Washington Blade - September 28, 2001
Kara Fox

French recently moved to Denver to become the executive director of the Gill Foundation.

Babbitt, 53, served for three years as deputy administrator for the U.S. Agency for International Development, occupying the number two position at the agency. Prior to that, she served for four years as U.S. ambassador to the Organization of American States.

"Hattie Babbitt has spent much of her life trying to improve the conditions of America's underserved communities," a statement released by AIDS Action read.

"She has also worked extensively on international human rights issues, strengthening the inter-American human rights system while Ambassador to the OAS, and has traveled the globe to provide humanitarian relief on every continent, in areas ranging from Kosovo to East Timor. At USAID, Babbitt did HIV/AIDS work in Africa and South Asia and led numerous health-related strategic initiatives."

Babbitt is an attorney and has most recently served as senior public policy scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. She has also been a member of the board of directors of the Alan Guttmacher Institute and the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs.

In her new position, Babbitt wants to focus on AIDS prevention, care, and research, she said.

"There are 40,000 cases of new AIDS cases each year. One person under the age of 25 is infected every hour. I want to work until we have an AIDS-free generation," Babbitt told the Blade. "We know that prevention works. à There are prevention treatments that work."

Babbitt also stressed that access to care will continue to be a key agenda item for the organization.

"The piece of this I feel strongly on is to be aggressively vigilant so that funding can stay for care treatment," she said.

Babbitt said she will "work with friends on the Hill" to get continued funding and support for people living with AIDS.

Babbitt, who has lived in Washington for nine years, told the Blade that she feels strongly about AIDS advocacy work for personal reasons.

"I am doing this because, like a lot of others, I lost friends to AIDS and I feel that kind of personal level," Babbitt said. "Also, one of our sons, TJ, is gay."

"AIDS Action is fortunate to bring such a well-respected individual to our advocacy efforts, and we are eager for the weight of her experience to be felt among key decision-makers in Washington," John Michael Gonzalez, chair of AIDS Action's Foundation Board and Tony Braswell, president of AIDS Action's Council Board, said in a joint statement. "With her years of experience and political prowess, Hattie brings a new vision and revitalized mission to AIDS Action, and will help guarantee that effective treatment and prevention programs are bring delivered to everyone affected by HIV/AIDS."

INFO

AIDS Action

1906 Sunderland Place, NW

Washington, DC 20036

(202) 530-8030

www.aidsaction.org

010928
WB010903

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