CAPT Diedre N. Presley
CAPT Diedre N. Presley was selected by the Surgeon General ADM Jerome Adams in March 2020 to serve as the Chief Professional Officer (CPO) for the Health Services Officer category. As the Chief Professional Officer, CAPT Presley will advise the Office of the Surgeon General and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on the recruitment, assignment, deployment, retention, and career development of over 1,200 health service professionals in the Health Services Officer category.
With more than 20 years as a health care administrator, CAPT Presley serves as the Deputy Assistant Director (DAD) of Administration for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Health Service Corps (IHSC), where she oversees a multidisciplinary team of health care professionals focused on providing the tools, resources, and services essential to sustaining the IHSC health care delivery system. IHSC provides on-site direct patient care at 20 facilities throughout the country and manages the provision of off-site medical care for those housed in approximately 240 additional facilities. In addition, she advises the Associate Director of IHSC on all aspects of personnel policy, force development, and staffing requirements for over 1,600 U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps officers, federal civil servants, and contract health professionals; medical education and development; credentialing and privileging; data analytics; records and information management; and aides in executing an over $238M annual budget.
CAPT Presley earned her commission in 1996 through the U.S. Air Force Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program at Georgia Tech University, Atlanta, Georgia. She was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant and graduated cum laude, receiving her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Spelman College, Atlanta, Georgia. CAPT Presley’s first assignment was the Air Force Occupational Measurement Squadron at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas. As a Behavioral Scientist, she analyzed USAF Occupational Surveys used to define, refine, and maintain occupational classification structures. Upon completion of graduate school in 1998 from Webster University, San Antonio, Texas, with a dual master’s degree in Health Services Management and Human Resources Development, CAPT Presley was selected into the Air Force Medical Service Corps program. Over the course of eight years, CAPT Presley served in a number of military health care positions ranging from Medical Logistics officer, Executive officer, Operations Manager, to Group Practice Manager.
In 2004, CAPT Presley transferred to the U.S. Public Health Service. Her first assignment was the Operations Manager and Contracting Officer Technical Representative for the Federal Strategic Health Alliance (FEDS_HEAL) Program under HHS, Federal Occupational Health. In 2006, CAPT Presley was reassigned to the Department of Defense (DoD) Health Affairs, Force Health Protection and Readiness, where she was instrumental in the seamless transition of the FEDS_HEAL program to DOD.
In 2014, CAPT Presley received the Defense Superior Service Medal as Director and Contracting Officer Representative, Reserve Health Readiness Program, Force Health Protection and Readiness, Defense Health Agency, for her outstanding program leadership in the provision of medical and dental readiness services to over 416M Service members across the seven Reserve Components (Reserve and Guard), including that of the U.S. Coast Guard, as well as active duty members in remote locations.
CAPT Presley has served in multiple leadership positions for Rapid Deployment Team – 1 and Services Access Team - 1. She has deployed in support of United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps response missions from 2005 to present.
