Miami Herald - July 20, 2006
Andrea Robinson, arobinson@MiamiHerald.com

Three other women also lost their jobs at the Center for Positive Connections, a nonprofit agency based in North Miami that serves clients from Miami-Dade and Broward counties.

Kaplan's firing set off waves of criticism within the HIV/AIDS community and among city officials, who view Kaplan, diagnosed with HIV more than a decade ago, as a stalwart advocate who pushes for underserved and forgotten patients.

"I'm very disappointed," North Miami Councilman Scott Galvin said. "Where do they go from here? I don't know. I never met anyone on their board of directors. They don't have any other face in the community."

Kaplan, 41, was let go Monday after a meeting with board Chairman Dr. David Newman.

Newman, who has been affiliated with the center for five years, said the five-member executive board voted unanimously to fire Kaplan. He said the agency needs to widen its community base, reach out to more donors and expand services.

"This decision was made strictly to fortify the future of the organization. That was the main goal," Newman said.

The center's new acting executive director is Jim Konschnik, who was on staff as development director.

Kaplan said she was unaware of problems with her performance, and that the reasons given for her dismissal were vague.

"They didn't really explain," Kaplan said. '[Newman] said, 'We want to stop the [agency's] bleeding, and we want to protect the board from any liability.' "

The center has an operating budget of about $400,000, a mix of federal and state grants and donations from private foundations. It serves about 300 clients each year.

Kaplan said the center, like other nonprofit agencies, had funding difficulties. A federal contract to provide housing services was not renewed for the upcoming fiscal year.

"Since [Hurricane] Katrina, no one gives to AIDS anymore. With funding cuts coming up each year, they were probably freaking out. But you don't let go your executive director," Kaplan said.

Kaplan said members of an advisory board who could have stood up for her were not notified of the meeting.

"I didn't know anything about it at all," said Luis Robinson, an advisory board member. "All members are supposed to be contacted on that issue especially."

Kaplan started the Center for Positive Connections in 1995, after she was diagnosed with HIV, to give infected heterosexuals a support network.

Since then, the center has expanded into one of the larger support agencies in Miami-Dade, offering a cross section of holistic health and support services .

The center also sponsors social activities such as dinners, cruises, holiday parties and sporting events. Some of the services are donated by local companies.

Kaplan's firing didn't sit well with several people who use agency services. They planned a protest Wednesday evening.

Elisa Gaudiosi of Fort Lauderdale, a clinical social worker who has a contract with the agency to run its heterosexual support group, said the clients have a special connection with Kaplan.

"We know the person who founded this place. She felt socially isolated, that feeling of being all alone in this world," she said.

"Sheri took that and took it into something positive. It's not just an agency. It's like a family."

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