GMHC Hires New CEO: Kelsey Louie

NEW YORK - The Board of Directors of GMHC announced this morning the hiring of Kelsey Louie as the organization's new Chief Executive Officer. Louie is a dedicated manager with deep expertise in administering programs that serve people with HIV/AIDS, and a track record of strengthening their client health outcomes. Louie comes to GMHC after seven years of leading programs at the Harlem United Community AIDS Center, most recently as its Chief Operating Officer.

"GMHC firmly believes that, in this moment in history, we can -- and must -- eradicate AIDS as an epidemic. Doing so will require a deeper level of partnership between the city, the state, GMHC and other community-based agencies than ever before to ensure we broaden the reach of our efforts as widely as possible and maximize our impact. That's why the Board has chosen Kelsey Louie, an innovator in the field of HIV/AIDS care and prevention services, to lead GMHC as its next CEO," said Myron Sulzberger Rolfe, Chair of GMHC's Board of Directors. "We are delighted to welcome Kelsey back to GMHC."

Louie, a native New Yorker who holds an MSW from New York University and an MBA from Columbia University, joins GMHC after years of work in community-based HIV/AIDS prevention and care. Most recently, as Chief Operating Officer at the Harlem United Community AIDS Center -- where he has worked since 2007 -- he has managed a staff of 350 and overseen the agency's $42 million budget and operations, working to expand and strengthen the agency's services for its thousands of clients. Louie's previous employers include respected organizations such as New York Foundling, Veritas Therapeutic Community Inc., and the Jewish Board of Family and Children's Services. He has also served as an adjunct faculty member at the NYU Silver School of Social Work.

Louie is also no stranger to GMHC, having previously served as Coordinator of Counseling & Education in 2006.

"Kelsey Louie is the right leader to move GMHC's vital work into the future, fulfilling our critical mission and continuing to expand our focus on meeting the changing needs of our clients and on curbing new infections among vulnerable populations," said Roberta Kaplan, Secretary of the Board of Directors, chair of the CEO search committee, and a partner at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison. "Kelsey will be an incredible champion for our clients in administering GMHC's day to day operations, partnering with other community-based agencies, and leading our interactions with key city and state agencies."

"I'm thrilled and humbled by the opportunity to join the incredible team of dedicated staff and board members at GMHC, one of our city's most important LGBT institutions," said incoming GMHC CEO Kelsey Louie. "After 30 years, GMHC continues to lead our community on the front lines of the fight against HIV/AIDS. I look forward to getting started and hearing more from GMHC's clients, along with all of those in our community with a stake in the organization, to ensure everyone's voice is included as we move forward to strengthen and expand GMHC's capacity and vital work."

The Board's selection of Louie concludes a national search conducted by the Board of Directors in consultation with Sandler Search Associates. He succeeds Janet Weinberg, GMHC's Chief Operating Officer who has served as interim CEO since early October.

"We cannot thank Janet Weinberg enough for her admirable leadership of GMHC through what has been a critical moment of transition," Rolfe added. "She ensured GMHC clients were being well taken care of through the transition - and helped secure over $10.8 million in new grants to expand GMHC's core services."

Louie's appointment also comes at a moment of increasing cultural focus on HIV/AIDS and GMHC, with the HBO Films adaptation of "The Normal Heart" - which tells the story of GMHC's founding - premiering on HBO on May 25, one week after the 29th annual AIDS Walk New York.

Charles King, CEO of Housing Works, congratulates GMHC and Kelsey Louie on his selection as the incoming CEO of GMHC: "Kelsey has an unshakeable commitment to end the AIDS epidemic and other health disparities among people of color. His open, transparent management style engages all stakeholders to build a sense of cohesion and community. He will be a huge asset to GMHC and the entire community moving forward."

"Kelsey is a great leader in the fight against HIV/AIDS and an innovator on the frontlines of delivering services to the clients we serve. He has been an invaluable member of the Harlem United team in his seven years here, demonstrating an incredible amount of enthusiasm, focus and commitment," said Steven C. Bussey, CEO of Harlem United. "On behalf of our Board, clients and staff, we wish him only the best in this next endeavor and look forward to continuing to work with him in his new role."

ABOUT GMHC
GMHC is the nation's oldest provider of HIV/AIDS care, prevention services and advocacy, serving nearly 9,000 people living with HIV/AIDS in New York every year. Read more about the organization's recent work in HIV+ Magazine, Thirty Years and Still Going Strong: GMHC's New Vision.