Assistant Deputy Director for Overseas Mission Support and Operations

CDC role

Ms. Chao currently serves as the Assistant Deputy Director for Overseas Mission Support and Operations (OMSO) at CDC’s GHC. In this role, she provides strategic leadership and oversight of the Bureau for Mission Support and the Overseas Operations Office. As a member of the senior leadership team, Ms. Chao draws upon nearly two decades of overseas experience to engage on all aspects of support across CDC’s country and regional offices.

Previous experience

Ms. Chao previously served as Deputy Director for Management and Finance with CDC Kenya’s Division of Global HIV and TB and later became the Deputy Country Director. She was the former Country Coordinator for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) at the U.S. Mission in Vietnam, where she was recognized for her leadership in health diplomacy towards improving the U.S.’s bilateral engagement on the HIV response. Ms. Chao has also held senior positions with PEPFAR Kenya and worked with Kenyan microfinance organizations supporting entrepreneurs affected by HIV.

In addition to her work at CDC, she is the Region 4 Lead for the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders’ Regional Network.

Areas of expertise

Ms. Chao brings extensive experience in the strategic management of complex, multi-disciplinary global health teams to deliver sustainable public health interventions.

Education

Ms. Chao holds a Bachelor of Arts from Oberlin College, where she studied Russian and East Asian Studies. She also holds a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy (MALD) from the Fletcher School at Tufts University, where she focused on Economics and International Business Relations. Finally, she is an alumna of the International Career Advancement Program (ICAP) at the Aspen Institute.