SUNBURST PROJECTS WELCOMES JACOB BRADLEY-ROWE AS NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Sunburst Projects Board President Erik Olson is pleased to announce the selection of Jacob Bradley-Rowe as the non-profit’s new Executive Director. “Jacob brings years of fundraising and community involvement to Sunburst. His exceptional combination of energy, business expertise, and leadership in strengthening non-profits will allow us to expand our programs and help more people in need. Both the Board and our staff are impressed with his extensive knowledge of the HIV/AIDS community and the relationships he has built with many leaders in our region,” Olson said.

Bradley-Rowe joins Sunburst Projects after 18 years in the non-profit arena; working with several non-profits in the Sacramento area including Donate Life California, Capital City AIDS Fund, Association of California Water Agencies and the Friends of the California State Fair. He has spent the last 15 years on various non-profit boards such as The Imperial Court of Sacramento, the Sacramento Gay and Lesbian Center, and NorCal AIDS Cycle. Bradley-Rowe and his alter ego, drag queen Precious Cargo, are well-known in philanthropic circles and have been active in the LGBT and HIV community for many years. “Sunburst Projects has touched my heart for quite some time. I was a member of the first Team Sunburst to ride the NorCal AIDS ride. Hearing the stories of how the organization provided such crucial support to those in need left a lasting impression on me. It’s an honor for me to step into this role for an organization I have admired for so many years,” Bradley-Rowe said.

Sunburst Project’s clients live below the poverty line and have been hit particularly hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. “We have been inundated with calls for help,” Bradley-Rowe said. “We have kicked-off our fundraising campaign for our Emergency Assistance Fund so we can provide immediate help to our clients in financial crisis. Whether it’s helping HIV positive mothers buy diapers and formula for their babies or giving food vouchers to clients who are hungry, our Emergency Assistance Fund is vital to our work in the community,” he added.

Bradley-Rowe has also begun work on expanding Sunburst’s programs and services. “We will be launching our new mental health clinic in late fall, 2020. We are increasing our office space, hiring new mental health clinicians and social workers, and working with other community organizations on a new HIV testing program at our facility,” Bradley-Rowe explained. “I am excited to work to meet the challenges of the next decade in the HIV/AIDS community. Our goal is and always will be no new HIV transmissions and supporting those living with this disease,” he added.

Sunburst Projects is a non-profit organization that has provided essential services for nearly 40 years to Northern Californians living with HIV/AIDS