I am honored and delighted to be selected as the next director of the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. There are so many things to think about as I make this transition to my new position at CDC – taking on a new role, moving to a new city, learning the language of a federal agency, etc. But one of the best things about all of this is the opportunity to work with dedicated and smart people, both at CDC and in the injury field. This is an exciting time for our field, with the attention that is being paid to injury at so many levels – locally, statewide, nationally and globally. We are starting to see injury being recognized as a public health problem not only by those who focus their work in the field of injury prevention and control, but by organizations such as the Association of State and Territorial Health Directors (ASTHO), who have been working to decrease motor vehicle related mortality and morbidity. The Global Road Traffic Safety Initiative recognizes the growing problem of motor vehicle related injury and death in developing countries, and Dr. Frieden has identified motor vehicle injury prevention as one of the "winnable battles" that CDC will take on. Health reform provides other opportunities for prevention activities. It is clear that others are starting to see the importance of preventing injuries, both intentional and unintentional, across the lifespan.