WISH-NY Staff

TRACIE M. GARDNER is the Legal Action Center Director of New York State Policy, Coordinator of WISH-NY, and nationally recognized spokesperson and consultant on women and AIDS policy issues.  WISH-NY is the realization of her dream to channel more than 20 years of personal AIDS advocacy and legislative experience into a woman-focused initiative to engage the women most affected by the AIDS epidemic in bringing about the systems changes that will improve their lives and their communities.  She has personally trained hundreds of women living with or affected by AIDS on how to bring their lived experience to the fight to eradicate the AIDS epidemic.  Her advocacy work on women and AIDS policy issues has been featured in Newsweek, the New York Times, Poz Magazine, and Go Left, as well as on Bronx Net (Lehman College’s local cable show), WBAI radio, and most recently in The Love Project, a film documenting the impact of HIV on Black women in the U.S.  Her awards and recognitions include a proclamation from the New York City Council (National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day 2008), a leadership award from the Gay and Lesbian Independent Democrats, and an activist award from Life Force, a Brooklyn-based AIDS service organization.  Before joining the Legal Action Center, Ms. Gardner was the project manager at the Hudson Planning Group, where she worked with community-based, non-profits, and the Director of Public Policy and Collaborative Development for the Harlem Directors Group, an Upper Manhattan advocacy organization.  She is a graduate of Mount Holyoke College.

CRYSTAL M. FERGUSON is an Senior Administrative Assistant at the Legal Action Center.  Ms. Ferguson is responsible for preparing legal documents and correspondence, as well as coordinating communication, scheduling, and travel arrangements for WISH-NY and the Legal Action Center Senior Executive staff.  Prior to joining the Legal Action Center, Ms. Ferguson worked at the  Training Institute of the National Development and Research Institutes, The ATI Unit of The Fortune Society, and the New York City Department of Health.  Her awards include a citation for Outstanding Leadership, Charter and Service from the Office of the District Attorney of New York and a Certificate of Merit from Senator John L. Sampson.  She has attended St. Francis College.