Nancy Messonnier, MD, resigned May 7 as director of the CDC National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, according to The New York Times.
Dr. Messonnier's last day with the CDC is May 14, according to the report.
In an email to staff cited by the Times and The Washington Post, she wrote: "My family and I have determined that now is the best time for me to transition to a new phase of my career. CDC has provided me many meaningful, rewarding, and challenging opportunities to grow intellectually and mature as a public health leader."
She added: "I am especially grateful for the time, talent, and energy that so many of you gave over the past 16 months. Together and in collaboration with our partners across public health and the federal, state, tribal, local and territorial government, we achieved incredible things, including deploying multiple vaccines in under one year and building the information infrastructure to provide real-time vaccination coverage and vaccine safety data."
She also told staff she will begin a new position as executive director for pandemic and public health systems at the Skoll Foundation, a Palo Alto, Calif.-based philanthropic organization.
Dr. Messonnier became director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the CDC in 2016 and has played a key role during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Her resignation comes after Politico reported April 22 that Dr. Messonnier was reassigned from her role leading the agency's COVID-19 vaccine efforts amid restructuring under CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, MD.
Dr. Walensky said in a statement shared with Becker's: "I am truly appreciative of Dr. Messonnier's service to her nation during her career at CDC. She has made significant contributions to public health and leaves behind a legacy of strong leadership and courage."
"I wish her the best in her future endeavor," Dr. Walensky said.
Read the full Times report here and the full Post report here.