NEW YORK — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the nation’s preeminent public health agency, is experiencing significant leadership upheaval following the resignation of five high-ranking officials on Tuesday.
Leadership Shakeup at CDC
These departures, disclosed during a meeting of senior agency leaders, involve the heads of five of the CDC’s numerous centers and offices based in Atlanta. This development, coupled with three earlier resignations in recent weeks, signifies a substantial shift in the agency’s top management, with nearly a third of its leadership team departing recently.
Departures Described as Retirements
While officially termed retirements, these leadership changes were not publicly announced. The Associated Press (AP) independently verified the information through two CDC officials, who spoke anonymously due to lack of authorization to discuss the matter.
Timing Amidst Nomination Uncertainty
These announcements emerge shortly after the White House revealed its nomination of Susan Monarez for CDC director. However, it remains unclear whether this nomination influenced the departing leaders’ decisions. Notably, the Trump administration previously withdrew its nomination of Dr. David Weldon just before his Senate confirmation hearing.
Key CDC Leaders Stepping Down
The list of departing officials includes:
- Leslie Ann Dauphin: Head of the Public Health Infrastructure Center. This center, with over 500 employees, plays a critical role in coordinating CDC funding, strategy, and technical support for state, local, and territorial health departments.
- Dr. Karen Remley: Director of the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities. This center had over 220 full-time staff members at the start of the year.
- Sam Posner: Chief of the Office of Science. This office oversees more than 100 CDC employees involved in research and science policy, and is responsible for publishing the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).
- Debra Lubar: Director of the Office of Policy, Performance and Evaluation, which has a staff of 65.
- Leandris Liburd: Head of the Office of Health Equity, comprising approximately 40 employees. Liburd assumed this position in 2020 to address the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on minority communities.
Additional Recent Resignations
Further augmenting the leadership transition are recent departures including:
- Kevin Griffis: Former head of CDC communications, who left last week.
- Robin Bailey: The agency’s former chief operating officer, who departed late last month.
- Dr. Nirav Shah: A former CDC principal deputy director, who served as a prominent voice last year during the evolving avian influenza outbreak impacting animals and humans.
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source: abcnews.go.com