Kind Clinic provides culturally affirming, high quality health services for LGBTQIA+ people and people impacted by HIV. Founded in 2015 by community activists and volunteers, Kind Clinic is a national leader in innovative sexual health care that offers patients access to HIV prevention medication known as PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) and PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis), HIV testing and care, STI testing & treatment, intersex and gender-affirming care. Kind Clinic has locations in Austin, San Antonio and Dallas and statewide virtual care.
At Kind Clinic, we’re here to offer you an affirming and sex-positive healthcare experience, whether in our clinics or virtually. Our support services and streamlined care make it easy to get your prescription, because your well-being and pleasure are our top priorities.
Kind Clinic was created by and for the communities we serve, and we’re committed to sustaining our innovative healthcare model and pursuit of health justice for decades to come. Now serving over 25,000 Texans annually, Kind Clinic is one of the largest and most trusted providers of care for LGBTQIA+ people and those impacted by HIV in Texas.
Chief Executive Officer
Christopher has always leaned into his passion for improving healthcare access and initiatives for the betterment of Texas residents.
This journey has led Hamilton to serve in leadership roles where he has had the opportunity to create and launch successful healthcare, education and advocacy programs for a number of organizations.
Hamilton joined Texas Health Action in 2018 as CEO and since that time has worked to grow the sexual health and mental health services offered by Texas Health Action programs, Kind Clinic and Waterloo Counseling Center. Hamilton led the expansion of Kind Clinic to physical locations in Austin, Dallas, and San Antonio, as well as the development of a stand-alone virtual service to provide sexual health services to people across Texas. In 2021 he led the organization through a merger with Waterloo Counseling Center to integrate behavioral health services.
Prior to Texas Health Action in 2018, Hamilton held numerous leadership positions over nine years within the Ascension Seton Healthcare system. Most recently, he served as the director of Oncology Service Line where he spearheaded the development of an oncology service line in partnership with the newly established LIVESTRONG Cancer Institutes at Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin.
Outside of his day-to-day responsibilities, Hamilton has given his time and counsel to several boards including Chairing the Investment Committee of One Voice Central Texas, the City of Austin Boards and Commissions HIV Planning Council, and the Brazos Valley Council on Alcohol and Substance Abuse.
Chief Medical Officer
Dr. Bauer is the Chief Medical Officer at Texas Health Action (THA), where he oversees clinical strategy and quality of care across the organization’s affirming, evidence-based health services.
Dual board-certified in Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Dr. Bauer brings deep experience in HIV prevention and treatment, LGBTQIA+ health, primary care, and public health innovation.
Prior to joining THA, Dr. Bauer held clinical and executive leadership roles at a Federally Qualified Health Center in Cincinnati OH and an Ohio nonprofit focused on LGBTQIA+ and HIV care. In his most recent role as CMO, he launched and expanded HIV and PrEP programs, Hepatitis C treatment, and substance use services including medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD). He also led efforts to secure federal Ryan White and Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) funding and partnered with the Ohio Department of Health on minority health initiatives and statewide Mpox outbreak response.
Dr. Bauer completed his medical degree at the University of Pikeville – Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine, his internal medicine residency at Wright State University, and his infectious diseases fellowship at The Ohio State University.
He is dedicated to advancing equitable, patient-centered care for communities historically underserved by the healthcare system.
Chief Operating Officer
Megan Brunson was named Chief Operating Officer of Texas Health Action in February 2019.
Megan’s 20 years in healthcare leadership have focused on strengthening operations across inpatient, outpatient, home health, and nonprofit settings—work that has centered on building strong teams and expanding organizations, programs, and services. She believes that access is the most important element of care, and that there should be no wrong door to enter the healthcare system. For Megan, reducing barriers is essential to ensuring people feel supported and comfortable engaging in care.
Before joining Texas Health Action, Megan served as the National Director of Operations for Amputation Prevention Centers of America, where she led the development of specialty surgical and outpatient clinic programs across the country to reduce complications and prevent amputations for patients with complex conditions like diabetes. That experience reinforced her belief that timely, accessible care is key to long-term health outcomes—a principle that continues to guide her leadership today.
Megan’s life, education, and career have followed what she calls a “warmer-weather migration,” beginning in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where she grew up, then to the Seattle area, where she earned her undergraduate degree in Communications from the University of Puget Sound. She later received her MBA from Colorado State University, spent five years in San Francisco, and ultimately settled in Austin.
Megan shares Texas Health Action’s passion for advancing health justice and is dedicated to making high-quality, affirming care accessible to all. Outside of work, she enjoys cooking, reading, and spending lazy afternoons by the pool with her husband, Kelly. They live in Southwest Austin with their two cats, Mac and Jules.
Chief Financial Officer
Maximillian J. McKinney, a native of Jackson, MS, husband and father of three beautiful daughters.
Chief Advancement Officer
Juan Benitez was named the Chief Advancement Officer of Texas Health Action in January 2023. Juan oversees communications and marketing, as well as development and fundraising for THA and it’s programs across Texas.
Prior to joining Texas Health Action, he was the Communications Director for Workers Defense, a family of organizations made up of a 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), PAC and Independent Expenditures Committee (Super PAC). He oversaw all messaging, earned media, social media and overall communications strategy across Texas, with a focus on labor policy and running electoral programs to elect progressive candidates across Texas.
Juan also served as the Communications & Marketing Manager for Vivent Health, leading the communications strategy for a merger with AIDS Services of Austin and supporting clinic locations in Colorado and Wisconsin, as well as all fundraising efforts.
Juan is the sitting Chair of the City of Austin’s Commission on Immigrant Affairs, first appointed by now Congressman Greg Casar and reappointed by Councilmember Jose ‘Chito’ Vela. As Chair and Commissioner, Juan advises Austin City Council, the City Manager’s office and other City Departments on policies and municipal budget expenditures, particularly in the areas of health and human services, education, and the demographic makeup of the Austin immigrant community.
Director of Community Engagement
Director of People & Culture
Director of Information Technology
Director of Marketing
Director of Behavioral Health Services
Director of Development
Creative Director
Administrative Manager
Director of Clinical Operations
System Director of Patient Support Services
System Director of Clinical Quality
Director of Community Health
Chair
Rich Gottbrath is the Chief Executive Officer of Greenhaven Investments, an Austin-based private investment and consulting firm.
At Greenhaven, Rich works closely with clients in evaluation of new investment opportunities and execution of tailored private equity, real estate, and venture capital investment strategies. As a hands-on investor and operating partner, Rich helps entrepreneurs and leadership teams tackle the legal, administrative, financial, and operational scaling challenges faced by growing organizations. He has extensive experience leading the scale-up efforts of start-ups in both the non- and for-profit spaces.
Prior to founding Greenhaven, Rich served as Chief of Staff and Director of Strategic Development & Planning at Accent Food Services. Rich began his career at Lincoln International, a Chicago-based middle market investment banking advisory firm. He was a founding member of Lincoln’s Dallas office, and spent time working across the firm’s offices in the US and Europe. Rich graduated from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University where he remains an active alumnus.
Rich also serves on the board of Austin Area Art From The Streets (dedicated to providing homeless artists with a creative outlet) as well as a number of corporate boards. He splits time between Austin and San Antonio, but grew up in Louisville, Kentucky.
Vice Chair
Zeus is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) with over fifteen years of experience implementing a variety of digital tools and programs for hospitals and clinics in the Austin community.
Originally from the east coast, he received his Bachelor of Science from Messiah University and Masters in Healthcare Administration from Saint Joseph’s University before migrating to Austin in 2014. He began his professional career in health education/STI prevention for high-risk adolescents, eventually moving into Electronic Health Record (EHR) consulting, virtual care operations, strategic planning and marketing.
Zeus has been devoted to improving and increasing access to healthcare in our community, working with CommUnityCare, the UT Dell Medical School, and Ascension Health. Currently, he is the Director of Digital Health at Texas Oncology. His volunteer experience includes: the Hill Country Ride for AIDS, CASA of Travis County, Meals on Wheels, Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and The Austin Bulldog Rescue.
When he’s not on the hunt for Air Conditioning, Wi-fi and breakfast tacos, Zeus enjoys participating in charity runs, home renovations, community events, and spending time with his chosen family.
Treasurer
Javier is a certified public accountant (CPA) and is licensed in the State of Texas.
He received a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the University of Texas at Austin and a master’s degree in Accounting at Texas State University.
Following college, he spent 11 years at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in the assurance practice where he provided audit services to clients in various industries such as banking, asset management, broker dealers, employee benefit plans, and healthcare. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). Javier is currently serving as the Financial Reporting and Compliance Manager at Capital Farm Credit. In this role he oversees financial reporting, internal controls over financial reporting (ICFR), and other areas of technical accounting.
Javier has also been an active volunteer in the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas. He is a die-hard college football fan and loves animals. During his spare time he likes being with his friends, playing with his dogs, playing in a local softball league, and enjoying theater.
Secretary
Juan is a Texas licensed attorney with a diverse background in law and international business.
Throughout his career, he has led multiple legal departments in multinational companies, delivering results for clients across the US, Europe, and Latin America, including Fortune 500 companies. His passion for the intersection of law and technology has driven him to conduct extensive research on the impact of IT advancements on the legal profession.
Juan’s educational journey includes a law degree (J.D. equivalent) from the University of Mendoza, Argentina, as well as advanced studies such as an MBA from Universidad Francisco de Vitoria in Spain, a Master of Sciences in Project Management from Switzerland, and an LLM in International Tax Law from Torcuato Di Tella University. He also holds a Master of Law from the University of Texas at Austin School of Law.
