Leadership

Public Health Surveillance and Informatics Program Office (proposed)

Roberto Ruiz, MPA
Deputy Director

A graduate of the HHS/CDC SES Candidate Development Program, Roberto (Bob) Ruiz, MPA, is deputy director of the Public Health Surveillance and Informatics Program Office (proposed). His previous CDC experience includes serving as deputy director of the Office of Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services and management officer at the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities.

Mr. Ruiz is a native of New York City with family history rooted in Puerto Rico and Portugal. After graduating from high school, Mr. Ruiz joined the U.S. Coast Guard where he served honorably for more than 23 years. During his Coast Guard career, he was stationed in various units throughout the United States and traveled abroad on several assignments. His Coast Guard assignments provided numerous opportunities to work with direct health care practice, radiological and laboratory processes, health care management, and administrative procedures.

His most rewarding assignment was when he was the sole medical expert on a Coast Guard ship crewed by more than 170 men and women who had search, rescue, and law enforcement responsibilities spanning the Pacific Ocean and Bearing Sea.

After retiring from the Coast Guard, Mr. Ruiz joined CDC as a Presidential Management Fellow. During his fellowship, he gained program management experience in infectious diseases; epidemiology and laboratory capacity; terrorism and emergency response; and management support for a range of programs in chronic diseases, birth defects, and developmental disabilities.