This post is by Neera Tanden, Chair of the Domestic Policy Council and Domestic Policy Advisor to the President, The White House

As the President’s Domestic Policy Advisor, I am delighted to announce that Francisco Ruiz has joined our team at the White House as the next Director of the White House Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP).

Accelerating our efforts to end the HIV epidemic in the United States and improve the quality of life for people with HIV remains a critical public health priority for the Biden-Harris Administration. In my time in public service, we’ve seen a massive reduction in new HIV cases since their peak in the mid-1980s, and people with HIV living longer, healthier lives. But gains remain uneven, and we must make more effective use of the powerful HIV prevention, care, and treatment tools now available.

In his nearly three years at the White House as Director of ONAP, Harold Phillips championed that work, leading development of the Biden-Harris Administration’s National HIV/AIDS Strategy and working tirelessly to illustrate the need for a National PrEP Program as described in the President’s FY23, FY24 and FY25 budgets. Harold has done incredible work, and we wish him well in his new role as Deputy Director of Programs at NMAC.

It is with great enthusiasm that I welcome Francisco as the incoming ONAP Director. Francisco is a seasoned public health expert renowned for his extensive collaboration with community-based organizations, national coalitions, and government agencies at the local, state, and federal levels.

His professional journey is marked by a commitment to forging robust connections and fostering enduring partnerships aimed at tackling health inequities and improving outcomes, particularly for communities historically marginalized and underserved. Francisco’s dedication to promoting health equity is rooted in his passion and expertise in devising and executing programs, policies, and health communications that are science-based and community-informed.

As the first ever Latino serving as the ONAP Director, Francisco brings a unique blend of professional expertise and personal experience to this pivotal role. The son of Mexican immigrants and a first-generation college graduate, Francisco is also a person living with HIV. This combination of professional acumen and personal insight will help him address the multifaceted challenges of the HIV epidemic, ensuring that our strategies are not only grounded in scientific rigor but also intimately connected with the experiences of those most impacted.

I hope you will join me in bidding farewell to Harold and welcoming Francisco to the White House.

This blog post was published April 8, 2024, on HIV.gov.