Gay Man Tapped To Lead
National AIDS Office

The White House announced Thursday that Jeffrey S. Crowley will be the Director of Office of National AIDS Policy.

Crowley, a Senior Research Scholar at Georgetown University's Health Policy Institute, will coordinate the federal government's efforts on HIV/AIDS policy and will help guide the administration's development of disability policies, according to a release.

"Jeffrey Crowley brings the experience and expertise that will help our nation address the ongoing HIV/AIDS crisis and help my administration develop policies that will serve Americans with disabilities," President Barack Obama said in a press statement. "In both of these key areas, we continue to face serious challenges and we must take bold steps to meet them. I look forward to Jeffrey's leadership on these critical issues."

The Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP) is tasked with coordinating the government's efforts to reduce the number of HIV infections across the United States. During the 2008 election, President Obama pledged to develop a national AIDS strategy -- a job which will now be spearheaded by the Office of National AIDS Policy. ONAP also coordinates with international bodies in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

The press release praised Crowley's 14 years of experience with working to improve access to health and social services for people living with HIV/AIDS, people with physical and mental disabilities, low-income individuals, and other vulnerable populations.

Crowley previously served as the deputy executive director for programs at the National Association of People with AIDS (NAPWA). While at NAPWA, he helped implement key initiatives such as the National HIV Testing Day Campaign and the Ryan White National Youth Conference.

Crowley received his Master of Public Health from Johns Hopkins University's School of Hygiene and Public Health, and his Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry from Kalamazoo College. He also served in the United States Peace Corps as a high school science teacher at the Nsongweni High School in Swaziland.