Breaking Down Public Health Silos and Turning Data into Narratives to Prompt Public Health Action

Education and Training

This CDC public health advisor (PHA) grew up in a Navy family, moving frequently across the U.S. He attended the University of Texas for his undergraduate degree. Years into his CDC career, a senior colleague advised him that without a graduate credential he would not advance to the Senior Executive Service (SES). He enrolled in the MPA program at the University of Georgia graduating in Dec 2015 and was selected for an SES position in Nov 2016. He was subsequently named the UGA School of Public and International Affairs Alumni Impact Award recipient for the MPA program, to be honored at the school's 25th anniversary celebration in April 2026.

First Job at CDC

The PHA joined CDC in 1990 as a Disease Intervention Specialist in Chicago during the crack cocaine-fueled resurgence of syphilis and emergence of HIV. His job involved interviewing patients, delivering diagnoses, ensuring treatment, and conducting partner notification. A defining thread throughout this period was his early and persistent efforts to integrate STD and HIV programs, which were siloed by funding rules but served the same patients. He found creative ways to break down those barriers at each posting. He recounts the first time he tested a a patient for HIV. The young man had tested positive for syphilis and was at high risk for HIV. The PHA administered the test, and it came back positive—a moment he still finds emotional so many years later.

From Chicago he moved to Prince George's County, MD, then to Houston, TX, where he was part of a team in a busy multi-service clinic seeing roughly 250 patients per week.  His final field assignment was in Connecticut as the STD Control Officer managing 12 clinics statewide. He helped Connecticut become the first state to designate HIV-positive people as the priority population for prevention—a forward-thinking epidemiological strategy focused on the source of transmission rather than the general public.

Later Jobs at CDC

Following the field-based beginnings of his career, this PHA moved to CDC headquarters in Atlanta and held a series of progressively senior roles:

·      HIV Project Officer within HIV: Managed cooperative agreements funded by the Congressional Black Caucus's $370 million HIV prevention initiative targeting African American and other communities of color. He developed simplified grant applications and led workshops nationwide, helping small community organizations navigate the federal funding process.  He shared a memorable story of helping a small Alabama nonprofit break an overwhelming federal grant application into manageable weekly tasks—and later seeing that same organization win an award.

·      Deputy Branch Chief within NCHSTP: Was on duty during 9/11 and the anthrax attacks and coordinating the deployment of CDC’s PHAs across the agency in response to these two devastating public health emergencies.

·      Associate Director for Management and Operations/Management Officer (MO) , National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention (NCHSTP), National Center for Infectious Disease (NCID), National Center for Preparedness, Detection, and Control of Infectious Diseases (NCPDCID), and National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID) and Deputy Director for Management and Overseas Operations for the Center for Global Health (CGH): Supported the Centers through multiple public health emergency responses to include syphilis, 9/11 and the Anthrax attacks, SARS, MERS, Polio, Chikungunya, Zika, Ebola, COVID and numerous others. During his over two decades as a MO he also coordinated more reorganizations than he would like to remember. 

Final Job at CDC

The PHA's final role was Senior Advisor for Operations supporting PEPFAR within CDC's Center for Global Health. He coordinated operations across 60+ countries and 33+ PEPFAR country and regional coordinating offices. He also provided direct administrative support to Ambassador Nkengasong during his tenure as Director, CDC Africa.

Activity With the Greatest Impact and Why

The PHA led the federal Emergency Intake Site for unaccompanied migrant children at the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds—a $92 million/month operation with 2,450 beds and a staff of approximately 5,000. On arrival he found delays in the placement of children and that site performance used a single blended metric that masked the fact that only the easiest-to-place children were being moved quickly. Using data, he began to track the children by placement type (parent, family member, known sponsor, unknown sponsor), each with different target timelines (10–30 days). He also collaborated with the Contracting Officer to change the call center hours so parents working multiple jobs could be reached in the evenings. His management skills, combined with the data skills he had learned at CDC allowed him to significantly accelerate the safe placement of the facility’s children and within weeks, placement rates jumped sharply. The cumulative effect: the facility closed ahead of schedule—saving an estimated $92 million per month. He was then asked to replicate the model at a facility in Pecos, TX before rotating off his detail, leaving a CDC colleague to carry the work forward.

He describes this as the culmination of everything he learned across 35 years—epidemiological thinking, data storytelling, contract management, and collaborative leadership—applied in a single high-stakes assignment.

Proudest Accomplishment

The PHA describes his 90-day deployment to Ghana in summer 2010 as part of the STOP (Stop Transmission of Polio) program as among the most personally meaningful experiences of his career. He traveled across three provinces, visiting clinics to review vaccination coverage data/epidemiology, cold chain management, waste management, and provider education—using laminated 11x17 slides in the absence of PowerPoint. He recalls one session that took place outdoors under a mango tree at a rural dirt-road church, with mothers, clinicians, and community members gathered around.

He reflects that these experiences—across the STD clinics, HIV programs, and international deployments—made him a better citizen and person, drawing on Tennyson's Ulysses: "I am a part of all that I have met."

Termination

With nearly 35 years of service approaching in June 2025, this PHA had already been in conversation with colleagues about retirement. When the voluntary separation ("fork") offer came in February 2025, he accepted it, with a departure date of December 31, 2025. He notes that 100% of the staff in his branch were subsequently terminated, suggesting that taking the fork was the prudent decision. He describes the situation with equanimity, noting he had tried to read the situation as clearly as possible and made the call that made sense.

Future Plans

The former PHA is exploring next step professional and personal options.

Other Comments

Several themes run throughout the interview worth noting. The PHA repeatedly demonstrated an instinct for integration—breaking down programmatic silos between STD, HIV, TB, and hepatitis—well before it was standard practice. He also showed a consistent talent for data storytelling: turning raw numbers into narratives that prompted action. He mentions the value of mentorship at key career inflection points, citing colleagues who pushed him toward leadership roles he might otherwise have declined. He is proud of the fact that he was awarded the 2023 Public Health Associate Program Mentor of the Year Award.