Anthony Garza
Department of Health and Human Services
2020 fellow
CAPT Garza serves as the Senior Program Manager in the Office of Counterterrorism and Emerging Threats (OCET) at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In this capacity, CAPT Garza is responsible for leading the Agency Department of Defense Enhanced Engagement Team, liaison for medical countermeasures to the Department of Defense, FDA’s Medical Countermeasure Professional Development, and responsible for leading, managing, and coordinating office programs and portfolios with Department of State, Department of Homeland Security, and the intelligence community. CAPT Garza was also the primary emergency coordinator assisting in FDA’s response to the Ebola Virus in West Africa.
Prior to joining OCET in 2011, CAPT Garza served in FDA’s Office of Crisis Management. His work consisted of planning and executing full scale, tabletop, and other exercises for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Chemical (CBRN) events and developing and refining exercise plans, goals, objectives, and evaluations. In addition to planning, CAPT Garza was the primary emergency coordinator assisting in FDA’s response to the H1N1 influenza pandemic. From 2007 to 2008, CAPT Garza was a Project Officer/Staff Program Management Officer at the Biomedical Advanced Research Development Authority (BARDA), where he was the Project officer for the Neutropenia acquisition, Dosimetry and Co-Project officer for Liquid Potassium Iodide projects. CAPT Garza was also a team member on the interagency workgroup for the Strategic National Stockpile, Quality Control. Prior to joining BARDA in 2007, CAPT Garza was a laboratory Biologist at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office of Pesticide Programs, Biological and Economic Analysis Division, Microbiology Branch from 2004 to 2007.
During his time at the EPA, CAPT Garza coordinated collaboration with multiple laboratories on the development of guidance on test methods for demonstrating efficacy of antimicrobial products for inactivating Bacillus anthracis spores. From 1998 to 2004, CAPT Garza was assigned to the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases as a medical research technician, research identifier with a rank of Specialist E-4, where he conducted mucosal vaccine research against bacterial toxins. CAPT Garza received a Bachelor of Science in Biology with a Chemistry minor from Shepherd University, a Master of Science in Environmental Biology from Hood College and a Certificate in Biohazardous Threat Agents & Emerging Infectious Disease from Georgetown University.
At the White House Office of Management and Budget, CAPT Garza is the Performance Team Lead for the Improving Customer Experience with Federal Services CAP Goal.
