The recipient of the 2024 GAA Lifetime Achievement Award is Noel Twilbeck.
As a young man still in the closet, the advent of the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s initially terrified Twilbeck. He first thought was to stay in the closet, but he changed his mind and embarked on a career fighting the disease.
He began as a volunteer with the NO/AIDS Task Force in 1987, was hired as Director of Volunteer Services two years later, and became Executive Director in 1999. Twilbeck retired from CrescentCare (formerly known as NO/AIDS Task Force in New Orleans, LA) as the Chief Executive Officer in December 2022 after a 35-year career with the organization.
Under Twilbeck’s leadership as the organization’s CEO, CrescentCare recognized significant growth. CrescentCare has grown from a staff of 30 to over 270 employees and an annual budget expansion from $3.5 million to $56 million as the organization has transitioned from a HIV/AIDS Service Organization to a Federally Qualified Health Center. CrescentCare provides access to primary medical care, behavioral health, oral health, and supportive services to anyone accessing its two clinic sites in the New Orleans area with a focus on HIV, STI, and HCV, screening, treatment, and care, as well as preventative and primary medical care to the LGBTQ+ population and individuals working in the service industry. CrescentCare also facilitates HIV support services in the Houma/Thibodeaux area, HIV legal services statewide (formerly AIDS Law of Louisiana), and a robust HIV Prevention program in New Orleans. CrescentCare provides care and treatment to over 14,000 individuals annually.
Recently, Twilbeck came out of retirement and currently works as a Senior Management Specialist for St. Thomas Community Health Center. He also does consulting work for Project Lazarus. Twilbeck also currently serves on the Board of the New Orleans Pride Center, the New Orleans Advocates for GLBT+ Elders (NOAGE) (Treasurer), and the First Unitarian Universalist Church of New Orleans (Immediate Past-President).
Twilbeck has an MBA from the University of New Orleans and continues to share an incredible life with his husband of 35 years, Glen Kahrman.
Twilbeck will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at the annual Gay Appreciation Awards on August 24 at Oz.
Previous Lifetime Achievement Award winners include:
Jimmie Callaway (1987)
Dan Fountain (Betty Buttons) (1988)
Andy Boudreaux (1989)
William “Buzzy” Fanning (1990)
Dirty Dottie (1991)
Miss Fury (1992)
Rip & Marsha Naquin-Delain (1993)
Dan Romero (1994)
Miss Do (1995)
Louise McFarland (1996)
Dixie Fasnacht (1997)
Alice Brady & John Dodt (1998)
Gene Adams (1999)
Charlene Schneider (2000)
Steve Mettner (2002)
Marty Curtain & Koo Gafney (2003)
Donald “Donnie Jay” James (2004)
Kitty Blackwell (2005)
Michael “Fish” Hickerson (2006)
Marcy Marcell (2007)
Mary L. Lathouwers (2008)
Don Evans (2009)
Jean Redmann (2010)
Chuck Turner & Bill Miller (2011)
Regina Adams (2012)
Mina Hernandez (2013)
Tommy Elias (2014)
Sy’ria Jackson-Sinclaire (2015)
Brenda Laura (2016)
No Award Ceremony (2017)
Rip & Marsha Naquin-Delain (2018)
Larry Bagneris (2019)
Teryl-Lynn Foxx (2022)
Courtney Sharp (2023)
