The CDC Leaders

Sherri A. Berger, MSPH

Chief Operating Officer, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

As the Chief Operating Officer for CDC, Sherri Berger, is responsible for the overall operations of CDC. She has direct and substantial impact over the agency′s entire 10,000 staff, approximately 5,000 contractors, and fiscal resources of $11 billion.

Berger was named CDC Chief Operating Officer (COO) in August 2011. Prior to this, she served in the CDC Financial Management Office as Associate Director for Formulation, Evaluation, and Analysis (OFEA) and Director of CDC′s Recovery Act Coordination (RAC) Unit. OFEA leads the formulation of CDC′s annual appropriation, in coordination with the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Management and Budget, Congress and various external stakeholders. The RAC, established in May 2009, is the central point for oversight and coordination of all CDC projects funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) of 2009.

While participating in the Senior Executive Service (SES) Candidate Development Program, Berger completed several assignments outside of CDC, including time spent at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, HHS Office of the Secretary to, and CDC′s Business Services Improvement Office. Working with HHS, she led the development of CDC′s transition materials for the incoming Administration after the 2008 election.

In her 15 years with CDC, Berger gained experience in public health science as well as program management and operations.

She began her career with CDC in 1996 when she was selected as one of four students nationwide to be part of the CDC/Association of Schools of Public Health Experimental Learning Program, allowing her to work as an epidemiologist in her local community. After completing graduate school, Berger relocated to CDC′s headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, to continue her career as an epidemiologist with the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). She was the principal investigator on a wide-ranging and complex study in which odor from landfill emissions was shown to be directly related to asthma exacerbations. She also served a number of leadership positions including Acting Deputy Director for the National Center for Environmental Health, CDC/ATSDR, for nearly two years before joining the Financial Management Office in 2005. Berger received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Florida and Master of Science in Public Health, with a concentration in Epidemiology, from the University of South Florida.