CDC Foundation President and CEO Charles Stokes Named Atlanta Business Chronicle's 2013 Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient
Charles Stokes, CDC Foundation president and CEO, in a ceremony last evening received the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s 2013 Health-Care Hero Lifetime Achievement Award for his work helping the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advance its life-saving 24/7 work through public-private partnerships.
The CDC Foundation is an independent nonprofit established by Congress to link diverse private sector partners with CDC to significantly advance public health in this country and worldwide. Stokes was named as the first leader of the CDC Foundation in 1995. Under his leadership, the CDC Foundation has provided nearly $400 million to support CDC’s work, launched more than 600 programs around the world and built a network of individuals and organizations committed to supporting CDC and public health. At the CDC Foundation, Stokes has increased staffing from two to 40 professionals to develop and manage the more than 200 partnerships currently underway with the CDC.
“Charlie has done a remarkable job leading the CDC Foundation since its inception 18 years ago,” said Gary Cohen, executive vice president of BD (Becton, Dickinson and Co.), acting CEO of GBCHealth and CDC Foundation board chair. “His passion for the public health mission of the CDC, and his considerable skills in establishing public-private partnerships with foundations, corporations and individuals, have contributed to protecting the U.S. population from health threats and advancing the well-being of people throughout the world who benefit from CDC’s global impact.”
In receiving his award at the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s annual Health-Care Heroes event, Stokes said, “I’ve had the privilege of working with CDC’s brilliant and dedicated scientists, physicians and front-line staff. These individuals are public servants who put their lives on the line each and every day, working 24/7 to protect America from health and safety threats, both foreign and domestic. The people of CDC are the true heroes.” Stokes also thanked his colleagues at the CDC Foundation, stating, “Our staff may be small in number, yet they do some really big things to help people here at home and around the world.”
Prior to joining the CDC Foundation, Stokes worked for 22 years with the Missouri Department of Health, serving as deputy director from 1983 through 1995. In addition, he has been active in public health and public administration, filling leadership roles at the state and national levels. He served as president of the Missouri Public Health Association and the Missouri Institute of Public Administration. He currently serves as vice chairman of the Atlanta-based Raoul Foundation Board.
About the CDC Foundation
Established by Congress, the CDC Foundation helps the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) do more, faster, by forging effective partnerships between CDC and corporations, foundations and individuals to support CDC’s 24/7 work to fight threats to health and safety. The CDC Foundation manages approximately 200 CDC-led programs in the United States and in countries around the world. For more information, please visit www.cdcfoundation.org.