained in the Philadelphia Prison System. Teresa sits on the board of the Positive Women’s Network and is co-coordinator of its Philadelphia chapter. As a TEAM (Treatment Education, Adherence and Mobilization) navigator for the National Minority AIDS Council, Teresa trains other HIV-positive people how to begin a dialogue about treatment as prevention in their own communities. She is a graduate fellow of the Black AIDS Institute and is currently seeking a degree in health care service management.

And the one Philly guy on the list is Coleman Terrell, the program administrator at the Philadelphia Department of Public Health. According to POZ, he “has worked for decades battling the HIV epidemic. He was one of the influential voices of ACT UP Philadelphia thanks to his savvy ability to mobilize people, plan effective demonstrations, utilize the media to maximum effect, and work with the government and pharmaceutical companies. He fought in the trenches and was once beaten in the head by the police and taken away in handcuffs at a demonstration. Coleman worked for one of the first AIDS service organizations and later transitioned to the Philadelphia Department of Public Health in the AIDS Activities Coordinating Office. His current position is as program administrator. Coleman’s intellect, vision, ability to spot trends and his passion for the work and compassion for others have helped shape the effectiveness of the city government and have enhanced the ability of many service providers in the jurisdiction.”

Congrats to all three! To see who else made the POZ 100 list nationally, click here.