CDC Leadership

Office of the Director

Robert R. Redfield, MD

Anne Schuchat, MD (RADM, USPHS)

Robert R. Redfield, MD, is the 18th Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Administrator of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.

Anne Schuchat, MD (RADM, USPHS, RET)

Patricia M. Simone, MD (CAPT, USPHS, ret.)

Anne Schuchat, MD, is the Principal Deputy Director of CDC. She has been CDC’s principal deputy director since September 2015. She served as acting CDC director from January-July 2017 and February-March 2018.

Katherine Lyon Daniel, PhD

Associate Director for Communication

Katherine Lyon Daniel, PhD, is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Associate Director for Communication, and is responsible for providing guidance and leadership in the development and implementation of CDC′s communication strategies. She leads the agency’s external and internal communication aimed at putting the best information available into the hands of people who need it to protect their health or the health of others.

Robin M. Ikeda, MD, MPH (RADM, USPHS)

Associate Director for Policy for CDC

Robin M. Ikeda, MD, MPH, is serving as the Acting Associate Director for Policy and Strategy at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  In this capacity, she supports the policy, performance, and strategy across CDC.

Kyle McGowan

Sarah Wiley, MPH

Kyle McGowan is the Chief of Staff at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Prior to joining CDC, Kyle most recently served as the Director of External Affairs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Sherri A. Berger, MSPH

Sherri A. Berger, MSPH, Chief Operating Officer, CDC

Sherri A. Berger, MSPH, became Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one of 10 major operating divisions of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in August 2011. As COO, she oversees management, facilities, and operations at the Atlanta-based public health agency. She provides substantial strategic direction for CDC’s workforce and budget, while ensuring CDC has proper resources to fulfill its critical work to save lives and protect people from health threats.

Anstice Brand Kenefick

Karyn Richman, MPA

Anstice Brand Kenefick, is currently the Acting Director of the CDC Washington Office. She most recently served as Acting Deputy Director of the CDC Washington Office.

Reginald R. Mebane, MS

Director, Office of Equal Employment Opportunity (OEEO)

Reginald R. Mebane, MS, is currently the Director of CDC’s Office of Equal Employment Opportunity (OEEO). As Director, Mr. Mebane is responsible for advising and counseling CDC′s executive leadership team on a variety of equal employment opportunity, diversity management, civil rights and human resources issues impacting the agency′s complex and diverse global workforce.

Mitch Wolfe, MD, MPH (RADM, USPHS)

Mitch Wolfe, MD, MPH, is CDC’s Chief Medical Officer. In this role, Dr. Wolfe provides support to the CDC Director, and interacts with key public health partners, Congress, the White House, and other government and public health officials. In addition, he leads the development of objectives and planning for CDC’s global health strategy, footprint, and budget.

Steve Monroe, PhD

Associate Director for Laboratory Science and Safety

Steve Monroe, PhD, is the Associate Director for Laboratory Science and Safety (ADLSS) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). He oversees the Office of Laboratory Science and Safety (OLSS) which provides high-level oversight and coordination of critical laboratory policies and operations, particularly those associated with laboratory safety and quality management programs at all CDC campuses.

Director, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)

John Howard, MD, MPH, JD, LLM, MBA

Director, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)

John Howard, MD, MPH, JD, LLM, MBA, serves as the Director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, D.C.

Deputy Director for Public Health Service and Implementation Science (DDPHSIS)

Stephen C. Redd, MD (RADM, USPHS)

DDPHSIS

Stephen C. Redd, MD, is the Deputy Director for Public Health Service and Implementation Science. He previously served as the director of the Center for Preparedness and Response and as CDC’s acting principal deputy director from January to March 2018.

Leandris Liburd, PhD, MPH, MA

Associate Director, Office of Minority Health and Health Equity (OMHHE)

Leandris Liburd, PhD, MPH, MA is the Associate Director for the Office of Minority Health and Health Equity at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In this role she leads a wide range of critical functions in the agency’s work in minority health and health equity, women’s health, and diversity and inclusion management.

Rebecca Martin, PhD

Director, Center for Global Health (CGH)

Rebecca Martin, PhD, is the Director of the Center for Global Health (CGH) at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Dr Martin has worked both domestically and internationally in immunization, HIV, and health system strengthening and now leads CDC’s global efforts to protect and improve health globally through science, policy, partnership, and evidence-based public health action.

Nancy Messonnier, MD (CAPT, USPHS, RET)

Director, Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response (OPHPR)

Nancy Messonnier, MD, is the Acting Director of the Center for Preparedness and Response. Since beginning her public health career in 1995 as an Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer assigned to the National Center for Infectious Diseases, Dr. Messonnier has held a number of leadership posts across CDC. Her permanent position is Director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD), where she also served as Deputy Director from October 2014 through March 2016. She also led the Meningitis and Vaccine Preventable Diseases Branch in NCIRD’s Division of Bacterial Diseases since its formation in 2007 through 2012.

José T. Montero, MD, MHCDS

Deputy Director, Office for State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial Support (OSTLTS)

José T. Montero, MD, MHCDS, is the director of the Center for State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial Support, where he oversees support to the US health departments and those serving tribal nations and insular areas. He provides leadership for key activities and technical assistance designed to improve the public health system’s capacity and performance to achieve the nation’s goals in population health.

Deputy Director for Public Health Science and Surveillance (DDPHSS)

Chesley Richards, MD, MPH, FACP

Deputy Director, Office of Public Health Scientific Services (OPHSS)

Chesley Richards, MD, MPH, FACP, is the Deputy Director for Public Health Science and Surveillance. In this position, he is responsible for strengthening CDC’s scientific foundation by working across the Office of Science, the Office of Laboratory Science and Safety, the Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services, and the National Center for Health Statistics. A primary focus of his role is to advance an agency-wide public health data strategy and serve as an advisor to the CDC Director.

Rebecca Bunnell, PhD, MEd

Rebecca Bunnell, PhD, MEd

Rebecca Bunnell, PhD, MEd is the Director of CDC’s Office of Science. Since joining CDC in 1996 as an EIS Officer in the Division of STD Prevention, Dr. Bunnell has held key CDC positions in Atlanta, California, Uganda, and Kenya.

Steve Monroe, PhD

Associate Director for Laboratory Science and Safety

Steve Monroe, PhD, is the Associate Director for Laboratory Science and Safety (ADLSS) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). He oversees the Office of Laboratory Science and Safety (OLSS) which provides high-level oversight and coordination of critical laboratory policies and operations, particularly those associated with laboratory safety and quality management programs at all CDC campuses.

Michael F. Iademarco, MD, MPH (RADM, USPHS)

Director, Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services (CSELS)

Michael F. Iademarco, MD, MPH is director of the Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services (CSELS) at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). His expertise as a physician-scientist and laboratorian provides a strong foundation to lead CDC’s efforts to track America’s health, strengthen laboratory networks, and help public health officials identify urgent health threats.

Jennifer Madans, PhD

Acting Director, National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS)

Jennifer H. Madans, PhD is the Acting Director for the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). She served as the NCHS Associate Director for Science, from May 1996 to January 2019, where she was responsible for the overall plan and development of NCHS’s data collection and analysis programs.

Deputy Director for Non-Infectious Diseases (DDNID)

Ileana Arias, PhD

Deputy Director, Office of Noncommunicable Diseases, Injury and Environmental Health (ONDIEH)

Ileana Arias, PhD, is the Acting Deputy Director for Non-Infectious Diseases (DDNID) at CDC. In this position, she is responsible for providing leadership and guidance to CDC′s four non-infectious disease centers and helps to advance the agency’s cross-cutting non-infectious disease priorities such as mental health, health outcomes associated with marijuana use, and the prevention of non-occupational hearing loss.

Coleen A. Boyle, PhD, MSHyg

Director, National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD)

Coleen A. Boyle, PhD, MSHyg, serves as Director of the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD) at CDC. Dr. Boyle began her career at CDC in 1984 as part of a large effort to study the adverse health effects of exposure to Agent Orange, a herbicide used during the Vietnam War.

Dana Shelton, MPH

Director, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP)

Dana Shelton, MPH, is the Acting Director of CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP), a position she assumed July 2, 2018.

Patrick Breysse, PhD, CIH

Director, National Center for Environmental Health/Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (NCEH/ATSDR)

Pat Breysse, PhD, CIH, joined CDC in December 2014 as the Director of NCEH/ATSDR. Dr. Breysse leads CDC’s efforts to investigate the relationship between environmental factors and health. He came to CDC from the Johns Hopkins University where he served as Associate Chair for Educational Programs within the Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Program Director for the Industrial Hygiene Training Program, and co-director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Childhood Asthma in the Urban Environment.

Debra Houry, MD, MPH

Director, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC)

Debra Houry, MD, MPH, is the Director of the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC) at CDC. In this role, Dr. Houry leads innovative research and science-based programs to prevent injuries and violence and to reduce their consequences. She joined the CDC in October 2014. She has previously served as Vice-Chair and Associate Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Emory University School of Medicine and as Associate Professor in the Departments of Behavioral Science and Health Education and in Environmental Health at the Rollins School of Public Health.

Deputy Director for Infectious Diseases (DDID)

Jay C. Butler, MD (CAPT, USPHS, RET)

Deputy Director, Office of Infectious Diseases (OID)

Jay C. Butler, MD is the Deputy Director for Infectious Diseases. In this capacity, he provides leadership to the efforts of CDC’s three infectious disease national centers and helps to advance the agency’s cross-cutting infectious disease priorities.

Kristin Pope, MEd

Kristin Pope, MEd

Kristin Pope, MEd, is the Acting Director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD). She previously served as the NCIRD Deputy Director for Management and Operations.

Rima F. Khabbaz, MD

Director, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID)

Rima F. Khabbaz, MD, is the Director of the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID). In this capacity she helps to advance the agency’s cross-cutting infectious disease priorities, including the integration of advance molecular detection (AMD) technologies into public health. She served as CDC Deputy Director for Infectious Diseases and Director of the Office of Infectious Diseases (OID) from 2010 to 2017 where she provided leadership to the efforts of CDC’s three infectious disease national centers.

Jonathan Mermin, MD, MPH (RADM, USPHS)

Director, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention (NCHHSTP)

Jonathan Mermin, MD, MPH, is the Director of the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention (NCHHSTP), and a Rear Admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service. He oversees the nation’s efforts to prevent HIV, viral hepatitis, sexually transmitted diseases, and tuberculosis.

Page last reviewed: May 15, 2019