Conference Coordinators

Nickolas (Nick) DeLuca, PhD is the Chief of the Prevention Communication Branch (PCB) in the Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Since joining PCB in December 2011, Dr. DeLuca has strengthened the branch’s capacity to provide science- based HIV communications programs and campaigns promoting HIV awareness, testing, prevention, and services for the general public, persons at risk for and living with HIV, as well as for health care professionals treating and caring for persons with HIV.

From 2008 to 2011, Dr. DeLuca served as the prevention advisor with CDC’s Global AIDS Program in Namibia in southern Africa, where he managed HIV prevention, communications, education, and intervention programs. A CDC employee since 1997, Dr. DeLuca has focused his research and evaluation work on the behavioral aspects of HIV and TB prevention and treatment. Dr. DeLuca received his PhD in Health Education and Health Promotion from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Nili Larish is the primary coordinator and point of contact for the 2015 National HIV Prevention Conference. Ms. Larish has served as a health communications specialist in the Prevention Communication Branch (PCB), Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, since 2014. From 2011 to 2014, Nili was a research and evaluation fellow in PCB, and worked to guide the development of national HIV prevention social marketing campaigns, including One Conversation at a Time, a campaign to increase HIV-related communication among Hispanics/Latinos. Prior to her time at CDC, Nili Larish served as a managing editor for the Journal of Global Public Health. Ms. Larish completed her Master’s degree in Public Health from Columbia University.

Mr. Kohmescher retired from CDC in December 2011 after 38 years of government service. He is now working as a contract employee of Lifesource, providing support to the planning of the National HIV Prevention Conference. As a CDC employee, he coordinated the planning of the last 3 conferences. He received his Master’s degree in Experimental Psychology in 1974 from St. Louis University.