Alumni
Profiles of Success
Thena Monts Durham
Deputy Directory for Policy (retired)
National Center for HIV, STD and TB Prevention
Centers for Disease Control
M.S. Developmental Biology 1968, Purdue
"The day came for me to leave Purdue, but I still had no job offer and had decided to go into the Peace Corp," reflects Thena Durham. "The call from CDC (now Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) came as my parents and I were loading the car "and the rest is history."
The year was 1968 and Thena had just completed her Masters in Developmental Biology. She had previously attended Fisk University, a private liberal arts college in Nashville, TN, where she earned a B.S. in Biology in 1966. "I had no specific career targets for employment," she says. "I had only one other interview with a company in New York." But the job offered to her on that last day at Purdue became much more than a new graduate's first job; instead, it marked the beginning of an extensive and rewarding career for Thena with CDC. "The New York City company also called shortly thereafter with an entry offer $25,000 more than CDC's, but I had made my decision and have never regretted it."
One of thirteen federal public health agencies within the Department of Health and Human Services, CDC is the lead federal agency for protecting the health and safety of people within the United States and abroad by preventing and controlling disease, injury, and disability. The Center is comprised of eleven major organizational components, including seven National Centers, one National Institute, and three Program Offices, which are based on specific missions and areas of expertise.
Thena began her career at CDC as a microbiologist in the Bureau of Laboratories. Surprisingly, she had never previously spoken to the scientist who offered her that first position. "I was hired based on a 30-minute Human Resources interview during a layover in Atlanta on my way home from the Christmas holidays," she explains. "I credit this rather amazing turn of events to the stellar reputation of Purdue’s Department of Biological Sciences and being able to bring cutting-edge microbiological and biochemical techniques to CDC, which I had learned while studying at Purdue." Thena would later move into a number of new roles within the agency. In 1974 she became a Research Microbiologist at the National Center for Infectious Diseases. In a complete career change that took her out of the laboratory in 1986, Thena was selected to be a program analyst in the Office of the Director of the Center for Health Promotion and Education, the forerunner of the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. She continued in this capacity until 1988, when she was named Associate Director for Program in the Center for Prevention Services, the predecessor of the National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention. In 1996 she became Director, Executive Secretariat for the CDC and its sister operating division, the Agency of Toxic Substances & Disease Registry (CDC/ATSDR).
In 2001 Thena was appointed to her current position as Deputy Director for Policy within the National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention (NCHSTP), which serves as a national leader in the prevention and control of human immunodeficiency virus infection and AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases, and tuberculosis. "In my role, I function as a principal advisor to and representative of the Director of NCHSTP on matters involving programmatic and legislative issues and the formulation of national and international policies on HIV/AIDS, STD, and TB." Thena also provides leadership for three offices within the Office of the Director, including the Office of Planning and Policy Coordination, the Office of Communications, and the newly formed Office of Health Disparities.
Thena has been affiliated with a number of professional committees throughout her career. She has served as a member of the CDC Federal Credit Union Board of Directors, has held membership on several internal advisory committees within the Center for Infectious Diseases, and has served as a Federal Discrimination Complaints Investigator. In 1975 she took a leadership role as co-founder of the Association for Professional Women, CDC/ATSDR, from 1987-1991 she established and coordinated the CDC/DeKalb County Partnership in Education Program’s school adoption activity at CDC/ATSDR, and she is currently active on the Volunteer Speakers Bureau. Thena is also a member of many professional and honor societies, including Phi Beta Kappa, Sigma Xi Scientific Research Society, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
The recipient of numerous annual CDC performance awards, Thena has also been presented with two Special Act awards, including one for her leadership role in the President’s nationally televised Apology to the Tuskegee Syphilis Study participants and their families, and another for her leadership in the confirmation of Dr. David Satcher as Surgeon General of the U.S. Public Health Service, Department of Health and Human Services.
Thena’s dedication and passion for what she does is evident. "The true hallmark of CDC is the commitment of its employees to improving the health and well-being of people around the world, and I am honored to be a part of these efforts," she remarks. "I have enjoyed and endeavored to be of value in all of the positions I have held. I have spent my entire work life at CDC because I truly believe in the mission of this organization. As a CDC employee, I have had myriad opportunities – from beginning my employment as a research microbiologist to now being the Deputy Director for Policy for one of the largest Centers within the agency. Certainly, there are far more lucrative careers than those in public health, but for me, I believe none could have been more satisfying."
CAREER ADVICE
Thena highly recommends that students seek out opportunities to volunteer
at work and in the community. Not only have her experiences in volunteerism
proved to be beneficial to her career, they have also been personally rewarding.
Her volunteer work, whether associated with CDC or the private sector, has
always had a community service focus. "I feel that I am a much better
person and leader because of these actions," states Thena, "which
served to assist CDC as a corporate citizen in the community and to help
other persons and organizations."
Further encouraging today’s students, Thena advises, "Keep an open and inquiring mind – never think that you know it all and never stop learning. And in all that you do, hold yourself to the highest professional and ethical standards. As the boundaries of knowledge continue to expand, these qualities must be maintained and held in the highest esteem. To the best of your ability and to the extent that you can, endeavor to leave this world a better place than you found it."