Dear ANAC Members,

The Board of Directors of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care (ANAC) is delighted to announce the appointment of Dr. Shey Thorn, DrPH, MPH, as our next Executive Director. He joins ANAC on Nov. 1, 2025. Dr. Thorn brings to ANAC a decade of experience leading HIV service organizations, expanding access to care, and advancing health equity through public health innovation and compassionate leadership.

Dr. Thorn joins ANAC from Five Horizons Health Services in Alabama, where he served as Chief Programmatic Officer and previously as Executive Director of the Southern Region. In these roles, he led multidisciplinary teams across clinical, advocacy and research divisions; expanded prevention and treatment services; and secured funding to improve care delivery across the U.S. South. Earlier in his career, as Co-Executive Director of AIDS Alabama South, he co-founded SHELL Health, Mobile County’s first free sexual health and wellness clinic and built partnerships that strengthened HIV prevention and community engagement. His professional service has included appointments to the Federal AIDS Policy Partnership, the Alabama Campaign for Adolescent Sexual Health, End HIV Alabama and Community Voices for 340B, reflecting his deep commitment to justice, diversity, equity and inclusion.

Dr. Thorn succeeds Carole Treston, RN, MPH, ACRN, FAAN, who has led ANAC with dedication and vision for more than a decade. She has announced her retirement, effective Dec. 31, 2025. We are deeply grateful for her leadership and lasting contributions to ANAC’s growth and global influence.

Please join us in welcoming Dr. Shey Thorn to ANAC. His energy, experience and commitment to equity will guide us forward as we strengthen the voice of nurses worldwide in the HIV response. We are delighted to share that Dr. Thorn will be joining us at the upcoming ANAC Annual Conference in Philadelphia, where members will have the opportunity to meet him in person, hear his vision for the organization’s next chapter and engage in dialogue about the future of nursing leadership in HIV care and global health equity.

A Message from Dr. Shey Thorn to ANAC Members:

Living with HIV in the Deep South, I know firsthand the life-saving power of nursing care rooted in advocacy, equity and fierce compassion. Nurses saved my life. I have been your patient, and now I return in service to the mission that once saved me.

In the face of mounting political threats to health equity and evidence-based care, ANAC’s mission is more essential than ever. Together, we must protect it. ANAC has always been more than an organization. It is a movement of healers, advocates, researchers, and leaders committed to advancing health justice and transforming health systems from the inside out. I believe in that mission because I’ve lived its impact.

It is the honor of my life to serve as ANAC’s next Executive Director. I am committed to amplifying your voices, advancing your leadership, and championing the care models, research, and policies that uplift our communities worldwide.

I look forward to connecting with many of you at the conference and continuing the conversation about the future we will build together.

Shey Thorn, DrPH, MPH

Executive Director, Association of Nurses in AIDS Care