RipCon

Larry Conkright is a retired Auto Collision Repair Facility Manager with an AA in Business Management from Northwood University. After spending almost 30 years in the auto collision repair industry and after suffering a catastrophic failure of his immune system resulting in an AIDS diagnosis he decided to pursue a new journey as an HIV Peer Educator with C3ID in the rural Three Rivers area of Virginia as well as a new consumer representative on the Virginia HIV/AIDS Quality Management Committee. Larry decided to take his personal journey of being HIV+ for over 17 years and living with AIDS for the last three years to the next level as a stakeholder in the fight for HIV/AIDS Advocacy. From his early days of advocacy with Volunteers of America’s AIDS Respite Care in the early 90’s to the personal affects he has had with long term infection, the physical and mental effects of long term HIV medication and the fears of dying from experiencing a shift in his diagnosis from HIV to one of AIDS gives him an unique perspective to share with newly infected clients as well as a resource for those who are long term survivors. He is particularly interested in addressing the needs and challenges of those living with HIV/AIDS in a rural setting having first hand experiences of those particular challenges, stigmas and lack of services. Larry lives in Burgess, VA with his husband Patrick, and their owners a precocious feline Munkee and precious AB Clyde! He can be contacted at larry@ripcon.net or 804.286-0756.