Deep South's Most Influential HIV/AIDS Advocate to Retire, Leaving Legacy of Housing Innovation,

Policy Reform, and Unwavering Commitment

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – [December 2, 2025] — AIDS Alabama, the nation's only statewide AIDS Service Organization, announced today the retirement of Chief Executive Officer Kathie M. Hiers, whose three-decade career has fundamentally transformed HIV/AIDS services, housing, and advocacy across Alabama and the American South. Kathie will continue to serve as the AIDS Alabama Chief Executive Officer until her retirement on June 1, 2026.

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Since joining AIDS Alabama in 1997, Hiers has built the organization into an unparalleled model of comprehensive HIV care, providing housing and supportive services to low-income persons with HIV, as well as education, outreach, linkage to care, and testing across the state. Under her leadership, the agency has become the coordinating force for the only statewide AIDS service coalition in the country, working with eight other AIDS Service Organizations and numerous clinics to ensure no Alabamian faces HIV alone.

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“As Board Chair, and as someone whose own career began years ago as a social work intern and case manager, I am deeply honored to celebrate Kathie Hiers as she announces her plans for retirement. Kathie’s leadership has shaped AIDS Alabama in ways that will be felt for generations. She has led with conviction, compassion, and an unwavering commitment to the communities we serve. Her vision expanded access, elevated voices often unheard, and ensured that our mission remained rooted in dignity and justice," said AIDS Alabama Board President LaToya  Melton.

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Hiers' impact extends far beyond Alabama's borders. As the only Deep South resident selected by President Obama to serve on the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS in 2010, she co-chaired the Disparities Committee and championed groundbreaking resolutions on comprehensive sex education, HIV-specific criminal laws, and addressing the epidemic in transgender and American Indian/Alaska Native populations. Her leadership positions have included President of the National AIDS Housing Coalition, Co-Chair of the Southern AIDS Coalition, and Co-Chair of the Federal AIDS Policy Partnership.

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Her tireless advocacy helped modernize two critical pieces of federal legislation: the Ryan White CARE Act in 2006, ensuring more equitable distribution of federal funds to communities most affected by HIV, and the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) legislation in 2016, after 15 years of persistent work to align funding with the epidemic's geographic realities.

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"I have spent my career fighting for one simple truth: that every person living with HIV deserves dignity, housing, healthcare, and hope," said Hiers. "The work we've accomplished together, from housing hundreds of families to changing federal policy, has only been possible because of the extraordinary staff, board members, volunteers, and community partners who believed in this mission. While I'm stepping away from daily leadership, I carry with me profound gratitude for every person who trusted AIDS Alabama with their care, every advocate who joined us in Montgomery and Washington, and every donor who invested in this essential work. The South still faces tremendous challenges in the HIV epidemic, but I have absolute confidence that this organization and this movement will continue to rise to meet them."

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Throughout her tenure, Hiers has been recognized with numerous honors, including the inaugural Stephen G. Sherman Award (2008) for leadership in fighting the southern HIV epidemic, Community Woman of the Year for Birmingham (2010), the AIDS Drug Assistance Program Individual Champion of the Year (2014), UCLA and Johnson & Johnson's Community Healthcare Improvement Project Award (2015), and PhRMA's Research and Hope HIV/AIDS Community Champion Award (2014).

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Her expertise and moral clarity have made her a sought-after voice in national media, with interviews published in HIV Plus, POZ Magazine, The Washington Blade, Mother Jones, Marie Claire, and Southern Voice. Her work has been chronicled in Jacob Levenson's The Secret Epidemic: The Story of AIDS and Black America and Andrew Skerritt's Ashamed to Die, and featured in the documentary Deepsouth and on Dan Rather Reports.

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As a recognized subject matter expert on Ryan White legislation and housing policy, Hiers has been a keynote speaker at the U.S. Conference on AIDS, the National HIV Prevention Conference, Congressional Briefings on the National AIDS Strategy, and countless other forums where her commanding presence and encyclopedic knowledge have influenced policy and inspired advocates across generations.

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Prior to joining AIDS Alabama, Hiers served as Executive Director of Mobile AIDS Support Services and founded the Lee Simmons Fund for People Living with AIDS – now AIDS Alabama South, a thriving division of the agency. A University of South Alabama graduate with a degree in English, she brought both intellectual rigor and deep compassion to her work, understanding that behind every statistic was a human being deserving of care and respect.

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The AIDS Alabama Board of Directors has retained the national search firm Kittleman and Associates who has begun a national search for the organizations next leader. AIDS Alabama will continue the vital work Hiers has championed: providing comprehensive HIV services, advocating for policy change, and ensuring that Alabama leads the nation in statewide, coordinated HIV care.

 

The organization will provide regular updates throughout the search process via social media at @aidsalabama and @aidsalabamasouth. The community will have many opportunities to celebrate Hiers' legacy, beginning with AIDS Alabama's Annual Holiday Open House in Birmingham on December 11, 2025.​