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Howard Jacobs
was born in New York City and moved to the West
Hollywood in 1987.
As a graduate of Boston University
with a degree in Hotel and Food Administration,
Howard was employed as the Director of Purchasing/Food
and Beverage Controller for Sheraton Grande
Hotel in downtown Los Angeles as well as a Credit
Manager for the J.W. Marriott Hotel in Century
City (now the Park Hyatt Hotel).
Howard was diagnosed with AIDS on October of
1989 over 14 years ago. Soon into his diagnoses,
Howard became a tireless advocate on behalf
of people living with HIV disease. After seeing
too many of his friends die, Howard began to
volunteer at AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA)
in the Government Affairs department. Named
as Volunteer of the Year in 1995 for
APLA, Howard was honored for his leadership
in Public Policy development from the organization.
Not only did he speak at public education forums
on HIV prevention and large events such as the
AIDS Walk, Howard, also, ran the Grass Roots
programs for APLA creating a letter writing,
e-mail, fax and direct one on one lobbying campaign
to improve the quality of life for people living
with HIV disease. In addition, he started a
program for clients of the agency called Speak-Up
so they could better advocate on their own behalf.
Members of these grass roots programs met with
local, state and federal officials including
former Secretary of Health and Human Services,
Donna Shalala, Senators Dianne Feinstein and
Barbara Boxer as well as Members of Congress
including Henry Waxman and Maxine Waters.
Howard has been a strong community organizer.
He has assisted in the development of annual
county, state, and federal lobby day’s for the
people affected and infected by HIV and developed
a advocacy training program called Activate!U
to educate people on ways to impact the legislative
process. In addition, he served as a member
of the California State HIV CARE Consumer Advisory
Board and chaired the Public Policy committee
for the Los Angeles County Commission on HIV
Health Services, He, furthermore, was a member
of the LA City Housing Opportunities for People
with AIDS Advisory Board. Currently, he serves
as the President of the Board of Directors for
Being Alive/People with
AIDS Action Coailtion.
The impacts of triple combination therapies
changed the long-term heath care outcome for
Howard who returned to paid employment at APLA
in June of 1998. During this time, Howard was
appointed to the Disability Advisory Board for
the City of West Hollywood. He left the agency
to work for Councilmember Jeffrey Prang from
the
City of West Hollywood in December 1998.
At this point, Howard’s story was beginning
to be chronicled by the Los Angeles Times, Westside
Weekly section. He, in addition, wrote his own
column describing the challenges of a person
living with AIDS for this newspaper and other
interested publications.
As a council deputy for Councilmember Prang,
Howard has been a staff liaison to community
advisory boards that have focused on disabled,
senior, and gay and lesbian issues. During his
tenure on these advisory bodies, the City has
declared itself a sanctuary for people in need
of medicinal marijuana, opened a raised garden
bed for people with mobility impairments, created
a recreation program for the disabled, increased
funds for their HIV prevention programs, began
a senior discount shopping program and commenced
a recognition ceremony for same sex domestic
partners in relationships of ten years or more.
Howard resides in West Hollywood and lives with
his dog Wilma
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with HIV/AIDS
