Biographies

Crayton Lankford

Title: Acting Director, Financial Management Office (FMO)

Prior to becoming the Acting Director of the Financial Management Office, Lankford was detailed to the position of Deputy Chief Operating Officer. Before that, he served as Chief Management Officer (CMO) for the Coordinating Center for Global Health (COGH) where he focused his energies on improving global business services to support CDC's overseas offices and international programs. He has also led and participated in many CDC-wide initiatives to improve management, including business innovations and efficiencies, telework, compensation and performance rewards, and travel system improvements.

Lankford served for six years as Regional Director of Financial Management for the USDA Food and Nutrition Service, overseeing $6 billion of food assistance programs. He led a staff of accountants, financial specialists, budget analysts, and computer specialists to provide financial accounting operations, analysis, and reviews for State and local agencies. Specific activities included: reviewing and approving State budget proposals, managing the grant award and letter of credit system, completing annual reconciliation and statements of account, overseeing cash management practices of State agencies, performing financial compliance reviews of State agencies, maintaining accounts receivable, collecting and analyzing financial reports, and managing the internal budget.

In this position, he was credited with many innovations to improve internal controls, provide better financial information, and streamline procedures at USDA. Examples include establishment of a new financial review unit, streamlined reporting points, enhanced cash management, a lockbox for accounts receivable, a standardized single-source database of program financial information, and new management information systems. Mr. Lankford paid particular attention to upgrading the technical skills of the people in financial management, many of whom had been transferred from program specialist roles.

Robert C. Curlee

Title: Deputy Director, Financial Management Office (FMO)

Responsibilities: Mr. Curlee serves as the Deputy Director and CDC Budget Officer in the Financial Management Office (FMO), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Serving in this capacity he reports directly to the FMO Director and also provides budgetary action plans to the CDC Chief Operating Officer. As a Deputy Director, he provides planning, directing, organizing, and exercising control over subordinate organizations assigned to the Budget Execution and the Budget Formulation and Public Health Policy Branches.

At CDC: Mr. Curlee has been assigned to FMO since 1998 while appointed to several progressive roles as the Branch Chief, Financial Systems Branch Chief and Deputy, and as a Systems Accountant. He also served on detail as the Deputy Director for the Department of Health and Human Services Unified Financial Management System.

Other Federal service has been with the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Postal Service. He served active duty in the U.S. Army.
Mr. Curlee received his B.G.S. from Samford University and his M.A.E. from the University of Alabama- Birmingham.