Philanthropist Elaine Chambers Named Chair of the CDC Foundation’s Board of Directors

The CDC Foundation today announced that Elaine Chambers of the Chambers Family Foundation of Palo Alto, CA, has been named chair of the CDC Foundation Board of Directors. Chambers joined the CDC Foundation board in 2019. “Elaine’s passion and commitment to the power of public health and her experience in philanthropy make her an excellent leader for our board of directors as we work on long-term and emerging health threats that require cross-sector partnerships to address,” said Judy Monroe, MD, president and CEO of the CDC Foundation. “As an organization, we will greatly benefit from Elaine’s expertise and guidance as we work with board members, staff, donors, partners and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to save and improve lives in America and across the globe.”

Prior to the CDC Foundation, Chambers served as a board member with the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health in Palo Alto, CA. In this role, she served as board chair for the foundation from 2015–2018. The foundation’s mission is to elevate the priority of children’s health and increase the quality and accessibility of children’s healthcare. In addition, Chambers served on the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford board of directors from 2015–2018. This hospital is part of the only health system in the San Francisco Bay Area—and one of only few in the nation—that is exclusively dedicated to pediatric and obstetric care.

“My deep interest and passion have always been about improving the health of our communities, country and the world by supporting organizations and individuals who have the knowledge and expertise to make this happen,” said Elaine Chambers, CDC Foundation board chair. “Developing relationships across all sectors of our society and being a vocal advocate for good health for all is so important. It is an honor to be involved with the CDC Foundation as it provides the perfect opportunity to support the greatest public health institution in our nation.”

Chambers and her husband, John, are committed to helping others and have supported such institutions as the Children’s Health Council, All Students Matter, the Mid-Peninsula Boys & Girls Club, Leading for Kids, the Stanford Women’s Cancer Center and West Virginia University business, the American Heart Association and educational opportunities. Chambers is a graduate of West Virginia University and has a master’s degree in Speech Pathology from The University of Memphis.

Chambers succeeds Leah Devlin, DDS, MPH, professor of the Practice of Health Policy and Management, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Gillings School of Global Public Health, as chair of the CDC Foundation’s Board of Directors.