R. Timothy Ziemer

R. Timothy Ziemer (born 1946) is an American retired naval officer. He was a U.S. Navy helicopter pilot in the Vietnam War, commanded several squadrons and an air wing during the First Gulf War, and completed his Navy career as commander of the Navy's Mid-Atlantic Region, with the rank of rear admiral. After retiring he became an expert in global disaster response and health threats. He led the President's Malaria Initiative from 2006 until 2017, then joined the National Security Council as the director in charge of global health security and biothreats, serving until May 8, 2018, when the position was abolished by the Trump administration.

Early life and education He was born in Sioux City, Iowa. The son of Christian missionaries, he grew up in Buôn Ma Thuột in what was then French Indochina (now Vietnam). Ziemer was fluent in Rade, the local language. In 1968, as he was about to graduate from Wheaton College, his father and five other missionaries were killed, his mother was wounded, and the missionary compound was destroyed during a major battle connected to the Tet Offensive of the Vietnam War. Ziemer joined the United States Navy and became a Navy pilot. His first duty assignment was to fly helicopter gunships in South Vietnam Ziemer also taught at the Naval War College, and he served as deputy director for operations at the National Military Command Center (NMCC) on the Joint Staff J-3 directorate. His final assignment was as commander of Navy Region Mid-Atlantic, headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia, which provides shore support for the largest naval complex in the world.

Post-Navy career

Retiring from the Navy after 30 years, he became vice president of the Arlington Institute, a think tank specializing in futures studies. He then became the executive director of World Relief, a global evangelical Christian humanitarian organization focusing on disaster relief, maternal and child health, and HIV/AIDS programs. He continued to serve as U.S. Global Malaria Coordinator until 2017.

In 2017, Ziemer joined President Donald Trump's National Security Council as Senior Director for Global Health Security and Biothreats. His responsibilities in the role included preparedness against infectious diseases, including leading the response in case of a pandemic and strategies for defense against biological weapons. As part of the restructuring,

Ziemer then served as an administrator in the Bureau for Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance within the U.S. Agency for International Development. In May 2020, he announced he would retire on June 5.

Awards While on active duty, Ziemer received multiple awards of the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal and Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal.

Ziemer was awarded the 2015 Roger E. Joseph Prize by the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion for his work on the President's Malaria Initiative. Ziemer also received the 2015 Distinguished Service to Society Award from the alumni association of his alma mater, Wheaton College.

Personal life He is married to the former Jodi Evans, whom he has known since childhood; she was the daughter of missionaries stationed near Ziemer's family.