Our Leadership

Mimi Meredith, President (2003–Present)

Mimi is a retired publishing manager, formerly with the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, where she was responsible for environmental science journals, books, and other publications. She has a master’s degree in computer science, has been a social worker and trainer, and spent five years as a research associate at the University of West Florida. Mimi’s community involvement has included Pensacola’s Favor House family violence shelter and Art Against AIDS fundraisers, as well as the Young Pianist Series in Knoxville, Tennessee, where she now resides.

Samuel R. Mathews II (2011–Present)

Sam is Associate Professor Emeritus from the School of Psychological and Behavioral Sciences at the University of West Florida. His interests are focused on interventions to reduce risk behaviors among adolescents and children, particularly among those living in poverty and in post-conflict regions. He is also interested in understanding how to increase critical thinking across generations and contexts. Sam is currently working with a consortium of researchers to understand communities’ recovery from the Deep Water Horizon disaster along the northern Gulf Coast. To quote Sam, his work “focuses on optimizing outcomes for children and adolescents, particularly those who are living in challenging situations,” a focus that certainly applies to LGBT youth. His international involvement has included teaching and working in Estonia, Kyrgyzstan, Kosovo, Ecuador, Liberia, and Ethiopia.

Susan E. Walch (2011–Present)

Susan is Associate Professor, School of Psychological and Behavioral Sciences, University of West Florida, teaching graduate courses in community psychology and multicultural counseling as well as undergraduate courses in the psychobiology of sexual behavior, among others. Susan and her UWF students have been instrumental in designing, conducting, and reporting on groundbreaking research on community attitudes related to homophobia and HIV/AIDS stigma with regard to increasing the effectiveness of HIV prevention and assessing the needs of persons living with HIV, research that has helped to steer the direction and goals of Red Ribbon Charitable Foundation over the last several years.

Marion F. “Josh” Menge III, Executive Director (2009–Present)

A native of Northwest Florida, Josh attended Pensacola Junior College and holds a degree in Management from the University of West Florida (UWF). He has worked in Human Resource Management for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and as Director of Staff Development and Training for UWF. Active in numerous HIV/AIDS community efforts, Josh has served on the boards of Art Against AIDS, the Northwest Florida AIDS Consortium (NoFLAC), and chaired the Northwest Florida Community Planning Partnership, now the “Community HIV Prevention Partnership.” He strives to be “hands-on” to ensure that all community organizations are well informed and working together to maximize our collective efforts in terms of both HIV care and prevention arenas.

In Memoriam

Mary Annette Hall, RN, BSN (2011–2018)

Anne was a native Buckeye, graduating from the Ohio State University School of Nursing. She and her three children moved to Northwest Florida in 1973 when her husband was assigned to Eglin Air Force Base. She retired from Fort Walton Beach Medical Center in 2001 after 26 years nursing as Certified Infection Control Practitioner. Anne was active in HIV/AIDS for more than twenty years, serving in leadership positions in Okaloosa AIDS Support and Informational Services and the Northwest Florida AIDS Consortium. Anne was a consistent advocate for our Area One clients in so many areas of HIV Care and Prevention and served with the highest respect of us all until her death on March 1, 2018. She is survived by her husband Joe Hall and her children: Susan Kidwell, Sarah Babineau, Andrew Kidwell, and step-daughters Karen Perkins and Tracy Hall.

Gary W. Little, President (1995–2017)

From Cowley, Wyoming to Pensacola, Florida, Gary’s past included math and MBA degrees, as well as a stint with the U.S. Navy’s Polaris missile fleet and computer systems development at the Medical University of South Carolina, The University of Alabama-Birmingham, and Southern Living Magazine. He was president of The Gary Little Company, Inc., specializing in software development for human resources, and high-end website development. He was a passionate and active leader of Red Ribbon Charitable Foundation until his death on August 30, 2017. He is survived by his husband Leslie Pavlovich.

Raymond E. Loux, Founding Board Member and Vice President (1996–2010)

Retired U.S. Navy Captain Ray Loux came to Pensacola from Philadelphia, intent on entering flight training and being commissioned a naval aviator. He flew two combat tours in Korea, served as a flight instructor, commanded a carrier air wing, and served as Inspector General to the staff of the commander-in-chief of USN forces in Europe, London. Ray was the eighth aviator in naval history to surpass 1,000 carrier-arrested landings. A loved and respected founding board member, Ray died on June 3, 2010. He is survived by Barbara Belardinelli Loux, their daughter and two sons, and their grandchildren.