Ruth J. Katz and James W. Down Join CDC Foundation Board of Directors
Ruth J. Katz, J.D, M.P.H., dean of The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services, and James W. Down, former vice chairman and member of the board of directors of Mercer Management Consulting, have been elected to the board of directors of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Foundation.
They both will serve five-year terms on the board of the Foundation, an independent, non-profit enterprise established by Congress to help build partnerships between CDC and others to fight threats to health and safety.
Ms. Katz, who served for over a decade as counsel to the Subcommittee on Health and Environment of the Committee on Energy and Commerce in the U.S. House of Representatives, played an instrumental role in shaping the Foundation’s authorizing legislation. After leaving Capitol Hill, she was director of Public Health Programs at the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. She then joined Yale University’s School of Medicine, where she was associate dean for administration and an assistant professor in the departments of Internal Medicine and Epidemiology and Public Health. She holds a Master of Public Health degree from Harvard University and a law degree from Emory University.
James Down is an internationally recognized leader in corporate strategy and operations. During the past 22 years, he has directed hundreds of studies for major U.S. and international corporations, overseeing such assignments as acquisition and merger analyses, organizational assessments, and strategic and market planning. He has been a regular speaker before professional and industry groups around the world. Before joining Mercer, where he was responsible for the day-to-day management of the company, Mr. Down held a variety of management positions at Consolidated Rail Corporation (Conrail) and Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
He received a B.S. in engineering from Columbia University and an M.B.A. from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
For the past year and a half, Mr. Down has served in a volunteer capacity with CDC, helping agency leaders initiate a far-reaching strategic planning process. He also serves on the board of Oxfam Americas.
“These two individuals bring a wealth of expertise and wisdom to our board of directors,” says Charles Stokes, CDC Foundation president and CEO. “We look forward to their active involvement in setting the future direction of the CDC Foundation.”