President Trump has nominated Dr. Erica Schwartz, a former Coast Guard officer who served as deputy surgeon general in his first administration, to serve as the next director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). “I am pleased to announce the new leadership of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It is my Honor to nominate the incredibly talented Dr. Erica Schwartz, MD, JD, MPH, as my Director of the CDC. Erica graduated from Brown University for College and Medical School, and served a distinguished career as a Doctor of Medicine in the United States Military, the Greatest and Most Powerful Force in the World, and then served as my Deputy Surgeon General during my First Term. She is a STAR!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “I am also pleased to announce the appointment of Sean Slovenski as the CDC Deputy Director and Chief Operating Officer, Dr. Jennifer Shuford, MD, MPH, as the CDC Deputy Director and Chief Medical Officer, and Dr. Sara Brenner, MD, MPH, as Senior Counselor for Public Health to Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.,” Trump continued. “These Highly Respected Doctors of Medicine have the knowledge, experience, and TOP degrees to restore the GOLD STANDARD OF SCIENCE at the CDC, which was an absolute disaster focused on ‘mandates’ under Sleepy Joe. Together, they will do a TREMENDOUS job leading the CDC as we continue to MAKE AMERICA HEALTHY AND GREAT AGAIN!” he added. Full post below: NPR has more: The CDC director role nominee requires Senate approval. The CDC is currently led by Dr. Jay Bhattacharya in an acting capacity; he is also director of the National Institutes of Health. He took over as CDC lead in February, and is expected to continue in the role during the Senate confirmation process, which could take several months. Schwartz, if confirmed, would work under Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, who oversees the CDC. Schwartz is a retired Rear Admiral and a board-certified preventive medicine physician. She previously served as chief medical officer of the U.S. Coast Guard, and as deputy surgeon general in the first Trump administration. She has a medical degree from Brown University, a law degree from the University of Maryland, and a master’s in public health degree from the Uniformed Services University, or USU. “Rear Admiral Schwartz is really an outstanding person in all regards. Her academic training and intellect is second to none,” says Admiral Brett Giroir who, as assistant health secretary in the first Trump administration, served as Schwartz’s supervisor and worked closely with her on the national COVID testing strategy. “She’s a person of the highest integrity and commitment to service to this country.” JUST IN: President Trump has named Dr. Erica Schwartz, a former deputy surgeon general, as the new director of the CDC. https://t.co/t1lzJOf8MX — ABC News (@ABC) April 16, 2026 “Thank you, President Trump, for nominating Dr. Erica Schwartz to serve as CDC Director. I congratulate Dr. Schwartz and the new CDC leadership team. I look forward to working together to restore trust, accountability, and scientific integrity at the @CDCgov so we can return it to its core mission and Make America Healthy Again,” Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said. Thank you, President Trump, for nominating Dr. Erica Schwartz to serve as CDC Director. I congratulate Dr. Schwartz and the new CDC leadership team. I look forward to working together to restore trust, accountability, and scientific integrity at the @CDCgov so we can return it to… https://t.co/xTN1mUhVOT — Secretary Kennedy (@SecKennedy) April 16, 2026 CNN noted: Schwartz certainly has a background in the CDC’s areas of expertise. During her time with the Coast Guard, she led disease surveillance and vaccination programs and wrote Coast Guard policy on pandemic influenza and other viral disease outbreaks. She also played a role in the government’s response to natural disasters, including hurricanes and earthquakes. Still, Schwartz will probably face skepticism from some senators over whether she’s willing to break with Kennedy on controversial issues such as vaccine policy. The White House was under a deadline to nominate a permanent director of the CDC after Kennedy abruptly fired the last Senate-confirmed director, Monarez, in August. The federal Vacancies Act says a Senate-confirmed position can be open for only 210 days, and past that deadline, the agency cannot have an acting director. That 210-day mark fell in late March. Currently, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya is serving a dual role as director of the National Institutes of Health and as head of the CDC, after serving as its acting director.