Positive Women’s Network - USA is excited to announce our new leadership team: Marnina Miller and Keiva Lei Cadena will jointly serve as co-executive directors starting today. “We can’t imagine a better team to lead PWN-USA into its bright future,” said Board of Directors co-chairs LaTrischa Miles and Pat Migliore. “Keiva Lei and Marnina have been a part of the PWN family for many years and are talented, brilliant, and emotionally intelligent leaders; this represents a natural next step in PWN herstory.”
Marnina “the Queen” Miller (she/her) is a highly accomplished human rights activist, speaker, trainer, and social media strategist with a profound commitment to fostering positive change in society; she has been part of PWN’s Greater Houston Area chapter and served on PWN-USA’s Board of Directors since 2018. "I am honored to co-lead PWN as a young Black woman living with HIV, keeping in mind and hearts our shared values of sisterhood, solidarity, and meaningful involvement of people living with HIV,” said Marnina. “In this unique journey, let us forge pathways of change, shatter barriers, and create a future where our voices not only matter but shape policies that support and empower every woman living with HIV."
Keiva Lei Cadena (she/her) is a nationally recognized advocate, activist, speaker, and a Native Hawaiian cultural practitioner with extensive experience in HIV services, harm reduction, and transgender rights. She was a graduate of PWN’s R.I.S.E. (Resist, Inspire, Sustain through Education) Gender Justice Training Academy, and was later welcomed back as faculty in the same program. “It’s such a privilege to join PWN’s staff as co-director; this network played a role in my understanding the importance and power of having BIPOC trans women living with HIV advocating for ourselves fearlessly–the effects impact our entire community,” said Keiva Lei. “I'm so proud to be a Native Hawaiian woman of trans experience holding this type of role at the national level. We don't often see Native people lifted up in this way. PWN continues to be ground breaking in our efforts to empower our communities. I will continue to strive for the dignity and quality of life we deserve, with the best group of sisters by my side.”
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Combining their wealth of experience, expertise, and energy, Keiva Lei and Marnina will guide PWN through a pivotal moment following the departure of our founding director, Naina Khanna. Under Naina’s leadership, PWN grew from a group of 28 founding members to a national organization with seven regional chapters and an organizing presence in more than a dozen states. Over the past sixteen years, PWN has successfully advanced demands to uplift human rights and dignity for people living with HIV - from changes to the National HIV/AIDS Strategy to increase the focus on gender responsive services and programs to protecting abortion access and reproductive justice at the ballot box. PWN has provided economic and professional development opportunities to hundreds of mostly BIPOC people living with HIV, built a strong base of engaged advocates who directly represent most impacted communities, and shaped the HIV field.
“I couldn’t be more confident in the team that will steward PWN through its next stages of growth and transformation,” said Naina, who will support the incoming co-executive directors to ensure a seamless transition. “Keiva Lei and Marnina jointly bring years of community organizing and advocacy, grounded in PWN’s values of Black liberation, trans liberation and meaningful involvement of communities impacted by HIV. Their brilliance, courage, conviction, and compassion is urgently needed in this political and cultural moment and will serve as a beacon to the whole HIV field.” Naina’s last day at PWN will be Monday, February 26, 2024.
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Don't miss the following opportunities to get to know PWN's new co-executive directors!
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Member Listening Session
(Open to all cis and trans women, gender nonconforming and nonbinary folx living with HIV)
Monday, February 5th
6pm ET/5pm CT/4pm MT/ 3pm PT
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Meet PWN-USA’s New Co-ED’s LIVE on Facebook
(Open to all)
Friday, February 9th
5pm ET/ 4pm CT/ 3pm MT/ 2pm PT/ 11am Hawaii time
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PWN Monthly National Membership Meeting
(Open to all cis and trans women, gender nonconforming and nonbinary folx living with HIV signed up as PWN members)
Friday, February 16th
4pm ET/ 3pm CT/ 2pm MT/ 1pm PT
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