Marsha Martin,
executive director of the national advocacy group AIDS
Action, has been tapped to head the District of
Columbia's HIV/AIDS Administration after its
former director, Lydia Watts, was fired earlier this
month, The Washington Post reports. The
HIV/AIDS Administration has come under fire in recent months
for its response to the AIDS epidemic in the district,
including how federal money was spent and accounted
for, how quickly area organizations were reimbursed
for providing AIDS services, and for poor coordination of
district-wide HIV prevention and service efforts.
Martin had served
as executive director of AIDS Action since 2002. Prior
to that she served as a special assistant on AIDS policy
former Health and Human Services secretary Donna
Shalala. She will assume her new position with the
D.C. HIV/AIDS Administration on September 7.
District mayor
Anthony Williams said, "Ms. Martin brings with her a
wealth of knowledge and considerable expertise in the field
of HIV/AIDS," the Post reports. "She has
the skills that are needed to move the agency
forward."