Wally Cantu started his professional career as a kindergarten teacher, eventually he segued into public health work after seeing first-hand the effects that inequality, inaccessibility, and poverty can have on health and wellbeing. His work with colonias and HIV in the 1990s, professional education and training, and life-experience continue to frame and support a multi-disciplinary approach to fight for marginalized, stigmatized, and/or victimized populations.

He joined VAC in 2012 as their AETC (AIDS Education and Training Center) Coordinator and later that year added Director of Quality Assurance to his duties. As Director of Quality Assurance, he was responsible for the quality improvement process and guided the agency’s quality management plan. This included ensuring compliance with standards of care according to US Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration HIV/AIDS Bureau expectations for Ryan White and all other funding sources.

In 2014, he added the duties of Director of Finance where he was able to use his training and experience in fund raising, budgeting, grants management and public health program development to help Valley AIDS Council continue to grow and to improve services.

In 2016, he was named Valley AIDS Council’s CEO and currently oversees the agency’s vast programming, which includes HIV/STI/Hepatitis prevention and testing as well as prevention and education messaging throughout the valley; linkage to and retention in care/treatment for individuals; HIV medical care; PrEP (medication services to prevent HIV); case management and supportive services; and training of health professionals.

Before returning to south Texas and joining VAC, he worked at hospitals, health clinics, schools, and non-profit organizations in Austin, Washington DC and New York. He received a B.A. in Economics from the University of Texas at Austin and early childhood education certification from the University of Texas at Brownsville.

He is one of 11 siblings – most of whom live in the Valley. He completed his first 5K after turning 50 and is currently training to participate in VAC’s 2^nd Annual Adelante 5K, which will be held on World AIDS Day (December 1).