NJHPG's Award Recipients
NJHPG would like to acknowledge and celebrate the contributions of the individuals below who are making a positive impact at NJHPG and throughout our communities in New Jersey.
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THANK YOU!
Saquan Stevenson
2024 NJHPG Member of the Year
Born in Staten-Island, New York, Saquan Stevenson is a 34-year-old Nigerian African American male. At eight years old, Saquan moved to New Jersey with dreams of becoming a lawyer. From a young age, he was driven by a passion to fight against injustice, advocating for those who are underserved and marginalized. He attended Delaware State University in Dover, Delaware, where he majored in business management and minored in hospitality and tourism. After returning to New Jersey, Saquan began his career in the field of HIV/AIDS working for the Hyacinth AIDS Foundation. Saquan has served as the Co-Chair for Community Engagement for the New Jersey HIV Planning Group and was involved in the drafting of the Integrated HIV Prevention and Care Plan. In addition to his position as Director of Resident & Client Services at the Center in Asbury Park, Saquan is currently the Volunteer Chair & Interim Festival Producer for Newark Gay Pride.
Claudia Ortiz
2024 NJHPG Commitment to Advocacy
During the early 1990s, I began my career in the field of HIV/AIDS through my work with the Northeast Hispanic AIDS Consortium (NeHAC) at PROCEED Inc. Since then, I have witnessed significant milestones in HIV care and support, including the establishment of the Ryan White Care Act in 1990, HOPWA in 1991, and the approval of protease inhibitors in 1995. Throughout these changes, I have remained committed to treating individuals with dignity and delivering dedicated service to the HIV community.
In 2021, I joined the NJ HIV Planning Group, where I actively participate as a member of the Priority Setting Committee. Additionally, I contribute as an active member of the Comprehensive Planning Committee of the Newark EMA Planning Council. I am a proud Salvadoran raised by extraordinary parents, with two wonderful siblings, I am married to a wonderful man and together we have one daughter, a son -in law and 4 grandchildren.
Gabrielle Ferrigno
October 2024 Quarterly Spotlight Recipient
Gab Ferrigno has been working at the New Jersey Department of Health, Division of HIV, STD and TB Services (DHSTS) for the past 8 years. During that time, she has played an integral role in the development of the NJ Community Health Worker (CHW) program, as well as both the State End the Epidemic (EtE) and Federal Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) programs and plans for the state of NJ. As a member of the Community Engagement Committee, she has strived to bring the perspective of DHSTS to the committee in a way that can be utilized to inform the recommendation process and to utilize the perspective of the committee to inform internal advocacy for grant programing. Gab is happily married to her best friend of 22 years, proudly polyamorous and spends all of her time not at work with her dogs. No outfit is complete without canine confetti!