The CDC Leaders

"The Office of the COO would not exist in the absence of our public health mission - our sole purpose is to have an impact on public health whether we are putting out a purchase order, recruiting a scientist, building an office or laboratory building, or working with Congress on a budget."

- William (Bill) H. Gimson

William (Bill) H. Gimson, MBA

Chief Operating Officer

As the chief operating officer for CDC, William (Bill) H. Gimson, MBA, is responsible for the overall operations of CDC. He has direct and substantial impact over the agency's entire 10,000 staff, approximately 5,000 contractors, and fiscal resources of $10 billion.

Mr. Gimson began his career with CDC in 1974. After 14 years in field assignments in Chicago, New York, and Puerto Rico as a public health advisor, he came to CDC headquarters in 1985 and served, among other management positions, as part of the organizational design team that created the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.

Later, he became the understudy to the director of the Financial Management Office, and in 1996 was appointed the director of the office. He received an MBA from Duke's Fuqua School of Business. In January 2003, Dr. Julie Gerberding appointed him to serve as the CDC chief operating officer.

In 2002, Mr. Gimson was elected as a fellow in the National Academy of Public Administration, a non-profit organization chartered by Congress to provide expert advice and analysis to government leaders on issues of governance and management. He received the Presidential Meritorious Rank Award in 2002--awarded to the top 3 percent of the civil service--and the Presidential Distinguished Rank Award in 2005--awarded to the top 1 percent of the approximately two-million civil service employees.