The CDC Leaders

"There are many ways of going forward, but only one way of standing still."

—Franklin D. Roosevelt

 

Roberto Ruiz, MPA

Acting Director, Office of Diversity Management and Equal Employment Opportunity

Roberto (Bob) Ruiz is a graduate of the HHS/CDC SES Candidate Development Program. Prior to his selection in the program he was the Management Officer at the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta GA. Bob is a native of New York City with family history rooted in both Puerto Rico and Portugal. After graduating High School, Bob joined the United States Coast Guard where he served honorably for over 23 years. During his Coast Guard career he was stationed at various units throughout the United States and traveled aboard on several assignments. His assignments in the Coast Guard provided a myriad of experiences in direct health care practice, radiological and laboratory processes, health care management and administration.

His most rewarding assignment was when he was the sole medical expert on a Coast Guard ship with over 170 men and women with search and rescue/law enforcement responsibilities spanning across the Pacific Ocean and the Bearing Sea. Bob retired from the Coast Guard and joined the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a Presidential Management Fellow (PMF). During his fellowship he gained program management experience in the areas of infectious diseases, epidemiology and laboratory capacity, terrorism and emergency response, and management support for a myriad of programs in chronic diseases, birth defects, and developmental disabilities.

Education:

Bachelor of Science degree from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale and his Masters in Public Administration and Health Services Administration from Southeastern University in Washington, DC

Special Interests/Notables:

He is active in the CDC mentorship program where he mentors junior interns and fellows in career and professional development. His special interests remain in leadership topics, career development, organizational behavior, and performance measurement/quality improvement.