Where she’s from
Although she grew up in Topeka, Tanya was born in Hays, Kansas. Prior to joining the Johnson County Health Department in 1999, Tanya worked at the Reno County Health Department in Hutchinson. Having served for 13 years at KU Medical Center as Director of the Master of Public Health program, Tanya also teaches Leadership in Public Health and Public Health Internship for MPH students in the KU School of Medicine..
About her family
Tanya has a sister and brother-in-law who live in Shawnee and three nieces, a 19-year-old and 8-year-old twins, which she tries to keep up with in her spare time.
Why she joined the League
Tanya learned about the League via her friend and League member Leslie Sullivan. She attended several of the monthly meetings before joining and was impressed with the breadth of information provided. As a public health nurse, Tanya knew the importance of civic engagement and saw the League was a way to enhance and implement her passion for public health—both personally and professionally.
What she thinks the League does well
The monthly programs—both in-person and virtually are in Tanya’s estimation a real strength. She notes that LWVJoCo board members work well together and share knowledge and expertise, which makes for a stronger organization.
Where she would like to see the League focus in the future
Much of the LWVJoCo programming overlaps with public health issues. In Tanya’s estimation, public health affects all people and could be a priority focus for the League. Issues related to community health, disease prevention, housing and vaccines are all important public programs that become stronger with informed citizen input.
What she does to strengthen our democracy
Tanya was involved in the League’s Civic Engagement Initiative in partnership with the Church of the Resurrection. For the second year, she is working as an ambassador with the Voter-to-Voter project.
Fun Fact
For New Year’s Eve 2018, Tanya took a solo trip to London, where she welcomed in the new year watching the fireworks from outside Westminster Abbey. She took her niece Tyler with her for New Year’s Eve 2019.
