February 19, 2013
In a February 14 statement, Tyler TerMeer, chair of the National Association of People With AIDS (NAPWA) board of trustees, announced the bankruptcy and end of operations for the organization 30 years after it was founded in 1983. A source close to NAPWA and some of its board members said the bankruptcy filing follows reports from late last year that as much as $700,000 in NAPWA funds was missing or unaccounted for. The source claims the board asked the Montgomery County, Md., State's Attorney office to investigate. The office would neither confirm nor deny an investigation; according to spokesperson Ramon Korionoff, the office never discloses information on ongoing investigations. Bankruptcy filings reveal that NAPWA owed $75,000 in back rent for its Silver Spring, Md., offices. Many former employees are listed as creditors who are owed sums up to approximately $4,000. Other creditors listed include the District of Columbia HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis, and Sexually Transmitted Disease Administration (HAHSTA), reportedly owed $54,000. NAPWA recently received grants and contracts from HAHSTA to provide AIDS-related services.