Summary:
A Message from the Deputy Chief of Staff at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Office of the Director.
As a young teenage girl who spent most of her life in Detroit, Michigan, a move to Birmingham, Alabama would prove to be both eye opening and life changing. As a mid-westerner, I had many preconceived notions of the south. Based upon those ideas, I had many reservations in moving to the heart of dixie. When I entered my “new” high school in Birmingham, I was eager to pursue advanced mathematical courses in pursuit of a career in science. However, the high school counselor discouraged me from doing so. I was confident in myself and my skills, so I decided to pursue both trigonometry and algebra as a sophomore. My counselor told me that this was not advised, and she thought it would result in a poor grade point average. I knew that she lacked confidence in me despite only meeting me once. Ultimately, I proved the counselor wrong when I graduated from high school as a 4.0 honor graduate, baccalaureate speaker, and the recipient of a full tuition scholarship to Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia.
Spelman College instilled in me that my presence is any room is invaluable. Most importantly, my time at Spelman equipped me with all the tools I would need to go out into the world as a strong, fearless, undaunted black woman. After graduating from Spelman with a degree in Biochemistry, I then pursued a master’s degree in public health with a concentration in Epidemiology. This was followed by a law degree with a concentration in health law. A fellowship opportunity to work for the US Food and Drug Administration in Rockville, Maryland turned into a 20-year career in federal service where I currently serve as Deputy Chief of Staff at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia.
In 2020, following the deaths of George Floyd, Breanna Taylor, and many others, I began to reflect on the impact of systemic racism in this country, the outcomes of which are far reaching and often hidden. In my current position, I knew that I was given an opportunity, a voice, a seat at the table, and I was not going to waste it.
In 2022, I established the Office of the Chief of Staff Strategic Plan. Within that plan I included Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Accessibility, and Belonging (DEIAB) elements. If we were going to embed DEIAB within our organization, we had to Include it as a component of our Strategic Plan - and we did. We needed a roadmap to mirror the CDC DEIAB Strategic Plan. Within a two-year time, I am proud that the Office of the Chief of Staff has achieved the following:
- Established a DEIAB Council
- Convened a DEIAB Book Club designed to ignite conversations around this important topic
- Developed the Champions for Change Award Program, with a specific award designated towards DEIAB
- Completed two DEIAB annual reports
- Committed to Leadership Driven
DEIAB
In 2024, our theme for our work is actionable DEIAB. The importance of this work extends beyond one organization and one individual. We must all work collectively to ensure that our employees - the foundation of the federal workforce - mirrors the populations that we serve.
"In my current position, I knew that I was given an opportunity, a voice, a seat at the table, and I was not going to waste it."
Our collective lived experience contributes to making the workplace more inclusive, more informed, and more open to recognizing that collective differences contribute to a unified mission and vision. I am hopeful that the future will bring a continued focus on an area that we all benefit from as a society.
Tiffany Brown, JD MPH
Deputy Chief of Staff
CDC Executive Secretariat Office of the Director
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Department of Health and Human Services
Continuing our DEIA journey
The DEIA journey is a continuous process of learning and improvement. Committing to DEIA is not just the right thing to do—it is the smart thing to do. It makes HHS a stronger federal agency, a more effective leader and partner in advancing the health of the nation, and an attractive home for the nation’s best and brightest talent.
Leadership change stories will evolve as we collaborate across HHS and make shared progress. We will move forward with a focus on continuous improvement and addressing existing and emerging leadership needs.
For questions, resources, or additional information, please email DEIAStrategicPlan@hhs.gov.
