Commissioner of Food and Drugs Andrew C. von Eschenbach, MD, announces the appointments of Lou Valdez as associate commissioner for international programs, and of Lori Davis as chief information officer.

The appointments come at a time of significant global expansion for the FDA. In 2008 the FDA opened offices in China and implemented plans for additional offices in India, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East.

Lou Valdez has previous experience at the HHS Office of Global Health Affairs, and holds a Master of Science degree in Management from the University of Maryland University College. She will help lead implementation of the FDA’s international programs as part of her new role.
 
As chief information officer, Lori Davis will be responsible for strengthening FDA’s IT infrastructure, and for creating a robust IT foundation to enhance the interoperability of systems across the agency. Davis previously served as acting deputy director in the Office of Strategic Operations and Regulatory Affairs at HHS’ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. She holds a Master of Public Administration degree from the Louisiana State University.