Catherine Hermsen is the Assistant Commissioner for Criminal Investigations (OCI) within the Office of Regulatory Affairs (ORA) in the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).  In this role, Cathy has responsibility for providing direction and oversight within the law enforcement and intelligence arm of the FDA.  OCI is responsible for conducting all criminal investigations involving FDA regulated products under the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) and other relevant Title 18 violations, as part of their role to protect the public health.

Prior to her appointment as Assistant Commissioner (formerly the director position), Cathy served as the acting director of OCI for two years and served in the roles of deputy director, special agent in charge of the Kansas City field office, assistant special agent in charge of the Kansas City field office and was in the first graduating class from OCI’s Special Agent Training Program.

Cathy has over thirty years of experience in federal law enforcement.  She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Northern Iowa.