Ready to Rise: Moving HIV Policy in 2026
December 10, 2025
This event is sponsored by
Event Details
Wednesday, December 10, 2025, at 11AM
Reynolda Manor Library
2839 Fairlawn Dr.
Winston Salem, 27106
(336) 703-2960
Register Here
World AIDS Day serves as a day to commemorate those we have lost within our community, reflect on the progress that has been made in HIV science, and celebrate the folks living and thriving with HIV today. This year’s theme is “Rethink. Rebuild. Rise.” and after months of continual threats and attacks toward our community, where everything that we have worked toward is at risk, these words feel more topical than ever.
Join us in Winston-Salem on December 10th for Ready to Rise: Moving HIV Policy in 2026, a Post-World AIDS Day Policy Panel and luncheon. This event will feature subject matter experts from throughout NC and will highlight several key areas of policy need that our work will address in 2026.
Our movement and advocacy has come too far to give up now. Join us to discuss how we get “Ready to Rise” to the challenge and continue fighting for a North Carolina where people living with and impacted by HIV have access to the care and services that they need.
Panel Participants
Panel Moderator: Chelsea Gulden, MSW RAIN
Adriana Galdo Adams
Executive Director, Triad Health Project
Adriana Galdo Adams, (she/her/ella), has been working in the nonprofit community in Guilford County for over 13 years. She is currently the Executive Director of Triad Health Project and serves on the board of Partners Ending Homelessness, the Guilford County Nonprofit Consortium Steering Committee, the AIDSUnited Public Policy Council, and is co-chair of the COC’s CQI Committee. Adriana holds a BA in Theatre and an MA in Secondary Education as well as certifications in DEI, management and leadership training, and Nonprofit leadership. Though she is proud of her educational accomplishments, Adriana knows it is her lived experience as a first-generation American, as well as her boots on the ground experience working in the community, that drives her passion and intensity for justice work
Brad Lockwood
Community Engagement Manager, ViiV Healthcare
Brad has spent his professional career working to reduce the number of new HIV acquisitions in North Carolina and beyond. He has served as a HIV researcher at the Duke Human Vaccine Institute working to further advance vaccine strategies, managed clinical trials at IQVIA to bring to market several novel medications, and worked alongside clinicians and community-based organizations at ViiV Healthcare to increase knowledge and uptake of PrEP and familiarity and accessibility of long-acting injectable options in the clinical setting.
Maria Rosales
Executive Director, FaithAction International
Maria Rosales is the Executive Director of Faith Action International; an organization committed to co-creating a just sn welcoming community. Originally from California, Maria is the oldest of nine in a mixed-immigrant family—Mexican on her dad’s side, Dutch on her mom’s. At Faith Action, she is excited to be part of addressing immigrant community health disparities through a variety of services, programs, outreach, and advocacy to identify and address root causes of health disparities and respond in meaningful ways.
Dr. LeShonda Wallace
Advanced Practice Nurse, Novant Health and Executive Director, SEEDS of Healing
Dr. LeShonda Wallace is an Advanced Practice Nurse at Novant Health, Infectious Disease Specialists, and the Executive Director for SEEDS of Healing, a community-based HIV/AIDS service organization. Her practice focuses on optimizing patient access to care and improving their quality of life. Creating interdisciplinary practice treatment protocols and advocacy across silos to eliminate health disparities has been a successful strategy. Throughout her career, she has supervised clinical practice for novice healthcare learners, precepted Advanced Practice Providers, and provided didactics to nurses, public health, and allied professionals. She continues to build capacity for the healthcare workforce in southeastern NC, serving medical deserts and marginalized groups, by partnering with North Carolina Universities and community social service agencies.
Ciara Zachary
Assistant Dean for Master’s Programs, UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health
Ciara Zachary is a public health professional whose work focuses on health policy research and policy advocacy to increase access to affordable, high-quality health coverage, particularly for underserved populations. She serves as an Assistant Professor and the Assistant Dean for Master’s Programs at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. Dr. Zachary has supported the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services’ NC Medicaid evaluation team, where her work centered on health equity and beneficiary experience. Prior to consulting with the Department of Health Policy and Management, she led several policy advocacy initiatives and lobbied state and federal lawmakers to improve health care programs. She frequently collaborated with grassroots and grasstops partners across North Carolina on key policy issues such as Medicaid Transformation, Medicaid Expansion, and the Affordable Care Act. In addition to her advocacy work, Dr. Zachary has extensive experience in state and federal health policy analysis. Dr. Zachary remains passionate about understanding how health policy impacts health equity and health disparities.
Dr. Shuntai Zhou
Clinical Researcher, UNC-Chapel Hill
Dr. Shuntai Zhou is a researcher and educator at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill whose work bridges molecular virology, data science, and global health. His research focuses on understanding how HIV evolves and adapts, and on developing new computational tools to analyze large-scale sequencing data.