Marr has been in the healthcare arena since 1992, when she was working for the American Red Cross as their Health Educator for HIV/AIDS. As the Health Educator, Mary Elizabeth was the awarded Educator of the Year by AIDS Task Force of Alabama in 1998. During that time she was also on the Board of Directors of Thrive Alabama, then known as the AIDS Action Coalition. She became the executive director in January 1999. Marr has taken the organization from a $500,000 yearly budget to a $34 million budget, expanding services to include primary healthcare, HIV and STI testing and care, housing, substance abuse and mental health, and telemedicine. As CEO, she advocates for HIV funding and resources in Montgomery and Washington, DC and is a member of the Federal AIDS Policy Partnership and the 340B Coalition.

Parmer has worked to bring efficiency and structure to our clinic since joining Thrive Alabama in late 2015. Before coming to Thrive Alabama he was program director of UAB Family Clinic at Children’s Hospital of Alabama. There he led a team in providing healthcare to women and children with HIV. He increased funding through grants and developed messaging and marketing for the organization. At Thrive Alabama he is part of hiring decisions and has spearheaded expansion of services in our Florence and Albertville clinics. Thanks to his clinical experience he has reinstated monthly quality meetings that educate staff, hone processes, and improve client care and retention.

Harville is a great example of the ability of a person to grow with our organization as she started her career at Thrive Alabama, then the AIDS Action Coalition, in 2007 as a part-time accountant. Now she helms a finance department of seven employees and a $34 million annual budget. Her accountant history includes stints at Ashton Gables, Safeway Services, and Sunbeam Corporation, among others. She has played an active role in the agency’s growth and ensures Thrive Alabama makes good use of funds and invests wisely.

Hooton joined the Thrive Alabama team in 2022 as the Chief Medical Officer. She brings fifteen years of experience in primary care and healthcare leadership from her prior roles as a primary care physician and medical director. She earned her Doctorate in Medicine from West Virginia University and completed her internship and residency in Internal Medicine at Brown University/Rhode Island Hospital. She is Board Certified in Internal Medicine. She has a passion for the work done through community health centers in collaboration with the communities that they serve. In her free time, she enjoys travelling to just about any place with her partner.