Christopher Bates has served as Acting Director of the Office of HIV/AIDS Policy, Department of Health and Human Services, since August 2002. He is a Senior Health Program Analyst, who also served as the National Director for a departmental initiative known as the Rapid Assessment Response and Evaluation (RARE). Before joining OHAP Mr. Bates worked as a consultant with the John Snow, Inc., conducting a feasibility study on the integration of STD, HIV, and drug abuse services for a proposed national demonstration project. From 1997 through 1998 he served as interim Director of the city of Philadelphia HIV Commission. From 1991 through 1997, Mr. Bates was the Executive Director of the DC CARE Consortium.Over the past 20 years, Mr. Bates has served on numerous national and local Boards and Commissions. He is a founding member of the DC Primary Care Association. He also served as a member of the Board of the Washington Consortium of Agencies, a six-year member of the Executive Committee of the Metropolitan Washington Ryan White Title Planning Council, a member of the Mayor’s Health Policy Advisory Committee and a past Chair of the Mayor’s AIDS Advisory Committee. He is an acknowledged national advocate for AIDS, as well as a provocative civic, gay/lesbian activist in the District of Columbia. He’s a graduate of the University of Michigan, and holds a MPA from Southeastern University in Washington, D.C.