[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 63 (Thursday, April 19, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E790]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO BOB KEEGAN

                                 ______
                                 

                  HON. HENRY C. ``HANK'' JOHNSON, JR.

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 19, 2007

  Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Madam Speaker, after nearly 33 years of 
service with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Bob Keegan, deputy 
director of the Global Immunization Division, retired on March 30, 
2007. Bob spent the first 11 years of his career in STD control, first 
as a public health advisor in Newark, NJ, and New York City; as STD 
regional training instructor in Atlanta; as deputy to Marty Goldberg in 
Houston, TX; and finally as the STD education specialist in Atlanta.
  From 1985 to 1990, Bob coordinated CDC's Refugee Health Activities in 
Southeast Asia, helping to assure that refugees from Vietnam, Cambodia, 
and Laos were immunized and treated for communicable diseases.
  In 1991, Bob joined the newly formed Polio Eradication Activity, 
which had a staff of six and an annual budget of $3 million. Since that 
time, the Activity has grown to become the Global Immunization 
Division, GID, with a staff of 100, and an annual budget of more than 
$140 million. GID has expanded to include measles mortality reduction 
and regional elimination, and routine immunization strengthening. As 
the deputy director of GID, Bob has helped CDC become a major force in 
the global polio eradication initiative. Bob is a recipient of the 
William C. Watson Jr. Medal of Excellence, Public Health Advisor of the 
Year Award from the Watsonian Society, the Philip Home Award from NIP, 
and the CDC Foundation Heroes Award.
  Bob worked closely with the CDC Foundation, CDC colleagues, Rotary 
International, and partners to help establish the Polio Eradication 
Heroes Fund. This fund honors those injured or killed while working on 
vaccination campaigns with recognition and a cash award for their 
families. Bob also helped the CDC Foundation establish the Endowment 
for Global Health Priorities, providing a flexible funding source for 
essential services and equipment for CDC's global health activities. 
This endowment has been especially useful to support activities in the 
field.
  Although not part of his official duties, Bob is the developer and 
administrator of CDC Chatter.net, an unofficial blog for CDC employees.
  Bob is known as an innovative leader, a superb manager and creative 
trainer, and, at times, a rabble-rouser. He has served as an informal 
mentor to many and has gained deep respect and friendship from 
colleagues around the world. Not quite ready to put his feet up, Bob 
plans to ride his recumbent tricycle across the United States this 
summer before joining Gloria, his wife, in London where she will 
continue her career in school counseling.
  I congratulate him on his achievements.

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