Spring 2004 Issue
CDC Foundation Broadens its Reach
Atlanta and National Advocacy Councils formed
The CDC Foundation has established two new advocacy groups - the Atlanta Advocacy Council and the National Advocacy Council - to help leverage additional resources for CDC, both within the Atlanta community and across the country. Although the Councils will function differently, both are composed of community leaders who share a commitment to supporting the work of CDC through the CDC Foundation.
The Atlanta and National Advocacy Councils evolved from the Foundation’s seven-year-old Board of Visitors - a highly successful program created to provide a channel of communication between CDC and the Atlanta business community. As CDC’s visibility has grown significantly over the last few years, so has interest in CDC among individuals nationwide. To better serve a geographically broader constituency, the Foundation restructured its Board of Visitors program to accommodate both local and national members.
Like the former Board of Visitors program, the Atlanta Advocacy Council is composed mostly of members of the Atlanta business and leadership community. Atlanta Advocacy Council gatherings will serve as a forum for CDC administrators and scientists to brief members about the work of the agency.
These briefings will provide an opportunity for individuals to learn more about public health and how the Foundation works to support CDC’s mission.
The National Advocacy Council was created to accommodate a growing network of people around the country who are interested in the Foundation and CDC. Individuals who join the National Advocacy Council agree to take a more active role in introducing the work of CDC and the CDC Foundation to others in their communities. Members of the National Advocacy Council will provide value to the CDC Foundation in a number of ways including:
- helping to host events in their cities,
- representing the CDC Foundation at special meetings and conferences,
- providing significant financial support to the CDC Foundation annually, and
- helping to build regional networks of support for the CDC Foundation.
Members of the National Advocacy Council will also be invited to attend an annual dinner with CDC leadership and CDC Foundation Board members, briefings by CDC scientists, and private tours of CDC facilities. Membership for the National Advocacy Council is by invitation only.
“These two new advocacy groups would not be possible if it weren’t for the overwhelming success of the Board of Visitors, chaired by Veronica Biggins. Under her leadership, the Board of Visitors brought the Foundation and CDC greater attention, broader visibility and many new friends,” says Charles Stokes, president and CEO of the CDC Foundation. “We look forward to carrying this momentum forward with the Atlanta and National Advocacy Councils.”
For more information about the Atlanta and National Advocacy Councils, please contact Chloe Tonney, Associate Vice President for Development at 404-653-0790.