Who we are- Randy Allgaier and Lee Hawn

Previous to his retirement Randy was the Director of

the HIV Advocacy Network in the Public Policy Dep-

artment of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation (SFAF).

While at SFAF, Randy was a national leader in the arena

of AIDS community organizing. In 1997, he was one of the primary architects of developing a statewide coalition that vigorously advocated for increased state funding for California's AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP). This effort led to the first significant increase in state funding for ADAP and paved the road for further substanial funding increases during subsequent years. Currently, California's ADAP program is one of the most comprehensive in the country and is a model for other states in terms of eligilibity, drug formulary, and program access.

Randy served as the Interim Executive Director of the California Alliance for Pride and Equality (CAPE), now named Equality California- Calfiornia's lesbian/ gay/ bisexual/ transgender state level advocacy organization from September 1998 through April 1999. He is one of the organization's orignal founders and he developed the organization's mission statement, conceived of its name and played a primary role in both developing its strcuture and nurturing its initial devleopment.

From 1997-2000 Randy served on the Board of Governors of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest national gay and lesbian political organization, At HRC Randy served as Western Region Co-Chair, and held seats on the Executive Committee and on the Strategic Planning Committee. Randy also served on the Board of Directors of Shanti where he was Chair of the Development Committee and served on both the Boards's Strategic Planning and Executive Committees.

Lee Hawn is an activity instructor for the ARC of San Francisco. Lee is very active in SEIU Local 1021 where he is involved in developing this new Northern Califonia Local. Before Local 1021 was born this past year, Lee was the Northern California Vice President of SEIU Local 535 and he is President of the ARC San Francisco Chapter and serves on the Executive Board of SEIU Local 535 where he serves as Vice President for Northern California and Co-Chair of the Committee on Political Empowerment (COPE) and memmber of the Regional Centers - Developmental Disabilities Services Program Committee and the Administrative Committee. Lee is also a member of the E-Board's Gay Caucus and chaired the caucus in 1999.

In years 2000 - 2002 Lee, along with SEIU and ARC leadership, advocated for increased state funding for the California Department of Developmental Services. This funding would lead to increased wages for workers in non-profit organizations that provide critical services to people with developmental disabilities. Currently, Lee is working with a committee of advocates and former legislators to suggest ways to overhaul the California State Department of Developmental Services in order to ensure the best possible services for people with developmental disabilities. Additionally Lee has spoken at the state Capitol at a rally for increased funding for people with developmental disabilities and has trestified before Senate and Assembly Budget Committees.

Lee formerly volunteered with Shanti Project and AIDS Health Project of UCSF where he was an individual peer support counselor, volunteer support group facilitor and client group facilitator.

Lee is also an amateur genealogist. He has located ancestors who served in the American Revolution and the Civil War. Lee's' ancestors who fought in the Civil War, temporarily re-located to Indiana from Tennseess in order to support the Union's efforts. One ancestor was lost on the Sultana, a ship that sunk in the Mississippi River while returning Union prisoners of war to the North immediately after the conclusion of the Civil War.

From 2001 - 2004 Randy served as the President of the Board of Directors of Pets Are Wonderful Support (PAWS). PAWS, founded in 1987, provides support for people with AIDS and other disabling illnesses so it is possible to keep their companion animals- an important, often crucical component of emotional support. PAWS also provides educaton on safe pet ownership for people with AIDS and is a leader in the arena of education on the benefits of the human-animal bond for people with chronic phyisical illness and depression. Randy led the organization through a significant period of growth of PAWS.

In July 2002, Randy was appointed by San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown to the HIV Health Services Planning Council of San Francisco, Marin and San Mateo Counties where he has co-chaired of the People Living With HIV/AIDS Advisory Committee, the Grantee Assessment Task Force, the Policy and Evaluation Committee and Consumer and Minority Affairs Committee. In August 2004 Randy was re-appointed to the Planning Council by Mayor Gavin Newsom and was subsequently elected as a Co-Chair of the Plannning Council.

In March 2003, Mayor Brown also appointed Randy as the Mayor's interim representative to the Commuinities Advocating Emergency AIDS Relief (CAEAR) Coalition. The CAEAR Coalition is a leading voice in Washington DC for HIV/AIDS care and treatmenrt and has led successful annual appropriations advocacy for CARE Act Parts A and C (formerly Titles I and III). In May 2007 Randy was elected co-chair of the CAEAR Coalition's PLWHA Caucus and was elected to the CAEAR Coalition's Board of Directors in February 2008.

Randy was one of the first HIV/AIDS advocates in the nation to work on Medicare issues more than a year before the debate began on the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003. He was the representative for Medicare issues on the Care and Treatment Work Group of the National Organizations Responding to AIDS (NORA) coalition and wrote a consumer advocate guide on Medicare issues for people living with HIV/AIDS for the National Association for People with AIDS , a project that is funded by the Kaiser Family Foundation. Randy also developed a program of conusmer education on Medicare Part D for people living with HIV/AIDS that was funded by Gilead Sciences.

In September 2006, Randy was re-appointed for a third term as a member of the HIV Health Services Planning Council by Mayor Gavin Newsom. He also stepped down as Council Co-Chair and received Certificates of Recognition from the California State Assembly and the City and County of San Francisco. In October 2006, Randy was appointed to the San Francisco HIV Prevention Council by Public Health Director Dr. Mitch Katz.

In early 2007 Randy was elected to the Board of Directors of the National Working Positive Coalition (NWPC).

NWPC promotes research, development and implementation of effective practices in employment services, coordinates sharing and dissemination of this information and advocates for work options and opportunities for people living with HIV/AIDS and joined the Coordinating Committee of a Coalition for a National AIDS Strategy and is co-chair of the coalition’s grassroots mobilization work group. In September 2009, Randy was appointed by Mayor Gavin Newsom to the Mayor's Hepatitis C Task Force.