Dr. Erica Schwartz (Photo Credit: public domain) Politics by Selena Hill Dr. Erica Schwartz Becomes The 1st Black Woman Confirmed As CDC Director The Senate confirmed Dr. Erica Schwartz to lead the Centers for Disease Control, putting a seasoned public health veteran in charge of the agencyThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a new boss. The U.S. Senate voted 51-44 to confirm Dr. Erica Schwartz as the CDC’s next director, making her the first Black woman to hold this position. The confirmation ends nearly a year of revolving-door leadership at the nation’s top public health agency. That’s a heavy lift for any executive, let alone the first permanent CDC director in nearly a year. During her confirmation hearing, Schwartz pledged to restore public confidence through what she called “radical transparency” and “unwavering scientific integrity.”