In this role, O’Connell led the nation in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from public health emergencies and disasters. During her tenure, O’Connell responded to 20 public health emergencies; dozens of natural disasters–including Hurricane Helene and the Maui wildfire; dozens of infectious disease outbreaks–including COVID-19, mpox, and H5N1; and over 400 cyber security incidents. Before joining the Biden Administration, she was the Director of the US Office for the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness and Innovation (CEPI), a global partnership to develop vaccines to stop future epidemics. As Director, she was responsible for managing the broad spectrum of CEPI’s U.S. and North American interests including its relationships with U.S. and North American-based stakeholders, government entities, and industry partners. Prior to her work with CEPI, O’Connell served as a Senior Counselor to Secretary Sylvia Burwell and Deputy Chief of Staff to Secretary Sebelius at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) during the Obama-Biden Administration. In these roles, O’Connell advised the Secretaries on high-priority domestic policy, global health and humanitarian issues, including infectious diseases, public health emergencies, and refugees. She worked with HHS leaders, the White House, and other federal and international partners, to resolve key policy challenges, lead implementation, and drive progress toward Administration goals. O’Connell received a Bachelor of Arts in Literature from Vanderbilt University and a Juris Doctor from Tulane University School of Law. She is an avid runner, and lives in Washington, DC with her husband Ben and two daughters, Frannie and Maddie.