Thresa Giles (C) speaks to members of her staff inside the lobby of Hope & Help. (Photo by Bellanee Plaza)
ORLANDO | Hope & Help has announced the appointment of Thresa Giles as its new chief executive officer.
Hope & Help began in 1988 as a small support group of a few friends who cared for a close friend who was dying of AIDS-related complications. Since then, it has grown into one of the most comprehensive HIV/STI service organizations in Florida, with a full medical clinic, in addition to testing, education, prevention, case management and support group services.
With over 30 years of leadership experience across both the for-profit and nonprofit sectors, Giles says this role will continue her purpose.
“I always felt when I leave this earth, I want my footprint to show that I work to give back to the community and give back to the world in a much bigger way,” she says.
For Giles, the HIV and STI epidemic is personal. She says she thought of one of her best friends when she found out about her new role. They were friends growing up, but he died by suicide after he found out he had AIDS.
She says at the time there wasn’t a lot of information, and people were embarrassed to speak about AIDS. Giles wishes something like Hope & Help was around when her friend needed help, as having a peer mentor or assistance could have helped him still be here today.
Giles says Hope & Help represents not only the voice for the people they serve but also for her family. With a gay brother and a son in the LGBTQ+ community, she says the company represents her and who she is as a person.
“Ms. Giles’ appointment follows a comprehensive search to find the right leader to help the organization grow and expand to fulfill our mission of ending the HIV/STI epidemic and empower everyone to live healthy and stay well,” Blake Powell, president of the board of directors, said in a press release.
Giles hopes to expand in communities with mobile clinics. Clients have shared that they sometimes have to take three buses to get to Hope & Help.
She says she also wants to offer different types of satellite offices. Giles would like to have a one-stop shop where clients can come in for everything and feel just as important and understood.
Giles hopes to expand in communities with mobile clinics, especially on days when clients can’t make it in person. Clients have shared that they sometimes have to take three buses to get to Hope & Help.
She says she wants to expand the reach of Hope & Help through different types of satellite offices. Giles would like to have a one-stop shop where clients can come in for everything at one stop and feel just as important and understood.
“The fact that Hope & Help is educating and out in the communities, letting everyone know that it’s not just HIV and STIs,” Giles says. “They don’t pick and choose. It could be anybody.”
With 67 counties in Florida, Giles says it would be her mission to assist the whole state. With high infection rates in Central Florida, she also looks to Jacksonville, Miami, Brevard and the smaller counties like Clay County. Giles says she would like Hope & Help to be a household name for Florida.
In 2022, Florida identified 4,606 new HIV diagnoses, according to Florida Health. Near Gainesville is Alachua County; in 2023, the rate per 100,000 population of Persons With HIV (PWH) was 383.9 compared to Florida at 566.4 for all modes of exposure and age groups, according to FL Health Charts.
Orange County had 10,404 PWH, while Miami-Dade County had 29,453 PWH in 2023, according to FL Health Charts.
Hope & Help offers its treatment services in English and Spanish to thousands of patients in Orlando, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Seminole and Miami.
Giles says it’s important to look at the panhandle as the population is not as dense, but they still need knowledge on HIV/STI services.
“To end something like HIV or STIs, the spread of that, it takes a village,” Giles says. “It’s not just Hope & Help; it’s the collaboration with all the different partners that are in our community or in a state.”
Giles holds an MBA in statistical management and a Bachelor of Science in finance; she is currently in the final stages of completing her Ph.D. in organizational leadership. She says every course she has taken she will take into her career.
“I think every course that I’m taking or have taken in my doctoral program is exactly what I bring to this table,” Giles says. “Also, learning to be humble and thankful and appreciative, knowing when to apologize and knowing when to stand strong.”
Giles went back to school after putting her children through their own education. She says it gave her time to want to go back and still learn.
Giles has received multiple honors recognizing her leadership and influence, including the Wharton Business School CFO Fellows Award, the Jacksonville Women of Influence Award, the Ultimate CFO Award and the State of Delaware Outstanding Leader Award.
With the political climate, there have been many changes in federal grants and funding. The Trump administration has made several policy changes that could potentially impact HIV prevention and treatment efforts in Florida.
Giles says she can’t change the things she can’t control, especially in politics, but when a door is closed, she will look for another to open. She reminds herself of a saying that her grandmother used to say, “You’ll have a day; you can pout; you can be sad all you want for a day, and then you gotta get up and you gotta start your plan,” and she says she adapts to each situation.
“We have to breathe and now we have to move forward,” Giles says. “We have to find ways to do it — and where there’s a will, there’s a way.”
Giles notes she’s focused on continuing the mission of Hope & Help to further serve their clients, regardless of the political climate.
For more information about Hope & Help and its ongoing programs, please visit https://hopeandhelp.org/.
