Board of Directors

SAAF Board of Directors

Fred Ronstadt, Chair
Business & Political Strategist, The F. Ronstadt Company

Julia Wieland, President
Student – The University of Arizona

Lauren Smith, President-Elect
Attorney – Thrasher Law Offices PLLC

Scott Koenig, Treasurer
The University of Arizona Cooperative Extension / Arizona Center for Rural Leadership

Melissa Vito, Secretary
Consultant and Interim VP – UT San Antonio

DIRECTORS

David Elder
SW Regional Vice President, RAYPRIDE Employee Resource Group – Raytheon

Cynthia Garcia
VP of Energy Delivery – Tucson Electric Power Co.

Joel Isais
Pharmacist – El Rio Health – Cherrybell

Beth Meyerson
Professor, College of Medicine/Dep of Family Medicine – University of Arizona

Joe Trejo
Community Volunteer

Brian Williams
Military Education Instructor – United States Space Force

The Board of Directors, staff, and volunteer committee members have diverse backgrounds ethnically, economically, and racially, and include people living with HIV/AIDS. SAAF’s charter requires that people with HIV/AIDS and people who are low-income are part of the Board. The Board of Directors, with continuing representation from the original Tucson AIDS service organizations, includes financial, medical, and social service professionals; advocates; and community business leaders.

News and Events

  • Introducing SAAF’s New CEO, March 3, 2023

    After an extensive nationwide search, the SAAF Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Beth Frantz has been appointed as SAAF’s next CEO. Beth is SAAF’s fourth CEO in the organization’s 25+ year history. Beth comes to SAAF from the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona where she recently served as the Interim CEO […]

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  • Giving Tuesday is November 30th, 2021, November 17, 2021

    This Giving Tuesday will happen on November 30th and SAAF could really use your donation. 2021 marks the 10th annual Giving Tuesday, a day when the nation focuses its attention on non-profits deserving of their support. Give today and make a difference in the life of a SAAF client tomorrow. Arizona Charitable Tax Credit SAAF […]

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  • SAAF Condemns COVID-19 Mask-Wearing Comparison to HIV/AIDS Prevention Strategies, March 16, 2021

    Last week Arizona House Bill 2770 was passed, allowing for business owners to determine whether masks are required in their places of business. According to news reports, the bill’s sponsor, Representative Joseph Chaplik, persuaded the Arizona House to let businesses ignore mask mandates to stem COVID spread in part by arguing that they were not […]

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  • Save Lives By Supporting Virtual AIDSWALK Tucson 2020, October 2, 2020

    By Rachel McMenamin, Grants Coordinator at the Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation As most things look different during this pandemic, so will the Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation’s annual AIDSWALK Tucson. For the safety of walkers, volunteers, clients, staff and our community, this year’s AIDSWALK has gone virtual. SAAF will host a week long AIDSWALK celebration from […]

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  • SAAF WINS BBB Torch Award in Nonprofit Ethics, May 14, 2019

    We are honored to be the recipient of the BBB Serving Southern Arizona’s Torch Award for Nonprofit Ethics! As a nonprofit and more specifically as an AIDS service organization and an LGBTQ+ serving organization, we hold ourselves accountable to our stakeholders: our clients, our donors, the taxpayers, our staff and volunteers, our community partners, our funders, and […]

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To promote health, well-being, and social justice for those living with
HIV, LGBTQ+ individuals, and communities marginalized by society.