Meet the Inaugural Cohort of SWG Community Champions
February 18. 2026
The Midwest D-CFAR Scientific Working Group (SWG) is proud to announce San Juan Caffey Jr. and Jourdan Lacey as our inaugural Community Champions. This program uplifts leaders whose lived experience, professional expertise, and deep community trust strengthen our shared mission to equitably end the HIV epidemic in Missouri.
San Juan Caffey, Jr.
San Juan Caffey Jr. (he/him) serves as Senior Lead Testing Outreach Specialist at The Community Wellness Project, a nonprofit organization that is committed to promoting health equity through the provision of HIV/AIDS testing, prevention, and treatment services, wellness education, food assistance, and more. His work includes caring for individuals experiencing homelessness and systemic barriers to care. San Juan approaches harm reduction by meeting people where they are, without judgment. He is a steadfast advocate for Black-led organizations, emphasizing that lived experience fuels honest and effective community work. Outside of his professional role, San Juan is a devoted single father who adopted his nephew, bringing the same commitment, structure, and reliability to his home life as he does to his work. Juan leads with authenticity and ensures the community always comes first.
Jourdan Lacey (he/him) serves as a Senior Outreach Specialist and Community Health Worker with The Community Wellness Project. His work focuses on harm reduction, HIV and STI prevention, community-based testing, and resource navigation for underserved populations. As a Community Champion, he brings a relationship-centered, equity-driven approach and a strong commitment to creating responsive, inclusive programs grounded in lived experience. Outside of work, Jourdan enjoys spending time with family and friends, attending community events, traveling, and shopping. A proud advocate for Black communities, LGBTQ+ individuals, and rural populations, Jourdan views this role as a responsibility to stand alongside communities and support informed, stigma-free access to care.
Jourdan Lacey
Together, San Juan and Jourdan represent the heart of the SWG Community Champion Program: leadership rooted in trust, service, and lasting community impact. Reflecting on the launch of the Community Champion Program, Michael Durkin, Director of the Scientific Working Group, stated:
“We are delighted to announce our two community champions for 2026. Although this is a modest step towards having community-based organizations be included in a meaningful way, we are proud that this concept was driven based participant feedback on the need to compensate community members for their expertise… Kneeshe, Jacaranda, Kate, and our grants staff worked very hard to make this concept a reality. We hope to keep this door open and provide you all with more opportunities [for collaboration] in the future.”
To learn how you can get involved with the Scientific Working Group, check out their page on our website or email swg@midwestdcfar.org!
Written by Kneeshe Parkinson, edited by Michael Durkin and Kate Gershwin.