About Us

		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.
		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.
		Ryan Nix		Prevention Director & Non-Medical Case Manager		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. He has worked in the field for 10 years.
		Vicenta Muniz-Bledsoe		Program Director, Women Taking Charge		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.
		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.
		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.
		Tommy Chittenden		Transitions and Thresholds, Program Director		317-259-7013		ext. 13
Tommy graduated from Atlanta Christian College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Cross-Cultural Communications and Youth Ministry. He served as a Youth Pastor in churches in Atlanta, Georgia and Plainfield, Indiana before beginning a 28 year career in the Travel & Entertainment arena. In the Summer of 2008 Tommy was appointed as a member of the AmeriCorps team and placed at Step-Up, Inc. to do outreach and HIV testing in the MSM community through the I-MAP program. He has been certified by both the Red Cross and the Indiana State Department of Health as a HIV/AIDS instructor, counselor and tester. Tommy Chittenden served Step-Up, Inc. as an Outreach Specialist until 2009 when he joined the staff full time to serve the male incarcerated population.
		Jamie Roberts		Youth at Risk, Program Director		317-259-7013		ext. 26
Jamie is a 2004 Tech High School graduate and is currently pursuing a degree in psychology from IUPUI. Jamie signed on as an AmeriCorps member for the 2008-2009 National AIDS Fund/Caring Counts program. As part of her AmeriCorps appointment, she works as a Program Facilitator with the Youth at Risk program at Step-Up doing HIV and STD prevention education at juvenile corrections centers as well as adolescent drug treatment facilities. She has been certified by both the Red Cross and the Indiana State Department of Health as a HIV/AIDS instructor, counselor and tester.
		Rashida Walker		Women Taking Charge, Program Coordinator		317-259-7013		ext. 21
Rashida began her career as the Program Assistant for the Woman to Woman program in 1998. At that time she did peer based education for women and youth at risk for HIV/AIDS in the city, state, and country. She has been certified by both the Red Cross and the Indiana State Department of Health as a HIV/AIDS instructor, counselor and tester. After working in the HIV prevention field for six years, Rashida worked as an actor at the Children's Museum of Indianapolis. In 2007 she returned to the HIV field working at the Marion County Health Department in the Ryan White Program. Rashida has now taken on the responsibilities of the Program Coordinator for the Women Taking Charge Program.
		Katie Doherty		AmeriCorps Member		317-259-7013		ext. 10
Katie received a Bachelor of Science in Social Work from The Ohio State University in June 2009 and obtained her LSW shortly after. During her senior year field placement she worked as an intern at the Columbus AIDS Task Force. After acceptance into the AmeriCorps/National AIDS Fund/Caring Counts program, she moved to Indianapolis for a year of service. She works with the Youth at Risk program at Step-Up, teaching HIV/STD prevention education at juvenile correction centers and drug treatment facilities. She has been certified by both the Red Cross and Indiana State Department of Health as a HIV/AIDS instructor, counselor, and tester.
		Michael Robinson		Testing Coordinator
Michael Robinson serves as a Testing Coodinator. Michael has been testing for Step-up for almost one year. He has been certified by both Red Cross and Indiana State Department of Health as a HIV/AIDS instructor, counselor, tester.
		Arthur Wegley		Outreach Coordinator
Arthur Wegley serves as the Outreach Coordinator for I-MAP program. He currently attends Ivy Tech Community College’s nursing program and works as a both a Student Nurse and Outreach Coordinator advocating healthy lifestyle choices. Arthur will be graduating in the fall of 2010 with his license in practical nursing. He is pursuing a continued education in nursing and expects his RN at the end of 2012.