Sondik to Step Down as NCHS Director

HYATTSVILLE, MD – The Director of CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), Dr. Edward J. Sondik, has announced that he will be leaving NCHS at the end of April.  Charles J. Rothwell, currently the Center’s Director of Vital Statistics, began as Acting Director of NCHS on April 1, 2013, as CDC searches for a permanent director.

Dr. Sondik started his career by studying electrical engineering for control systems, computers, and operations research while earning a doctorate degree at Stanford University.  In the 1970’s, he joined the National Institutes of Health to work on clinical trial policy for the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.  In 1982, he joined the National Cancer Institute (NCI).  Here, he held a number of positions, including serving as deputy director of the Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, where among other duties, he oversaw the pioneering Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results cancer registry.  He also served as acting director of NCI for a period of time prior to coming to CDC.

Rothwell takes over after earning the distinction as a Top Leader in Federal Service as director of the Division of Vital Statistics at NCHS.  Prior to working with CDC, he served more than a decade as the first director of North Carolina’s Center for Health Statistics.  In addition, Rothwell helped develop the National Science Foundation’s digital government initiative and served on a peer review team for the Library of Congress’ National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program.

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