For Immediate Release
Media Contact:
Justin Burke - 213.201.1525
EMAIL:jburke@apla.org
BOARD OF AIDS PROJECT LOS ANGELES ELECTS FOUR DIRECTORS AT ANNUAL ELECTIONS
Board Leadership for 2005 – 2006 Also Selected
Los Angeles, Calif., December 6, 2005 – The Board of Directors of AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA) today announced the results of its annual elections, held at the end of October in Los Angeles. Four new directors were elected to the APLA Board, while leadership for the year 2005–2006 was confirmed.
Joining the APLA Board are: Daniel Clivner, Managing Partner of the Los Angeles office of Simpson Thatcher; Thomas J. Coates, Ph.D., Professor of Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA; David L. Neale, a partner at Levine, Neale, Bender, Rankin & Brill, LLP; and Rosalind Kay Renfro, Director of Business to Business for Emerging Industries, American Express Establishment Services.
“The Board has elected four exceptional community leaders and we are grateful for their service,” said Board Chair James M. Murphy, who is Vice President - Business Affairs, Clear Channel Broadcasting, Inc. “The broad range of experience, knowledge and vision among these new directors will significantly benefit the agency as we move forward with our vital programs for people with HIV/AIDS.”
Daniel Clivner
As Managing Partner for Simpson Thatcher in Los Angeles, Mr. Clivner concentrates on mergers and acquisitions and securities transactions. Recent transactions in which he has been involved include the sale of Toys “R” Us for $6.6 billion plus the assumption of debt, and the $2.7 billion acquisition of Japan Telecom K.K. by an investment group led by Ripplewood Holdings Japan and the subsequent sale of Japan Telecom to Softbank Corp. for $3.2 billion.
Mr. Clivner has also been involved in numerous television, theme park, motion picture and music acquisition, disposition and financing transactions on behalf of Universal Studios, Inc. He has been with Simpson Thatcher since 1988 and a partner since 1998.
Dr. Thomas J. Coates
Dr. Coates is the first Michael and Sue Steinberg Endowed Professor of Global AIDS Research at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine. His areas of emphasis and expertise are HIV prevention, the relationship of prevention and treatment for HIV, and HIV policies. His domestic work has focused on men who have sex with men, and he is currently finishing a nationwide clinical trial of an experimental HIV preventive intervention focused on this population. He is also finishing domestic trials of post-exposure prophylaxis.
Dr. Coates directs a community-randomized clinical trial in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Tanzania and Thailand to determine the impact of strategies for destigmatizing HIV on HIV incidence community-wide. He is also leading a prevention clinical trial in South America as part of a five-country effort. He is co-principal investigator of the NIAID-funded HIV Prevention Trials Network, and is conducting policy research domestically and internationally. He was cited in Science in 2002 as the fourth highest funded scientist in the clinical, social and behavioral sciences and was elected to the Institute of Medicine in 2000.
David L. Neale
Mr. Neale began his legal career in New York with the law firm of Kramer, Levin, Nessen, Kamin & Frankel, where he represented creditors and creditors’ committees. His broad experience includes handling cases in a variety of areas, including manufacturing; the food and beverage industry; real estate; energy; banking and finance; trucking; technology and communication; and retail. Mr. Neale also has a particular expertise in the entertainment industry, where has represented artists and clients involved in publishing and film production.
A published author, he is a member of the American Bar Association; Association of the Bar of the City of New York; New York County Bar Association; Century City Bar Association; Beverly Hills Bar Association; Financial Lawyers' Conference; Association of Trial Lawyers of America; Turnaround Management Association; and the Commercial Law League of America. In 2005, Mr. Neale was named by Los Angelesmagazine as one of its 100 “Super Lawyers” in the bankruptcy field.
Rosalind Kay Renfro
Ms. Renfro is a 15-year veteran of American Express, where she has focused on relationship management; the development of expense management systems; account profitability; product implementation; and marketing development. A recipient of five employee awards from the company, she has managed relationships with Sony, 20th Century Fox, NBC/Universal, Warner Brothers, Polygram, Walt Disney Company, MGM and Amgen Inc.
While at American Express, she served on its Philanthropic Committee for seven years. A member of the Los Angeles Corporate Advisory Committee, she has also worked in various capacities with the NAACP, the West Hollywood Chamber of Commerce and the Free Cash for College Steering Committee under former Los Angeles Mayor James K. Hahn.
Leadership
The APLA Board of Directors also elected its leadership for the years 2005–2006 during its annual October elections. Returning as Chair of the Board is Mr. Murphy, and serving as Vice Chair will be Richard F. Sommer, who is Chief Executive Officer of HomeGain. James L. Arnone, a partner at Latham & Watkins, will serve as Treasurer while Dr. Les Zendle of Kaiser Permanente will serve as Secretary. Directors of APLA’s Board are elected for three two-year terms, each subject to re-election.
AIDS Project Los Angeles, one of the largest non-profit AIDS service organizations in the United States, provides bilingual direct services, prevention education and leadership on HIV/AIDS-related policy and legislation. Founded by four friends in 1982, APLA is a community-based, volunteer-supported organization with local, national and global reach. For more information, visit www.apla.org.
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