Meet the New Chief Professional Officer for the Environmental Health Officer Category

CAPT Craig A. Shepherd was selected by Surgeon General Richard H. Carmona as the Chief Professional Officer for the Environmental Health Officer category effective 1 November 2005. As Chief Environmental Health Officer, CAPT Shepherd is responsible for providing leadership and coordination of Public Health Service (PHS) environmental health officer professional affairs for the Office of the Surgeon General. He also provides guidance and advice to the Surgeon General and the Environmental Health Officer Professional Advisory Committee (EHOPAC) on matters such as recruitment, retention, career development, and readiness of PHS environmental health officers.

CAPT Shepherd earned his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Maryland in 1978. Since his commission in July 1979, he has served in a variety of environmental health programs and management assignments in the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. PHS (Corps). CAPT Shepherd began his Corps career as a staff environmental health specialist with the Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Administration (now the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration). He was stationed at St. Elizabeths Hospital in Washington, D.C., when it was the largest Federally-funded mental institution in the country. While at St. Elizabeths, he conducted routine institutional environmental health inspections and investigations.

In 1980, he transferred to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Baltimore District Office, Falls Church (Virginia) Resident Post, where he served as a milk/food specialist. CAPT Shepherd worked with local, county, State, and other Federal agencies on matters pertaining to FDA’s regulated products and food sanitation codes. In 1984, he was a key team member in evaluating the Virginia food service program. He also conducted blood-bank inspections; drug investigations; and interstate sanitation inspections on ships, aircraft, trains, and other conveyances. He also investigated numerous consumer complaints and product recalls. On many occasions, CAPT Shepherd supervised and monitored food preparation at the request of the U.S. Secret Service for President Reagan, Vice President Bush, and other distinguished U.S. leaders.

In 1984, CAPT Shepherd transferred to the Indian Health Service (IHS) Headquarters in Rockville, Maryland, where he served as a staff environmental health specialist in the Environmental Health Services (EHS) program. While in this position, he administered the Junior Commissioned Officer Student Training and Extern Program (JRCOSTEP) for the IHS/EHS program nationwide. He also was instrumental in coordinating the logistics of the Annual IHS American Indian/Alaska Native Safety Campaign—from development of publicity materials to the formal awards ceremony with the Secretary of Health and Human Services.

From 1988 to 1992, CAPT Shepherd was assigned to the IHS Nashville Area Office (NAO), Southern District Office, as the Southern District Environmental Health Specialist in Atmore, Alabama. There CAPT Shepherd worked closely as an environmental health consultant and technical advisor to eight Federally recognized tribes in five States. He was the project manager for the comprehensive health care delivery system for four tribes in Louisiana and Texas. While at this duty station, CAPT Shepherd received a Master of Public Health degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He also completed the IHS Injury Prevention Specialist Fellowship Program and presented his special study, “An Evaluation of the IHS Injury Prevention Specialist Fellowship Program, 1987–1991.”

From August 1992 to December 2002, he was the Director of Environmental Health Services for the Nashville Area Office of IHS. In this position, CAPT Shepherd managed the environmental health services program responsible for providing technical assistance and consultative services to 24 tribes from Maine to Southern Florida to Eastern Texas and to three urban programs in New York City, Boston, and Baltimore. From September 1997 to December 2000, he also served as the Nashville Area IHS Injury Prevention Specialist.

In January 2003, CAPT Shepherd accepted a position as a Senior Environmental Health Officer in the Environmental Health Services Branch (EHSB) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH). He is actively engaged in the primary mission of the branch; revitalizing and strengthening environmental health programs at the State, tribal, and local level.

CAPT Shepherd serves as a technical advisor to environmental health services capacity building grantees throughout the United States and internationally. As an environmental health subject matter expert, he routinely provides critical input in the development of CDC reference manuals, guidance documents and fact sheets. He also responds to environmental public health inquiries and controlled correspondence initiated by concerned citizens, congressional representatives, private industry, and local, tribal, State, and Federal officials on various environmental health subjects and issues.

CAPT Shepherd has been a leader in promoting readiness for the Environmental Health Officer category. He has led by example by obtaining the Field Medical Readiness Badge and has responded to various humanitarian and natural disasters, including: Haitian Refugee Crisis – Ft. Allen, Puerto Rico 1982; drought assessment - Federated States of Micronesia 1992; Hurricane Andrew 1992; and the mid-west flood 1993. He most recently has served as environmental health team leader for PHS responses to Hurricanes Jeanne, Ivan, and Katrina.

CAPT Shepherd has served on numerous special projects and national work groups and has shown notable leadership in Corps activities while serving as a past member and Chair. He was the Chair of the IHS Promotion Recommendation Methodology Work Group. In addition, he served a 6-year appointment to the EHOPAC, including two terms as Chair. While on the EHOPAC, CAPT Shepherd was Chair of the Marketing and Recruitment Subcommittee and Co-Chair of the Career Development Subcommittee. He currently is a member of the EHSB Military Environmental Health Initiative Work Group. As team leader and member, he completed reaccreditation surveys of two undergraduate environmental health programs. He also served as a member of the following committees and work groups: United South and Eastern Tribes Epidemiology Center Advisory Committee; IHS Nashville Area Health Indicator Review Committee; IHS NAO Core Formulation Team; Corps Leadership and Role of the Surgeon General; IHS NAO Commissioned Officer Awards Board; and IHS EHS Focus Group on Area Reviews. CAPT Shepherd has served as a JRCOSTEP preceptor for many years, has been an active PHS Associate Recruiter since 1991, and has been active in the EHOPAC Mentoring program since 1987.

CAPT Shepherd was assimilated into the Regular Corps in 1992. He has received numerous awards, including the PHS Outstanding Service Medal, two Commendation Medals, four Achievement Medals, two Citations, 12 Unit Commendations, five Special Assignment Awards, a National Emergency Preparedness Award, three Crisis Response Service Awards, and the Field Medical Readiness Badge. In addition, CAPT Shepherd has been awarded the Virgil Peavy Workforce Development Group Award; NCEH/Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry Technical Assistance Group Award; National Partnership for Reinventing Government Award; Telly Award – International Competition Honoring Excellence in Video Production; two IHS Area Director Awards for Exceptional Performance; IHS Area Director’s Award for Managerial Excellence; and the FDA Commissioner’s Special Citation.

In 2005, CAPT Shepherd was the recipient of the John G. Todd Award, the highest honor bestowed upon a PHS Environmental Health Officer for career achievements by the EHOPAC.

CAPT Shepherd is a Registered Environmental Sanitarian with the Maryland Department of Environment. He maintains memberships in several professional organizations, including the Commissioned Officers Association, National Environmental Health Association, and Military Officers Association of America. He is also the President of the American Academy of Sanitarians, Inc.

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