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 | | Paula French | | Co-Exectuive Director, Programs | | 317-259-7013 | | ext. 14 |
 Paula
French serves as Co-Executive Director, Programs at
Step-Up. Since 1994 Ms. French has
focused on HIV prevention programming and has authored and implemented a widely
recognized HIV prevention curriculum for high risk, incarcerated youth.
Ms.
French is a member of the Clarian Health Community Advisory Committee, a past President of The League of Women Voters
of Indianapolis, and member of the Indiana State Department of Health’s
Community Planning Group, where she served as past Co-Chair. She has been
certified by the Great Lakes Institute for Community Health Educators and was
named Outstanding HIV/AIDS Educator for 1997-98 by the American Red Cross.
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 | | Brad Gumbert | | Co-Exectuive Director, Administration | | 317-259-7013 | | ext. 15 |
 Brad
Gumbert serves as the Co-Executive Director, Administration at
Step-Up.
Mr. Gumbert began his
career in 1987 as a Prevention Specialist
working with at-risk youth on the Southside of Chicago. Since moving to Indianapolis, he has served as Education
Consultant for out-of-school programs at the Indiana Department of
Education, has been the Program Director
for the Community Action Group program
and has served as the Executive Director
of a United Way agency. Mr.
Gumbert is an Instructor Trainer for
the American Red Cross and serves as the Chair of the Program Review Committee
at the Indiana State Department of Health. He earned his Bachelor of Science
degree from Indiana University.
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 | | Ryan Nix | | Prevention Coordinator | | 317-259-7013 | | ext. 12 |
Ryan Nix serves as the Prevention Coordinator and has an
extensive background in HIV prevention and outreach. Ryan directly implemented
several prevention based programs and outreach grants at a southern Indiana agency including an Indiana State Department of
Health (ISDH) Prevention Case Management program, as well as a directly funded
project from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Mr. Nix was selected as a scholar to the
prestigious CDC Institute for Prevention Leadership in Atlanta and has been trained in numerous outreach and
prevention curricula.
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 | | Valarie Taulman | | Prevention Specalist, Health Educator | | 317-259-7013 | | ext. 10 |
 Valarie
Taulman serves as the Prevention Specialist and is a graduate
of Indiana University with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Sociology
(double major, Magna Cum Laude), with a majority of her course work focusing on
gender and women in today’s culture as well as a minor in Gender Studies and
Human Sexuality. Ms. Taulman served as a Research Associate at the Kinsey
Institute for Sex, Gender and Reproduction. In addition, Ms. Taulman has been
trained in the CDC recognized HIV Prevention curricula VOICES/VOCES and STREET SMART and attended The Great Lakes Institute for Community
Health Educators. She serves as the Secretary/Treasurer of the Board of
Directors of the Healthy Indiana Youth Alliance (HIYA), an organization
dedicated to promoting the healthy sexuality choices of young adults throughout
Indiana.
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 | | Vicenta Muniz-Bledsoe | | Program Coordinator | | 317-259-7013 | | ext. 11 |
Ms. Bledsoe serves as the Program Coordinator for the Women Taking Charge Program at
Step-Up. Ms. Bledsoe graduated from Columbia
University with Associates in
Business.
Vicenta has been in the HIV/AIDS field for four years with
previous experience as an advocate for the homeless in New
York City. In the HIV/AIDS field, Ms. Bledsoe has worked
as a Care Partner, an Outreach Prevention & Testing Specialist, and a High
Risk Behavioral Specialist. She is
certified with the State of Indiana
to administer Ora Sure and Ora Quick HIV testing. She also has certifications in Partner
Counseling and Partner Elicitation in both Spanish and English. Ms. Bledsoe has
been trained in the CDC DEBI Sister to Sister, which an intervention program is
for African American women and has extensive experience working with the Latino
community in HIV Prevention and Care.
Vicenta is Bilingual and can speak Spanish & English and
has several certifications in Training and Education.
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 | | Alissa Byers | | Health Educator | | 317-259-7013 | | ext. 17 |
 Alissa Byers serves as Health Educator for the Youth
At Risk Program. Alissa holds a Bachelors of Science Degree in Public Health;
with minors in Human Sexuality and Public Health Education from Indiana
University. Beginning her career in corporate America, Alissa took a step back
to reevaluate and chose to return to Not for Profit work. After directly serving
this HIV positive population through Care Coordination services, Alissa is
thrilled to be working in Prevention Education. Alissa holds numerous
certification pertaining to prevention education and case management.
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 | | Dolores Horgan | | Project Coordinator | | | | |
Dolores
Horgan serves as the Project Coordinator for the Indiana
Seniors HIV/AIDS Prevention Education (IN-SHAPE) program. Ms. Horgan has been a leader in the HIV/AIDS
arena in Indiana for many years. Affectionately known as the “Mother of the
HIV/AIDS Quilt”, Dolores joined the Indiana Chapter of the NAMES Project in
1993, housed then at Indiana Cares. In 1996, she became the Coordinator,
responsible for ordering and returning the Quilt via San Francisco as well as scheduling the display throughout the
state. She continues her work with the Quilt out of her home.
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 | | Ramon Reyes | | Americorps Member/Outreach Specialist | | 317-259-7013 | | ext. 13 |
 Ramon Reyes serves as an Outreach Specialist for Step-Up Inc. Graduating in May2008 with a
concentration in arts and humanities (including some background in human
sexuality, and disease evolution), Ramon plans to attend graduate school in one
of several areas. Ramon is an Americorps Member with the National AIDS Fund
placed at Step-Up where he does outreach to the MSM community through Step-Up’s
I-MAP program. He has been trained by the Red Cross as an HIV/AIDS Instructor/Trainer and is also certified by Indiana State Department of Health to do HIV testing/counseling.” |
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| | | Mark Hess | | Outreach Specialist | | 317-259-7013 | | ext. 12 |
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Mark Hess serves as an Outreach Specialist with Step Up, Inc
and does outreach in the MSM community through the I-MAP program. He is certified by the Red Cross as an
HIV/AIDS instructor and trainer and by the Indiana State Department of Health
as an HIV tester/counselor. Also, he is
certified by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration for
OraQuick testing and counseling. Mark will be graduating in 2008 from IUPUI
with a Master’s of Social Work degree concentrating in Mental Health and
Addictions. He earned a Bachelor of
Science degree in Management from Ball State University.
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| | | Lisa Fernandez | | Bookkeeper | | | | |
Lisa Fernandez serves as the bookkeeper/accountant for Step-Up. Lisa is a graduate of the University
of Indianapolis and has been
working as an accountant for the past eleven years. Lisa has worked for several local non-profit
agencies, including the Marion County
Family Advocacy Center,
School on Wheels and Chrysalis Academy of Indiana.
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