Mary Lou Valdez

Ms. Mary Lou Valdez, a U.S. citizen and former official of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), became the Deputy Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) in February of 2020. The second-highest post at PAHO/WHO, with a portfolio that includes serving as Secretary to the Governing Bodies of the Organization, including the Pan American Sanitary Conference, the Directing Council, and the Executive Committee. She oversees the official relations with the Governments of Canada, Puerto Rico and the United States of America; serves as a member of the Organization’s Executive Management, and has direct oversight of the Departments of Planning and Budget; External Relations, Partnerships and Resource Mobilization; Communications as well as the Offices of Governing Bodies and Equity, Gender and Cultural diversity.