CFSAN Director Sundlof to leave FDA for Teaching Position

Published: May 3, 2010

May 3, 2010

Below is a letter issued by Commissioner Margaret Hamburg and Deputy Commissioner for Foods Michael Taylor regarding personnel changes at the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.

Dear Colleagues,

It is with mixed emotions that we announce that Stephen F. Sundlof, D.V.M., Ph.D., is stepping down from his position leading the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) to accept a two-year assignment with the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine.

Dr. Sundlof has been providing leadership at FDA for 16 years, including 14 years as the Director of the Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM). We will miss him, but we are pleased for him as he returns to his academic roots. We are particularly pleased that Steve will be developing a program that will directly benefit FDA by providing a continuous source of highly competent professionals to meet our food safety and public health goals. This new role reflects Dr. Sundlof's sustained dedication to FDA's mission, and we are grateful for that. We are also fortunate that Steve will continue to be available to the Foods Program as a Senior Advisor.

Steve began his career in 1980 on the faculty of the University of Florida's College of Veterinary Medicine. His research interests in drug residues in livestock eventually led to interactions with the FDA, first as a member and later as the chair of the FDA's Veterinary Medicine Advisory Committee. In 1994, he was named the CVM Director by FDA Commissioner David Kessler.

Coming full circle with his return to academia, Steve will be starting a new training and development program in regulatory science in conjunction with the University of Minnesota and the Ohio State University. He will be designing a curriculum for certification and Master degrees drawing from key faculty across three large universities with strong public health programs, and from FDA subject matter experts. The programs will be designed especially for government employees and will offer a blend of science, policy, leadership, and nontechnical skills necessary to be successful in today's complex regulatory environment. Steve assumes these new duties on May 10, 2010.

We are pleased to announce that Michael Landa, who has been Deputy Director for Regulatory Affairs at CFSAN since 2004 and began his FDA career in 1978 as Assistant Chief Counsel for Enforcement, Medical Devices and Veterinary Medicine, has agreed to serve as Acting Director. In addition, Roberta Wagner and Donald Kraemer, who have extensive experience at FDA, both at headquarters and in the field, will serve as Acting Deputy Directors.

Roberta Wagner, who joined FDA in 1987 as a Laboratory Analyst in the Baltimore district, has served as Director of CFSAN's Office of Compliance since 2008. Donald Kraemer, who joined FDA in 1977 as a Consumer Safety Officer in the New Orleans district, has been Deputy Director of CFSAN's Office of Food Safety since 2007. We are confident that Mike, Roberta and Don, with their extensive FDA experience, will ensure a smooth transition.

Please join us in thanking Steve for his 16 years of leadership at the FDA and wishing him, Mike, Roberta and Don all the best as they embark upon their new challenges.

Sincerely,

Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D.
Commissioner for Food and Drugs

Michael R. Taylor
Deputy Commissioner for Foods