Welcome to POLITICO’s West Wing Playbook, your guide to the people and power centers in the Biden administration. Send tips | Subscribe here | Email Alex | Email Max ROCHELLE WALENSKY needed some help. In January 2021, the physician and longtime academic was taking over the public health agency responsible for leading the fight against a once-in-a-century pandemic. With high stakes and little experience in the federal government, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began quietly consulting with an executive coach, TIM SULLIVAN , founder of the Boston-area Wellesley Partners. The pair met regularly in one- or two-hour Zoom sessions or in person in Massachusetts for several months through Labor Day, according to Walensky’s schedule, obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request by the conservative group Americans for Public Trust. The first appointment on the calendar was March 30, 2021. “Tim’s focus on quickly identifying ‘what is holding you back’ as an individual is the hallmark of the firm’s approach,” according to its website. The company also boasts it has worked with “thousands of healthcare professionals to drive greater performance through fully integrated and tailored organizational solutions." In the weeks following sessions with Sullivan, Walensky began a listening tour around the CDC and reshuffling the agency bureaucracy to consolidate her authority, as POLITICO’s ERIN BANCO reported last May. The extra coaching is the latest example of Walensky trying to improve her performance as the Biden administration struggled with ever-changing masking guidance, vaccine skepticism, and variants they did not anticipate. Last fall, Walensky also began meeting with Democratic Party media consultant MANDY GRUNWALD to improve her public communication skills. It came as voters began fuming at the administration’s handling of the pandemic and as White House officials sometimes felt blindsided by her announcements. JASON McDONALD , a CDC spokesperson, said in a statement that “Dr. Walensky recognizes the contributions of coaching to strong leadership. She has been working with her coach since her arrival in January 2021. It is very common in federal agencies for government executives to have coaches.” McDonald didn’t answer a question about who paid for the sessions — the CDC or Walensky. The White House declined to comment; Sullivan and Wellesley Partners did not respond to a request for comment. “Given what is going on in the nature of the world which feels like a never-ending pandemic, we feel it’s important to highlight what’s going on, particularly with a figure at the head of the CDC,” said CAITLIN SUTHERLAND, executive director of Americans for Public Trust. “How many outside individuals need to be brought on to help Rochelle? Not to say there’s anything wrong with outside consultants but they are supposed to help improve a leader.” MARISSA PADILLA, a communications consultant who aided Walensky during the transition, argued that the incoming director was "clear-eyed about the challenges going into CDC," including the need to boost morale. Executive coaching within the federal government has become more common in recent years, although it’s often done through a government contractor or employee who knows the agencies. In 2018, the Trump administration urged agencies to use coaching more. “Coaching is one of the most valuable developmental resources we can offer our workforce,” the White House’s Office of Personnel Management said at the time. TOM FRIEDEN , the CDC director during the Obama administration, told West Wing Playbook he "periodically sought professional input to improve my skills, including executive coaching and media training.” He added: “It is standard — and helpful — for people in leadership and/or public-facing roles to work on professional development so that they can best serve in their role." A former senior Biden health official echoed that it’s “actually really good for agencies to offer this to people." Still, the official called Walensky's reliance on such a small shop with no clear government ties "a little weird." TEXT US — Are you ROBBIE GOLDSTEIN, senior policy adviser at the CDC? We want to hear from you. And we’ll keep you anonymous if you’d like. Or if you think we missed something in today’s edition, let us know and we may include it tomorrow. Email us at westwingtips@politico.com or you can text/Signal/Wickr Alex at 8183240098.
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