CONTACT:
Rosemary Thomas
AIDS Information Duluth
218/720-6385
rthomas@lssmn.org
Jackie Nelson
LSS Communications Office
651/969-2286
Jackie.Nelson@lssmn.org
Rosemary Thomas
Named CDC Scholar with Institute for HIV Prevention Leadership
(January 13, 2005)-Rosemary
Thomas, program manager for AIDS Information Duluth, an HIV prevention
education program of Lutheran Social Service, has been selected as a
scholar with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and
Association of Schools of Public Health (ASPH) Institute for HIV
Prevention Leadership 2005.
She is one of 50 scholars
that will be involved in the Institute's comprehensive education program
designed specifically to enhance HIV/AIDS prevention in community-based
organizations. Thomas began her first week of training January 9 as part
of a four-part series of trainings that will occur throughout the year in
Atlanta Ga.
"I'm looking forward to a
terrific new challenge that will stretch me professionally and our
program's capabilities to serve this community even better with the best
information and tools available," Thomas said.
With the help of the Duluth
community, and the support of local and regional foundations, Thomas
developed and implemented the highly effective HIV prevention education
program AIDS Information Duluth (AID). AID was established in 2000 to meet
the ongoing unmet need for local HIV prevention education. Although AID is
now directly funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it
continues to receive and rely upon the community, local and regional
foundation for some support.
"None of the tremendous
opportunities that I have been afforded in my professional development
could have taken place without support from the Duluth community," Thomas
said. "The HIV prevention education delivered by Lutheran Social Service
has been well received throughout this area."
Thomas is a 2003 Center for
Disease Control and Prevention, HIV Prevention Leadership Price Fellow.
Her research as a Price Fellow has been presented at the United States
Conference of AIDS in Philadelphia, PA in October 2004, as well as the
National HIV Prevention Leadership Summit in Atlanta, Ga in June of 2004.
As well as serving as
Program Manager of AIDS Information Duluth, Thomas also serves as the
Community Co-Chair for the Minnesota Department of Health statewide HIV
prevention community planning group.
For more information,
contact Rosemary Thomas at 218/720-6385.
Lutheran Social Service of
Minnesota (LSS) offers a wide variety of human support services relating
to the basics of life-food, shelter, safety, physical and emotional
well-being. The non-profit organization, headquartered in St. Paul, serves
over 100,000 Minnesotans yearly with operations in 200 Minnesota
communities, and employs over 2000 people. LSS serves all people
regardless of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual
orientation, disability or age. Comprehensive information about statewide
services can be found through the agency's web site at
www.lssmn.org
