Michael Ruppal is the Executive Director of The AIDS Institute (TAI), a national HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis and related disease organization with a mission to promote action for social change through, public policy, advocacy, research and education. He is responsible for overseeing all of the agency’s day to day operations of its highly skilled team and programs including state and federal policy, patient advocacy, research, education, capacity building, communications, community planning, and convening. TAI’s program and administrative offices are in Tampa, FL at the University of South Florida, College of Medicine, where Michael is the Director of Policy and Ethics for the College of Medicine as part of the collaboration. He also oversees TAI’s state policy offices in Tallahassee, FL and the national policy office in Washington, DC.
Since 1996, he has functioned in senior management for the non-profit sector developing, managing and providing HIV/AIDS support services in various capacities, including grant management, case management, site based homeless program, supportive housing services, rental assistance, food pantry, financial management and job placement.