Bio coming soon

Hello, my name is Alecia  I have lived in Washington state all of my life. For a vast majority of my life I have been working in the veterinarian field climbing the ladder is to the top with multiple years of schooling and felt like it just wasn’t enough. I’ve always felt like there was some thing missing. I’ve had a great deal of passion for helping those in need with addiction and people living with HIV and AIDS after completing my pursuing my bachelors degree in business management
I have changed my studies to chemical dependency and dual diagnosis with a mental health. I’m happy to say that this is what I was made to do. I have an extreme amount of hands on with those in need. I have been an NAAA sponsor for over 15 years now as well as helping others with getting and staying on the right track. I enjoy the outdoors and taking care of my animals. I am very career driven with a great positive attitude.

Alex comes all the way from Kooskia, Idaho. While earning his B.S. in Psychology at the University of Idaho he volunteered at Inland Oasis – HIV Programs as a Test Counselor, testing community members for HIV while providing risk-reduction counseling. Alex brought his passion to help others to PCAF where he works as a Medical Case Manager and liaison for the Department of Corrections. When Alex is not in the office, he can be found reading, playing tennis, and catching up on the latest episode of Game of Thrones. “It’s such an honor to work for an organization who truly works hard at creating a safe and accepting place for our community”.

Angie O’Tinker grew up in Boise, ID before moving to Tacoma to attend college, started gender transition, and began working. Angie came to PCAF through speech and debate, which she participated in as a student and then taught for a number of years.
Working as a debate instructor is about advocating for personally significant causes, and teaching others how to do the same. Grantwriting takes that advocacy from the stage to the page, and so felt like a natural career move to continue her social justice work.
Angie lives with her spouse and fiancé near Puyallup, along with 4 cats, 2 dogs, and 28 (and counting) chickens. Angie loves to bake, collect tattoos, and participate in book clubs.

Anna Maria has spent more than 20 years doing HIV/AIDS related work. In the 1980’s, she did outreach downtown with a group of friends and her dog, handing out condoms. She has always believed in working with the underserved and the uncared for populations of our community. Anna Maria enjoys working with clients and has seen them transform from scared, timid beings into strong and self-sufficient members of society. She believes in the value of working for peace and social justice. Anna Maria is trilingual; speaking English, Spanish, and French. She is also a gardener and the food bank coordinator of the 40th Street Community Garden.

Aziel Gangerdine is an accessible optimist who is consistently hopeful. He is an advocate for human
rights and a dreamer of an equity-centered future. Born and raised in an underserved community
during the years of apartheid in South Africa, he thrives in organizations and with teams who are
relentless in their pursuit to address the inequities experienced by marginalized communities.
In the workplace Aziel is present and is intentional about “meeting colleagues where they are” and
learning from them..
Aziel brings to the table the benefit of intersectionality in global public health coupled with
community engagement experience in culturally diverse community settings. He is drawn to bold
thinkers and is committed to team optimization.
Aziel leverages a proven track record having served in complex executive roles as Chief Strategist,
Chief of Staff, Chief Information Officer, Director of Communications for CoVPN-19 Prevention
Network (CoVPN) and the HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN), Corporate Marketing Communications
Lead, and Department Spokesperson at Fred Hutch in Seattle.

My name is Brian Gulmire and I am the new housing coordinator for PCAF in Olympia. I have a twenty year background in nursing and healthcare and I enjoy using my skills to help people. I was born in Marietta, Georgia and graduated from Northwest Iowa Community College with my AA and currently am working on my BA in Healthcare Administration at Colorado State University Global.
I originally started in healthcare as a nursing assistant and went on to receive my nursing license and worked at state prisons, psychiatric facilities, and nursing homes for the next twenty years, eventually becoming a resident care manager. I have two children, both sons, and enjoy fishing and reading, mostly sci-fi, and currently live in Rainier

Brian is a seasoned non-profit Development professional with more than 10 years of experience in Marketing and Development, the cultivation of mutually beneficial partnerships, and serving at-risk communities.
Brian has worked with organizations within Washington state such as Habitat for Humanity, Morningside, and Auburn Valley Humane Society.
A resident of Rainier, Brian and his family enjoy weekly fishing trips to Offutt Lake, visiting the coast whenever they get the chance, and volunteering in various community events. Brian is excited to use his unique background to help grow the mission of PCAF

Caitlin has worked as a sexual health and HIV prevention educator and as a social worker at the VA and Good Samaritan Hospital. After getting her Masters in Social Work, Caitlin came to work at PCAF, first as a medical case manager where she provided services to clients in English and Spanish and now as a Client Services Director. One of her favorite things about her job is getting to see clients succeed and getting to hear their stories of working through challenges to achieve goals. Three things to know about Caitlin are (1) she loves chocolate and eats it almost every day; (2) she has a dog that she walks every morning rain or shine; and (3) she is an Olympia native.

Cecilia and her family moved to Washington State from Lima, Peru in 1993. In 1997, she attended a presentation about HIV which impacted her in many ways and she started asking herself questions like what can I do to help? She sought out education and training which taught her about HIV but also about the stigma, discrimination and barriers that people living with HIV often face. She was first hired at PCAF in 2001 where “my life and my heart were touched by many people impacted by HIV who I admired and learned so much from.” Cecilia returned to work at PCAF in 2017 as our Client Care Coordinator. She says, “It has been a journey and my commitment to work in our community will continue: I am very fortunate to work with a great group of people that are dedicated and bring a lot of value to the organization.”When not at work, Cecilia loves to go to the ocean, cook, decorate cakes, but her favorite activity is spending time with her granddaughter.

Christina (They/them)
I’m a recent Communication Studies graduate from South Tacoma with my degree from the University of Puget Sound. I’ve always been eager to advance the liberation of oppressed people’s and often find myself asking how I can challenge the society I share with others. I currently take interest in event coordinating and look forward to gaining further experience through anti-oppression and programming for non-profit and startup organizations. 
My passions include challenging hierarchical systems daily and thinking of ways social systems can become more equitable or disrupted through our use of communication.
I am thankful to be a part of the PCAF team and look forward to supporting the visibility of PCAFs mission through successful events.

Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Chris moved to the Evergreen State for College. Graduating with Environmental Planning and Policy Bachelor Degree at Western Washington University.  With a strong background in community outreach, volunteer coordination, and community mobilization. They joined PCAF to devote most of their time building and supporting Black and Brown Queer spaces in Tacoma. Chris is looking forward to creating and supporting more Queer BIPOC and leading developing safe spaces and creating outreach projects They are also a leader in Sectac Kiki Ballrom Scene as Chi-Chi walking categories like Vogue Femme and Best Dressed.

DeCarlo Braddy is no stranger when it comes to working for others. He previously spent five years working in the public health field with RAO community health located in Charlotte, NC, where he developed, implemented and created new innovative programming to engage the community in HIV prevention and awareness.
DeCarlo is passionate about addressing the challenge of reducing the spread of STIs in disenfranchised and marginalized communities through treatment and education and bringing awareness to the importance of good sexual health. He believes that “we can not expect people to make well-informed decisions if they are not well informed.” DeCarlo was born in Kansas City, Kansas. He was very involved in school and church while growing up.  Alumnus of Wichita State University and so excited to join the PCAF team

Debbie was born and raised in the US Virgin Islands and moved to Washington to complete her schooling. She studied Fashion Merchandising and Fashion Design before realizing that she had a passion for helping others. She then obtained an Associate’s Degree in Social Service Mental Health and a Bachelor of Science Degree from The Evergreen State College. Debbie joined PCAF excited about the opportunities to learn about a topic that is rarely talked about in society. The idea of helping to educate her family and her community about HIV and AIDS is one of the reasons why she wanted to join the team. It gave her an outlet to freely discuss a topic that is easily dismissed by those not directly affected. In her spare time, Debbie enjoys self-care activities which include the things she is most passionate about exercising, designing and sewing, reading, and spending time with her son and family.

I’ve been in customer service (& Mgmt) and office coordination since ’98 in Hawaii, Cali, & Brooklyn. I started in the social services in SF, CA – 2009 at the Height Asbury Free Clinics as CAB co-chair & Outreach Specialist for over 4-years. I supported clients by performing street/community outreach and health promotions to the diverse folks who were houseless, addicted to substances, and/or involved in sex work and connecting them to non-judgmental HIV/STIs/HEP C testing and medical care. I have continued my passion for supporting all vulnerable communities (underserved, under-recognized, & under-represented). I also was also part of the CLCTP Program w/AIDS Alliance in Maryland & DC to conduct HIV education workshops in my local community of SF. Since I started at PCAF in late ’21 I finished BS in Forensic Psych and look forward to continuing my passion for advocating & bridging the gaps in whole-person-centered care.

Dory is from the Northwest and has lived in Olympia since 2001. As an adult, she returned to Evergreen State College to get her bachelor’s degree. After that she worked for her Masters of Social Work from the University of Washington Tacoma. During this time, she completed a year-long internship at PCAF. Because she loved the job, the clients and the staff, she decided to stick around. She is the Lead Medical Case Manager for the Olympia office. She feels grateful to have the opportunity to work with people living with HIV/AIDS, because she can be someone who sees them and respects them, without judgment. She is also a multimodal artist, who works with paper, fiber, paints, drawing, and ephemera.

Dr. Calvin Grubbs, III is a board-certified practicing family physician who is a fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians.  As a military brat, he was born in Topeka, KS and has lived in numerous areas around the US.  He completed his undergraduate education in Chemistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, medical education at the Medical University of South Carolina, residency in Family Medicine at Madigan Army Medical Center, and a fellowship in Academic Medicine at the University of Missouri at Columbia.
He is a decorated veteran who served in the US Army for 15 years. During his tenure in the US Army, he led an ICU pandemic team as part of field operations during the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic (2020).  He has earned numerous teaching awards and has practiced full scope family medicine in both inpatient and outpatient settings.
During his free time, he enjoys spending quality time with family and friends, weightlifting, whale watching, and writing poetry. As a proud Black gay man, he has a passion for community health care, patient advocacy, prevention, and working towards transforming our health care system to an equitable system of health

A Midwestern native and DeVry University graduate, Emily moved to Washington after completing graduate school. With a background spanning corporate, government, small business and non-profit accounting, she joined PCAF with the goal of finding a position that would satisfy her brain with challenges and her heart with supporting an important cause. “I am excited to continue working in the queer and sex positive communities.” Emily has owned and operated a small pole dance studio for over 8 years. She enjoys spending time with her polycule, traveling, and the occasional distance race – having (slowly) completed races in 11 states with the goal of someday having raced in them all.

Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Jacquie (she/her) became passionate about the HIV community when a close family member received a diagnosis in 2009.
Jacquie first came to PCAF as a volunteer while still working in the dental field and made the transition to work with PLHIV in 2017 when she was hired as Care Coordinator at Community Health Care and was hired at PCAF as a Medical Case Manager in 2019.
Jacquie continues to increase her knowledge surrounding PLWHA and the barriers the community faces

Growing up on Bainbridge Island, jill learned to sail, skip rocks, pitch a tent, and swim.  She spent her early years developing a deep love for language and art that remains to this day.  Advocating for children and families, she pursued a Masters degree in Early Childhood Special Education and spent 10 years teaching children in public schools.  After the death of a family friend due to AIDS, she traded play dough for personnel files and joined the staff of PCAF where she’s worked for 20 years. jill considers it an honor to serve clients and support staff, and looks forward to coordinating the annual AIDS Walk Community Engagement Art project.  jill considers herself a lifelong student and continues to look for ways to play, offer kindness, and “scatter joy”.

Joiwyn first started working with HIV/AIDS as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Botswana, Africa, while also completing their Master’s degree in Global Youth Development.  They spent two years educating teens about sexual health in Botswana, and then came back to teach youth sexual health for a year with Planned Parenthood.  Joiwyn started with PCAF as a Medical Case Manager to work more hands on with folx living with HIV and assist them with our society’s challenging systems. “Being a part of such a creative, caring, and queer inclusive organization is so refreshing and inspiring,” they say of their time with PCAF.  When not at work, Joiwyn is working on their passion project to create a care package shop to support and celebrate folx identities that society normally tries to hide away.  Joiwyn also loves to read, do puzzles, and cross-stitch with their spouse or Wisband as they call them.

Hi all, my name is Joshua Flores (he/they). I was born and raised in Bakersfield, California until
my family relocated to Olympia in 2017. I first got involved in sexual health as a peer educator
in high school as part of Planned Parenthood’s Teen Council program. This experience truly
altered the course of my life and set me on the path towards becoming a sexual health
educator. I graduated from the UW College of Education in 2022 with a BA in Education,
Communities, and Organizations.
While pursuing this degree I had the opportunity to co-facilitate the Youth Advisory Board for the
InClued curriculum during its inaugural year helping to recruit, train, and empower queer youth
to lend their voices to the first sexual health curriculum that centers the needs of sexually and
gender diverse youth I am excited to get back into the work of promoting accessibility, equity,
and love for those that we serve, and I look forward to learning a ton from you all along the way

My greatest passion is supporting and helping people who may have or are going through traumatic/stressful experiences. As a health professional and quality team player, knowledgeable in community outreach and resources, inspiring to others, compassionate where I’m able to communicate effectively, by achieving the goals within the agency mission and philosophy.
Which is why I am helping to end the HIV epidemic by … helping end the stigma and downstream perceptions of people living with HIV so they may have the same rights to healthcare, and affordable housing where that can live peacefully, complete, whole and safe.

Keith grew up in Northern California but has spent the last half of his life in the Pacific Northwest. He has been involved in the HIV community for the past 8 years working for MetMeds Pharmacy where he delivered medication. Keith says, “I found that working with clients on a monthly basis was a very rewarding and enjoyable experience.” When a Medical Case Manager position opened up at PCAF, Keith thought that it would be a natural progression for him. He enjoys working one on one with people of the community and has discovered that helping others is an integral part of his personality.  Keith works at our Olympia office and lives near Centralia with his partner, Loren, and their cat, Puddy.

With a people-focused background in childcare, retail, food service and mortgage, Lauren has joined PCAF in 2023 with a passion to advocate for change within her community. 

“I am grateful for the opportunity to serve and support all historically excluded communities; and excited to work for an organization with a mission so close to my heart.”

In her personal time, Lauren loves reading,  playing with her Pomeranian puppy Westley and watching far too many scary movies.

A little bit about me, I am moving to Washington from Oklahoma, but I am originally from Pennsylvania. I got my Bachelor’s in Social Work in 2012 from the California University of Pennsylvania (there is a town in Pennsylvania named California, hence the name) and began my professional career working in an alternative living facility for teenagers. From there, I moved on to working with children with Autism briefly (6 months) and decided that working with children was not my passion. Following that, I began working as a drug and alcohol counselor at a medicated assisted treatment facility and continued this line of work when I moved to Oklahoma in 2018. In my free time, I like to spend time with my wife and cat, Archer, watching football (Fly Eagles Fly), and enjoying the outdoors

Megan was the first person in her family to go to college. Per graduated from the University of Idaho with degrees in Psychology and Sociology and the University of Washington Tacoma with a Masters in Social Work. Per interest in HIV work began when she volunteered for Inland Oasis HIV Program as a receptionist, HIV tester, and risk reduction counselor. Megan is a Client Services Team Lead  at PCAF where per enjoys working to assist per clients. Megan believes PCAF is a great work environment where per is surrounded by friendly and supportive coworkers. Per loves learning, video games, and spending time with her friends and family (including the furry, four-legged ones).

My name is Michealea (pronounced ma-shay-la) Lemons, I use she/her pronouns and I am so excited to be re-joining PCAF in this new capacity!
Just some info about me- I currently live in Puyallup. Last year I adopted a chocolate lab named Bo and that’s my baby so I am always open to talking about furbabies and showing off photos.
I had the pleasure of working at PCAF as a Prevention and Health Coordinator for over two years. Currently, I work full time as the Pierce County Community Outreach Educator and Teen Council Facilitator for Planned Parenthood.
I also enjoy being involved with community and volunteering. I currently serve as the Board President for the Hilltop Action Coalition and Secretary for the Leaders In Women’s Health. I served on the Tacoma Human Rights Commission for over 3 years and am very involved in my church, New Salem Baptist Church

Montreal Givens (all pronouns) is from South Carolina and moved to WA in 2017 from New Mexico. They graduated from Western Governors University with a Bachelors degree in Human Resource Management. As a Chaplain Assistant in the US Army they have obtained Resilience Training and Crisis Prevention certifications. In 15 years, Montreal have enjoyed helping other while working in the people service field.
Goal: To professionally promote consistent development of individuals through the values of trust, liberation, empathy, and evidence-based progress.
Hobbies: Montreal enjoy singing, fashion and writing. They are working on various projects with artists in the community. When they are not working on art, they usually enjoy volunteering.
Motto: “You are the vibrations that makes the world unique”

Hi .
I am joining you from the outer regions of Thurston County. As someone who has worked in the Recovery Community with a focus on crisis de-escalation, I am really looking forward to brining my experiences to support the work of the rural community that is often overlooked.
I enjoy foraging, gardening, making jewelry and crocheting. I also enjoy creating costumes and performing drag, thrifting, and spending time with friends.

I am looking forward to joining team PCAF as the health equity director. My professional experience includes managing public health programs in Washington state and Florida.
I have also served as a global health policy advocate and clinical research coordinator. My qualifications include a Master’s degree in public health (MPH) majoring in health administration and policy and a postgraduate degree in community medicine.
I have extensive experience in managing public health programs that focus on prevention of infectious diseases such as HIV, Hepatitis B and C.
I am passionate about health equity and creating a safe environment for all to live and thrive. I love nature and wildlife.

Hello, my name is Shaun Stephen Mason and I am excited to be a new addition to PCAF.
I was born in the UK and then immigrated with my family to the US when I was four years of age. I grew up in Ohio in grades 1 through 6 and finished up in North Bend Washington where I graduated from Mount Si High School in 1983. I left home after graduating and have lived in Seattle most of my life. In 1986 I was diagnosed HIV positive and felt I decided I wasn’t a victim but a survivor. I volunteered with organizations such as the Department of Social & Health Services involved with HIV prevention doing outreach and also working as a health care aid at Catholic Community Services primarily for clients with AIDS. I was one of the lucky ones to make it out of the 80s on new medications that saved my life so my deep passion is to help others facing a life being HIV positive.
In 2021, I attended Clover Park Technical College from 2021-2022 with a 4.0 GPA studying in the Graphic Technologies Program. I earned an Associate of Applied Technologies Degree in 2022. I was part of the Student Government and worked as a Student Leadership & Service Center staff member.
I live with my partner of 15 years and our devious but Loving cat named Sox. I love road trips, camping by the ocean, collecting antiques, spinning vinyl, creating Apple iMovies, and doing design work. I value my friends and family above everything.
I am very honored to share space with you all and hopefully make difference while at PCAF

Stephanie joined the PCAF staff in 2010 as our bookkeeper. She manages billings and payroll, among other tasks, and keeps things in the business office running smoothly. When not at work, she enjoys country and swing dancing with her husband.

Bio coming soon.

Yulissa was born in Mexico, Chihuahua and was raised in Seattle, Washington. When she was in high school, she took 3 years of American Sign Language. Yulissa earned her BA of Social Work from the University of Washington Tacoma in 2019. Yulissa is passionate about helping others, language access, and immigration. Yulissa has experience being a service provider serving as a volunteer at Puyallup Public Library, Proyecto Mole, and most recently as an Immigration Services intern at Tacoma Community House. These experiences have reinforced Yulissa to desire to contribute to the wellbeing of people and become an effective advocate for everyone where she has found the opportunity at PCAF. During her free time, she enjoys working out, going out, shopping, taking care of herself, hanging out with her friends and family and spending time with her Pomeranian dogs Coqueta and Luigy.