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WaPo sources: Former NCDHHS Secretary will head the CDC

PRE News & Ideas | By Annette Weston

Published June 2, 2023 at 6:47 AM EDT

Former North Carolina Health Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen will be tapped to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Washington Post cited three anonymous sources with direct knowledge of the pending announcement.

Current CDC Director Rochelle Walensky's last day is June 30.

Cohen helped lead North Carolina through the COVID-19 pandemic and was a public face and spokeswoman for health policy for Gov. Roy Cooper's administration.

She stepped down as North Carolina's Secretary of Health and Human Services in 2021 after nearly five years on the job.

Annette Weston

Annette is an award-winning journalist based in Eastern North Carolina. Her career includes professional stops across the Midwest, Pacific Northwest, and Southeast, recently culminating in a 2026 Region 8 Edward R. Murrow Award for Small Market Radio Best News Series for her work on the Camp Lejeune Justice Act Series. Guided by a passion for human-interest storytelling, she focuses on narratives that touch hearts and connect communities. A mother of four and grandmother of two, Annette enjoys reading and creating epic Halloween costumes in her spare time. If you have a story idea to share, please reach out by email to westona@cravencc.edu.

See stories by Annette Weston