Atlanta Business Chronicle Names Judy Monroe A Most Admired CEO for 2021
Whether it’s bringing together donors to support a critical program, coordinating response work with public health partners, or providing guidance and encouragement to staff, CDC Foundation President and CEO Judy Monroe, MD, brings vision, energy and creativity to her role. And I’m pleased that in recognition of her accomplishments Judy is being named a Most Admired CEO by the Atlanta Business Chronicle for 2021.
Judy is one of 39 CEOs receiving this award—one of two in the nonprofit category. In her five years leading the CDC Foundation Judy has transformed the organization into one of the nation’s most impactful nonprofits including during the most challenging time for health in the past 100 years.
From a fundraising and programmatic perspective, Judy and the team she leads have raised record support for programs impacting health in chronic diseases, infectious diseases and emergency response. Behind the scenes, Judy has also led the team through a dramatic technology transformation, evolving from a primarily paper-based system to among the most modern and automated systems of any nonprofit. In addition, she has created a diverse culture at the CDC Foundation, with a strong representation of women and minority staff members—and created the first Health Equity Officer role in the Foundation’s history.
And, during the past year and half the Foundation under Judy’s leadership has launched more than 200 projects in over 90 states, territories and countries to help take on the COVID-19 pandemic. I believe that her leadership has particularly shone during the COVID-19 response, and her ability to positively guide and establish linkages across the public, private and philanthropic sectors has grown out of her career as a family physician, teaching physician, hospital administrator, state public health officer and deputy director at CDC.
Beyond her impact at the national and global levels, Judy has also made an impact locally, including through her service with the Georgia Global Health Alliance. In this effort, Judy has helped to advance Atlanta as a center for global health.
I congratulate Judy—and her team—on this much deserved recognition. To read Judy’s Q&A with the Atlanta Business Chronicle, please click here.
Leah Devlin, DDS, MPH, is Professor of the Practice of Health Policy and Management at The University of North Carolina Chapel Hill’s Gillings School of Global Public Health and Chair of the CDC Foundation’s Board of Directors.
