Item Description:
title
Recognizing the retirement of Jonathan Hanft - Offered by Commissioner Conley
body
WHEREAS, Jonathan Hanft, began his career with Hennepin County more than 22 years ago and has been working in the field of HIV/AIDS prevention and care for over three decades; and
WHEREAS, The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program is a federal program that provides HIV-related services for people who do not have adequate health care coverage or financial resources and Jonathan has led Hennepin County’s Ryan White Program to earn a reputation as an innovative national leader in HIV public health; and
WHEREAS, experiencing the devastating impact of AIDS on friends and the gay community, Jonathan became involved in HIV prevention and care in 1987. He has been an HIV health educator, case manager for HIV positive youth, was the State’s first HIV insurance specialist, and a program and public fund administrator; and
WHEREAS, in 2016 Jonathan spearheaded the development of Hennepin County’s strategy to end HIV called Positively Hennepin, the first jurisdictional strategy to end the HIV epidemic in Minnesota; and
WHEREAS, to advance the goals of Positively Hennepin, Jonathan recently initiated a project to implement an HIV status neutral approach for young gay and bisexual Black men to address one of the starkest disparities in HIV prevention and care, and a process to establish rapid antiretroviral treatment as a standard of HIV medical care to ensure that all newly diagnosed people with HIV can start treatment immediately upon diagnosis; and
WHEREAS, Jonathan has been a board member and co-vice chair of the CAEAR Coalition, a national HIV advocacy organization, served on NACCHO’s HIV/STI/Viral Hepatitis Workgroup, and co-facilitates the CAEAR Coalition/NACCHO Ryan White Part A and Ending the HIV Epidemic community of practice; and
WHEREAS, he has served as a role model and mentor and has been committed to supporting growth and innovation; and
WHEREAS, Jonathan has dedicated his career as a passionate public servant, has been unrelenting in his work to end HIV in Minnesota, across the nation, and internationally, and never wavered from this goal. He is a caring and compassionate person, and has touched countless lives through his work
Resolution:
BE IT RESOLVED, that the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners thank Jonathan Hanft for his service and wish him a long and healthy retirement full of birdwatching, gardening, and hiking.
Recommendation from County Administrator: Recommend Approval