Leadership

Henry Walke, MD, MPH, is the Director of the Office of Readiness and Response (ORR). In this role, he supports ORR’s three Divisions and the Office of the Director to prepare for, respond to, and improve performance in domestic and global public health emergencies. ORR enhances CDC, state, and local health department preparedness and response capacity; ensures lifesaving research with select agents, toxins, and poliovirus is conducted safely and securely; and develops scientific principles, tools, and the next generation of public health preparedness professionals and leaders.

ORR Leadership Team

Office of the Director

Director: Henry Walke, MD, MPH

• Deputy Director Management & Operations: Vacant
  • Associate Director of Policy, Planning, & Communication: Aliki Pappas Weakland, MPH, MSW, BA
  • Associate Director for Cross-Agency Preparedness: Joanna Prasher, PhD, MPH
  • Associate Director of Management Resources: Monique Williams Jester, BS, MPA
  • Associate Director of Information Resources: Chare Brown, BS, MBA, MPH
  • Workforce Relations: Marvin (Bryan) Weekley
• Deputy Director: Ian Williams, PhD, MS
  • Associate Director of the Office of Science & Laboratory Readiness: Joanne Andreadis, PhD
  • Senior Advisor for Surveillance & Data Modernization: Katie Fullerton, MPH

Division of Emergency Operations

• Director: Chris Brown, PhD, MPH, CPH
  • Emergency Management Training & Development, Branch Chief: CDR Dianna Carroll, PhD, MS
  • Plans, Exercise, and Evaluation, Branch Chief: Michelle Calio, MS
  • Operations, Branch Chief: Luis C. Poblano
  • Resource Support, Branch Chief: Bryan Taylor, MSS

Division of Readiness and Response Science

• Director: Lisa Barrios, DrPH, ScM
  • Community-Based Solutions & Health Equity, (Acting) Branch Chief: Sarah Lee, PhD
  • Public Health Readiness & Response Evaluation, (Acting) Branch Chief: Kanta Sircar, PhD
  • Response Analytics, Decision Support, & Surveillance, (Acting) Branch Chief: Stephen Soroka, MPH

Division of Regulatory Science and Compliance

• Director: Samuel Edwin, PhD
  • Biosafety, Science, Training, & Expertise, Branch Chief: Shaw Gargis, PhD
  • Federal Select Agent Program Operations, Branch Chief: Von McClee, DrPH
  • Import Permitting Program Operations, Branch Chief: Glen DeGruy, DHSc
  • Innovation & Information Technology, Branch Chief: Vacant
• U.S. National Authority for Containment of Poliovirus, Director: Lia Haynes Smith, PhD

Division of State and Local Readiness

• Director: Christine Kosmos, RN, BSN, MS
  • Capacity Building & Technical Assistance Development, Branch Chief: Chris Reinold, PhD, MPH
  • Field Assignments, Branch Chief: Randolph Daley, DVM, MPH
  • Grants Management and Fiscal Strategy, Branch Chief: Lisa Walker
  • Jurisdictional Readiness and Response Support, Branch Chief: Ramona Byrkit, MPH