January 19, 2001
TOLLEFSON APPOINTED CVM DEPUTY DIRECTOR
Linda Tollefson, D.V.M., M.P.H. has been appointed as Deputy Director of FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) effective February 1, 2001. Dr. Tollefson succeeds Dr. Andrew Beaulieu who will assume the new position of Associate Director for Animal Health Policy and Operations in CVM.
Dr. Tollefson joined CVM in 1993 and has been the Director of the Center's Office of Surveillance and Compliance since January 1997. She came to FDA in 1984 at the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN.) Dr. Tollefson's last position before coming to CVM was Chief of the Epidemiology Branch.
During her CVM tenure, Dr. Tollefson has provided outstanding leadership in the direction and oversight of many of the Center's activities in the area of food safety. She is the senior manager who has been primarily responsible for managing major elements of CVM's efforts under the Food Safety Initiative (FSI.) This Presidential initiative, which for CVM is almost entirely associated with the issue of antimicrobial resistance, has been growing in recent years to the point that it now represents about 40% of the Center's budget. Food safety issues, in general, now account, directly or indirectly, for about 80% of the Center's budget.
Dr. Tollefson is one of the founders of the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System for Enteric Bacteria (NARMS). NARMS monitors development of resistance of zoonotic enteric pathogens from human and animal clinical specimens, from healthy farm animals, and from carcasses of food-producing animals at slaughter. NARMS was established in 1996 as a collaboration among several Federal agencies in response to concerns associated with the approval of antibiotics important to human medical therapy for use in food animals.
CVM Director Stephen Sundlof says "Dr. Tollefson is the CVM senior manager best suited by training and experience to deal with the complexities of food safety issues, in general, and antimicrobial resistance issues, in particular. I look forward to working with her in her new role as Deputy Center Director."
Dr. Tollefson received both her B.S. and D.V.M. degrees from the University of Illinois, and a M.P.H. from the Johns Hopkins University with special training in Epidemiology and Biostatistics. Dr. Tollefson has been awarded numerous Public Health Service medals and commendations, including the Meritorious Service Medal in 1997, and has published over 50 articles in scientific journals.
Dr. Beaulieu has been with CVM for 28 years and has a thorough working knowledge of the animal product-related provisions, limitations, and practical applications of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. He has served as Deputy Center Director since July 1999. As Associate Director for Animal Health Policy and Operations, Dr. Beaulieu now will deal primarily with issues relating to animal health including products intended for minor uses or minor species and with internal operations such as the Center's ongoing initiative to become a higher performing organization.
Issued by:
FDA, Center for Veterinary Medicine,
Communications Staff, HFV-12
7519 Standish Place, Rockville, MD 20855
Telephone: (240) 276-9300 FAX: (240) 276-9115
Internet Web Site: http://www.fda.gov/cvm
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