Erise Williams, Jr., MPH is the co-founder of Williams & Associates, Inc., a community based non-profit public health agency addressing minority health disparities and health equity issues that impact minority health. His public health experience consists of 20 years of working on the frontlines of addressing minority health disparities. He has served as the founding executive director of Blacks Assisting Blacks Against AIDS (BABAA- 1990-2002), which under his leadership, became one of the premier minority ASOs (AIDS Service Organizations) in the Midwest region. Mr. Williams served in this position for 12 years, before leaving and starting Williams & Associates Inc, to address minority health disparities and health equity.

I have been in public health for thirty plus years in the St. Louis region.  I have served my community in various capacities through the years i.e., educator, counselor, mentor, coach, health advocate among others.  I was born in Mississippi on a plantation, raised by a single mother in public housing, lived in a depressed urban community, received a public education and this life experience has given me the “why” for the work that I do unapologetically for Black people.

I am a native St. Louisan who has spent more than twenty years in public transit.  I am a graduate of Gateway Technical High School here in the City of St. Louis.  My involvement in public health started when I was a youth participant in a behavioral HIV prevention program.  I worked for several years as a HIV outreach specialist and became a member of the board of directors in 2012.

I have been a board member for more than ten years.  In the early years I volunteered for special events and supported projects that addressed the many unique issues that Black men face.  I have been an independent business owner for thirty years and I am committed to serving my community.

I am a founding board member and from day one I have been dedicated to improving the health of the Black community.  My commitment for service began with my military experience and my deep involvement with the faith-based community.  I am co-founder of St. Louis African American Pride, an organization which seeks to serve the African American community by providing tangible and needed resources.

My early years were spent aboard as I was from a military family. Most of my adult life I have lived in St. Louis.  People who meet me always get the impression that I am a friendly guy who loves to meet people, help them, and talk, which is the truth.  I recently retired from a manufacturing job of forty-two years.  I have been involved in the community in various roles i.e., from youth basketball coach to being a founding board member of the St. Louis Black Gay and Lesbian Pride Committee, Inc. I am also a founding board of directors member of Williams and Associates.

Dr. Steve Houldsworth, M.Ed is a counselor, facilitator, teacher, and activist.  He began his work with HIV/AIDS as a volunteer at AIDS Action Committee in Boston in the summer of 1983.  Over the past 38 years, he has been a street activist, a counselor, a case manager, a program manager, and taught undergraduate and graduate courses around issues related to HIV/AIDS.

Pamela P. Richardson is the Global Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Executive at Boeing, having previously served as Director of Talent and Inclusion at Dot Foods.  Pam had an earlier career at the intersections of health care, IT, law, business development, and accessibility & inclusion, working to improve access to specialty care for the underserved and uninsured living in rural areas of Missouri.  She holds an MBA with an emphasis in Human Resources from William Woods University, a Masters of Jurisprudence degree in Health Law from Loyola Chicago School of Law, and a Business of Administration degree from Columbia College.

Janise N. Lampley, Esq. is an accomplished lawyer and a dedicated realtor. She uses her positive attitude and tireless energy to serve her clients and contribute to the community. As a proud HBCU graduate, Janise understands the value of minorities supporting their own, and is cognizant of the importance of education, prevention, and wellness, specifically for underserved communities.

Dr. Richard B. Marks, Jr, Ed.D is the Assistant Vice President, Cross Cultural Center for Global Citizenship at Saint Louis University.  He is a graduate of Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana with a bachelors in African American Studies/Sociology and masters in Higher Education Administration in Student Affairs.  He earned his doctorate in Educational Leadership from Rossier School of Education at the University of Southern California.  Marks’s dissertation “As the World Turns: Being Black and Gay on Campus in the 21st Century,” explores factors contributing to the Black gay men at a predominately White institution (PWI) in southern California using the intersection of race, sexual identity, and social capital-institutional agents. Themes that emerged were self-identity, coming-out, racial & cultural dissonance, (toxic) masculinity, religion/spirituality, institutional support, and family affairs.