Leadership Council

Leadership Council Spotlight

Les Zendle

Les Zendle, M.D. joined the APLA board of directors in 2001 at the urging of former APLA board co-chair and fellow Kaiser Permanente executive Leslie Margolin. He brings a wealth of professional and personal experience to his work as a board member.

While at Kaiser, Les oversaw Southern California Kaiser Permanente’s clinical services department, which developed various “disease management” programs, including one for HIV/AIDS. On a more personal level, Les says he has several friends and colleagues with HIV. His brother Jeff died of AIDS in 1986.

Les was the founding co-chair of Nechama: A Jewish Response to AIDS, which began at Congregation Beth Chayim Chadashin (BCC) in response to what he describes as widespread denial and ignorance about HIV/AIDS in the 1980s. Nechama promoted prevention education, as well as understanding and advocacy, in L.A.’s Jewish community. Nechama became Los Angeles Jewish AIDS Services in the late 1980s, and now exists as Project Chicken Soup, delivering kosher meals to people – Jewish or not – who are living with HIV/AIDS.

Les is an active member of APLA’s Leadership Council, which he supports because “those who are able to give to worthy causes have a responsibility to do so.

“It also helps me feel good about myself,” he adds.

As for the future of HIV/AIDS, prevention, he says, is the key. “We need to teach people without HIV how to stay HIV-negative. We also need to teach people who are HIV-positive how to not transmit the virus to others.”

He notes that people with HIV must have access to “quality health care to monitor their disease and to prevent and treat complications.” He points out that early on, Kaiser Permanente adopted a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary approach to chronic disease management that serves as a model for proper HIV care.

“APLA has changed so much in its 22-year history,” Les says. “And it’s going to have to continue to adapt to the changing epidemic and the changing needs of the Los Angeles community.”

Les says he is “happy to be involved” in this ongoing and important conversation, and we at APLA are happy to have him. We salute Dr. Les Zendle for his passion, expertise, and devotion to the cause and his generous support of our Leadership Council.

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To get started, send an e-mail to Associate Director of Development, Joel Wyatt, or call him directly at 213.201.1564. He will be happy to answer any questions you may have about the Leadership Council and how you can help support APLA’s programs and services by becoming a member of the Leadership Council.