Statement from the National Working Positive Coalition on President Obama's appointment of Jeffery S. Crowley as the Director of National AIDS Policy

The National Working Positive Coalition praises President Obama for his appointment of Jeffrey S. Crowley as the head on the Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP). Mr. Crowley has vast expertise on Ryan White programs, Medicaid and Medicare. He has worked 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.

Jeffrey S. Crowley, M.P.H., is a Senior Research Scholar at Georgetown University's Health Policy Institute and a Senior Scholar at the O'Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law, Georgetown University Law Center. In these roles, he is recognized and respected for his capacity to integrate public health research with political strategy to achieve policy changes. He has authored numerous reports and policy briefs, and has testified before various Congressional Committees and the Institute of Medicine on several occasions.

Mr. 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 several key initiatives including The National HIV Testing Day Campaign and the Ryan White National Youth Conference.

"Mr. Crowley's deep roots in the HIV/AIDS community send a signal that the Obama administration will seriously engage with the community as we enter into important conversations about the development of a National AIDS Strategy and health care reform," said Randy Allgaier, Chair of the Policy and Advocacy Committee of the National Working Positive Coalition Board of Directors and a member of the Coalition for a National AIDS Strategy Coordinating Committee. "I have had the pleasure of working closely with Jeff on Medicare policy issues and think that his appointment is a brilliant choice by the administration."

The National Working Positive looks forward to working with Mr. Crowley and advocating that employment and vocational rehabilitation issues are a component of a comprehensive national AIDS strategy.

The National Working Positive Coalition is a coalition of individuals living with HIV, service providers, researchers, and advocates who are committed to improving the financial and personal wellbeing of individuals living with HIV and AIDS. To achieve this goal we (a) promote research to better understand the financial needs and complex challenges facing individuals with HIV; (b) promote the development and evaluation of effective practices in employment services and (c) advocate for work options and access to financial resources that are most consistent with the personal and health needs of individuals living with HIV.