Hosting the World and Helping CDC Protect Us All

Teams work best when each person knows their role and excels at it. When it comes to global public health in Atlanta, one group that has a specific role and does it exceedingly well is Villa International. Villa is a 33-room residence that serves as an affordably priced community for international visitors coming to the city for training and assignments with organizations, such as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Since 1972, Villa International has hosted more than 25,000 residents from 147 countries. Villa’s residents are primarily international researchers but also include many others, such as public health professionals of all varieties, interning doctors, students and seminarians coming to Atlanta.

Last evening, the CDC Foundation was honored to serve as a sponsor for Villa International’s 2015 Viva Villa, an event to benefit Villa International’s mission. At this year’s event, Charles Stokes, CDC Foundation president and CEO, received Villa’s 2015 Global Community Service Award. The award honors an individual who has profoundly advanced global health.

Charlie offered his appreciation to Villa International for its commitment to ensuring the care of international visitors coming to work temporarily in Atlanta. “To the team at Villa International, I want to offer my thanks on behalf of my colleagues at the CDC Foundation for your commitment to taking care of these visitors to our country,” he said. “You offer them a community of support, which is essential when people are away from home for extended periods.”

We at the CDC Foundation salute Villa International for hosting visitors from across the globe coming to CDC to receive training and participate in work that will strengthen global health security.