Directions

From the North

: Interstate 95 South
: Exit 79 to merge onto I-195 S toward Powhite Pky
: Exit toward US-33/US-250/Broad St.
: Merge onto N. Hamilton St.
: Left at Broad St.
: Right at N. Thompson St.

From the South

: Interstate 95 North
: Exit 74 A for VA-195 Toll/ Downtown Expy. toward I-195
: Merge onto Downtown Expy./I-195N/VA-195 W Continue to follow I-195 N (Toll Road)
: Take exit toward VA-6/Patterson Ave.
: Merge onto N. Thompson St.

From the East

: Interstate 64 West
: Exit 79 for I-64W/I-195S toward Powhite Pkwy/Charlottesville
: Merge onto I-64W
: Take exit 186 on the left to merge onto I-195S toward Powhite Pkwy. (Partial Toll Road)
: Take the exit toward US-33/US-250/Broad St.
: Merge onto N. Hamilton St.
: Left at W. Broad St.
: Right at N. Thompson St

From the West

: Interstate 64 East
: Exit 186 to merge onto I-195S toward Powhite Pkwy. (Partial Toll Road)
: Take exit toward US-33/US-250/Broad St.
: Merge onto N. Hamilton St.
: Left at W. Broad St.
: Right at N. Thompson St.

About PERNESSA C. SEELE: Founder and CEO of The Balm In Gilead, Inc.

Pernessa C. Seele is founder and CEO of The Balm In Gilead, Inc., a non-profit, non-governmental organization whose mission is to improve the health status of people of the African Diaspora by building the capacity of faith communities to address life-threatening diseases, especially HIV/AIDS.

The Balm In Gilead’s pioneering achievements have enabled thousands of churches both in the US and throughout Africa to become leaders in preventing the transmission of HIV by providing comprehensive educational programs and offering compassionate support to all persons affected by HIV/AIDS.

As a pioneer in mobilizing and educating faith communities to become engaged in the fight against AIDS, Ms. Seele is one of the nation’s most prominent voices on issues of HIV/AIDS and its affect on African people throughout the world, including African Americans. The Balm In Gilead is currently mobilizing faith communities in Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, Nigeria, and Tanzania.

As founder and CEO of The Balm In Gilead, Ms. Seele has conceived and implemented several
innovative programs that are being used nationally and internationally. This includes The Black Church Week of Prayer for the Healing of AIDS, the premier program of The Balm In Gilead and now the largest AIDS awareness program in the United States targeting the African American faith community. Since its inception in 1989, The Black Church Week of Prayer for the Healing of AIDS has engaged nearly 10 million churchgoers throughout the United States.

Ms. Seele is the recipient of numerous congressional citations, honors and awards. Most recently in May 2006, she received the prestigious honor of being named a TIME 100 when the national newsmagazine selected her as one of the 100 people “Shaping Our World” and featured her on the cover of this highly anticipated annual issue. In January 2006, Ms. Seele was an invited guest of President and First Lady Laura Bush for the State of the Union Address as a symbol of the President’s commitment to work with African American churches in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Essence Magazine honored her with three features. In the May 2005 and 35th Anniversary issue, she was named one of the “35 most beautiful and remarkable women in the world.” In February 2004, she was featured as “One of the New Activists” in the tradition of African American’s greatest heroes” and in October 2003, Essence named her one of “50 Women Shaping the World”, along with Oprah Winfrey. In 2000, she received the Congressional Black Caucus Award and in 2001, the African American AIDS Policy and Training Institute selected her as a “Hero in the Struggle.” She has appeared as an AIDS expert on numerous international and national television and radio network programs and has been profiled and quoted in numerous publications, both in the US and abroad.

Ms. Seele received a Master of Science from Clark Atlanta University. She is a native of
Lincolnville, South Carolina.