[American Thinker] Our eyes have become accustomed to the visual clichés of the media. The male news anchor is a man of expertise and experience paired with a promising young woman who is smart but not yet accomplished. He has the gravitas of a person at the pinnacle of his career and she has the sex appeal of a vibrant young woman who has potential and promise, but is not yet proven. He is in his 60s and she is in her early to mid-30s. Around the conference table are men who are immediately recognizable; they are male leaders known for their experience and position. The two or three women are beautiful young aspiring leaders who obviously have the potential of "going somewhere" in their careers, but, alas, they are not yet seasoned by experience; they haven’t yet really earned their place at the table! We’ve all rejoiced at the sight of a few women around the President at the famous Resolute desk in the Oval Office and at the increasing visibility of colorful dresses among the dark suits, but the disparity of gravitas between the women and men has become more and more glaring.Then, along comes the coordinator of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, Deborah L. Birx. At 63 years-of-age, Dr. Birx has earned significant credentials and she carries herself as a woman of distinction and expertise. She exudes gravitas ‐ effortlessly, simply as part and parcel of what her years of diligence and hard work have shaped her to be.
Dr. Birx is a public health physician who formerly served as an ambassador and the director of the global HIV/AIDS program at the Centers for Disease Control. Dr. Birx is also Col. Birx, having served for 20 years in the Army as an immunology clinician before retiring from the military in 2005. She has both developed and patented vaccines, "including leading one of the most influential HIV vaccine trials in history." She holds two U.S. Meritorious Service medals in addition to the Legion of Merit Award. The director of the scientific advisory board for Pepfar described Dr. Birx as a "bold leader" who makes decisions based on the data and has garnered respect for being willing to make the hard calls.
Dr. Birx obviously belongs among the leaders who are advising the president and leading the nation’s response to the global pandemic of Covid-19. In fact, she is a stand-out among all the experts, male and female, who surround the president at the briefings. It’s easy to see that the camaraderie is among equals, with the president even teasing Dr. Birx about her minor fever the previous weekend.