Dana Pitts

Today we’re getting under the hood with Dana Pitts—a mother, daughter, sister and friend—who is an award-winning communications leader with a career spanning diplomacy, global health, and public health innovation. Beginning as a U.S. diplomat in Norway and France, she transitioned to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), where her work in public health has extended to over 60 countries and throughout the United States. She has been on the front lines of critical public health responses, including outbreaks of foodborne illness, cholera, Ebola, and COVID-19.

Dana’s true skill lies in building partnerships and making connections that amplify impact. She brings people together across cultures, disciplines, and organizations, fostering collaboration to address complex public health challenges. With a passion for prevention and community empowerment, Dana sees the powerful connection between translating complex science and providing people with the information they need to make informed decisions about their health and safety. Whether addressing food safety or clean water initiatives or helping communities navigate crises, her work focuses on meeting people where they are, respecting their perspectives, and equipping them to reduce risk and improve well-being.

In addition to her work at the CDC, Dana serves on the board of the Bettie Brand Mothers Empowerment Fund, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering women through storytelling and support. She believes in the transformative power of stories to inspire action, build community, and create lasting change. For Dana, public health is about more than preventing disease—it’s about how we live our lives and the responsibility we share in building healthier, stronger communities.

Listen to Dana’s inspiring story.