Patrick chosen as CDC Foundation chief officer

ATLANTA, GA. - The CDC Foundation, based in Atlanta, Ga., has named Kent County native Monique Saunders Patrick as chief operating officer.

A 1984 graduate of Kent County High School, Patrick is the daughter of Cheryl and James Saunders of Big Woods, and the sister of singer and recording artist Marlon Saunders.

In her new role, Patrick will report to the president and CEO of the foundation that aids the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She will be responsible for the foundation's finance, human resources, legal and information technology functions, and will serve on the foundation's executive team.

"We are very excited to welcome Monique to the CDC Foundation team," said Judith Monroe, CDC Foundation president. "Monique's experience will be invaluable to us as we continue to build on our strategy and internal structure in support of the important work of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention."

Patrick brings more than 25 years of experience in finance, operations and administration management to the CDC Foundation. She most recently served as the chief finance and administrative officer for the Points of Light Foundation.

Previously, she was managing director of finance and operations at the American Cancer Society. She also has worked in director-level roles at BellSouth; as a senior business planner and project manager at Pepsi Cola Co.; and in financial positions with IBM Credit and Hong Kong Shanghai Banking Corp.

Patrick received her bachelor of arts degree in finance/business administration from Howard University and her master of business administration from the Darden Business School at the University of Virginia. In 2014, she was one of 10 Darden School of Business alumni to be honored in the Alumni Showcase.

She currently serves as a board member for the Elaine Clark Center in Atlanta. Previously, she was a board member and vice chairman of ROOTS Adoption Agency and participated in the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta.

In 2015, Patrick was keynote speaker for the American Express Leadership Academy. In 2009, she was a guest instructor at the Darden Business School. Also in 2009, Diversity MBA Magazine named her as a top 100 emerging leader.

Established by Congress in 1995, the CDC Foundation is an independent nonprofit organization that has raised more than $620 million through partnerships with philanthropies, corporations, organizations and individuals. It manages nearly 300 CDC-led programs in the United States and in 75 countries. For more information, visit www.cdcfoundation.org.